The Periphery of the Mind

The Energy Independance Act of 2007 and your lightbulbs!

Okay, nothing too sensational here really. Congress, like the rest of America, wants us to be a more energy independant nation. One of the steps to do so is to essentially phase out incandescent light bulbs by requiring light bulbs in general to become 25% more efficient by 2012. Which, given that they're already pretty much at their maximum efficiency, means bye-bye to old-fashioned light bulbs. Some specialty bulbs, like appliance or colored bulbs, will be exempt. So as your old incandescent bulbs burn out, you'll have to switch over as they'll no longer be sold. Which seems a pretty spiffy way to go this route.

Now this is little cause for concern except for possibly two cases. Specialty fixtures won't be exempt, and any existing dimmer switches will need to be converted as CFLs and LED bulbs probably won't work with an incandescent-friendly dimmer. But here's the kicker. CFLs really do cost less overall than incandescents, and LEDs are poised to become even cheaper. And LEDs will become cheaper as the chemical waste and disposal issues of CFLs become more of a concern, thanks to the use of mercury and other toxic substances in CFLs. LEDs also have something called Haitz's Law working for them; in regular intervals, LED development makes them smaller, brighter, and cheaper. Much like Moore's Law, Haitz's Law has yet to reach its peak.

So anyway...

If you have special fixtures or dimmer switches, stock up on incandescents now or replace them. Otherwise get ready to switch to CFLs in a few years, and then LEDs as their price drops.

Labels: Tuesday Tech Tip