Dr. Raymond M. Wright, Contributor
WRIGHT
THE COMPACT fluorescent bulb is a key that could drive energy efficiency in lighting nationally.
As with the fluorescent lamps found in commercial buildings, a compact fluorescent bulb is a tube. These tubes, however, are narrower and usually twisted around like a pretzel. Sometimes they are covered with a globe so that they look much like a standard incandescent bulb.
The major difference between compact fluorescents and their incandescent cousins is the amount of energy they use. Compact fluorescents use roughly one-quarter of the electricity that an incandescent bulb will use to give off the same amount of light. Cutting the electricity use of a light by anywhere near 70 per cent to 75 per cent is a lot of savings.
There are three places in a house where lights are generally on more than three hours each day: the kitchen, the living room (where we watch TV), and the patio. These areas should be lit with compact fluorescent lamps.
You should know two things about compact fluorescents. First, they cost a good deal more than incandescents. And then, they last much longer than incandescents.
Replacing all your incandescents with fluorescents would certainly reap large energy savings, but it would require a bit of an investment. Compact fluorescents usually cost between $125 and $250 per bulb. Because incandescents can often be purchased for $45, that difference is quite significant.
The upside to compact fluorescent bulb costs is that they last a long time. The rated lifetime of most compact fluorescent bulbs is 10,000 hours. In contrast to the long lifetimes of compact fluorescent bulbs, incandescent bulbs are rated to last from 800 to 1,000 hours. It would take about 10 incandescent bulbs to match the life of one compact fluorescent.
MYTHS OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Myth #1: Use ceiling fans all the time to reduce cooling costs.
FACT: Fans that operate constantly, especially when no one is at home to benefit from their cooling breeze, will increase rather than decrease your monthly electricity usage. Ceiling fans use electricity (25 - 75 watts each), and are only useful if someone is near them to enjoy the benefits of the air motion.
Myth #2: The colour of a roof makes little difference in the amount of energy used.
FACT: Studies have found that the use of a white roof can cut the overall cooling load in a new home by 20 per cent or more. Keep in mind that this is a no-cost option also - you do not have to pay extra for a lighter roofing colour.
Myth #3: If you have got an older refrigerator that is still working, do not get rid of it.
FACT: Because refrigeration uses so much energy (about 10 per cent of your household total), you should get rid of an older refrigerator and replace it with a newer one that will be much more energy-efficient, probably paying for the purchase price quickly in energy savings. Refrigerators more than 15 years old are virtual 'energy hogs' compared to the models on sale today.
Myth #4: Fluorescent lighting is unhealthy.
FACT: Fluorescent lighting has changed dramatically in the last few years. Today's fluorescents have greatly improved colour quality. And the annoying flicker and hum have been eliminated from fluorescents. Because they require less electricity, fluorescents generate less power plant pollution, which has many known health effects.
Dr. Raymond M. Wright is group managing director of the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica.
