COMPACT FLUORESCENT BULBS

COMPACT FLUORESCENT BULBS

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Roanoke Valley Cool Cities Coalition= wants to see 100,000 new compact fluorescent light bulbs in use in the Roanoke Valley this year. Here is why:

Incandescent light

60 watt bulb

Compact fluorescent light

60-watt equivalent bulb

= · &nbs= p; 5% light, 95% Heat=

= · &nbs= p; Invented 1879

· A single CFL will save you $40 or more over the life of the bulb . . .

· Using 3 CFLs will reduce global warmi= ng pollution by over a ton . . .

· That's the equivalent of the pollution from burning about 100 gallons of gas . . .

· Using 8 CFLs will eliminate the need = to mine and burn over a ton of coal!*

If every household in America= bought and used just ONE 60-watt equivalent CFL, the energy saved would be:

&m= iddot; = enough to power a city of 1.5 million people, or

&m= iddot; = enough to power all the homes in Delaware and <= st1:State w:st=3D"on">Rhode Island, or=

&m= iddot; = equivalent to taking 1.3 million cars off the roads

&m= iddot; = enough electricity to turn off two entire power plants--or skip building the next = two

Source: "Fast Company", September 2006

Disposal. CFLs contain trace amounts of mercur= y, far less than a thermometer, and less than is emitted into the atmosphere by co= al power plants to burn a comparable incandescent bulb.

If you break a bulb, clean up with a= paper towel, and dispose of the waste in a sealable plastic bag.

Residents of Roanoke County, City of Roanoke, Botetourt and Vinton can return unbroken CFL's to Household Hazardous Waste Collection (first Sunday in May, August, and November). For ot= her localities, check with your local government for disposal options.

For more details on the mercury in C= FLs compared to mercury released by using incandescent bulbs, see this site (National Electrical Manufacturers Associat= ion):

For special purpose CFLs (e.g. dimmable, globe, candelabra, spot- & flood-light):<= /o:p>

&mi= ddot; = = Environme= ntal Defense

&mi= ddot; = Sav-Elec, Roanoke, VA. 540-344-4246

Other good resources:

&mi= ddot; = = Tips for = buying and using CFLs

&m= iddot; = Wikipedia.com (search: "compact fluorescent lamp")

* The actual cost savings and emissions reduction from the use of CFLs is dependent on many variables and may be higher or lower depen= ding on the type of bulb, how it is used, the cost of electricity, the fuel mix = used to generate electricity, and other factors. These estimates are based= on supportable assumptions that are specific to the Roanoke area using a typical 60W equiva= lent CFL.

Roanoke Valley Cool Cities Coalition (RVCCC)