"Lighting the Way to a Better World"
Roanoke Valley Cool Cities Coalition has been one of the leading proponents in the conversion to CFL lighting. As of July 2008, we have given away or assisted with the distribution of nearly 4,000 CFL's, saving thousands of dollars in utility bills, and reducing global warming pollution by over 2 million pounds (during the life of these CFL's) To download our CFL Quick Facts flyer CLICK HERE
Frequently asked CFL questions
I want to help increase the use of CFL's. What can I do?
How are compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL's) better than incandescent light bulbs?
Where can I find CFL's, especially for use with dimmers, recessed ceiling fixtures and outdoor use?
Does it take more current to start a CFL than to leave it burning?
Should we leave CFL's burning all the time?
Is there mercury in the CFL's? If so, how should I dispose of CFL's?
Is there a better lighting solution than CFL's?
I want to help increase the use of CFL's. What can I do?
This is a community-wide effort. Contact Diana Christopulos or Mark McClain (phone 540-387-0930) if you would like to help. Here are some ways you might help:
-
Donate to Roanoke Valley Cool Cities Coalition's CFL Distribution Program - $25 will buy about one dozen bulbs and save the emission of about 4 tons of CO2; $100 will buy about 40 CFL's and save the emission of about 14 tons of CO2. RVCCC's bulbs are distributed with educational information about conservation. You can send a check to RVCCC at 907 Greenbrier Court, Salem VA 24153, or if you want to contribute by credit card, click below (Payments are processed by PayPal, the most popular on-line payment service):
Other things you can do:
- Distribute the bulbs through your local church or club. Give CFL's as gifts to family and friends.
- Host a showing of the movie “Kilowatt Ours” or one of our other available presentations in your home or another setting. We'll take care of all the logistics and we'll give CFL's to some or all of the audience. Click here: http://www.rvccc.org/rvccc-host.html for more information about our presentations.
Why start with light bulbs?
Our challenge is to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) we add to the air. Every molecule we release today will stay in the atmosphere for about 100 years.
Most of
the CO2 we generate comes from burning fossil fuels
– coal, oil and gas. Of these, coal burned for electricity
generates by far the most CO2 per ton of fuel.
In Southwestern Virginia, about 83 percent of our electricity
currently comes from coal-fired plants. In addition to emitting
CO2, these plants also emit large amounts of mercury,
fine particles and sulfur dioxide. They are the dirtiest
source of energy.
Lighting
accounts for about 9 percent of the electricity use in our homes
– about the same amount of energy used for heating water.
Efficient light bulbs can have a significant impact on both
energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
How are compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL's) better than incandescent light bulbs?
|
Incandescent light |
Compact fluorescent light (60-watt equivalent bulb) |
· 5% light, 95% heat (invented 1879) |
*The actual cost savings and emissions reduction from the use of CFL's is dependent on many variables and may be higher or lower depending 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 equivalent CFL. |
If every household in American bought and used just ONE 60-watt equivalent CFL, the energy saved would be
- enough to power a city of 1.5 million people, or
- enough to power all the homes in Delaware and Rhode Island, or
- equivalent to taking 1.3 million cars off the roads, or
- enough electricity saved to turn off two entire power plants--or skip building the next two (source: Fast Company, September 2006)
How much do CFL's cost?
Packages of 4-10 60-watt equivalent CFL's often cost less than $2 per bulb at major discount stores and home centers. Other brightness and many special use bulbs are available, and prices range from less than $2 to $10 or more. All pay for themselves many times over in energy savings.
Where can I find CFL's, especially for use with dimmers, recessed ceiling fixtures and outdoor use?
Local stores now carry a variety of CFL styles including large and small decorative globes, candelabra (small and large base), dimmable, 3-way, and spot/flood lights. They are available in "equivalent" brightness of 40-, 60-, 75-, 100-, and 150-watt. The larger stores tend to carry the best selection, and if your favorite store doesn't carry these, we hope you'll tell the manager you'd like to buy them.
Does it take more current to start a bulb than to leave it burning?
Starting the lamp uses about 5 seconds worth of energy in less than a second. The manufacturers' rating of 5-6 years on the bulb is based on an assumption that you turn it on once a day and leave it on for 3 to 4 hours.
Should we leave bulbs burning all the time?
No, because the primary point is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. You will still save lots of money, even if the bulb burns out in 5 years instead of 6. Turn bulbs off if you will be gone for more than 15 or 20 minutes.
I hear there is mercury in the bulbs. Is this true? If so, how do I dispose of the bulbs?
The bulbs have about 4 mg of mercury - it is the source of the
light. This compares to about 500 mg of mercury in a thermometer
and 3,000 in an old thermostat. The mercury is safe as long as
the CFL is not broken, in which case it should be cleaned up with
a wet paper towel and placed in a zip-lock bag for disposal . In
southwestern Virginia, we release much more mercury into the air by using an incandescent
bulb than we do even if we break a CFL.
Unbroken, burned-out CFL's can
be recycled. They can be turned in at the customer service (returns) desk at any
Home Depot store. The are also accepted at the household
hazardous waste days held several times a year. These are held
the first Sunday in May, August and November for Roanoke County,
Roanoke City, Vinton and Botetourt County.
We
are talking with local governments and businesses about making
disposal more convenient.
Is there a better lighting solution than CFL's?
Light-emitting diodes (LED bulbs)
may be the successors to CFL's. Current uses include
flashlights, stop lights and exit signs. They are very bright
dots that use about the same amount of energy as
CFL's, last much longer, and use phosphorus instead of
mercury for the light source. Today's LED's have a
number drawbacks for regular household use:
- They are not commercially available for most household
applications
- The light is very focused - good for reading, but poor for area
light
- They are much more expensive than CFL's
There is
a lot of research going on, and it is clear that demand will grow as people
get tuned in to the issue. To keep up with innovations, visit
http://lightingfortomorrow.com/.
This is a lighting fixture design competition sponsored by DOE and a lot
of others and is a good way to see what is
coming.
Stay tuned for updates on this issue!