Window glazing

[Nemesis]

I think, in a slightly muddied manner, the point is being made that energy use can be reduced in ways which don't involve DG.

 

[Flyfisher]

Talking of low-energy light bulbs, I read the other day that the folded types are prone to giving out UV because of poor quality control resulting in uneven phosphor coverage around the bends. The general view was that this is unlikely to be hazardous for most lighting but it wasn't a good idea for 'task lighting' such as desk lamps.

And that's not to mention the RoHS legislation that prohibits their disposal in landfill because of their mercury content. I wonder how many people take their failed low-energy bulbs to a special disposal facility?

 

[skier-hughes]

Low energy bulbs produce less heat, thus less heat to lose.....

Hmmm - are you sure?

If your house is centrally heated, then it will almost certainly have a thermostat that cuts out the boiler when the house has reached your chosen temperature.

The thermostat isn't fussy about where the heat comes from - radiators, light bulbs... only that the chosen temperature is reached.

So if your light bulbs give off less heat, your boiler needs to give off more heat.

And you don't put your lights on when you don't need your boiler on? :shock:

 

[Penners]

And you don't put your lights on when you don't need your boiler on?

No, not very much. It's summertime!

 

[biffvernon]

mercury content.

Mercury is released into the atmosphere from coal power stations with the flue gas. Somebody told me that the amount of mercury in the light bulbs is less than the amount released in the smoke from generating the electricity that would have been needed if one hadn't changed one's light bulbs.

I've no idea if this is true - it was just a bloke in the pub.

It's complicated, this planet-saving stuff.

 

[Flyfisher]

Yes, the article I read referred to power station mercury emissions but gave no figures. However, power station emissions are widely dispersed and therefore of very low concentration, whereas end-of-life CFLs are going to end up concentrated in landfill sites, which doesn't sound too good.

Or maybe, in line with RoHS rules, councils will make special provision for collecting dead CFLs and people won't just chuck them in the bin :roll:

Complicated stuff indeed.

 

[skier-hughes]

Or maybe they'll just chuck the dead people in the bin :wink:

 

[Flyfisher]

Nope, they just leave them on the sofa . . .
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/7234810.stm