News analysis Light bulbs
Shedding
little light
Energy-saving bulbs have come
under fi re from a national newspaper
campaign. Carina Bailey reports on
the myths surrounding the issue and
the challenges these pose to lighting
professionals
■
Last month, amid the dark £175,000 in energy costs.”
days of early January, one According to the Daily
British national newspaper hit on a Mail, CFLs can cause
bright idea. “Stock up now. We’ve health problems such as
got 25,000 to give away”, ran the skin rashes, migraines and
strap line on the front page of the epilepsy – but, so far, the
Daily Mail. What the paper was evidence is only anecdotal,
keen to hand out to its readers were says Hunt. Despite this,
“traditional” incandescent 100W his association is working
light bulbs. Why? Because these closely with groups dealing
“beloved” incandescent bulbs are with conditions such as
soon to disappear after a 130-year Lupus in order to try to help
history of lighting up our residences. them fi nd light sources best
The Mail’s complaint over suited to their needs.
the European Union’s decision Hunt insists the mercury
to replace 100W incandescent content in CFLs is not
bulbs with low-energy compact “dangerous” to dispose of,
fl uorescent lamps centred on the as the Mail claimed. Most of to resolve, including their
potentially “harmful” affects of the bulbs contain just 5mg, size and the number of
compact fl uorescent lamps (CFLs), with recycling sites available CFL candle bulbs that are
as well as their apparent higher cost. for disposal. currently available to match a
But, says Peter Hunt, chief executive But surely we all have drop once their popular tungsten tungsten’s 60W output. Hunt sees
of the Lighting Association: “The to agree they are more expensive cousins are no longer available. this as a genuine issue but, with
Mail gave away 25,000 100W lamps, compared to fi lament bulbs? The accusations that CFLs don’t so many new products appearing
but did they put a warning on saying Apparently not. CFLs last 10 times work with dimmer switches and regularly, he expects that by the time
‘every one of these will cost you £7 as long as an ordinary tungsten take too long to warm up are also incandescent bulbs are phased out
more per year than a low-energy bulb, making them cheaper in the misleading, according to Hunt. there will be more choice on the
bulb’? They’ve just cost their readers long term, and their price is set to He says that this may have been market. He also concedes that there
the case about 20 years ago, but are only two types of dimmable CFL
technology has leaped forward since bulbs available now, which is why
Phasing out the bulbs
then, with full light possible within they are more expensive.
The government, major retailers, lighting associations and power fi ve seconds. And, even though Mike Simpson, president-elect
companies agreed to begin a voluntary four-year phase out of lamps for dimmer switches are of CIBSE, says: “The only reason
incandescent light bulbs from January 2007 in the UK. expensive now, they are expected to incandescent bulbs are being
In January 2007, stocks of 150W bulbs were no longer displayed on fall in price in the next 12 months as banned is the take-up of CFLs has
major retailers’ shelves. This year was the turn of the 100W bulb; next year more solutions hit the market. been abysmally slow. We have had
it will be the 60W; and by 2011 stocks of the 40W and 25W bulbs will no Hunt admits that CFLs did have the choice; now we are going to be
longer be replenished. a tendency to fl icker when they were forced to do it. Maybe people don’t
The move precedes a wider EU initiative to phase out incandescent fi rst developed, but this is a problem like their choice being taken away.
lights and less energy-effi cient lamps in homes across Europe. A draft dating back to the early 1980s, when But the government can’t allow
EU decision to implement this initiative will now be scrutinised by they used to run at just 50 hertz. people to make choices that are
the European Parliament and is scheduled for formal adoption by the Now they can operate at 30,000 to going to ultimately be harmful.”
European Commission in March 2009. Should it be passed, all clear 50,000Hz, according to the Society Continuing to use incandescent
lamps involved should be phased out by 2016. of Light and Lighting. bulbs at the rate that we are will
But there are still a few problems undoubtedly emit more CO2, but
18 CIBSE Journal February 2009
www.cibsejournal.com
CIBSEfeb09pp18-19 lightbulbs•.indd 18 5/2/09 14:18:14
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