On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 09:50, Michael Coslo <mjc5@psu.edu> wrote:
> Like it or not, LED lighting is probably the wave of the future. What does
> this mean? It means that the weak link in the system is going to be the power
> supply in the bulb, it means that probably bulb price will go up. I give
> about 50-50 odds that we might see something else, and that will be a
> separate and low voltage line run to the lighting systems. Running 120 volts
> just to be stepped down to a few volts is technically stupid, and probably a
> liberal idea anyhow. This is a system already in use in off the grid, low
> voltage solar or wind powered systems.
Not so much any more. Inverters are so good these days (in comparison
to what was out there even 10 years ago), that many (newer) off-grid
folks just run regular appliance if the various magazines are to be
believed. Efficient appliances, run sparingly, of course, but
off-the-shelf stuff.
I switched to all-CFL a decade ago and have no regrets. Prices are
way down and quality hasn't suffered *too* much, but as always, Caveat
Emptor and stay away from the cheapies. We changed out all the bulbs
when we bought our present house 4+ years ago and, aside from a few
duds, I don't think we've replaced any.
I'm interested in the LED stuff, since it draws even less power. What
would cause LEDs to take off, I think, is to separate out the power
supply and the lamp. Have a power-supply unit that screws into an
Edison socket and then a bulb that snaps into that. To make it work,
though, you'd need a standard like the Edison socket itself. None of
this proprietary stuff (though I'm sure that's how the Edison socket
started).
We'll see what the market does with the new regs. Incandescents are
obviously profitable and simple to make. Get their Lumen/W ratio up
and they may be the new wave in lighting. Until then, or until LEDs
settle in the way CFLs have, I'll stick with the CFLs and laugh at the
folks that stick their heads in the sand.
Also, Al Gore is fat.
--
Peter Laws | N5UWY | plaws plaws net | Travel by Train!
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