The government wants to ban tungsten filament lamps in favour of fluorescent alternatives. Below, BSRIA argues that this may be ill-advised, while overleaf Philips UK market manager Paul Harwood puts the case for CFLs.
Government plans to ban traditional tungsten filament lamps in favour of compact fluorescent ones are misguided, according to consultancy and testing organisation, BSRIA. The organisation says not enough attention has been paid to lifecycle issues, the waste problem posed by compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and their light performance.
BSRIA believes that a wholesale switch to CFLs will not maintain or improve the quality of electric light in homes or lead to discernable long-term energy savings. It has also urged the government to issue more informative guidance to householders on the appropriate use of CFLs.
One of the big claims for CFLs is that they consume less electricity, which means cheaper bills for consumer and less impact on the environment. It’s true that changing to CFLs can reduce electricity consumption by 75-80%. However, the initial cost of the lamp is 10-20 times more than that of the humble light bulb. “Supporters of CFL technology argue that break-even costs can be achieved in about 12 months. But the savings are rarely apparent,” says BSRIA lighting engineer Richard Forster. “This is because UK electricity bills do not show savings from lighting. Electricity bills are mostly estimated and electricity use from lighting, and cleaning, cooking and entertainment devices are lumped together, which means that savings from small items like CFLs are not visible.”
BSRIA says OFGEM is not doing enough to persuade the electricity supply industry to change its billing practices so that savings become apparent to householders.
The difference in technical performance between CFLs and conventional light bulbs is also poorly understood by customers, according to BSRIA. “CFLs are marketed as having no significant difference in the quality of light they provide compared with tungsten filament lamps. This needs to be addressed by the manufacturers,” says Forster.
All CFLs are low-pressure lamps which take time to warm up and emit full light output. Most are claimed to reach more than 80% light output in two minutes or less, but the initial light when switching on is not quoted.
However, Forster claims that he found just two examples of this by a single manufacturer within his own research, one lamp reaching 80% after two minutes, and the other reaching 85% after one minute.
In addition, while CFLs produce light similar to that of fluorescent tubes used in work and leisure environments, the domestic environment is very different. Tasks such as food preparation and decorating will be adversely affected by the colour rendering of CFLs.
Then there’s standards. GLS lamps are subject to strict British Standards (BS EN 60064:1996) and their size, ratings, light output, lumen maintenance, average life, and testing methods are clearly defined.
“For CFLs there is no equivalent standard,” says Forster. “The performance standard BS EN 600969:1993 only sets down methodology for testing and does not create a standard range or minimum performance values. Consequently it is necessary to rely on the information provided by individual manufacturers.”
The standard for tungsten filament lamps provides specific conditions for average life testing, with individual lamps to be not less than 70% of rated life. The standard for CFLs defines average life to be after 50% have failed under test conditions, based upon a three-hour switching regime.
But as Forster points out: “This is typical of commercial premises, but not of domestic premises, where lamps may only be switched on for a couple of minutes.”
While CFLs may consume less energy and, on the face of it, be better for the environment, they contain environmentally harmful materials in their manufacture, such as lead and mercury. The Landfill (England & Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2005 defines fluorescent tubes as hazardous materials and thereby dictates how they should be stored, moved and disposed of. CFLs cannot be part of normal domestic waste. By contrast, no environmentally harmful materials are used in tungsten filament lamps.
BSRIA believes all these issues with CFLs must be tackled now, with a degree of realism and recognition that the lighting will not be identical and CFLs may not be the best answer in all domestic situations.
Fluorescent finds favour
No sector can ignore Gordon Brown’s challenge to reduce energy bills by at least 20%. And no sector can ignore the
fact that lighting is one of the areas that can be addressed to help achieve this.
More than 130 million incandescent bulbs were sold in the UK in 2005/06. If these were switched to compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), this would save 4.4 TWh of electricity each year, worth £460 million. This equates to a saving of 1.9 million tonnes of C02, the equivalent of removing 457 000 cars from our roads. Concerns relating to the use of mercury in fluorescent lamps can be readily appeased. The amounts are now very small and can be recovered safely during recycling.
The European Lamp Companies Federation (ELC) has also announced the first ever joint industry commitment to support the government shift to more energy efficient lighting for the home within the next 10 years. This will start with the highest wattage lamps (over 100 W) and gradually cover lower wattages down to 25 W by 2015. Lamps for appliances such as refrigerators and ovens will also be reviewed but the objective will be for a smooth transition towards energy efficient alternatives in this area.
A further factor driving this switch is the proposal by the Department for Communities and Local Government that all new homes be carbon neutral by 2016 – currently the UK’s 21 million homes account for 27% of carbon emissions.
Revisions to Part L1 of the Building Regulations already require one energy efficient source per 25m2 and one per four fixed light fittings.
While these regulations have put definitive timelines in place, companies such as Philips advocate the need to help consumers to understand why and how this changeover is necessary. Part of this educational process can be demonstrated by the newly launched website www.asimpleswitch.com which offers user-friendly advice on how this change can be done simply and effectively.
Another key factor is the misconception that CFLs are significantly more expensive. Viewed solely on their initial purchase price this may be the case, but even this is not totally accurate since suppliers are now working with retailers to offer in-store initiatives and promotions, making the lamps highly affordable to shoppers.
The important point to note, however, is that even at current prices, changing from an incandescent lamp to the equivalent CFL can save between £7 and £9 per year in electricity alone which can more than offset the original cost of the lamp – and that saving will be made each year for at least the next eight years (see table).
Other new energy saving technologies are now stepping into the domestic arena. Revolutionary energy saving halogen filament bulbs for the home – called Edore – will be available as we move into 2008, using 50% less energy than ordinary household bulbs.
The other major benefit of this lamp is that it is dimmable. Some CFLs can be dimmed, but the light they offer in so doing is not typical of the warm, golden glow associated with traditional GLS lamps.
Another development is light emitting diodes (LEDs). The new green LEDs will be more efficient than the tungsten bulb. Admittedly the amount of light at present is still too low for general lighting. However, in the coming years, the light output of LEDs will continue to increase, enabling mass market general lighting possibilities. And as volume increases, prices will come down. LEDs represent one of the most significant developments in future lighting applications.
Source
Electrical and Mechanical Contractor
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