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The Latest In Godawful Expensive New Lightbulbs (yippee)

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trapeze:
LINK


[blockquote]NEW YORK – Two leading makers of lighting products are showcasing LED bulbs that are bright enough to replace energy-guzzling 100-watt light bulbs set to disappear from stores in January.

Their demonstrations at the LightFair trade show in Philadelphia this week mean that brighter LED bulbs will likely go on sale next year, but after a government ban takes effect.

The new bulbs will also be expensive — about $50 each — so the development may not prevent consumers from hoarding traditional bulbs.

The technology in traditional "incandescent" bulbs is more than a century old. Such bulbs waste most of the electricity that feeds them, turning it into heat. The 100-watt bulb, in particular, produces so much heat that it's used in Hasbro's Easy-Bake Oven.

To encourage energy efficiency, Congress passed a law in 2007 mandating that bulbs producing 100 watts worth of light meet certain efficiency goals, starting in 2012. Conventional light bulbs don't meet those goals, so the law will prohibit making or importing them. The same rule will start apply to remaining bulbs 40 watts and above in 2014. Since January, California has already banned stores from restocking 100-watt incandescent bulbs.[/blockquote]

At this rate you are going to need to finance the lighting of your home.

Still, this is an oncoming disaster that we all have plenty of time to prepare for. Traditional incandescent light bulbs are still available and they are still cheap. Buy early and buy often. Store them in a safe place.

Worst case scenario is you buy a bunch of them, they change the federal law back and then you get to sell your stockpile on eBay to the poor bastards who live in the People's Republic of California.

rickl:
I think LED bulbs will eventually be the standard.  They're much better than the compact fluorescents.  Many flashlights and automobile headlights already use them.  With flashlights, the batteries last much longer than with incandescent bulbs, so they're better during power outages.  You can stand them on end and use them as electric candles, with no worries about setting things on fire.

But they're not quite there yet for indoor home lighting.  They're pretty harsh, and as you pointed out, expensive.

rickl:
While I believe that LED bulbs are the future, I also prefer that the free market lead us there.  There is no good reason why the government should be dictating what kinds of light bulbs we use.  The laws against Edison's bulbs should be repealed ASAP.

trapeze:
Don't hold your breath.

Politicians are loath to admit a mistake.

Be prepared for a black market in bulbs.

IronDioPriest:
The fact that we are even in a situation in which we must discuss what lightbulbs the federal government will allow us to manufacture, purchase, and use, indicates the world of sh*t we are in. They've got their hooks in too deep, and they won't be inclined to extract them voluntarily upon demand.

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