A Bright Idea Madison WI

The other night I saw a television commercial for our local power company that ended with their logo featuring the unmistakable spiral shape of a compact fluorescent lamp (CFL). Not too long ago that same logo used to sport the outline of your common incandescent light bulb. My, how times have changed.

Commercial users have been relatively quick to recognize and embrace the use of energy efficient lamps. Though widespread and growing, use is still far from complete. When I go into a hotel, office building or retail space these days I find myself looking up. I usually am greeted by the sight of a CFL or T8 lamp—but not always. Then I wonder why?

On the plus side, energy efficient lamps use less power and are cheaper to operate. They usually last longer, in some cases significantly longer, so maintenance costs are lower. If you're replacing an incandescent bulb with a CFL, there's much less heat generated, resulting in less demand on the air conditioning system.

On the other side of the coin, there's the initial cost when first changing out lamps and fixtures. After that, it's all good.

I can't really comment on the consumer side except to note that prices have come down on retail energy efficient lamps while the range of types offered has increased, resulting in less buyer resistance. I've seen CFLs offered in multi-packs at rock-bottom prices. Consumers can choose from three-way CFLs, outdoor spotlight CFLs, colored CFLs or CFLs in an array of bright to warm light outputs. Installation is as simple as screwing in a light bulb.

In my own home I've made almost a complete transition to CFLs, both inside and out. And, I've switched to dimmable, electronic ballasts in my linear fluorescent fixtures. Yes, I still have a few incandescent light bulbs in use, but only in a few situations for aesthetic purposes. My motivations aren't that much different from a typical commercial user. I want to save money and reduce maintenance.

In the grander scheme of things, widespread use of energy efficient lamps is good for our environment and our country. We've all heard about global warming. I guess some folks have differing views on the magnitude of the problem but I think we can all agree it bears consideration.

Saving energy isn't just smart, in these troubled times it could also be considered a matter of national security. The less we have to depend on oil imports, the better off we'll be—today and tomorrow.

So, do your part both personally and professionally. Start at home by practicing what you should be preaching to your customers. Switch to energy efficient lamps and fixtures wherever possible. In the end, everybody wins—you, your customers and our nation—because energy efficiency really is a "bright idea."

It's been fun. Take care.

Electrical Contracting Products
brian.taylor@cygnusb2b.com