Re: FIRST Fundraiser: Selling LED "Lightbulbs"
 

I believe that's exactly what I said in my post. Sounds like we agree.

Last time I checked, all the CFLs on the shelves were made in China. There's no need to debate. If you come across any CFLs made in the US I will stand corrected.

Re: FIRST Fundraiser: Selling LED "Lightbulbs"
 

Lights of America designs lights that are made in the US for the US. Thats kind of their "calling card"

Made in USA: http://www.esplighting.com/2814s-4vp.html

Re: FIRST Fundraiser: Selling LED "Lightbulbs"
 

Read the fine print:

Re: FIRST Fundraiser: Selling LED "Lightbulbs"
 

I plan to buy a couple for use in the reading room during the summer air conditioning season.

Re: FIRST Fundraiser: Selling LED "Lightbulbs"
 

Doing some quick calculations:

Approximately 0.0234 mg of mercury is released into the atmosphere per kilowatt hour of electricity generated in a coal power plant. Over a 7500 hour lifespan of a bulb, a 100 Watt incandescent bulb will use 750 kW of electricity. In the US, 44.9% of that electricity came from coal power sources in 2009. Assuming this is true for the energy used by the light bulb, that means 336.75 kW came from coal sources, which means ~7.88mg is mercury was released into the atmosphere.

The equivalent CFL bulb only uses 23 Watts of electricity but contain between 1.5mg and 4mg of mercury (newer CFLs average between 1.5mg and 2.5mg, while the older ones have ~4mg. By comparison, older mercury thermometers contain about 500mg of mercury). Over the same 7500 hour life period, it would cause the release of ~1.81mg of mercury into the atmosphere via coal-powered electricity generation.

Even if the CFL bulb was not recycled and somehow had all of its mercury released into the atmosphere, it would have caused the release of ~5.81mg of mercury into the atmosphere, a ~26% reduction in mercury emissions when compared to incandescent bulbs.

Re: FIRST Fundraiser: Selling LED "Lightbulbs"
 

Completely anecdotal evidence here but I've run CFLs in sub zero temperatures just fine. They don't last quite as long but it's still a cost savings over incandescent bulbs.

Re: FIRST Fundraiser: Selling LED "Lightbulbs"
 

For what it's worth: My package of Phillips DuraMax incandescent 40W bulbs claims 475 lumens. So this LED bulb we're discussing is about a 40 W equivalent.

Compare: CFL vs LED
Efficency: 9W vs 7W source.
Time to on: Several seconds vs Instant
Cost: $2 vs $25
Life: 10k Hours vs 50k hours source
Mercury: Little vs Less
Dimmable?: Some vs Yes
Cold OK? Barely vs Better

Me, personally, I'm a big fan of LEDs (not just in light bulbs, either) so I'll still spend $25 for the equivalent of $10 worth of CFLs.

Re: FIRST Fundraiser: Selling LED "Lightbulbs"
 

ditto that.

Re: FIRST Fundraiser: Selling LED "Lightbulbs"
 

I agree with those saying the $25 LED is worth the money comparing lumens to watts. I am currently sitting under 4 LED flood bulbs from Lights of america which were said to be 45watt equivalent and 1 20watt equivalent. Here at my keyboard I can easily see all the keys and anything I write and have on my desk or under the monitor shelf, these are putting out nearly the same light as my 65 watt equivalent CFLs. I have CFLs in every other light fixture in my house but slowly changing them as I get a few spare bucks.

We at Menards just started carrying some Toshiba LED bulbs with a rating of 350 lumens? for about $17, and contain no mercury, these look just like a regular light bulb except they have a heatsink at the base, there are even replacements for those pesky 50 watt halogen track lights available. I am beginning to wonder if the LEDs are being rated/measured the same as CFLs or incandescents, if you look at the area the bulb we have on display lights up it seems more like a 60watt equivalent, but this may be due to the whiter color compared to the softer incandescent.

By the way, the incandescents will be slowly phased out. Already we have seen the 75 watt indoor R-30 flood converted to 65 watt, the 75 and 150 watt outdoor flood converted to halogen only, mercury vapor bulbs were phased out recently and many companies have stopped making incandescent <EDIT> Phillips makes a bulb that is 30% more efficent called the Halogena Energy Saver</edit> Ever so slowly we will see the lumens per wall increase with LED technology getting more efficient.

little food for thought here

Re: FIRST Fundraiser: Selling LED "Lightbulbs"
 

It wasn't clear from the context since you mentioned both mercury vapor and incandescent in the paragraph: are you referring to incandescent bulbs (in the bolded part)?

And if so, what companies are you referring to and what are the lumen ratings and life of their 90-watt bulbs?

Re: FIRST Fundraiser: Selling LED "Lightbulbs"
 

LED bulbs would be considerably cheaper if we could adapt to an environment lit with red light.

Re: FIRST Fundraiser: Selling LED "Lightbulbs"
 

If nobody minds I would like to put my two cents worth in...

I was in the stands of North Carolina when Dean Kamen announced the new Cree LED. He made about a two minute speech about the product and its pro's, and then someone turned the little bugger on. Perhaps it was the angle that I saw it at (highly doubtful) or I was just really sensitive that day, but if anyone else on here who was at North Carolina 2010 can testify that that little LED was practically BLINDING, it would be great. Let me just put it this way, it was hard to look at Dean when that thing got power.

So from seeing the luminoscity capabilities of that unit (idk if that was a prototype or a showcase piece, or the real deal production) I have little reason to believe that it will have problems selling because of lighting issues.

Re: FIRST Fundraiser: Selling LED "Lightbulbs"
 

Dean Kamen made a two minute speech? Now THAT is significant!

Jason

Re: FIRST Fundraiser: Selling LED "Lightbulbs"
 

Hmm one LED light bulb or 60+ GS cookies and have the Mass Saves program replace all $600 worth of my lightbulbs for free... Unfortunately MA teams are probably better off trying to sell cookies :)

Re: FIRST Fundraiser: Selling LED "Lightbulbs"
 

I was there and in the TOP row of the stadium and it was in fact blinding/I turned away when it was pointed in my direction. Also the stadium was was an all glass building with the sun shining into the stadium so it was a very bright room with a very bright light.

In short these bulbs are very, very, very bright!

Two minute speech about the light bulb, just about the light bulb! :rolleyes: He had his normal longer speech with it being a new event and all along with all the rookies and teams who have never heard him. ;) :)