Energy efficient lights at Tesco

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Energy efficient lights at Tesco
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Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Sun Oct 30, 05 5:15 pm Post subject:

Some interesting points, but as someone who has tried various energy saving things:

I'm not sure if it's our power supply but I found the energy saving bulbs I tried a while back didn't last very long, some less than a year. we are trying them again some hopefully it was just bad luck.

Rechargable batteries on the other hand just don't seem to last in use. I don't expect them to last that long on a charge but some times items like digital cameras drian a set of batteries in a few shots. Until they are better I can see people not wishing to use them.

ele

Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 814
Location: Derby

Posted: Sun Oct 30, 05 5:23 pm Post subject:

Treacodactyl wrote:

I'm not sure if it's our power supply but I found the energy saving bulbs I tried a while back didn't last very long, some less than a year. we are trying them again some hopefully it was just bad luck.

Rechargable batteries on the other hand just don't seem to last in use. I don't expect them to last that long on a charge but some times items like digital cameras drian a set of batteries in a few shots. Until they are better I can see people not wishing to use them.

I've had different experiences, the energy saving lightbulbs (I'm scared to bring up the subject as I might sound like the forum joke post

) have nearly always lasted many, many years and with batteries the Ni-Mh ones seem to work well in even high drain gadgets.

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Sun Oct 30, 05 10:24 pm Post subject:

As I think may be known, I admire the low consumption of these bulbs, but detest the light quality of every one I've seen.

I had to get a variety of bulbs a couple of weeks ago, and was amazed at the price differences. Homebase were generally twice Tesco's price. And Homebase were asking nearly £8 (if memory serves) for a low energy bulb that I bought (Phillips-branded) from Lidl for under £2...

Rechargeables. For any high current drain usage (even a DECT phone) NiMH rechargeables really show up the limitations of NiCd. (And outlast them in the number of recharge cycles too.)
NiMH cells can usually be swapped straight in as upgrade replacements for NiCd - same charger, etc.
However, in portable kit (like a camera), there's a hard design choice to be made - heavier with a longer battery runtime, or lighter but with little stamina.
In items where power density (stored energy per gramme of weight) is very important to sales (laptops, mobile phones, 'better' cameras...) the expensive Lithium Ion cells are usually chosen by the designers. These cells are not swappable for anything else.

Technology signpost - look out for consumer batteries in the near future made with "nanotechnology" (actually just extremely fine powders) which promise such benefits as near-instant recharging...
There is enthusiasm about fuel cells using methanol - but, awkwardly, such devices are currently banned from being taken on board an aircraft...

And Lidl's *do*, a few times a year, offer NiMH rechargeables - at such an attractive price that folk will queue up outside waiting for the store to open. Well worth watching for!

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Mon Oct 31, 05 9:12 am Post subject:
I don't mind the light quality, it's crap on start up obviously but the yellowish tinge of old is certainly much, much reduced. An 11 or 20w will give a good, white light IMHO.

ele

Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 814
Location: Derby

Posted: Mon Oct 31, 05 9:22 am Post subject:
the light quality is variable with flourescents though, some of the cheaper or older ones can be so slow and harsh, but some of the newer ones are definitely better and give a warmer glow, must admit they're never as homely as an incandescent, though it's nice to not forever be changing lightbulbs

ele

Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 814
Location: Derby

Posted: Mon Oct 31, 05 9:40 am Post subject:

dougal wrote:

In items where power density (stored energy per gramme of weight) is very important to sales (laptops, mobile phones, 'better' cameras...) the expensive Lithium Ion cells are usually chosen by the designers. These cells are not swappable for anything else.

I notice that my little sony DSV-V1 camera has an inbuilt Li ion battery, and works pretty well and the battery itself is weirdly light, I'd never noticed that before

On the other hand the pro Digital SLR Canon of my hubbie's has got a Ni-Mh battery (which lasts seriously ages on a single charge) I guess that's because the camera and lens are already the weight of a small child so there's little point making the battery light

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