Electricity efficiency clarified

Forest and Bird, Volume 22, Issue 4, 1 November 1991, Page 4

Electricity efficiency clarified

GREAT DEAL OF CONFUSION surrounds the subject of energy-efficient light bulbs. The August Forest & Bird article on ‘Getting the green light’ only added to the confusion according to Stuart Bridgman, an energy management specialist. While the electronic lights recommended by Forest and Bird are about 20 percent more efficient than the light bulbs David Bellamy is promoting for Electricorp, the

‘power factor’ mentioned in the item is a red herring. Power factor has very little to do with efficiency and something of concern only to big consumers of electricity. If an appliance uses 100 watts, you pay for 100 watts (times the hours of use, of course) whether its power factor is 1 or 0.1. Forest and Bird notes that on a straight cost comparison it is likely that the electronic light bulb has a longer payback

period, but it will also help put back the need for expensive new power stations that all consumers will have to pay for. Another advantage of the electronic bulbs that is only just starting to receive attention is the total absence of flicker, either visible or invisible. In a controlled experiment in England using the bulbs as a light source, people reported a 50 percent reduction in the incidence of headaches or eyestrain. &