Lights on!

I've been working on selecting lightbulbs for my new house and it's a dramatic example of how it's not easy being green.

I set out first trying to buy some Energy Star light fixtures and was not pleased with available selections. I got the SeaGull catalog, but the offerings didn't appeal to me. I went into Wolfer's, the major lighting supplier in this region, and asked about Energy Star fixtures and they said they didn't really stock any because there wasn't a demand. I told my electrician that I wanted to use compact flourescents in my recessed cans and he said he'd install cans that can use either bulb. I did buy a solar motion sensor flood for my driveway. I'm still in the process of tweaking location for optimal performance, but the light does come on, which is goood!

The fixtures route not having really panned out, I began my search for bulbs for the conventional fixtures I bought. I subcribe to Energy Federation Incorporated's e-newsletter (www.efi.org), and they called out a compact flourescent suitable for use in recessed cans that was relatively inexpensive. It was the FEIT High Heat Ecobulb R30 Reflector for $5.95. I bought a couple to test first. They drove me crazy!! They come on very dimly and take a couple of minutes to reach full brightness. I was testing the bulb in a dark, windowless room and was very disappointed.

I hoped that it was just that particular bulb, then embarked on an adventure to find the right bulb. Next I tried the TCP reflector ($9.75), then the Philips Marathon ($17.75). Same problem. I thought I'd found the solution finally at a local hardware store. Some utility is underwriting a substantial part of the cost of compact flourescents there and I found GE soft white floodlight reflectors for two bucks each. At first, I thought the problem was solved. I went back to the store and cleaned them out of their entire inventory. But same problem. The only saving grace is they only cost $2, cheaper than an incandescent. I ended up buying a few incandescents for the rooms where I want fast, full light and dimmability, because $17.75 per bulb just isn't worth it in a room with lights that don't get turned on much.

My search for less traditional sized and shaped bulbs has been equally frustrating. Mailorder is not a great way to buy bulbs. I've been too timid to ask EFI for money back on the grounds of dissatisfaction.

To get a LEED credit, 80 percent of my bulbs need to be compact flourescents and I've just going to forego the point.

The long and short of it is that these lights still have a long way to go. If a person as interested in buying them at me is partly giving up, how can we expect the mainstream public to switch over?