A Better Bulb

Light bulbs are so small and unassuming, it’s easy to imagine they do not consume much energy. Yet lighting represents nearly a quarter of our country’s energy usage. Consider also that incandescent bulbs, which currently sit in the vast majority of the nation’s light fixtures, waste 90 percent of the energy they draw to create light.

As energy costs have risen, so has demand for more efficient bulbs, and several already exist on the market. Despite the many choices out there such as incandescent, halogen, compact fluorescent (CFL) and light-emitting diode (LED), each have drawbacks.

Four major areas of concern are:

• Lifespan: Incandescent (1500 hours) and even halogen bulbs (a few thousand) need to be changed relatively often.
• Energy Efficiency: Due to the their inefficient use of energy, Congress has banned incandescent bulbs starting in 2012, with a complete phase out by 2014; even existing halogen bulbs will not make Congress’ new mandate to make all bulbs 70 percent more efficient by 2020.
• Light Quality: While CFL and LED bulbs are very efficient, they produce weaker light (as is the case with LEDs) or less natural looking light (both) than incandescent and halogen bulbs.
• Functionality: LED bulbs are heavy and only produce quality focused light (they do not, for example, work very well in lamps). Most CFL bulbs take time to fully illuminate, and few can be used with dimmers to increase efficiency.
• Environmental impact: While all bulbs are currently difficult to recycle, CFL bulbs, because they contain mercury and cadmium, and LED bulbs, because the process is expensive, pose unique concerns.

What’s Next?

Enter ESL™ bulbs. ESL™, or “Electron-Stimulated Luminescence,” is a new kind of light bulb designed by Vu1, a Seattle-based company.  For now, you can refer to them as “Extra Secret Light” bulbs, since the patenting process is still underway.

The idea behind this bulb was to find a toxin-free alternative to mercury-containing CFLs, without compromising energy efficiency, quality or savings. Ron Davis, Chief Marketing Officer, says the company came up with the idea to pursue a new kind of light bulb back in 2004. Their scientists and engineers channeled three existing technologies from other fields into the production of the ESL™ bulb, and Vu1 expects to release their first commercial testers in early 2009.

According to Davis, there are several advantages to the new ESL™ bulbs.

• Like CFLs, they are about 75 percent more efficient and last about seven times longer than incandescents.
• They will also be comparable in cost to CFL bulbs.
• ESLs™ contain no mercury, and are made of fully recyclable materials, such as glass, aluminum and tin.
• They avoid the issues of proper disposal and fear of contamination that come with CFL bulbs.
• They are less costly to produce than LED light bulbs. Even if every home could afford to switch to LEDs, the materials and energy consumed in their production would leave a huge carbon footprint.

ESL™ bulbs also claim to provide full functionality. For example, they are “instant on,” dimmable, provide natural quality light (like incandescent bulbs) and are safe to dispose of if broken. Vu1 plans to package their bulbs in post-consumer material and is looking into ways to close the loop on their production cycle.

Currently, the biggest drawback to the ESL™ bulb is accessibility. The bulbs do not yet exist on the commercial market, and when they are first released, only bulbs for recessed fixtures (can lights) will be available. Vu1 is working to expand their product line to include standard A-bulbs and tubes as demand dictates, but you will have to wait a while longer on those. Still, they will be worth examining when they do come to market, especially given the long-term trend in energy costs and environmental impact of other types of bulbs.

Sources:

“Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs.” Environmental Protection Agency/U.S. Department of Energy. http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls.

“Congress Bans Incandescent Bulbs.” World Net Daily. December 19, 2007. http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=59298.

September 11, 2008.