Every reader of this site would gladly buy the most energy efficient lights -- if only a manufacturer would sell them.
We read about Hollywood types having an entire home full of LED lights installed. And then paying very low electric bills, and not having to change a bulb for 25 years.
We'd do that too, but Home Depot/Lowes/Costco etc, won't stock or sell these bulbs. Shouldn't we push for government mandates that at least let us buy these bulbs?
More below.
Been looking online for a year now to find someplace to buy a standard "recessed can" LED light bulb. (A recessed can light fixture is the kind in most new homes, where the can fixture is above your ceiling, and the bulb is almost flat to the ceiling.) The bulb that fits these lights emits at least 65 watts worth of power, and is known as a PAR 30 bulb. (Don't be confused by the PAR 38 bulb, that bugger doesn't fit -- it's way over par for this hole.)
It was only three years ago that we could find PAR 30 Compact Fluorescent(CFL)bulbs at major retailers. While these outperform the old fashioned incandescent bulbs, they have toxic substances, and they take about 2 minutes to fully light up -- angering many users who flick the switch to get light to see, like now, not later. CFLs are an intermediate technological step, one whose time is over.
Meanwhile, Wal Mart buys LED lighting for it's own use and profit in it's stores, and WILL NOT sell these super performing lights to us commoners. (Breaking Jesus' suggestion to be the "light of the world". I thought them folks believed in Gawd.) Sam's Club (which I will not enter) will sell low strength 40 watt equivalent LEDs. A friend gifted these to me, and I use them for outdoor lighting, since those burn all night, all year.
Other Kossacks have likely written on this topic, but a search on LED light comes up blank.
All I've found is that www.arraylighting.com appears to have a PAR 30 LED lightbulb, which is a 75 watt equivalent. It appears that this device sells for $80 each.
Our Democrats in Congress need to take action to:
- Require retailers to carry these lights and now
- Drive prices to a level that regular folks can afford
- Require all new homes to have LED lights installed exclusively (thereby getting the homebuilders to use their dickering skills to drive the price way lower, and maybe making a new home cost $200 more - but the buyer would pay $40 less for electricity every month. That's a 5 month payback period. No one buys a home if they won't stay more than 5 months!)
Please enlighten all Kossacks if there is more information and places to buy LED lights.
This is the easiest way we can all go green.