Behold the $15 LED light bulb

[Old Rocks]

And every home can have a little alter dedicated to the Kock Bros.

 

[Flopper]

New lighting technology has been long overdue. The incandescent bulb is basically a heat source that produces light as by product. Newer technology such CFL and LED is designed to produce a maximum amount of light and minimum amount of heat. The result is billions of watts of electricity saved each year with cost savings to the homeowner and less need for new electric power plants in the future.

 

[flacaltenn]

New lighting technology has been long overdue. The incandescent bulb is basically a heat source that produces light as by product. Newer technology such CFL and LED is designed to produce a maximum amount of light and minimum amount of heat. The result is billions of watts of electricity saved each year with cost savings to the homeowner and less need for new electric power plants in the future.

Yeah Flopper -- but NOT NEAR enough to plug in your Volt or Leaf for an 8 hour charge on 220V 40A service..

All we get from the leftist energy plan is non-starting "alternatives" and plans to make energy RARE and EXPENSIVE.

By the way --- NONE of the incandescent heat is wasted when the home has HVAC heating turned on.. That would be about 5 months of the year in most places. THAT -- was never a consideration in the "efficiency calculations" that the beanheads at DOE performed.

 

[Old Rocks]

Oh my, things are changing, and there are those that just cannot tolerate any change at all, not even change for the better.

Wind is providing a significant percentage of our energy now, and will provide even more in the future. Solar will be the homeowners way out of ever increasing electrical bills, and, as the technology continues to improve and get cheaper, the next big generation increase. Geothermal has not even begun to move, but, according the MIT, it has to potential to be even more efficient than wind.

Dirty coal is on it's way out. Poisons the land mining it, and poisons the land and air, burning it. Natural gas is a stopgap measure, but it too is too expensive, both economically and environmentally.

 

[flacaltenn]

Geothermal is the ONLY item in that list that provides 24/7/365 power as an alternative --- And it is a DIRTY MINING operation that has enviro consequences FAR in excess of fracking or oil extraction. It is also hugely geographically limited.

Solar efficiencies for PV have hit the technology peak curve. There will be no expected "large increases" in solar PV efficiency. And wind will never be more than a "peaker" technology contributing only to MAYBE reducing Peak load designs for PRIMARY generation. Can't even PREDICT wind availability and integrating it as a SUBSTANTIAL PRIMARY source on a realistic grid --- It ain't in the cards.

OleRocks -- the times are changing. The "alternative" claims and assertions are unraveling. We NEED to concentrate on how to make energy CHEAP and PLENTIFUL. Or face further declines in the standards of American life..

 

[Flopper]

New lighting technology has been long overdue. The incandescent bulb is basically a heat source that produces light as by product. Newer technology such CFL and LED is designed to produce a maximum amount of light and minimum amount of heat. The result is billions of watts of electricity saved each year with cost savings to the homeowner and less need for new electric power plants in the future.

Yeah Flopper -- but NOT NEAR enough to plug in your Volt or Leaf for an 8 hour charge on 220V 40A service..

All we get from the leftist energy plan is non-starting "alternatives" and plans to make energy RARE and EXPENSIVE.

By the way --- NONE of the incandescent heat is wasted when the home has HVAC heating turned on.. That would be about 5 months of the year in most places. THAT -- was never a consideration in the "efficiency calculations" that the beanheads at DOE performed.

No matter how you look at it, incandescent bulbs are not efficient. They use about 4 times as much electricity as needed to produce the same light output of a CFL The LED uses 1/3 to 1/30 the amount of electricity of an incandescent bulb.

 

[Old Rocks]

Geothermal 'dirty'? LOL. Well, claim anything, no matter how stupid or wrong to support one's position.

Solar has hit peak efficieancies? Where the hell have you been? Just one of many avenues that hold promise for 50% or better efficient solar cell.

Better Thermal Photovoltaics - Technology Review

A conventional solar panel absorbs light from the entire spectrum, but it only converts certain colors efficiently. Much of the energy in the other wavelengths of light goes to waste. As a result, the maximum theoretical efficiency of a conventional solar cell is 30 percent, or 41 percent if the sunlight is first concentrated using a mirror or lens. In a thermal photovoltaic system, light is concentrated onto a material to heat it up. The material is selected so that when it gets hot, it emits light at wavelengths that a solar cell can convert efficiently. As a result, the theoretical maximum efficiency of a thermal photovoltaic system is 85 percent.

 

[Old Rocks]

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2007/geothermal.html

A comprehensive new MIT-led study of the potential for geothermal energy within the United States has found that mining the huge amounts of heat that reside as stored thermal energy in the Earth's hard rock crust could supply a substantial portion of the electricity the United States will need in the future, probably at competitive prices and with minimal environmental impact.

 

[flacaltenn]

OleROcks::

I've REPEATEDLY posted a defense for the FACT that Geothermal is a dirty mining operation. Specifically addressed to YOU in some cases. Your ignorance on the topic is NOT inherent. It's deliberate.

Want me to post the stuff again??? Will it keep you from asserting the wrong side of the fact? No it wouldn't....

PS -- I SUPPORT Geothermal. It's the only one on the phoney ALTERNATIVE list that I can get excited about...

 

[Old Rocks]

OK, post it again. And I will post information from sites that do the engineering for geothermal, like MIT and, locally, OTI.

OIT Portland | Renewable Energy Engineering - Overview

In 2005, Oregon Tech furthered its commitment to sustainable power by introducing the first Bachelor of Science in Renewable Energy Systems in North America (now known as Renewable Energy Engineering). Oregon Tech's renewable energy program establishes the engineering principles graduates will need to develop, promote, and implement sustainable energy technologies.

The degree program begins by establishing a solid foundation of physics, chemistry and mathematics, which pave the way for coursework in electrical and mechanical engineering. Upper-division courses in renewable-energy specific courses include photovoltaics, energy management and auditing, wind power, biofuels, renewable-energy transportation systems, green building and fuel cells. The Renewable Energy curriculum prepares graduates for engineering careers in the energy sector in general, and the renewable energy in particular.

Real time use of geothermal at present

Klamath Falls: Tapping Geothermal and Setting a Big Example | Harry Tournemille

Feeding from this district heating system are downtown sidewalks, buildings, kettles at a brewhouse, greenhouses and lights at a college campus. Not to mention the more than 600 geothermal wells heating individual homes throughout the township.

The Hot Dry Rock (HDR) needed for geothermal heating is closer to the surface in this area of Oregon, and comes with the water needed to bring the energy to the surface.

A little further south, Northern California is home to the world's largest geothermal power complex. The Geysers, 75 miles north of San Francisco, produces enough electricity for 750,000 homes with its annual production of 955 MW.

A 2007 Massachusetts Institute of Technology report estimates that Enhanced Geothermal Systems, with support, could be producing 100 GW of electricity - equivalent to 1,000 coal-fired or nuclear power plants - by 2050, and has the potential to generate a large fraction of the nation's energy needs for centuries to come.

The beginning of something much larger in scope.

OIT | News > Oregon's First Geothermal Combined Heat and Power Plant Dedication

Oregon's First Geothermal Combined Heat and Power Plant Dedication
04.20.2010



Oregon Institute of Technology’s Klamath Falls campus dedicated its new geothermal electric project today in a ceremony on the OIT campus. The event was followed by tours of the power plant.

This “small” power plant is the first geothermal combined heat and power plant in Oregon, and the only geothermal electric plant currently operating in the state. It has a maximum capacity output of 280 kilowatts gross power utilizing existing wells on the campus. The small plant is located in the southeast corner of the campus near the production wells.

Speakers at today’s event were: John Lund, professor emeritus and director of the Geo-Heat Center; Oregon State Rep. Bill Garrard; Peter West, Director of Energy Programs for Energy Trust of Oregon; and Bob Simonton, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Capital Programs, Oregon University System. Others attending the event were elected officials, Energy Trust of Oregon representatives, OIT students, and local dignitaries. The Klamath Union High School Jazz band performed.

Geothermal energy is one of the many renewable energy technologies gaining recognition as energy independence and conservation catches hold in the public imagination. This is the first geothermal combined heat and power plant in Oregon and the only such project currently generating electricity in the state. OIT – and the Klamath Falls area – has a long history of geothermal utilization. OIT has used geothermal energy since the mid-1960s for heating buildings and sidewalks.

A second “big” power plant is planned, too. The 1.2 megawatt project will utilize a 5,300-foot deep well drilled in 2009. The big project is expected to be complete in 2012.

OIT is home to the Geo-Heat Center, a national clearinghouse for geothermal energy established in 1975.

 

[flacaltenn]

Not arguing whether it should be exploited. I'm arguing the IMMENSE HYPOCRISY of placing this dirty mining operation on the CLEAN GREEN list whilst opposing drilling for Nat Gas/Oil which has smaller footprints and LESS enviro impact..

Puna Geothermal Blowout | Blowout Shuts Geothermal Unit in Hawaii - Los Angeles Times

HONOLULU — Hawaii state officials ordered a geothermal company to halt all drilling Friday after a well blowout spewed toxic gas and routed 75 people from their homes on the island of Hawaii.

Opponents of geothermal drilling near the nation's last remaining tropical rain forest claimed the accident shows Hawaii's volcanic resource may be unmanageable.

http://www.interpac.net/~plntpuna/geothermal/geothermal risks.htm

Don't take my word for it. How about the Sierra Club? (who is somewhat schizoid about this because they really WANT to defend the environment, but don't want to piss off their leftist loony sponsors)

http://www.sierraclub.org/policy/conservation/geothermal.aspx

Its availability for direct use and for conversion to other forms of energy is, however, presently restricted to the utilization of naturally occurring underground reservoirs of hot water or steam. These are limited in number and capacity, generally depletable, and in many cases geographically situated far from sites of energy demand.

Also, the exploitation of these reservoirs is frequently accompanied by detrimental impacts on the environment. Among these are the emission of toxic gases and chemical substances which result in the degradation of air quality, the threat of water pollution, damage to living organisms, and hazards to public health. Additional problems arise from the heavily industrial character of geothermal operations for electrical generation; the frequent occurrence of exceptional natural, scenic, and archaeological values in geothermal resource areas; and the adverse effects that geothermal fluid removal may have on nearby hot springs and other natural thermal features

You still there OleRocks? Didya catch the part about "generally depletable".. That means you have to drill new wells to keep capturing the heat. THat is if the toxic crap doesn't melt your mining operation first.

One more -- just to put this puppy to bed...

http://www.ew.govt.nz/ourenvironment/geothermal/energy.htm

Although only a fraction of geothermal energy is currently used, the environmental effects have been dramatic.

Since the 1950s, the number of geysers in the Region has dwindled because of heat and fluid extraction and the effects of overlying land uses. When water extraction prevents pressure from reaching the level necessary to fuel the geysers, they disappear. Likewise, many chloride springs and their associated ecosystems have been lost with the development of the Wairakei Geothermal Power Station.

Use our map to find out more about the state of geothermal features in the Waikato Region. The extraction of heat and fluid also causes land subsidence. For example, a local marae near Ohaaki Geothermal Power Station is sinking and runs the risk of being inundated by the Waikato River, as the ground around and under it subsides.

Effects on other parts of the natural environment are summarised in the table below.

Hell Rocks --- seems like you owe me an apology for

Geothermal 'dirty'? LOL. Well, claim anything, no matter how stupid or wrong to support one's position.

Remember ROcks -- I don't do stupid or claim anything to validate my politics.. Geothermal electric production IS A DIRTY MINING OPERATION.. The Sierra Club says so............ And I'll add to that based on the longer experience in New Zealand. Geothermal is by no definition --- RENEWABLE. Because of the depletion of well sites, need to constantly re-drill and re-place, ect. So it's NOT GREEN and it's NOT RENEWABLE.. Why is it on that list?????

 

[flacaltenn]

OleRocks..

Geothermal 'dirty'? LOL. Well, claim anything, no matter how stupid or wrong to support one's position.

Still ROFLing or what? Guess I'm not gonna get an apology huh? Let's do this same argument again in maybe 2 weeks when you conveniently forget what the Sierra Club or the Govt of New Zealand says about Geothermal -- shall we?

 

[TakePart]

I was thinking about that the other day. Do you guys think people will want to shell out the extra money for an LED light bulb even if it is more environmentally friendly? I know a lot of new cars have been using LED technology for running lights (Audi, Mercedes Benz, Porsche) But, will people use it in their homes? What do you guys think?

TakePart

 

[flacaltenn]

I was thinking about that the other day. Do you guys think people will want to shell out the extra money for an LED light bulb even if it is more environmentally friendly? I know a lot of new cars have been using LED technology for running lights (Audi, Mercedes Benz, Porsche) But, will people use it in their homes? What do you guys think?

TakePart

Yes.. Even without subsidies or incandescent bans. The advantage is lower energy use and longer life. And LEDs offer a wider range of light colors (warm to neutral). Payback for the higher cost of the bulb will still be a year or two. And prices will go down some..

I'm actually involved in a VERY large scale LED lighting project right now. My fear is that govt bans on incandescent will push the Tech TOO FAST on the market and early introductions and people trying to cheapen their designs will RUIN the market long term.

Wait a year or two -- then switch over.. Let the opportunistic crappy stuff filter out..

 

[mawlarky]

I currently use 12 volt G4 lamps in my home which consume 4- 5 watts but are the eq of a 35-40 watt incandescent lamp approx, very cheap and reliable @12.50 GBP per 10. Have been using the current set for 2 years with only one lamp failure in that time.

 

[flacaltenn]

I currently use 12 volt G4 lamps in my home which consume 4- 5 watts but are the eq of a 35-40 watt incandescent lamp approx, very cheap and reliable @12.50 GBP per 10. Have been using the current set for 2 years with only one lamp failure in that time.

Homes SHOULD be built with a separate DC wiring system for lighting and small appliances. But that is EXTREMELY rare right now.. Except for EXTERIOR lighting on large homes.

 

[TakePart]

Philips AmbientLED 12.5 Watts LED Lightbulb (Product Review)
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada on 03.25.11

A Bulb from the Future! It Looks Like it Belongs on a Spaceship
The Philips AmbientLED 12.5-watt A19 LED lightbulb (quite a name!) is probably the favorite LED bulb that I've tried so far. It beats the competition when it comes to light output (800 lumens vs. 450-590 lumens for the other LEDs that I've tried), the design of the bulb is very innovative, and light quality is excellent. Read on for my full review and more technical specs on the Philips AmbientLED.

Philips AmbientLED 12.5 watt LED Lightbulb photo
Photo: Michael Graham Richard

Technical Specifications for Philips AmbientLED Bulb
The Philips LED produces 800 lumens, which makes it a 60-watt incandescent equivalent . Its efficiency of 65 lumens per watt made it earn an Energy Star rating, and at 12.5 watts, it uses only about 20% of the energy of a 60-watt bulb. The socket is the A19 E26 standard.

The unit that I am reviewing is warm-white (2700K) and has a CRI of 80. Warranty is 6 years, and Philips rates it at 25,000 hours of operation (it should last for decades if you take good care of it).

And yes, it is dimmable!

As you can see on the photos, the bulb has a very original design. It's pretty small compared to other LEDs on the market (see the photos and link at the bottom of this review), which means that it will fit in more lamp fixtures. It looks great, like it belongs in a spaceship, but in a good way. It's also very omnidirectional, more like the GE LED bulb than the others that I've tried, which are a bit closer to spotlights than traditional incandescents.

When I first saw the Philips LED, I wasn't sure where the light was supposed to be coming from. But as you can see in one of the photos below, it comes from the yellow parts, but that doesn't make the light any more yellow than other "warm white" LED bulbs.


The way the top part of the bulb curves means that a fair bit of light is sent downwards. This is perfect for reading lamps.


This photo might make it look a bit dim, but that's probably caused by the camera. It's actually quite bright and the light quality is very good. If I don't tell people, they don't know it's a LED, and I could easily see myself using Philips AmbientLEDs as my main source of light without problem.

To me this really shows that LEDs are ready for prime-time, all that needs to be done is to reduce the price, and that will happen with economies of scale and as R&D into new ways to make them pays off.

Here is the Philips LED in a reading lamp. As you can see, a large amount of light is sent downwards.

In action. Not that it should matter, but it looks very cool!

For comparison purposes, this last photo is of a 11W warm-white CFL. (I left the camera on the same manual settings and didn't adjust the colors in post-processing, but obviously the photos weren't taken at the same time and I didn't have a controlled angle, so the comparison isn't perfect by any means). It looks brighter than the Philips on this photo, but in person thats not the case.



Price: A simple Google search revealed that the Philips AmbientLED lightbulbs are available at Home Depot for $40. They will no doubt come down in price over time, but $40 for a very energy-efficient lightbulb that contains no mercury and will probably last for decades isn't that much.

 

[Uncensored2008]

Homes SHOULD be built with a separate DC wiring system for lighting and small appliances. But that is EXTREMELY rare right now.. Except for EXTERIOR lighting on large homes.

It's tough to deliver DC, not practical.

 

[mawlarky]

I currently use 12 volt G4 lamps in my home which consume 4- 5 watts but are the eq of a 35-40 watt incandescent lamp approx, very cheap and reliable @12.50 GBP per 10. Have been using the current set for 2 years with only one lamp failure in that time.

Homes SHOULD be built with a separate DC wiring system for lighting and small appliances. But that is EXTREMELY rare right now.. Except for EXTERIOR lighting on large homes.

My entire home is wired with 12 volt dc/24 volt dc and 240 volt ac. The d.c power is supplied via 48 recycled/recovered car batteries which are charged via a pair of old aviaton generators from a Sunderland flying boat which I run as wind turbines. The mains is from the grid but is only used for a washing machine and electric kettle. The d.c is also inverted to 240 ac for lighter loads via 2x 1kw invertors which covers all my other mains power needs.

 

[flacaltenn]

Homes SHOULD be built with a separate DC wiring system for lighting and small appliances. But that is EXTREMELY rare right now.. Except for EXTERIOR lighting on large homes.

It's tough to deliver DC, not practical.

You're correct in terms of Grid distribution (although it's used in places) -- but I'm talking about in the home wiring. One should only need to do AC-DC conversion say at the main breaker panel once. AC comes into the home -- gets conditioned as a SEPARATE inside wiring bus as 12Vdc or 24Vdc once. No more giant jumble of "wall warts" adapters for everything you buy. There IS some loss taken if the amperage on the DC wiring becomes high. But the savings in complexity and reliability is worth it.

Every CFL and LED replacement bulb has to have an entire UL approved AC-DC 120V switching power supply inside. Like having a complicated ballast for every bulb. This is a limiting factor for lifetime and contributes to the high cost. If we had DC power distribution in the home -- LED lamp design would simplify greatly.. Literally 4 or 5 simple components versus an entire PC board of magnetics, ICs and expensive caps.