Q-What’s the gimmick with the fancy new light bulbs? I wanted to buy one of the halogens for my outdoor lights. It looked exactly like the old type, but it was a lot more expensive. Is it really different?
A-It’s different even though it looks the same as a standard parabolic reflector flood lamp or general-service bulb. The difference is on the inside, where the compact halogen lamp is actually two lamps in one: There’s an outer glass encasing a small tungsten-halogen quartz lamp. With this design, you get a clean, neutral-white light with a color rendering index of 100-the highest rating possible for giving true colors.
There are three major benefits to the new compact halogen lamps:
– Improved efficiency. The use of the quartz capsules helps confine filament heat, and the higher temperatures allow the bulb to produce up to 50 percent more lumens per watt.
– Beam control. The beam diameters of the compact halogens can be up to 25 percent narrower than those of incandescent reflector lamps, resulting in efficient, high intensity, light-beam projection.
– Fully dimmable. These new bulbs can be dimmed using conventional incandescent dimmers, making them a much more economical choice than dimmable fluorescents.
Compact halogen lamps are more efficient, produce whiter light and last longer than standard incandescents. Don’t be fooled by the look on the outside. It’s inside the bulb where everything is different.
Q-We’re working closely with my brother-in-law, who is a builder, on the design of a new home. He doesn’t seem to know too much about energy efficiency. What are some suggestions we can make that won’t increase the cost of the home but will make it more comfortable and efficient?
A-There are a number of building strategies that cost even less than traditional home-building procedures. Here are some ideas for saving energy without spending any extra money:
– Reduce the window area. Too many windows and windows that are too large turn the inside of your home into a battleground in the struggle against the sun’s heat, glare and damaging rays. Less glass means saving money and more comfort.
– Use simple building shapes. Fancy shapes, bends and curves in walls often cut down on natural ventilation and add to the cost of the home. A simple rectangular shape usually gives the best air flow.
– Choose the proper size air conditioner. Installing a unit that is too large will only increase operating costs. A unit that’s too small won’t dehumidify properly. An air-conditioner contractor can size the system accurately for your house, based on the home size and your family’s lifestyle.
– Don’t use skylights, pools or spas. You won’t listen to me on this one. You want these amenities. But keep in mind that when you use them, you are giving up some energy savings and some indoor comfort. Balance these features with extra energy-saving features elsewhere in the house to keep your energy costs down.
– Put the water heater and laundry appliances in non-air conditioned spaces. It’s great to have the convenience of the laundry in a closet off the kitchen or the hallway, but it puts a lot of heat and moisture into the house. Keep appliances that produce heat away from the interior whenever possible.
– Finally, talk to your builder about other ideas that will reduce the building cost while making the home more energy efficient. Using a slab-on-grade foundation, for example, can lower construction costs.
Many people believe that it costs more to put in energy-saving features, but if you plan properly and do it upfront, you can lower the cost of a home and make it more affordable to live in. It’s hard to beat a winning combination like that.
Q-You often write that homeowners can help improve the environment by using many energy-saving products. I’ve called myself an environmentalist since the ’60s, and I do what I can to save the environment. I never see any figures that tell whether we’re making any progress. Do you know anything about this?
A-People generally use alternative energy products for two reasons-to save energy and thus money on their monthly power bills and to cut down on the burning of fossil fuels, which has created concern about the planet’s ozone layer and environment in general.
I asked the people at the Environmental Protection Agency about progress we have made in reducing air pollutants in recent years. The EPA’s latest figures cover the period 1984 through 1993. Here are the findings:
– Smog (ground-level ozone) levels dropped 12 percent.
– Lead levels dropped 89 percent.
– Sulfur dioxide levels dropped 37 percent.
– Particulate (dust, soot, dirt) levels dropped 20 percent (data was available for 1988 through 1993 only).
– Carbon monoxide levels dropped 37 percent.
– Nitrogen dioxide levels dropped 12 percent.
Not all of the savings were the direct result of energy efficiency and renewable energy use, but that had to play a big part.
That’s a nice added benefit of saving energy, helping everyone on the planet breathe cleaner air as well as lowering your power bills.
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Ken Sheinkopf will answer questions about energy conservation and home comfort. Write to him in care of the Orlando Sentinel, P.O. Box 211, Orlando, Fla. 32802-0211.
