Let's shed some light

As the days get shorter and nights longer, we don't curse the darkness; we turn on a light.

That's when the cursing typically begins.

The compact fluorescent light is slow to come on, is a harsh light when it does, and it doesn't last as long as they claim. And you can't even throw the darn things in the garbage when they burn out.

The old reliable, screw-in bulb, with the warm, friendly light -- well, eventually it'll go the way of the dodo bird.

We're in the midst of a lighting transition. It's a confusing and frustrating time for consumers. Not since Edison's invention 150 years ago have there been such dramatic changes in the way we light our homes. And the changes have just begun.

The compact fluorescent light (CFL), far from perfect, likely will be rendered obsolete by other lighting innovations. Still, the CFL met government efficiency standards for light bulbs in 2007; the notoriously inefficient incandescent bulb didn't. The government and utilities started pushing CFLs as replacements. It looked like the end for the incandescent light.

But the law spurred manufacturers to improve them, to meet the standards with bulbs that put out more light and less heat.

Versions of these incandescent lights are now available.

"What's been missing in this whole discussion of energy-efficient light bulbs is halogen," said Rob Jackson, lighting consultant with Creative Lighting in St. Paul. It's 20 percent more efficient than standard incandescent, gives 20 percent more light and it's fully dimmable. It's a nice pleasant light from a bulb that lasts last two to three times as long as incandescent.

Jackson said that while the CFL is the most efficient, halogen is a better replacement in many applications. They don't have mercury like the CFLs, there's no disposal issue, and quality and performance are fairly standard.

The same can't be said for CFLs, where quality and performance vary widely. Some bulbs don't deliver the length of service they claim, or the energy savings.

The type of ballast in a CFL, for example, can affect efficiency, said Mike Guari, with Buylighting.com, a lighting supplier in Burnsville. But a consumer often has no way of telling that when they buy the bulb.

A small but growing corner of the lightbulb aisle is the LED (light emitting diodes). You might remember their debut as Christmas lights in recent years. Some screw-in LED bulbs, to replace your incandescent, are now available. But quality and price are big issues.

"LEDs are a Chinese cottage industry right now," said Guari. They get a halogen bulb, gut it and insert LED in it. It'll cost under $20 a bulb, and look like a good deal, but they aren't as bright as people want.

"The light is low, you can't read the newspaper under it," he said. "We get lots of returns."

Meanwhile, watch for the bulb of the future.

The U.S. Department of Energy has launched the L Prize Competition; $10 million for the first bulb that meets stringent efficiency requirements, is environmentally friendly, looks good, performs well and is affordable. The first entry has been made and is undergoing testing and evaluation.

Until that's all sorted out, when buying bulbs to banish the darkness, Jackson suggests you choose the best bulb -- halogen, efficient incandescent or CFL -- that best suits the area of use. The idea is to save energy, which is your money, while getting the best light possible.

Ask lots of questions. Become informed.

You don't want to buy light bulbs in the dark.

Karen Youso • 612-673-4407