What they say is that traditional incandescent and halogen bulbs use energy to heat a filament and that this makes them less efficient energy-wise. LED bulbs are more efficient. But where's the proof?
If LEDs are less wasteful then they should be able to take less energy and still produce the same quality of light. But they don't. Back when I had halogen bulbs in my living room's overhead light fixture the light was bright and crisp, reaching every corner, casting beautiful sharp shadows. Now everything is always dull and dingy.
Which makes me think that the efficiency angle is a con. I know, scientists and tech people never lie to us, but hear me out. The energy usage is less. But it would also be less with a lower watt bulb. But with lower watt bulbs you know you're getting lower wattage and probably lower quality. LED is still new territory to many, so it's easier to make people accept lower quality.
2 comments:
We've been subjected to such a huge number of electronic innovations this last while it's getting hard to keep up. I do remember reading about LED streetlights causing severe glare because LEDs are so concentrated and have high levels of blue light. They also tended to make going out for a nighttime walk unpleasant because they made everyone look sinister.
Halogen lights are essentially a more efficient type of incandescent bulb. It uses halogen gas to create a better, more efficient light. This makes it a higher-quality bulb than incandescent. I can understand why you'd prefer them.
Still, I rather like the quality of light we get from the old fashioned incandescents we use in our table lamps. If they insist we can only purchase LEDs I may opt for candles instead.
Speaking of electricity and innovations you might like to see this 1916 Chicago EV Charger Map. The writer appears to be for EVs but his page had the best map.
It's difficult to find reliable info on whether LEDs make good street lights because so many of the websites addressing the matter are associated with electrical wiring companies. They have a certain presentist bias because if they can't work well with the bulbs they're required to use what good are they? On the one hand the government is paranoid about misinformation, while on the other hand they incentivize all sorts of parties to outright lie.
Yeah, for me halogen bulbs are an ideal balance between energy usage and actually looking good. I discovered them after living on my own for a few years. LED bulbs last longer but, again, tend not to give great quality.
It's interesting that incandescent bulbs have been banned in the US but are still available in Canada. Of course it's only by an administrative order here, not a law. Trump should bring it up every chance he gets.
When you told me about an EV Charger map from Chicago in 1916 I was sure it must be from some steampunk alternate history, but apparently it's real. Wonders never cease.
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