Light Bulb Initiative

[george]

Light bulb initiative

BANGKOK: -- Industrial operators are being encouraged to change 2 million ordinary light bulbs in their workplaces to slim ones, to help reduce energy consumption by 116 million units.

The move would save Bt348 million and reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by 59,000 tonnes. Under the campaign by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand and the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, more than 3,000 factories in 32 industrial estates nationwide will be invited to join the campaign and asked to replace their T8 light bulbs with T5 bulbs, to help reduce global warming.

Energy Minister Wannarat Charnnukul yesterday said the campaign was part of ministry efforts to reduce energy consumption. He said if 200 million T8 bulbs, used in houses, offices and factories, were replaced with the slimmer and energy-saving bulbs, energy consumption would be cut by 8.708 billion units a year, saving Bt26 billion. Carbon emissions would be reduced by 4.4 million tonnes a year. The campaign has won support from the Energy Conservation Fund.

-- The Nation 2009-09-29

[animatic]

Actually a constructive initiative.

Will miracles never cease!

[surangw]

wonder if Energy Minister Wannarat Charnnukul just happens to have a suggestion where to buy the replacments

[astral]

....to change 2 million ordinary light bulbs in their workplaces to slim ones...

I assume "slim ones" means fluorescent tubes?

Surely they are already standard in factories and other work places??

A change in the home from incandescent bulbs to low energy types

can save on the home bill.

From personal experience I have found that the low energy lamps sold in LOS

do not have the life expectancy that they should............

[MaiChai]

Ban T8 bulbs? I mean make it illegal to sell them? Thats what they have done in the UK and other european countries. If you can't buy them then when they need replacing you will need to use a T5?

[Plus]

Fluorescent, energy saving bulbs are great, but I doubt the cost of replacement justifies the savings.

I have to change them as regularly as the old ones, and it's a 100+ baht a bulb.

[timekeeper]

Light bulb initiative

BANGKOK: -- Industrial operators are being encouraged to change 2 million ordinary light bulbs in their workplaces to slim ones, to help reduce energy consumption by 116 million units.

The move would save Bt348 million and reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by 59,000 tonnes. Under the campaign by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand and the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, more than 3,000 factories in 32 industrial estates nationwide will be invited to join the campaign and asked to replace their T8 light bulbs with T5 bulbs, to help reduce global warming.

Energy Minister Wannarat Charnnukul yesterday said the campaign was part of ministry efforts to reduce energy consumption. He said if 200 million T8 bulbs, used in houses, offices and factories, were replaced with the slimmer and energy-saving bulbs, energy consumption would be cut by 8.708 billion units a year, saving Bt26 billion. Carbon emissions would be reduced by 4.4 million tonnes a year. The campaign has won support from the Energy Conservation Fund.

-- The Nation 2009-09-29

i would like to see an initiative to give away free rear tail light bulbs to motorcycle drivers

i envisage police stop/checks and if the tail light is found to be out, they are given a bulb and screwdriver by the police officers and they cannot leave until they fit it and its working

on a short run outside Pattaya near Mabrachan lake, where there is minimal street lighting, i came upon five motorcycles without tail lights

surely something could be done with a co-sponsored government road safety dept initiative and the bulb manufacturers

around 20 baht could save many lives

[007]

wonder if Energy Minister Wannarat Charnnukul just happens to have a suggestion where to buy the replacments

There is probably a brother-in-law or nephew of one of the government ministers, who, owning a light bulb factory, will be happy to deliver on a lucrative government contract.

[alaninkarachi]

i would like to see an initiative to give away free rear tail light bulbs to motorcycle drivers

i envisage police stop/checks and if the tail light is found to be out, they are given a bulb and screwdriver by the police officers and they cannot leave until they fit it and its working

on a short run outside Pattaya near Mabrachan lake, where there is minimal street lighting, i came upon five motorcycles without tail lights

surely something could be done with a co-sponsored government road safety dept initiative and the bulb manufacturers

around 20 baht could save many lives

Maybe its just to early in the day for me but.... If you can see the 5 motor bikes at Mapracham Lake why do they need rear lights ?

[samran]

Actually a constructive initiative.

Will miracles never cease!

This initative is a pretty global one. Australia announced a similar policy last year.

No doubt, as others have said, vested interests will make sure that certain companies are well placed to benefit, but given that Thailand is fast needing new energy supplies (natural gas and hydro sources are finding it hard to keep up), initiatives like this do make a lot of sense.

[Donnyboy]

from memory, there were some ministry of energy fluro bulbs available @ sub 100 baht prices,but cant remember which stores sold them.

[Rimmer]

Good move, but I understand there are some issues of disposing of these low wattage high output fluorescent lamps?

[geriatrickid]

Good move, but I understand there are some issues of disposing of these low wattage high output fluorescent lamps?

You are correct: Mercury, a heavy metal that is linked to birth defects and kidney and brain damage.There's about 5mg in the typical bulb manufactured to EU standards. However, the bulbs found elsewhere are most likely sourced from China and Mexico where standards aren't as stringent as in the EU. 5 mg can contaminate 20,000 liters of water enough to render it unsafe for consumption.

Even the more expensive low-mercury bulbs still have about 1 mg of mercury.

The push for Hg bulbs begs the question as to what Thailand will do with the discarded fluorescent bulbs' mercury. They don't even have an organized hazmat collection, let alone a recycling scheme for batteries. Maybe they can make Thailand the hub of flourescent light?

[Artisi]

So far my experience tend to show that the promised long life of the low wattage fluoro's is not upto claimed hours.

I have just bought some halogen globes that look the same as the old style globes - much cheaper than the fluoro's and give a nice light, cut the power consumption by 30% and are supposedly good for 2 years - so lets see.

[bkkjames]

While too early to tell at my place but I just replaced a bunch of old style bulbs with the newer lower watt / energy saving variety. Must say I am impressed - 5w new bulb replaced a 40 w old style in the bedroom, 10w replaced 60w in the living room.

Definately cost most per bulb (100+ baht) but didn't do it for the direct cost savings really. 6000 hrs I think it said on the packaging - let's see.

Regarding this subject, this is a pretty good read...

http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/FreeBuyersG...lightbulbs.aspx

[vladaman]

Why not to ban imports & manufacturing of old Light bulbs like in EU?

BBC: EU bans old-fashioned light bulbs

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8230961.stm

[Payboy]

Changing light bulbs is a brilliant idea = reduce energy consumption.

And big + TIT = generate employment in Thailand! 6 per bulb changed x 200 million bulbs target = 1.2 billion man hours!

[cdnvic]

Fluorescent, energy saving bulbs are great, but I doubt the cost of replacement justifies the savings.

Based on energy savings alone it's worth it. Buy Philips or another solid brand of CFL and they last a long time.

[Donnyboy]

Fluorescent, energy saving bulbs are great, but I doubt the cost of replacement justifies the savings.

Based on energy savings alone it's worth it. Buy Philips or another solid brand of CFL and they last a long time.

thats what i thought with Phillips, they didnt last long either

[cdnvic]

Could be issues with voltage fluctuations. Not uncommon in Thailand, and not easy on CFLs. I'm going LED where I can but the price is steep.

[givenall]

....to change 2 million ordinary light bulbs in their workplaces to slim ones...

I assume "slim ones" means fluorescent tubes?

Surely they are already standard in factories and other work places??

A change in the home from incandescent bulbs to low energy types

can save on the home bill.

From personal experience I have found that the low energy lamps sold in LOS

do not have the life expectancy that they should............

Honestly this is bunch of crap for the consumer. The florescent light bulb replacement for incandescent cost about 4 times and they do not last the 7000 hr advertized. They have an inherent electronic problem to being turn on and off often like in our home and the light will burn out fast. The overall cost which include the replacement cost of the bulb after 6 month or so make if very expensive for the consumer. It may uses less energy but the land fill problem is not being considered for all these burned out lamps, which create toxic problem and bad for environment too

[jackr]

Could be issues with voltage fluctuations. Not uncommon in Thailand, and not easy on CFLs. I'm going LED where I can but the price is steep.

Yep, along with high humidity. I'm also going the LED route in the garden. You can get twin-pronged 12v ones now (below) to replace downlighters, as well as Edison screw 220/240 mains. They're 1 watt and supposed to last 30,000 hrs... mmm. Not much spread of light, though, but good for shining on trees.

Edited September 30, 2009 by jackr

[h90]

Good move, but I understand there are some issues of disposing of these low wattage high output fluorescent lamps?

You are correct: Mercury, a heavy metal that is linked to birth defects and kidney and brain damage.There's about 5mg in the typical bulb manufactured to EU standards. However, the bulbs found elsewhere are most likely sourced from China and Mexico where standards aren't as stringent as in the EU. 5 mg can contaminate 20,000 liters of water enough to render it unsafe for consumption.

Even the more expensive low-mercury bulbs still have about 1 mg of mercury.

The push for Hg bulbs begs the question as to what Thailand will do with the discarded fluorescent bulbs' mercury. They don't even have an organized hazmat collection, let alone a recycling scheme for batteries. Maybe they can make Thailand the hub of flourescent light?

I think you have no idea how much 5 mg is. 0.005 gram.

In dental amalgam you have 40-50 % Mercury. So if you had 3 gram (which is not much) of amalgam in your life, than this is equivalent to 300 light bulbs.

If you broke some thermometer than this is equivalent to a few hundred more light bulbs.

[cdnvic]

Could be issues with voltage fluctuations. Not uncommon in Thailand, and not easy on CFLs. I'm going LED where I can but the price is steep.

Yep, along with high humidity. I'm also going the LED route in the garden. You can get twin-pronged 12v ones now (below) to replace downlighters, as well as Edison screw 220/240 mains. They're 1 watt and supposed to last 30,000 hrs... mmm. Not much spread of light, though, but good for shining on trees.

I tried a similar 4w bulb today for a display cabinet. Unfortunately it has several glass shelves and LED light doesn't penetrate glass well so I'm stuck with those power hungry halogens. The same thing however makes LED great for exterior wash lighting as it doesn't pass through windows like the halogens.

[Mrjlh]

i would like to see an initiative to give away free rear tail light bulbs to motorcycle drivers

i envisage police stop/checks and if the tail light is found to be out, they are given a bulb and screwdriver by the police officers and they cannot leave until they fit it and its working

on a short run outside Pattaya near Mabrachan lake, where there is minimal street lighting, i came upon five motorcycles without tail lights

surely something could be done with a co-sponsored government road safety dept initiative and the bulb manufacturers

around 20 baht could save many lives

Tried this in Phuket 2 yrs ago. Over three days they did a free bike inspection and "free" repair of rear lights. Had over 1500 light bulbs available. If memory serves me, less than 500 people took advantage of it. Would have to do a search to find resuilts.

[Plus]

Fluorescent, energy saving bulbs are great, but I doubt the cost of replacement justifies the savings.

Based on energy savings alone it's worth it. Buy Philips or another solid brand of CFL and they last a long time.

thats what i thought with Phillips, they didnt last long either

My experience as well.

There are only two brands in most stores - Philips and Sylvania.

[Mrjlh]

This has been going on in many country's. However, the problem I see in Thailand has more to do with the uneven 220V voltage regulation. I lived is 6 different locations and all of them have electrical issues, voltage drops and surges. These newer bulbs require a "steady state" supply of current to get the longest life. 200-240 is acceptable but every time there is a power outage or electrical storm, you have problems. Read the package, it says "not to be used with dimmers".

But now they are make the more efficient bulbs that can be used with dimmers. They cost more but just might work better. I had them in my place in Korat and oddly during a power outage the line still had 60V in it and I had lights! That might be a better way of going.

[bkkjames]

Like me, for those who want more info on CFL / Mercury take a look below or check out the link...http://www.cflfacts.com/

# I have read that CFLs contain mercury. Is that correct?

* Yes, all CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury, typically about 5 mg, which is 1/6000th of an ounce (mass). If all the mercury were concentrated in one droplet, that droplet would have a diameter of only 1.1 mm, which is 0.042 inches. Typical mercury-based fever thermometers contain 0.5 to 3 grams of mercury, which is 100 to 600 times as much mercury as a CFL that has 5 mg of mercury. Data on the mercury content of fever thermometers comes from: Mercury and the Environment - Sources of Mercury - Mercury Containing Products, a web site maintained by the Canadian government.

# Doesn't disposal of mercury-based products harm the environment?

* Yes, mercury is classified as a hazardous material by the US Environmental Protection Agency and CFLs should be recycled instead of being thrown out with the normal trash. However, in many cases use of CFLs will offset mercury that would otherwise be introduced into the environment from other sources. For example, coal contains mercury and this mercury is released into the environment when coal is burned to produce electricity. If the electricity used to operate your lamps is generated from coal, and you operate 100-watt incandescent lamps for 10,000 hours, the power generating plant will release between 40 mg and 70 mg of mercury into the environment, depending upon the type of coal being used. If instead of the 100-watt incandescent lamp, you use a 25-watt CFL, the power plant mercury emissions drop to between 10 and 18 mg over the same 10,000 hour period, again depending upon the type of coal used. Even when the 5 mg of mercury in the CFL is added to the environment at the end of the lamp's 10,000 hours life, the total mercury from using the CFL is far less than using the incandescent lamp. Mercury emissions will be lower for For lower power incandescent lamps and CFL replacements, but for any incandescent lamp of 40 watts or greater, there will be more mercury added to the environment by using an incandescent lamp than by using a CFL, assuming that the electricity used to operate both is generated by burning coal.

If the electrical power used to operate your lamps comes from oil, hydro, wind, even nuclear power plants then use of a CFL will not be directly offsetting mercury released by power plants. However, by using less electrical power from your "low-mercury" or "mercury-free" generating plant, you make more of this relatively clean power available to replace power generated by coal-fired plants. And, you will save money, no matter what type of fuel is used to generate your electrical power.

Because CFLs contain mercury they should be recycled instead of thrown in the normal trash. However, even if a relatively large number of CFLs are disposed of in landfills instead of being recycled, they will not significantly increase the amount of mercury in the waste stream. A report titled Mercury Programme, published by the United Nations Environmental Programme, estimated that in 2000 there were 145 metric tons of mercury added to the solid waste stream in the United States. If 200 million CFLs, each containing 5 mg of mercury were placed in the solid waste stream in one year, they would add only 1 metric ton, or less than 0.7% of the total annual mercury load in the waste stream.

[rabcbroon]

Great idea if you swallow the carbon tax - sorry i mean global warming - oh, no i mean climate change - scam.

Does anyone ever wonder why the term global warming has been dropped in favour of climate change

[bkkjames]

Great idea if you swallow the carbon tax - sorry i mean global warming - oh, no i mean climate change - scam.

Does anyone ever wonder why the term global warming has been dropped in favour of climate change

That's an easy one mate. They changed it so when 'hel_l freezes over' it won't conflict with Global Warming.