Bulbs

[noshali]

I need your help in finding out if there are energy saving bulbs that are dimmable. I saw some at smarthome but $15 for a light bulb is steep.

Any thoughts would be welcome...really don't see any advantage in putting expensive switches and not be able to dim...want to be cost effective.

regards,

 

[Skibum]

Dimmable fluorescents are available. Check with your local utility to see if they have a rebate program.


http://www.energyfederation.org/smartlivin.../2050_25_44_169

 

[Digger]

Those are excellent prices.

 

[Steve]

Well, my theory is that any bulb that is dimmed is going to save energy anyway. I use regular R30 Halogens. All my light switches are programmed to turn lights on at 50%. I have seen rates drop already although I wish I had good energy management/monitoring tools.

 

[ano]

Actually efficency-wise, dimming a incandescent bulb is an energy waster. Yes, a bulb at 50% uses less electricity than a bulb at 100%, but it yields much less light than a bulb that uses 50% wattage run at 100%. In other-words, your much better off (much more light) getting a 50 watt bulb and running it at 100% than you are to use a 100 watt bulb run at 50%.

 

[The Pod]

Dimmable fluorescents are available. Check with your local utility to see if they have a rebate program.


http://www.energyfederation.org/smartlivin.../2050_25_44_169

But be careful. Dimmable Fluorescents are designed to be dimmed with resistive style dimmers. Every HA dimmer I've seen uses a Triac style dimmer.

Quoted from the Smarthome dimmable Fluorescent bulb page:

The Smarthome technical staff has searched far and wide, high and low, and everywhere else in between for fluorescent bulbs that are X10-compatible, and these are among the very few that won't inject any noise in or near the critical X10 zero crossing point. For X10 operation, we recommend using non-dimming appliance modules, like the ApplianceLinc, although lamp modules will work if they are not dimmed.

The Pod

 

[Steve]

Actually efficency-wise, dimming a incandescent bulb is an energy waster. Yes, a bulb at 50% uses less electricity than a bulb at 100%, but it yields much less light than a bulb that uses 50% wattage run at 100%. In other-words, your much better off (much more light) getting a 50 watt bulb and running it at 100% than you are to use a 100 watt bulb run at 50%.

Thanks, and thats a good point, but the way I have it now I have plenty of light for most stuff, save $$ and still have the option to make them alot brighter if I need to. They are only 75W.

 

[BLH]

I got a few from my local power utility web site.
I did find one thing. The X10 Lamp Modules that start at max and then dim. Worked much better then the Smarthome ones that ramp up and down. The bulbs had a fit ramping up. Guess they need to be on before dimming.

 

[AutomatedOutlet]

Actually efficency-wise, dimming a incandescent bulb is an energy waster. Yes, a bulb at 50% uses less electricity than a bulb at 100%, but it yields much less light than a bulb that uses 50% wattage run at 100%. In other-words, your much better off (much more light) getting a 50 watt bulb and running it at 100% than you are to use a 100 watt bulb run at 50%.

I disagree. It is true that you do not receive 50% of the light for 50% of the energy used but here's what you actually receive:

Brightness level

at 90% - 10% electricity saved (no loss) - 2X bulb life

at 75% - 20% electricity saved (5% loss) - 4X bulb life

at 50% - 40% electricity saved (10% loss) - 20X bulb life

at 25% - 60% electricity saves (15% loss) - 20X++ bulb life


So, you can see that there isn't too much efficiency lost with dimming a light bulb especially once you factor in the savings in light bulbs.

 

[Skibum]

Is that for incandescent or fluorescents?

 

[AutomatedOutlet]

Incandescent.

The data comes from page 12 of the Lightolier Control Design Guide.

 

[AutomatedOutlet]

Hey Ski,

Have you tried those dimmable CF bulbs? Do they produce X10 noise?

 

[noshali]

Well, my theory is that any bulb that is dimmed is going to save energy anyway. I use regular R30 Halogens. All my light switches are programmed to turn lights on at 50%. I have seen rates drop already although I wish I had good energy management/monitoring tools.

Thanks for the posts. I thought that x10, insteon were not compatible with halogen light bulbs??? What is the advantage of using halogen bulbs rather than regular bulbs.

regards,

 

[Skibum]

Hey Ski,

Have you tried those dimmable CF bulbs? Do they produce X10 noise?

Any fluorescent that I have tried has produced a TON of noise.....So mush so that I cannot control the switch ..

 

[Steve]

Well, my theory is that any bulb that is dimmed is going to save energy anyway. I use regular R30 Halogens. All my light switches are programmed to turn lights on at 50%. I have seen rates drop already although I wish I had good energy management/monitoring tools.

Thanks for the posts. I thought that x10, insteon were not compatible with halogen light bulbs??? What is the advantage of using halogen bulbs rather than regular bulbs.

regards,

You can't control low voltage halogens that use a transformer. I am talking about a regular 120V Halogen Flood Bulb like .this.

Halogens usually give more lumens per watt and a nicer, 'whiter' light.