Household light bulbs get the flick in Australia
Produced by: www.news.com.au
Date of Production: Tuesday, 20th February 2007
Abstract:
The humble incandescent light bulb is about to become history as Australia dumps it in favour of more energy efficient technology.
Household light bulbs get the flick
The humble incandescent light bulb is about to become history as Australia dumps it in favour of more energy efficient technology.
The standard incandescent light bulb – a metal filament glowing white-hot in a vacuum, which wastes up to 95 per cent of the energy it uses – will be phased out within three years.
“We are introducing new energy efficiency standards and these old lights simply won’t comply, they will be phased out and basically over a period of time they will no longer be for sale,” Federal Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull said today.
The move to sell the electorate a simpler environment policy contrasts with Labor’s plan to introduce emissions trading, increase mandatory renewable energy targets and sign the international Kyoto climate agreement.
It is understood the Government has decided the old light globe, developed for the mass market more than 125 years ago, should be replaced with modern “compact fluorescent lights”, also known as low-wattage bulbs.
The Government will work with major manufacturers and importers to bring about the change.
While the new technology lights are more expensive at $4-$6 each, they cost considerably less to run and have a much longer life than incandescent bulbs, which can sell for less than $1.
Incandescent bulbs waste up to 95 per cent of the energy they use, mainly in the form of heat. Compact fluorescent lights use about a fifth of the electricity to produce the same illumination.
Details of the plan, including costs, have not been made available, but a source said it was expected the purchase cost of the new technology lights would come down as the volume of sales dramatically increased.
Compact fluorescent lights can produce savings of 66 per cent of the cost of the older technology and the new lights last between four to 10 times longer.
Federal Government figures suggest energy used for household lighting in Australia contributes up to 12 per cent of coal-energy greenhouse gas emissions and around 25 per cent of emissions from commercial and public lighting.
It is felt the change to fluorescent lighting could cut greenhouse gas emissions by the order of 800,000 tonnes a year by 2012.
Full text at http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21255435-2,00.html
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