Image from CNET.com
Hi folks! I have migrated - from a generally "green" job in Santa Rosa, California to energy efficiency work in Saint Paul, Minnesota. In honor of this change, I will provide you with some home energy facts and tips.
* One CFL can save you up to $30 over the course of its lifetime, according to EnergyStar.gov.
* When you break a CFL, don't vacuum it up. To avoid ingesting or inhaling the hazardous mercury inside, follow EPA guidelines: stop air from flowing, get everybody away (especially kids and pets), let it sit for 15 minutes, then "scoop and stick" - scoop as much as you can with a sheet of cardboard, then stick up the remaining pieces with the sticky side of duct tape.
* When a CFL is broken or used up, take it for proper disposal. Home Depot will accept them, as will IKEA. Your local household hazardous waste facility will happily take them in - check with your county waste department.
* The modern CFL was invented as a result of the 1970s energy crisis. Ed Hammer, a General Electric engineer, created the bulb in 1976 - it is now housed in the Smithsonian. It was shelved at the time because of the prohibitive expense to create the new manufacturing facilities required. Read more from CNET.
* CFLs probably won't reign forever. More efficient, less hazardous LED lights will likely overtake CFLs as soon as production costs decrease.
