Home Energy Efficiency, or What Not To Do with a CFL

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.

CFL Recycling

"You're tryin' to make me go to THE-trash, I said
NO NO NO"


So, you are using those quirky, squiggly CFL bulbs to save energy, eh? Good! Like batteries, don't throw them away! It's illegal in California, Maine, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio and Indiana because the bulbs contain small amounts of mercury - safe for you even if the bulb breaks, but when tiny amounts of mercury end up collecting in the landfill, nobody is happy.

The good news is, Ikea takes them back. For more information, check out your state here.