Quote:
Originally Posted by gtojohn
The math isn't difficult. My average cfl is 15w, I can get 2-3 for $10. The Led equivalent uses 13watts, cost about $20 per bulb. I'm not in a huge hurry to save 3 watts per hour of use. Maybe the technology will get more efficient of even cheaper. The payback on solar is even faster!
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The math is more difficult than simple arithmetic... there's actually some multiplication and division involved.
When you talk about "payback", time is involved. To make an intelligent comparison, you need to look at bulb life, bulb cost, and energy use over the lifetime(s) of your alternatives.
There are web sites that have already done the analysis, and multiplication and division for you, so you only need to look at the answer.
Another aspect that you may or may not want to take responsibility for is the environmental cost of manufacture and disposal, because when you throw something away (especially mercury), there really isn't any 'away'.
Also, saying that solar has a quicker payback is a meaningless comparison partly because you haven't yet determined the payback for your light options, but even more because solar power and efficient lighting are two separate and unrelated classes of technology.
If you really want fast payback, get rid of your car(s).
-AC