Re: Anyone moved to LED Lighting?

[David Nebenzahl <nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 12/27/2009 9:13 PM Don Klipstein spake thus:

> In <4b36f5e8$0$23825$822641b3@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, D. Nebenzahl wrote:
>
>> That doesn't *necessarily* translate to the same amount of
>> reduction in electric power plant generation. Think about it: it's
>> not as if there are giant rheostats on coal-fired generators that
>> the electric company can use to calibrate their generating capacity
>> to meet the load. They can basically take a generating unit
>> off-line or put it on-line.
>
> They do better than that - they can "crank down" generating units.

Still somewhat of a fallacy; as someone else (Dave Houston) here pointed
out, the power plants that utilities most easily can switch on- and
off-line are natural-gas fired ones, which are less polluting and emit
less carbon than coal-fired plants.

Plus he mentioned that the *net* result of a total switchover to CFLs
for residential use would result in, at most, something like a 2% energy
savings.

So much for "saving the planet"[1] through changing to CFL bulbs.


[1] Something I believe in, though it won't be accomplished by the silly
half-measures now being suggested to us (drive a Prius, use CFLs,
support a cap-and-trade system).


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