[jambutty]

Originally Posted by Less

You have mentioned this before in the Tax on Lightbulbs
Thread, Cyfr took time and effort to explain the difference to you, you even thanked him for his explanation about how and why your calculator doesn't run from a low energy bulb and now you repeat the same inaccurate tale, you cannot compare the two different light sources by using a solar powered calculator and all you are managing to do is confuse the issue as you did in the earlier thread.

I totally agree with the comment made by Madhatter in that earlier thread.

I have indeed Less and it is not inaccurate. It is an observed and measured fact. My solar powered calculator will function from the flame of my fag lighter, (although it has to be held pretty close) where before I mentioned a candle. It will function from torchlight or any source of visible light. That’s what solar panels do. They use visible light. I have a red and a blue bulb and the light from these also powers my calculator. Of course it has to be pretty close to do so.

So it is permissible to compare different sources of light on a solar panel and is a good way of measuring the intensity of that light, because it is the intensity of the light that is crucial not its source.

The wattage printed on the hot filament bulbs and their boxes refers to the electrical power required to light the bulb to its normal intensity. Thus a 60w normal bulb will require 60w of electrical power. Anyone remember Ivy Watts? That is I x V = W. However that applies to DC only. For AC it is a bit more complicated because of the RMS value of an AC voltage but Ivy Watts will do to get a rough idea.

A low energy bulb rated at 11 watts allegedly gives off the same amount of light as a 60w normal bulb. I have proven that it doesn’t. A 15w LE bulb is the alleged equivalent of a 75w normal bulb.

Low energy bulbs are more energy efficient and do last about 6 times longer than a normal bulb but they cost a lot more. So just do the maths and you will discover that the new low energy bulbs are not as cost effective as the old type. So we are being conned.

Must go Chelsea v Spurs has just started on the box.