[jambutty]

What do you mean by intensity? It's a bad way because you're measuring the ENERGY which dosn't equate to 'X source is better than Y' because it depends on which bits of the light spectrum its actually giving out. A lot of it could be wasted because we can't see it, but it'll still energy that the calculator can use.

Intensity in relation to light means brightness Cyfr. A 100w bulb gives off a brighter light than a 15w one. A 200w bulb will outshine a 100w bulb. As I stated before the wattage quoted is the amount of electrical energy that the bulb uses to produce that light although much of the energy is converted to heat energy. My calculator or any solar panel will work when visible light is shone on it. It matters not that the light is red or blue or yellow or green or any other spectrum colour or any combination of colours. However a solar panel will need a brighter light if only one colour is shone on it than it would if it was ‘white’ light.

Your graph at http://www.accringtonweb.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22924&highlight=energy+saving clearly shows that visible light comes between the lowest frequency of UV light and the highest frequency of IR light. That is the visible spectrum. Light bulbs unless specifically made to radiate UV or IR emit the visible spectrum. However a UV or IR light will also emit the visible spectrum to a degree.

Again, LE light bulbs DO give off less light, this is the whole idea, its why they're more energy efficient. We're humans that use light to help us see things, we don't need the whole spectrum to do this, but if the whole spectrum is there then there is more energy so your calculator will work better, however this dosn't translate to your point because we don't need the extra energy as it makes no difference to our vision.

We humans do need white light to see all the colours of our surroundings. In red light the blues and greens etc are not as visible. Similarly in blue light the reds and greens are not as visible. In dim light colours are not as distinct and the brighter the light the more distinct they are. So the brightness of light does make a difference to what we see. And the same goes for a solar panel. If the light is dull it will not produce as much electrical power as it would in brighter light.