THE COLOR OF BETTER LIGHTING

DAILY GREEN - You know CFLs use 70-75% less energy than regular old incandescent light bulbs, and that they last many times longer. . . [But] when the New York Times conducted a panel recently to evaluate different popular CFLs, the reception from those with a designer's eye was harsh. Testers said they hated many of the offerings; thought they cast sickly glows; rendered complexions like those of the embalmed; lacked the warm, firelike quality of incandescents; and were unsuitable for attractive interiors.

Although more efficient bulbs will be mandated due to the most recent federal energy bill (beginning in 2012, all new bulbs will have to use 25 to 30 percent less energy for the same light output as today's typical incandescent bulbs), sales of CFLs have not been as brisk as greens would like. Wal-Mart reports that the energy efficient bulbs still account for less than 20 percent of bulb sales.

But the Times also learned that several of the tested CFLs performed quite well. The TCP Home Soft White, for example, was deemed "a warm pleasant light." The TCP Spring Light/Soft White was "almost warmer than incandescent," one person said. And the MaxLite SpiraMax was generally liked, considered "pretty good" and "clean."

Another thing the Times learned is that switching the lamp shade makes a huge difference in lighting quality. In once case, swapping a fabric shade for an opaque cardboard light greatly changed the look and feel in the room. . .

Also, the Times discovered that mixing some CFLs in a room with other options (such as the more-efficient-than-standard halogens) for task lighting or accents can really enliven a space, while still saving you money on your electricity bills

TREEHUGGER - This week a comparison by Sweden's SP Technical Research Institute of CFLs gives credence to the idea that CFL quality is even more fickle than consumers' preferences. SP tested eight different CFL bulbs from manufacturers such as Philips, Osram, and IKEA, and found that none of them lived up to manufacturers claims for strength of the light (lumens).[Low temperatures] caused some bulbs to flicker, others to not even light. Bulbs took from two to seven minutes to come to full strength. But the most damning part of the test was the report's demonstration that quality is completely unconnected to local price - which ran between US $5.50 and $21.86.