Choosing the Best Fluorescent Bulbs and Fixtures

In California, now that the new Title 24 code is in effect, I think that there will be a rush on the development of dimmable recessed fluorescents.

I am trying to get the manufacturers to sex-up the recessed fluorescent trims to help hide the fact that they are fluorescent. Juno Lighting [1] is one of the manufacturers that listened and is getting UL listings for many of its incandescent trims to be used with its fluorescent housings.

Other companies making good-looking decorative fixtures with hardwire fluorescent sources include Boyd Lighting [2], Progress Lighting [3], Sea Gull Lighting [4], Estiluz [5], Artimede Lighting [6], Aamsco Lighting [7] and Tresco Intl. [8]—to name a few.

For the other states, Philips Lighting [9] and Technical Consumer Products [10] (among others) make a series of dimmable and non-dimmable CFLs, many of which look like their incandescent counterparts. These are a quick way to start cutting down on power consumption and help protect the earth’s resources.

The EPA [11] has a program called “Change a Light, Change the World.” By changing five of the most frequently used fixtures in your home (or the bulbs in them) to Energy Star-qualified fluorescent products, an average household can save $60 a year in energy costs and prevent more than a trillion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. I feel less gassy already.