LLB - Leo`s light bulb

A zero emission profit story literally worth reading!

By Zero Emission Think Tank

„Daddy, can you read me a story? A dragon story, pleeeease!“ My 6 year old loves bedtime stories, and it is always the same ritual: „Switch off the light, Dad!“ he demands. And while I get up to his door to switch off the main lights, he switches on his night table lamp. Click-click it goes and slowly the bulb lights the room. And the story begins. „Do you know when I first met the dragon?“ I am asking. Many, many years ago, in 1992, long before you were born, we lived in a small room. We were still in Highschool and we loved to read a story at bedtime, just like you. And one night we switched on a flashlight on the night table and read. And something happened, a little dragon came and opened it`s mouth and eat our flashlight! And the young dragon started to gloom. Greenish in the dark, and hurried away. We called him Gloomy. „Oh my,“ I said, „will the dragon come back? How can we keep our lights on?“ And my son goes „buy a bigger light, he can`t swallow“. Good idea. So we bought a big light bulb. And never again did the bulb fail us. In addition it was one of the first energy saving lights. Now, „look at your light bulb, son“, I am contemplating it, „it is still the same, it still lights the bedtime story.“ And my son goes, „wow!, It must have saved a lot of energy, too”.

Indeed. And money.

For using it 1 hour over 20 years, it would produce $ 117 in savings.

Now, we also used the light bulb in the kitchen at times.

For using it 10 hours over 20 years, it would produce $ 1,170 in zero emission profits! (zep!)

This light bulb is a $ 1,000 treasure!

And we have more of them.

Note: Interestingly, it actually does not matter at all, whether it still is the original energy savings bulb or whether it had to be replace once or twice. It still is a $1,000 treasure.

DETAILS:

Here is the calculation of our $ 1,000 light bulb. I have to admit, even though I was a student in sciences, the first time it took me almost an hour to calculate the energy & money savings of this savings light. If you think you can do it, try it first!

Here are the results:

The energy saving light bulb has 20 Watts power compared to the old days lights with 100 Watts.

Energy saving light bulb:

Each hour the bulb is on it needs 20 Watthours of energy.

In 50 hours, the bulb has used 1 kilowatthour.

20 Watts * 50 hours = 1,000 watthours = 1 kilowatthour (kWh)

1 kWh has assumed costs of approx. 20 cents over the years.

Now, if the light bulb is switched on for 1 hour each day, it needs 7.3 kWh which costs $1.46 each year.

1 hour/day *20 Watthours*365 days = 7,300 watthours = 7.3 kWh

7.3 kWh * 20 cents = $1.46

The old light bulb

The old 100 watt light bulb switched on for 1 hour each day needs 36.5 kWh which cost $ 7.30 each year.

1 hour/day *100 watthours*365 days = 36,500 watthours = 36.5 kWh

36.5 kWh * 20 cents / kWh = $7.30

The zero emission profit for using the energy saving bulb for 1 hour each day is $ 5.84 each year:

$7.30 power costs of the 100 watt bulb, less $1.46 costs of the 20 watt bulb (1/5th of the costs) = $ 5.84

If the energy savings bulb is switched on 1 hour per day for 20 years, it uses 146 kWh energy which costs $ 29.20:

1 hour/day * 20 watthours *365 days * 20 years = 146,000 watthours = 146 kWh

146 kWh * 20 cents = $29.20 costs

The old 100 watts bulb needs 730 kWh energy which costs $146.00.

The zero emission profit for using the energy saving bulb for 1 hour each day for 20 years is $ 117.

Now, if the energy savings light bulb is used for 10 hours each day for 20 years, the zero emission profit amounts to $ 1,170.00.

This is indeed a $ 1,000 energy savings light bulb!