The Revitalist

If one of your New Year's resolutions is to green up your house, then the NY Times review of energy-efficient light bulbs will come in handy. The US Congress recently passed legislation that will require lighting manufacturers to make bulbs that use 25-30% less energy, phased in over 2012-2015, while providing the same amount of light. There are many products already on the market that meet these standards (compact fluorescents, halogens, LEDs, and some funky others), but there are many complaints about the color quality of the light and the cost of the bulbs. The Times ordered a wide range of bulbs and tested them all against a standard incandescent bulb for color. Combined with the energy efficiency ratings and the cost, they give you a pretty good guide of the best looking and most efficient bulbs out there today. I'm sure that the new regulations will spur improvements in the technologies. The question is will there be a black market for better looking incandescent bulbs?