I am besieged as an electrical contractor by all this energy saving, retrofit, efficacy & or efficacious lighting.
I get mailings ,as well as solictitaions to 'lighting'luncheons.
everyone say 'efficacious' now....chomp, chomp the celery...

There are homes that are retrofitted via programs with rebates that result in a PL-13 or two per room, at which the resident kicks back bragging about how much $$$ they're saving & how 'green' they are.

Of course your saving $$$$, BECAUSE YOUR IN THE %$@# DARK, YOU 3-TOED SLOTHS!

I have maintained the true MPG ( i.e.- efficacy there's that word again!)is lumens vs watts consumed, and have asked this Q of many of these manufacturer's
(they hate me by now)
As far as i know, there is no universal scale or accountability for this that is shown on ALL packaging.
There would seem to be more fixation on THD
ohmygod....loook at the THD Ethel!
than any such figure.
There should be some way or means to separate this 'manufacturing hype' from reality.

Your thoughts?

It's all a $$ trade off for the quantity and quality of light you get. If you use solely Lumens vs Watts as a criteria then low pressure sodium ought to be just dandy. I doubt even the Eco-Freak-Perched-in-the-Redwood could stand it very long

I couldn't get used to that yellowish glow makin' everybody look like they got jauntice.

That brings visible spectrum to mind, what is it? 400-700nm? How many elements/fixtures are marked accordingly? I'm told the whiter the light, the more visible spectrum it addresses, if true does less than this inefficent?

We could meet 210-70 with LED's no??

The fluorescents (including Compacts) are marked in degrees Kelvin. The lower the number, the closer to the red end of the spectrum. Standards are 27K, 30K, 35K, & 41K (as in F032-835).
Although you can hold a light meter below them, and end up with the same reading, the customers always seem to perceive the higher (closer to blue) numbered lamps as brighter.
Some prefer the 27 or 30K lamps, as their light more closely resembles that of the precious "Soft White" incandescent.
There's nothing wrong with Compact Fluorescent lights, other than, like you say, the "hype" and BS that people are spewing forth.

yes, well....i'm not out to trash fluoresants here, i'm just up to my eyeballs in 'spew'.

there's a story i'll pass on here,

1) the fed's are down on the nuke plants
so...
2) the pwr co's usage continues to grow
so....
3) there are all these 'subsidized' energy saving programs
and...
4) WE ( our trade) are on the bottom of the 'spew' triangle !

anyone gotta towel?