On 4/27/2008 2:11 PM bonnie spake thus:

Given, CFL's are thought to be more energy efficient than incandescent
bulbs. But I heard they use more energy to turn on.

What if it is in a room that is used infrequently, a closet or guest
room for instance. In other words a room in which you would go in and
out of pretty quickly.

How long would a CFL have to be left on to realize the net energy
savings.

The initial inrush (or surge, if you prefer) current that you're talking
about is pretty small. Leave the CFL on a minute and any energy cost
from turning it on is negligible.


--
The best argument against democracy is a five-minute
conversation with the average voter.

- Attributed to Winston Churchill