jtr1962
Storage? I am Storage!
I think it's bad simply because linear fluorescent is 50% more efficient than CFLs. Besides that, the tubes last anywhere from 3 to 5 times as long, depending upon brand. And when the tube goes bad you just throw away the tube, not the tube along with the entire ballast as with CFLs. It's not that CFLs are an entirely bad idea. They're much better than the incandescents they replace. It's just that linear fixtures would be much more prevalent if lighting designers integrated them into residences somehow rather than sticking with bulb-based fixtures. We might even have inexpensive dimming ballasts if linear tubes weren't just used in commercial or utility areas. Another pet peeve of mine is that decent CFL replacements for small-base chandelier bulbs aren't very available or cheap. This is particularly bad because these bulbs are the worst incandescents going, with efficiencies ranging from about 8 to 11 lm/W. I'll be a happy camper the day we have nice white LED bulbs to replace these sickly orange space heaters which happen to give off a little light. If it were my house the three chandeliers we have would be gone and replaced with linear tubes. Unfortunately, I have no say in the matter.Why do you think it is so bad to use a conventional fixture for these bulbs? With that way of thinking we will never cut electrical use and greenhouse gases.
BTW, we were among the first adopters of CFLs. This was back in the late 1970s when they cost upwards of $25 each. Now I use them in things like desk lamps, table lamps, and outdoor lights not only to save energy, but to get rid of the horrid orange glow of the incandescents. Yeah, lack of readily available non-2700K CFLs is another pet peeve of mine. At least the local Home Depot is finally stocking the $8 four-packs of n:vision 5500K 14 watt CFLs. It was like a veil of yellow dirt was lifted when we replaced the 2700Ks in the entry foyer.
So in summary:
incandescents-bad
CFLs-better
linear tubes-even better
LEDs-the best