Fluorescent lamps generate light by passing electricity through a tube filled with inert gas and a small amount of mercury. White T-shirts and socks normally glow under a black light because modern detergents contain phosphors that convert UV light into white light. In the next section, we’ll see what kinds of objects contain phosphors, and we’ll look at some interesting uses for black lights. In the next section, we’ll see how phosphors are used in regular fluorescent lighting and in black lights. The “black” glass tube itself blocks most visible light, so in the end only benign long-wave UV-A light, along with some blue and violet visible light, passes through. Above violet is ultraviolet light, which we cannot see. Sure, they may notice that months that are particularly hot see the utility bill rise because the air conditioner is working overtime, but that change is typically the extent of the variability assumed. Such changes may be unnoticeable to you, but could add up to significant savings on your energy costs. However, the cost savings to the planet and to your wallet in the long run could be encouragement enough.
SolCool’s hybrid solar air conditioner, for example, runs on solar energy, can be plugged in or Watt Wise Saver can run off of batteries. By design, chillers need to be hooked up to a water line or water storage tank, making them a little less green than the hybrid solar-powered air conditioners that run on solar energy and battery power. When it’s set to hybrid mode, these systems charge their batteries when the sun is shining; when it isn’t, the system runs on battery backup while charging its batteries via alternating current (AC) power. GreenCore Air, for example, designed its solar-powered air conditioner to work either completely off the grid or as a hybrid solar/battery air conditioning unit. First and perhaps most important, you maintain control over your work both creatively and from a business standpoint. There are actually two different types of black light, but they work in basically the same way. What Is “Black Light”? We’ll also see why black lights make some objects glow but not others, and we’ll look at some interesting black light applications. Why Is My Shirt Glowing?
What you see glowing under a black light, whether on a fluorescent poster or an invisible hand stamp or a newly washed white T-shirt, are phosphors. A tube black light is a basically a fluorescent lamp with a different sort of phosphor coating. They do this with a phosphor coating around the outside of the tube. In both of these light designs, the emitted UV light reacts with various external phosphors in exactly the same way as the UV light inside a fluorescent lamp reacts with the phosphor coating. A phosphor converts the energy in the UV radiation from a black light into visible light. A black light bulb produces UVA light (as opposed to UVB light, which is much more harmful). It’s not as much as installing solar panels on your roof, but compared to medium-sized conventional window air conditioning units that typically sell in the hundreds of dollars, a solar-powered system will cost you a few thousand plus installation fees.
Even when plugged in to a conventional power source, it operates at a maximum of 500 watts per hour, compared to about 900 for a conventional window unit (and 3,500 watts for an hour of central air conditioning). Even at that price, an LED can save you about $170 over its lifetime compared with a similar incandescent. Heat waves cause blackouts, health problems and in some cases even death — during the summer of 2003, at least 35,000 people died from a heat wave that baked Europe. Northern Ireland’s population has grown steadily over the last decade and there are now over 1.8 million people in the province. CFLs are four times more efficient and last up to 10 times longer than incandescents. These events could last up to six hours and are usually scheduled during warmer days during the summer. Unlike most land-based solar plants, floating arrays can be unobtrusive because they are hidden from public view.