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Has any found low energy replacment bulbs for floodlights (r7s fitting)?

We have a number of 500w floodlights around the croft (essential when working outside in the dark of the Scottish winter), but they have a few problems - huge energy consumption and not good when working with colour critical applications (like wiring, diagnosing some animal ailments).

I'd happily settle for a slight loss in brightness, if I could get a light that used less energy and had much less of a colour cast. I'd prefer to use the existing fittings (both to save cost and avoid binning them).

I've contact a number of retailers, but they tell me to contact lighting manufacturers, and several manufacturers (including Philips), but they don't respond.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Stonehead

PS And yes, we only use the floodlights as needed but even so the energy consumption is frightening!

now then... I've seen something like this recently... will look back through history and see if I can find it... they sounded really good.

I don't think there is such a thing as a low energy replacement bulb for r7s halogens. Some halogen bulbs are slightly more efficient (about 30%) by recycling the infra-red light that they emit.

There are metal halide floodlights, which use similar fittings, but they require a ballast - similar to the starter in a fluourescent bulb - so you can't just plug the bulb into a regular halogen floodlight.

Metal halide bulbs are supposed to be 4 times more efficient, and last four times longer than halogen bulbs, and I've seen them in 70W and 150W (consumption) varieties, which ought to be equivalent to 280W and 600W respectively.

I've never dealt with these guys, or used any of these products, but these links might help. There's even a choice of colour temperatures, (cool, warm and daylight), which could be just what you're after.

http://www.commercial-lamps.co.uk/acata ... alide.html
http://www.commercial-lamps.co.uk/acata ... ights.html

Thanks for that - it looks like I'll have to replace all the light fittings then and that means it's no go for now (too costly). A shame, as it would have cut our power consumption over winter.