UNH has a bright idea.

Students living in University of New Hampshire residence halls received a bright welcome this fall, with free compact fluorescent light bulbs for their desk lamps.

A coalition of UNH offices, coordinated by the university's Energy Task Force, distributed 1,720 energy-saving CFLs to students, eliminating the need for less-efficient incandescent bulbs.

The bulbs--known as CFLs--are estimated to save the university $17,250 in energy costs. Their greenhouse gas reduction will be the equivalent of not driving 11.3 passenger cars for one year.

The 13-watt CFLs--equivalent to 60-watt incandescent bulbs were purchased at a cost of $3,000. Funds raised at a student-organized Step It tip event at UNH in spring 2007 provided a third of the cost; the Office of Sustainability and the office of the vice president finance and administration each matched those funds with $1,000. In addition, UNH's Housing office purchased 1,000 more CFLs to replace incandescent bulbs in built-in fixtures in residence halls.

The CFLs for students will be divided among UNH's 23 residence halls and are being distributed door-to-door by hall directors over the first few weeks of the fall semester.