TECHNOLOGY
LEDs: Ready for primetime or a niche product?
LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, are the darling of the lighting world these days. Let's face it—they look cool and appear to solve a lot of lighting problems. Trade allies can serve their customers best by learning the hows, wheres and whys of LEDs.
"LEDs are a great product for very specific types of applications," said Phil Degens, evaluation manager, Energy Trust. "They show great promise but they're not the one-size solution for lighting—at least not yet."
Energy Trust has chosen to follow the ENERGY STAR® standard for LEDs to ensure that customers get the performance they deserve for their LED investment. According to Degens, ENERGY STAR is in the process of developing detailed specifications for a wide variety of fixtures, products and applications. Energy Trust has developed a simple checklist for those products that currently do not have an active specification or have not gone through ENERGY STAR certification. An LED product must meet the checklist to be considered for an Energy Trust incentive and it must also meet Energy Trust's cost-effectiveness criteria.
As we've seen with other technologies, some of the first products into the market don't always perform as promised. When new and often expensive products fail, it can set back the rate of market adoption dramatically. This hurts the credibility of trade allies and it doesn't serve the customer.
To be considered for an Energy Trust incentive the LED product must either be an ENERGY STAR qualified product or meet the following criteria:
- Fixture/lamp must have a LM79 test
- The LED in the fixture/lamp must have an LM80 test
- Lumens/watt must be greater than or equal to at least 50
- It must have a minimum 50,000-hour lifetime
- It must have at least a three-year warranty
- It must be UL-listed or certified by another national lab
- It must have a color rendering index (CRI) of greater than or equal to 70
What applications are best for LEDs?
Some of the first uses for LEDs were in traffic signals. LEDs provide directional light and don't contribute to light pollution. Plus they have a longer life than the previously installed incandescent bulbs. We're now seeing a full market transformation for traffic signals and pedestrian signals with LEDs.
LEDs operate well in cold temperatures, unlike fluorescent products. They're a great solution for refrigerated cases and we're seeing more and more grocery and convenience stores choosing LEDs for these areas. Like fluorescents they don't generate much heat so they save two ways.
Other apt uses for LED products include accent lighting in retail settings and channel lettering in signs and high-use parking garages where lighting is required 24/7. Outdoor lighting is also a great application for LEDs. These fixtures are often in hard-to-reach places and need to operate in a range of temperatures. LEDs could be a good replacement product for 400 watt high pressure sodium fixtures or mercury vapor fixtures. High-bay applications, where maintenance to replace burned out lights can be challenging and expensive, may also be a good application for LEDs.
What are not good applications for LEDs?
LEDs are not a viable replacement for general lighting at this point. The energy savings don't add up to offset their high-purchase cost, and the type of light is not always appropriate for a typical office or retail setting.
Energy Trust is actively monitoring the market to identify niches where LED products provide a cost-effective solution. We're also working with manufacturers to ensure that more LED products meet the ENERGY STAR specifications. "LEDs are the next big thing in lighting, but we don't want to repeat the mistakes we saw when compact fluorescent light bulbs burst into the marketplace," said Degens. "Today, it's still important for trade allies to have a cautious attitude about LEDs if they want to provide the best service to their customers."
Degens expects the cost of LEDs to decline and the quality to increase. Right now, LEDs have a market penetration of less than one percent, so the only way to go is up for this promising lighting technology. Energy Trust's commercial lighting program is involved on a national level to make sure Oregon homeowners and businesses reap the benefits of these energy-saving products.
Visit the Energy Trust website for more information on LED lighting incentives. The Lighting Facts website also lists and verifies information on LED products and is a good place to check to see if a manufacturer is moving toward ENERGY STAR. Be aware that some of the products listed on this website are not ENERGY STAR qualified and do not pass Energy Trust's checklist.
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