The Future Generation Of Energy Efficient Bulbs
Dec 20, 2009 Save Energy
Regular light bulbs (also known as incandescent lamps) convert rather less than twenty percent of the electricity they consume into actual light. This is because they quite literally burn a thin metal filament and as with all burning, most of the electricity is lost as heat. To suggest they’re not therefore particularly good at doing the one thing they’re supposed to do (i.e. turn electricity into light) is understating things somewhat.
As a small heater the average traditional light bulb is not bad, but unfortunately this heat is typically wasted someplace useless like the ceiling and if you’re actually trying to keep the temperature down then all they do is make your air conditioning work harder. Whichever way you cut it, you are paying good money for heat you almost certainly don’t want and getting a poor deal on light.
Energy saving or “low energy” light bulbs that are significantly more efficient have been available for quite a few years now. These usually take the form of compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) and are currently the most commonly available type of energy saving bulb for the domestic market. CFLs have not really caught on though, most probably because they’re oversized, take a considerable period of time to reach maximum brightness and are expensive by comparison with incandescent bulbs. Despite some improvements to make CFLs more discrete, attain maximum brightness in less time, and reduce the price but there is no hiding the fact that they have a poor image, which is not helped by the fact that they also contain toxic mercury vapour and are thus not easy to dispose of in an environmentally friendly way.
The new breed of energy saving light bulbs are based on light emitting diodes (LED). These are orders of magnitude more energy saving than present CFLs but until very recently have not been quite bright enough for general domestic lighting.
However LED bulbs recently appearing in the market are indeed viable as genuine alternatives, and in particular those designed as substitutes for GU10 and MR16 halogen lamps. But anyone contemplating trying this road should also know that many white LED bulbs, and in particular ones described as “cool” as distinct from “warm” white) may appear slightly blue which some folk find quite attractive but which generally do tend to stick out rather if blended with other kinds of lighting.
The main benefit of LED light bulbs is that they turn most of their input electricity into light and lose practically none as heat which in a nutshell means that they need a whole lot less energy to run them. About ten times less in fact, which is a huge cost saving since the cost of electric lighting is almost entirely down to the running cost. The cost of the light bulbs themselves is insignificant by comparison.
It’s also a fact that LED lights last twenty or more times longer and thus require replacing far less frequently. The benefits should be fairly plain then; LED lights not only save you financially, they also help the environment. The manufacturing process is more straightforward than for CFL bulbs and there are no awkward disposal headaches.
But the primary environmental impact is down to the fact that because they use much less electricity then less electricity has to be produced which in turn means less CO2 emissions.
If you would like to discover more then try this article about GU10 LED.
Tags: 12v lighting, cfl, energy saving, Energy Saving Light Bulbs, fluorescent, green issues, halogen, halogen replacements, home, Led, Led Lighting, lighting, low energy light, save energy, Save Money
How To Easily Move To LED Lighting
Oct 27, 2009 Save Money
Most people are by now aware that traditional incandescent light bulbs are fast becoming a thing of the past and that LED (rather than CFL) alternatives represent the future of low-energy, low-cost, low-environmental impact lighting. But where to begin?
One option might be to purchase LED equivalent bulbs for all the various lights you currently have but I would caution against that approach. Not only would it turn out to a rather expensive exercise, but you it also greatly increases your chances of having the end result turn out rather badly.
Getting to grips with LED lighting doesn’t happen overnight - this is a completely different technology to incandescent lighting and requires a bit of getting used to before you can get it just right for your own needs. But stick with it and the end result is superior quality lighting that also happens to save massively on electricity costs.
Sound advice then is to begin with an area that either uses a lot of lighting or has the lighting switched on a lot (or simply somewhere you would like to refurbish anyway). In this way, your chances of seeing a noticeable difference with respect to both light quality and running costs are greatly increased.
It’s important to get off to a good start in this way as it will encourage you to then take another step further towards the final goal of switching totally from incandescent to LED. For many, if not most, people then it is the kitchen that invariably matches these criteria - it typically has a lot of lights that get used a lot and refurbishing the lighting provides a relatively cheap makeover.
The typical modern kitchen often uses quite a number of halogen lamps, either mounted on tracks or recessed into the ceiling. These waste a phenomenal amount of electricity as heat and are simplicity itself to replace with retrofit LED equivalents. Just pull the halogen lamp out and push in an LED rated to produce the same level of light. For GU10 LED bulbs that’s it, but for MR16 low-voltage lamps you should also purchase an LED driver to replace the 12v transformers previously used.
The same idea (straightforward replacement) also applies to lights installed atop, underneath and inside wall cabinets. Alternatively, add some lighting to these areas if none already exists since LED strip and miniature spot lights are simple to fit, being both light in weight and flexible with respect to being cut or connected to suit any configuration. A common technique is to accent plinths and covings, or if fitted to a kick board to pick out the floor.
Three key considerations should be borne in mind with regard to LED lighting.
1. Quality counts. It’s only natural to count the cost but what really counts with LED lighting is quality and the two are mostly related. Cheap products may look like a bargain but they won’t perform as well or produce the savings you should expect (recall that incandescent bulbs cost little to buy but ultimately represent a terrible waste of money when you calculate the true “cost of ownership”). Look out for respected brands such as Sharp’s Zenigata or the Cree Evolux.
2. Cost. The real cost of lighting is the price of the bulb(s) plus the cost of the electricity. Over say 50,000 hours, a regular 50 watt halogen bulb will need to be replaced 25 times and cost 1,000 times the price of the bulb in electricity. An equivalent LED will require no replacement and cost much the same to run over all that time as it costs to buy. So over 50,000 hours the true cost of a $20 LED is likely to work out at (20 + 20) $40 and that of a $1 halogen at ((1 * 25) + (1 * 1000)) $1025.
3. Usage. LED lighting is most effective if you use multiple light sources of varying intensity and color ranges. Although very bright, they tend not to project light as far as incandescent lights do, so one of the most common ways to resolve these characteristics is to simply reflect the light off a nearby surface. This produces a diffuse light that fills the space and neatly kills two birds with one stone.
For further information check out these articles that examine the subjects of 12v LED bulbs and 12v lighting in more detail.
Tags: energy, green issues, Halogen Lighting, home improvement, kitchen lighting, Led Lighting, lighting, low energy lights, Money Saving, reduce waste, save energy, Save Money, technology
No Waste In This Light Bulb
Sep 16, 2009 Save Energy
Everywhere you turn, people are talking ‘green’. It is fun to watch as products and ideas continue to surface that are helping our planet become less wasteful in energy consumption. Items that we never dreamed could possibly be replaced are now slowly disappearing with new technology presenting, literally, a better light bulb.
The light bulb has been marveled ever since its presentation in 1879 by Thomas Edison. At first an alternative to using kerosene lamps, it was hard to imagine something better than a light bulb coming along. However, today the regular incandescent light bulb is one of the most energy wasting products that there is. Nonetheless, it is also the cheapest product of its kind.
Another type of lighting that gained popularity in the 1920’s was fluorescent lighting and was first used in commercial buildings and garages where more light was in demand. Even though at the time it seemed good, today we know how bad it is for residential use. Some of the many drawbacks of fluorescent lighting, for starters, is the fact that it is filled with mercury. It is also sensitive to temperature extremes, intermittent flickering is common and then there is disposal.
It seems that energy consumption, sometime in the 1970’s, really began to take form and thus the birth of the tungsten halogen lamp or quartz lamp. The light from this bulb is far better than the incandescent light bulb, also needs lower voltage and its life span is much longer. It is becoming more popular only recently with emphasis on energy consumption but before people were not so quick to change, in part, because of the cost.
But now, there is an option that we have all been waiting for. The most awesome and creative discovery of alternative lighting was discovered in the 1960s and is known as the LED. This device is made out of a Silicon element that converts electrical energy into light energy without the drawbacks found in other lighting types. Invented by Nick Holonyak, known as ‘the father of the light-emitting diode’, Holonyak has received many honors for his innovation that is changing the world.
The light emitting diode, or LED, is different from all other light bulbs. LED lights are the same as the red indicator lights on electronic devices which show if it is on or off. What makes these lights different is that LED lights give off no heat or distorted tint, they have no movable parts and have a long life. On top of that, they are also very energy efficient.
At this time it is relatively costly but the final results will show the savings and benefits of using LCD lighting. From flat screen TV’s to street lights and decorative lighting the energy saving LCD will be around for awhile.
Interested in learning more about LED lighting fixtures? I suggest you do some reading here on lighting fixtures.
Tags: energy, Energy Savings, green lifestyle, interior decorating, Led Lighting, light fixtures, Lighting Fixtures, living green, save energy
Switch On To Low Energy Light Bulbs
Aug 6, 2009 Save Energy
There are many reasons to start moving to low energy light bulbs, not the least being that you can save a great deal of money, you can genuinely help fight against global warming, and at the end of the day you don’t have a choice since legislation to ban incandescent bulbs is beginning to really take effect.
So what choices are on offer in the world of domestic low energy lighting? In truth there are only two realistic technologies available: CFL’s (Compact Fluorescent Lamps) and LED’s (Light Emitting Diodes).
Of the two, CFL’s have been fairly widely available for longer but are only about 4 times more efficient than incandescent and have a lot of serious issues relating to health, aesthetics, usability and the environment.
LED light bulbs for general domestic service have not been available very long at all, however they already exceed existing efficiency levels by a factor of 10 and continue to improve at an incredible pace; and aren’t hampered by a list of issues either.
So if LED’s are way better than either incandescent light bulbs or CFL’s then why aren’t more people installing them? There are several reasons but we’ll look at just the main two.
The first of which is that most folk have a perception that LED’s are for toys and decorative lights, not serious domestic lighting. This is mainly because viable LED alternatives to mainstream light bulbs haven’t been around long and are still not so easy to find.
The second main reason why adoption of LED technology has yet to take hold is that few people really understand the economics of lighting. It’s human nature to focus on that which is in front of us at the expense of working out what’s really going on.
That’s why we grumble when opening the latest electricity bill and balk when confronted with the cost of LED light bulbs in the hardware store; all the while totally missing the connection. A sizable proportion of the average electricity bill is due to the cost of lighting - it’s not the cost of the light bulbs that matters, it’s how much it costs to run them.
Those apparently cheap incandescent bulbs you’re been buying all these years waste 90+ percent of the electricity (that you pay for remember) as heat; less than 10 percent goes towards producing light. The equation for LED light bulbs is the exact reverse with over 90 percent of the electricity converted to light and less than 10 percent lost as heat.
You can hit break-even on the investment cost of apparently expensive LED bulbs in about a year and from there on just keep raking in the savings. Most LED’s last 50,000+ hours compared to 2,000 hours for incandescent lights, so that’s 25 times less replacement cost too. Perhaps high price, high quality LED’s are actually the cheaper option after all.
What features should you consider when looking for low energy light bulbs? Quality, quality and quality would be a good guide; avoid the many cheap LED’s available and you’ll also avoid disappointment.
It’s common to find that cheap LED’s provide very little information or guidance, where by contrast good quality ones are up front about the specifications they claim to match; for example 50 degree light beam angle, warm white colour and brightness equivalent to 35w.
The other main point to get used to is that LED’s are intrinsically very directional and thus compete very well with most conventional spotlights. LED light bulbs that provide all round illumination are available but they are much less common than the spot light formats, which are already becoming very popular as replacements for MR16 halogen spots.
As a side note, the term MR16 has become closely associated with low voltage (12v) lighting but it actually describes both the GU5.3 base format with two pins used for 12v systems and the GU10 twist n’ lock format used for main voltage lighting. In either case though, both 12v MR16 and its GU10 mains variant are an excellent way to get started right this minute with genuine energy saving lighting.
About the Author:
Briony Kennicot also suggests this additional article that looks in detail at 12v LED lights.
Tags: 12v lighting, cfl light bulbs, eco, energy saving, energy saving lighting, environment, Global Warming, home, home improvements, Led Lighting, lighting, low energy light bulbs, low voltage lights, save energy, Saving Money
Save Serious Money With Modern LED Lighting
Jul 5, 2009 Save Money
If you were anticipating a typical “how to” piece, you know the type, long on bland verbiage and short on factual information that scarcely manages to argue the case suggested by the title, then you’re in for a let down (or an unexpected surprise, depending on your viewpoint). I really can’t be bothered and quite honestly I hardly need to write anything at all - the numbers say it all, so let’s get stuck in.
A regular mains voltage halogen light of the type ubiquitously installed in ceilings requires 50W input power, costs about 2 to buy, will last maybe 2,000 hours and over that same period will use 12 worth of electricity; this is calculated by assuming very modest annual usage of 1,000 hours (about 3 hours each day) and the currently accepted average electricity price of 0.12 per kWh.
An equivalent GU10 format LED (in other words a quality LED such as Sharp’s Zenigata that is functionally almost identical) requires just 4W and will run for 40,000 hours or more; the purchase price is at the moment 24 but over 2,000 hours it costs just 0.96 in electricity to run.
Looks like the LED has priced itself out due to the much higher purchase cost, doesn’t it? But let’s add a bit more “real world” perspective into this picture.
First, over the full lifespan of that one LED you will have to replace your halogen lamp 20 times, so the purchase costs now look like 40 for the halogen lamp(s) versus 24 for the LED.
Second, if we view things over the lifespan of the LED rather than the feeble lifetime of the halogen then we incur running costs of 240 for the halogen compared to 19.20 for the LED.
As a final step, let’s now add together the running costs over 40,000 hours with the “real” purchase prices, and immediately it’s clear that the total bill for the LED will be 43.20 as compared to 280 for the halogen lamp (and its many replacements). If you thought this would be an exercise in scraping out 10% or even 50% savings, think again - the numbers do not deceive, halogen lamps cost 1000% more than LED equivalents.
Even when the purchases prices are accounted for, halogen lighting is still over 700% more costly. Halogen lamps appear cheap because each costs relatively little to buy, but the truth is they actually end up costing twice as much as an LED because of the frequent replacements, and they are massively more costly to run. LED’s are a completely different ball game and interestingly sometimes cost more to buy than to operate (as this example illustrates).
Of course, this example is deliberately small-scale and designed to illustrate the differences at the level of a single, modestly used light bulb. In passing from my kitchen (which faces North and has poor daylight) I counted 10 halogen down lights that get switched on at 07:00 and off again at 24:00; in the hall were 4 more; and back in my office I can see 6 that must average 6 hours each evening.
Just this little lot therefore clock up between them slightly over 100,000 hours annually ((6 * 6 * 365) + (10 * 17 * 365) + ((4 * 17 * 365)) which would present a bill of 600 (50w * 100000 hours * (0.12/1000)) using halogen lamps, but instead comes in at a much more agreeable 48 with LED lights. And that’s just for these 3 rooms.
If we look at real life examples such as shops, offices, hospitals, hotels, airports and so on, where it is commonplace to use artificial light almost all the time then things get really interesting. Economics is little more than mathematics with currency symbols, and if we extrapolate our simple calculations above the numbers start to resemble seriously big bucks.
We have already established that the purchase cost difference between the two gets cancelled out about halfway through the lifespan of the LEDs and that over time it’s actually much cheaper to buy 1 LED rather than replace a halogen lamp 20 times. We also now know that halogen lamps cost 12 times as much to run as equivalent LEDs. So why then would anyone choose NOT to switch to LED?
About the Author:
If you found this article interesting then Louisa Kennicot suggests further reading about both mains low energy light bulbs and 12v LED lighting.
Tags: cutting bills, energy saving lighting, Halogen Lamps, home, home improvement, Led Lighting, lighting, low energy light bulbs, personal finance, reducing electricity, replacing halogen with led, Save Money, saving, Saving Money
Replace Halogen Lamps With LEDs? You’d Be Mad Not To!
Jul 1, 2009 Save Money
If you were anticipating a typical “how to” piece, you know the type, long on bland verbiage and short on factual information that scarcely manages to argue the case suggested by the title, then you’re in for a let down (or an unexpected surprise, depending on your viewpoint). I really can’t be bothered and quite honestly I hardly need to write anything at all - the numbers say it all, so let’s get stuck in.
A regular mains voltage halogen light of the type ubiquitously installed in ceilings requires 50W input power, costs about 2 to buy, will last maybe 2,000 hours and over that same period will use 12 worth of electricity; this is calculated by assuming very modest annual usage of 1,000 hours (about 3 hours each day) and the currently accepted average electricity price of 0.12 per kWh.
An equivalent GU10 format LED (in other words a quality LED such as Sharp’s Zenigata that is functionally almost identical) requires just 4W and will run for 40,000 hours or more; the purchase price is at the moment 24 but over 2,000 hours it costs just 0.96 in electricity to run.
At first sight it would appear that the LED costs way more simply because it costs so much to buy in the first place. But let’s look more closely at this picture to uncover the “real world” perspective.
First, over the full lifespan of that one LED you will have to replace your halogen lamp 20 times, so the purchase costs now look like 40 for the halogen lamp(s) versus 24 for the LED.
Additionally, if instead of comparing the two over the rather unimpressive lifespan of the halogen we use that of the LED (40,000 hours) then the LED costs 19.20 to run whereas the halogen lamp is a whopping 240.
Finally, let’s add back in the “real” purchase price differential and over 40,000 hours it looks like using halogen lighting costs us 280 whereas the equivalent LED instead costs 43.20. We’re way beyond projected savings of 10%, 20% or even 50% - the running costs of halogen lighting are over 1000% more than comparable LED lighting.
Even allowing for the initial purchase costs, halogen lighting is comfortably in excess of 700% more expensive. People tend to attach weight to upfront costs and are reluctant to spend 12 times as much to purchase an LED, yet as the above illustration shows the halogen’s combined repeat-purchase costs are double those of the LED and for operating costs it’s a monster. LED lighting is a different ball game altogether - notice for example that in this scenario the LED’s purchase price exceeds its lifetime electricity costs.
Of course, this example is deliberately small-scale and designed to illustrate the differences at the level of a single, modestly used light bulb. In passing from my kitchen (which faces North and has poor daylight) I counted 10 halogen down lights that get switched on at 07:00 and off again at 24:00; in the hall were 4 more; and back in my office I can see 6 that must average 6 hours each evening.
Just this little lot therefore clock up between them slightly over 100,000 hours annually ((6 * 6 * 365) + (10 * 17 * 365) + ((4 * 17 * 365)) which would present a bill of 600 (50w * 100000 hours * (0.12/1000)) using halogen lamps, but instead comes in at a much more agreeable 48 with LED lights. And that’s just for these 3 rooms.
Let’s examine some slightly more real world examples where artificial light operates almost constantly (hospitals, hotels, shops, offices, airports etc). Stir in some currency symbols and presto, simple mathematics is transformed into economics and all of a sudden we’re talking really big bucks.
We have already established that the purchase cost difference between the two gets cancelled out about halfway through the lifespan of the LEDs and that over time it’s actually much cheaper to buy 1 LED rather than replace a halogen lamp 20 times. We also now know that halogen lamps cost 12 times as much to run as equivalent LEDs. So why then would anyone choose NOT to switch to LED?
About the Author:
Louisa Kennicot highly recommends these additional articles on the subject of GU10 LED technology specifically and replacing halogen lamps with LEDs in general.
Tags: cutting bills, energy saving lighting, Halogen Lamps, home, home improvement, Led Lighting, lighting, low energy light bulbs, personal finance, reducing electricity, replacing halogen with led, Save Money, saving, Saving Money
How Innovative LED Lighting Can Save Fuel and Reduce CO2 Emissions
Jun 27, 2009 Save Fuel
David Hulick explains how utilizing efficient Light Emitting Diode (LED) automotive lighting can save fuel and reduce CO2 emissions.
Tags: automotive, Automotive Lighting, car, co2, Co2 Emissions, electric, environmental, Ford, fuel, Led, Led Lighting, Light Emitting Diode, mustang, osram, reduction, saving, Sylvania