Commercial Lighting Tampa Florida

A guide to light bulbs: How to save money, environment

Energy-efficient light bulbs have higher initial costs, but these light bulbs can save help save the environment and money in the long run. Here is a guide to energy-efficient light bulbs and how to figure out which one fits your needs the best.

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Buying a light bulb used to be easy. You headed to the store, chose bulbs with your desired wattage, handed over a few bucks, and were on your way. Today, navigating the light bulb section is much harder, thanks to new energy-efficient types of light bulbs like CFLs and LEDs that come with a much higher price tag, as well as a staggering array of options.

To help with your decisions, we looked at the basic terms and light bulb types affiliated with this new generation of options, and compared them to the ones consumers are traditionally used to. Although the initial costs are higher, new forms of light bulbs are not only better for the environment, but they'll also save you money in the long run — if you choose correctly for your needs.

Know these terms: Watts and lumens

Simply speaking, watts are the amount of electricity a bulb uses to produce light. The less wattage, the less energy used. Traditionally, they were the deciding factor for purchase, and you had four choices – 40, 60, 75, or 100. (More on those numbers later.)

Today, it's all about the lumens, which measure the amount of light emitted from a bulb. More lumens equal brighter light. To replace standard wattage light bulbs based on lumens, use the following general rules:

Types of light bulbs

Incandescent light bulbs: The cheapest option

If you're a fan of the standard 40, 60, 75, and/or 100-watt bulb, you might want to stock up. As part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, they were phased out in favor of more energy-efficient models. While you can still find them in some stores — or buy them by the case on eBay — they're no longer being produced.

The new incandescents are more energy-efficient, but still pale in comparison to the life span of CFLs and LEDs. A typical bulb will last for about 1,000 hours. Still, if you're looking for the lowest price tag on light bulbs, incandescent bulbs are your best bet at around $1 to $2 each.

CFL bulbs: Mid-level pricing, moderate energy savings

Compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs have been around for a while, and they're best known for their spiral design. They typically last for about 10,000 hours, and use much less energy than incandescents – about 75 percent less. Cost-wise, they'll cost you more than incandescent bulbs, as they start at around $4 each. According to the US Department of Energy, you'll recoup that cost in energy savings within nine months.

CFLs don't brighten as quickly as incandescent or LED bulbs, so they aren't great choices for entryways, or any place where you need immediate light. They also don't work well in the cold, so for outdoor use in cold climates, incandescents or LEDs would be a better bet. And CFLs also contain small amounts of mercury, so you shouldn't throw them in the trash. Both Home Depot and Lowe's offer CFL recycling programs.

LED light bulbs: Most expensive, highest energy savings

Light emitting diode (LED) bulbs use even less energy than CFLs, and they last longer: up to 50,000 hours. Unlike CFLs, they brighten instantly, even in cold temperatures. Using LEDs can help you save up to 80 percent in energy costs per year.

LEDs come with a heftier price tag than CFLs or incandescents – they start at around $10 each. If you have a light fixture you barely use, you might want to opt for a CFL or incandescent instead, as you may not recoup the cost in energy savings.

Light bulb features: Choosing the right bulb for your needs

Energy-efficient light bulbs come in different sizes, shapes, and colors, and it can be difficult to determine which will work best in your fixtures. When all else fails, bring your old light bulb to the store and ask for help, but get acquainted with these features first.

Lighting facts label

All new light bulbs are now required to have this, which lists lumens, watts, lifespan, light appearance, and yearly savings. This label makes it easy to compare different models and see which type meets your needs and which will save you the most money.

Dimmers and 3-way fixtures

Standard CFLs often don't work in dimmers, and some LEDs don't, either. All three types, in fact, offer bulbs specifically for those purposes, so look for that designation on the package. Also look for designations for outdoor lighting.

Colors

If you want lighting that resembles the warm color of standard incandescent bulbs, look for something on the "warm" end of the lighting facts label, or about 2,500 Kelvin. The higher you go, the more white the light will be. 5,000K and up mimics natural daylight.

Shapes and sizes

Each package has a letter and number code on it. The letter is the shape, and will stand for standard (A), globe (G), bullet (B), candle (C), flare (F), reflector (R), sign (S), or tubular (T). The size numbers reflect the diameter of the bulb at its widest point.

ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR is a labeling program by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy that identifies energy-efficient products and buildings. In order for products to receive the ENERGY STAR label, they must meet an established set of criteria for efficiency. And if you buy ENERGY STAR-certified light bulbs, you may be able to receive special offers and rebates. Simply enter your zip code on the website and select the type of light bulbs you want to buy (as well as any other ENERGY STAR products you're interested in).

The bottom line: Consider savings now and savings later

If you're looking for instant savings, energy-efficient incandescents are the way to go. If you're looking long-term cost benefits, CFLs and LEDs will save you more money in the long run.

What types of light bulbs are you using in your home? Have you noticed any savings from energy-efficient models?

REF: The Christian Science Monitor

Why should I buy a light bulb that lasts 25 years? I'm 75 years old.

An entertaining spin on expensive LED light bulbs. Enjoy…

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I don't know the origin of the green bananas joke, but I heard Joan Rivers say it first, probably 35 years ago. More recently, I think it was repeated in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel." The one liner goes like this. "I'm so old I don't even buy green bananas."

I was reminded of that old joke when a reader left me a voicemail complaining about my article on LED light bulbs getting cheaper and better. I said that most LEDs last about 23 years under normal usage of about three hours per day.

That prompted the reader who did not leave her name or number to leave this voicemail. "I've never seen anything written about these new LED bulbs that take into account people my age in their 70s. We don't want to spend $10 or $20 on a bulb or a set of bulbs that are going to last 25 years, longer than our lifetime. It's a waste of money. I've never seen anyone respond to that. They should then give senior citizens a discount of half price off. I don't want to buy a bulb and then have a bulb last 25 years. It's a ridiculous thing. So maybe you could do an article about that sometime. It's funny that no one ever mentions that. That's just my opinion. Thanks."

What an eye opener. I had never considered that once a person gets to be 70, 80, or 90 that they start choosing items that won't outlast them. Assuming that they still drive, why would anyone buy a newer car, for example? If a grandchild or great grandchild is getting married, does an older woman figure that a new dress is a waste of money because it will still be good when she dies?

The reader sheds a whole new light on why we give senior citizens a discount. It's because they could die before the item is used up. Maybe we should give accelerated discounts based on age. Buying a new car in your 70s? Here's a 70 percent discount. In your 90s? Here's a 90 percent discount.

Honestly, at the risk of being insensitive, it shocks me a little that a person in her 70s thinks that anything she doesn't use up by the end of her life it going to waste. And maybe it will if her heirs want to throw away a perfectly good light bulb.

Heir #1: "Don't throw away that Sylvania. It cost $10 in 2014."

Heir #2: "But it's only worth 10 cents now."

I realize that some seniors live on limited incomes where a $10 light bulb is an extravagance, even if it will pay for itself in electricity savings in less than two years.

Thank you, 70's reader, for enlightening me to what lies ahead in old age. For now, I'm still buying $10 lightbulbs. And green bananas.

REF: StarTribune

How to Outfit Your Entire Home With LED Light

How to Outfit Your Entire Home With LED Light

Now that incandescents have gone the way of the dinosaur and everybody's generally agreed that CFLs are terrible, it's finally the dawning of the age of LED. And there has been no shortage of bulb makers stepping up with offerings to hang in your house. Here are some of the latest and greatest options available on the market today, and where to put them.

For General Lighting

The A-line bulb, most notably the venerable A19 shape, is one of the most common types in use today. They're found in both lamps and overhead fixtures alike; heck, even the light that goes on over your head when you have a brilliant idea is an A19. These are among the first styles that LED makers like Cree, GE, Philips, and Polaroid (not to mention the menagerie of boutique manufacturers crowding into the market) began retrofitting specifically because of their ubiquity. As such, A19s are now nearly indistinguishable from classic incandescents both in terms of light quality, output, and bulb features.

 

Walk through the lighting aisle of your nearest home improvement center and you'll see what I mean—30W, 40W, 60W, 75W, and 100W LED's now fill the shelves where incandescents and CFLs once stood. They're dimmable, steppable, and fit in all the same fixtures as your old bulbs but suck down a fraction of the energy. What's more, they're now quickly becoming available in a myriad of shapes and sizes, from miniscule 1W replacements for nightlights to decorative candelabras and globe-shaped bathroom rounds. So long as your fixture has a medium-base socket, these bulbs should plug right in.

Some notable models include the following:

How to Outfit Your Entire Home With LED Light

The Cree TW Series: This newly released line incorporates neodymium into its glass housing which blocks specific yellowing wavelengths of light. This allows the bulb to produce that comfortably warm 2700K glow without making everything in the room look yellow. It's a nice option for people that don't like the clinical blue tint that daylight (5000K) bulbs produce and need a more natural looking light source in the kitchen than what conventional warm whites generate. Available in 40W and 60W varieties, these output 450 and 800 lumens respectively, are rated at 25,000 hours, and cost just over a dollar a year to run.

GE Reveal Series: GE's Reveal LED bulbs are similarly doped with neodymium to block out the unwanted yellow wavelengths. They're available as both 40W and 60W dimmable equivalents (360 and 570 lumens, respectively) as well as a 65W R30-style spotlight for recessed lighting fixtures. They're not fully omnidirectional like the Crees are, but with a spread of 220 degrees, you'll have to look close to tell the difference.

Philips Slim Style: If you've got an exposed socket (or the fixture doesn't incorporate shades) and you're looking for an LED bulb that not only works well but can start a conversation, you'll want to take a serious look at the Philips Slim Style. These dimmable 40W and 60W bulbs are easily identifiable by the fact that they're nearly flat rather than the traditional hemispherical shape. They're available in both warm white (2700K) and daylight (5000K) temperatures with light outputs of 450 and 800 lumens apiece and are rated at 25,000 hours. However, their color rendering index (CRI) is only rated at 80—ten points lower than both the Crees and GEs. This means that the things they're illuminating will resemble what they'd look like under natural light slightly less than what they would using the other brands.

Spots and Floods

Not every fixture in your home will benefit from an A-line's omnidirectional glow. The recessed fixture above your kitchen sink or the automated security lights in your backyard, for example, can both benefit from the directional BR30 and PAR38 size flood lights.

How to Outfit Your Entire Home With LED Light

Cree's BR30 offerings come in both warm and cool color temperatures and are rated as 65W equivalents with 650 lumen outputs. Their bigger PAR38 cousins only come in 90W equivalent (though that's only 18W of actual draw) at 3000K, however, they will cast either a 27 or 47 degree beam—the narrower perfect for spot lighting, the wider better for weatherproofed exterior fixtures.

Philips' dimmable line of 65W equivalent flood lights are another solid option. At 750 lumen, they're a bit brighter than the Crees while generating the same CRI score of 80. You will notice that they're significantly heavier than other models of the same wattage, so bear that in mind if trying to install them on a delicate filament-line track light.

Polaroid also makes an impressive PAR38 for outdoor fixtures. It outputs 2200 lumen at 4100K temperatures (so it's a cool white light) using only 30W of power. Plus it's rated for 40,000 hours of operation. It's an ideal solution for your home's security lighting—all the brightness, none of the sickeningly orange glow of High Pressure Sodium—that should keep you off the ladder for years between replacements.

GE also makes some very good indoor/outdoor PAR38s. Though they aren't as overwhelmingly bright as the Polaroid, these 75W equivalents are available in three color temperatures—2700, 3000, and 4000—as well as a number of beam angles—from 12 to 40 degrees. So long as they're in a protective, weather resistant housing, these GE's can make for excellent exterior spot and accent lights.

For Replacing Fluorescent Tubes

How to Outfit Your Entire Home With LED Light

 

Despite being in most every home garage in America, fluorescent tubes such as the A8 and T8 sizes have been generally ignored by major LED manufacturers until recently. What's more, very few of the existing options don't require you to either replace the ballast outright or at least rewire it. Heck, even the new Cree T8 that we told you about a few weeks back is being marketed as a commercial product. That means you're probably going to have to sneak into the Home Depot Pro if you want to replace yours.

Smart Lights

If you're going through the trouble of replacing your existing bulbs with greener alternatives, they might as well be a bit smarter too.

Philips Hue is the big name in smart home lighting right now. We've covered both the system itself and the extensive third party control apps here on the site, and there's a good chance you already know somebody that has the system. The long and short is that it's a wonderfully powerful and intuitive set-up that unfortunately costs a boatload of money. You're looking at $200 for the starter set and another $65 for each extra bulb you buy. If that kind of money doesn't make you blink, then you should by all means enlist.

GE's smart option is a bit more affordable—albeit a bit more clunky—than the Hue. This dimming GE flood light takes advantage of Lutron's Clear Connect wireless technology. So rather than having to rewire an outlet (or series of outlets) if you want to install a dimmer switch, the Clear Connect system puts the dimming function onboard the bulb itself. You can control up to ten of these bulbs using an included remote (as opposed to an app on your phone). You'll be hard pressed to find this product though, as it's only available through select Sam's Club stores.

The Insteon Smart Bulb system is another great choice for your home's automated lights. While they don't change every color of the rainbow as the Hue's do, these bulbs are a heck of a lot less expensive to buy and the system offers a slew of control options. Everything runs through a central command hub like the Hue but also includes stuff like wall switches,keypads, and wireless mini remotes in addition to the mobile app. You can even integrate a wireless security camera or even your Nest thermostat into the control suite. Starter kits run between $120 and $350, depending on which bells and whistles you want.

These are just a few of the bigger names in LED lighting—we didn't even have space to dive into the likes of TCP, Ecosmart, Feit, and the litany of other bulb makers currently flooding the market. So if you've got a favorite bulb that you don't see in this list, tell us all about it in the discussion below!

REF: Gizmodo

Samsung unveils Bluetooth-enabled light bulb that can be controlled with smart device

The light from the Samsung Bluetooth Smart LED can be dimmed or adjusted for color ranging from warm white to cool white, the company said.


Samsung

Samsung is bringing a bright idea to market.

 

The South Korean tech titan on Tuesday unveiled a new Bluetooth-enabled light bulb that can be controlled via a smart device

like a phone or tablet.

 

The light from the Samsung Bluetooth Smart LED can be dimmed to users’ liking, or adjusted for color ranging from warm

white to cool white, the company said.

 

Users can also preset the bulb so that it brightens for when you want to wake up and darkens at bedtime.

 

The network can control up to 64 bulbs, said Samsung, which is demonstrating the product this week in Las Vegas.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/samsung-light-bulb-controlled-smart-device-article-1.1816236#ixzz33st1zzTp

REF: NY Daily News

Green Living: How to clean up after a compact fluorescent bulb breaks

Those “twisty” compact fluorescent light bulbs are great for saving energy, but you should never forget they contain a small amount of mercury and need to be handled with care. When one burns out, it should be brought to a store like Home Depot or Lowe’s (check with your local one first) or to an Eco-Depot collection event.

Here are 5 steps to take should any fluorescent bulb break in your home.

Vacate the area: Have all people and pets leave the room where the break occurred, and let the area air out for 10 minutes by opening any windows or doors from that room to the outdoor environment.

Shut the air off: You don’t want the mercury to circulate into the air and travel to other rooms of the house. After you’ve vacated the area, shut off any fans or central forced air heating or air-conditioning systems (if you have them).

Collect materials: To safely clean up the break after the 10 minutes have passed, you’ll need to collect stiff paper or cardboard, sticky tape, damp paper towels (for hard surfaces like wood, linoleum, or tile), and a glass jar with a lid or a sealable plastic bag.

Pick up: Scoop up as many glass fragments and as much powder as you can using stiff paper or cardboard, and then use sticky tape or damp paper towels to pick up what remains. Place all cleanup materials into the jar or bag, and seal. Never vacuum! If a spill occurs on absorbent material like carpet or upholstery, cut out the affected part and disposed of as outlined below.

Dispose: Immediately place the bag in an outdoor trash can. Remember that once the bulb breaks and the mercury vapors dissipate, you no longer need to handle the pieces as household hazardous waste (i.e. you don’t need to bring the sealed container to an Eco-Depot event).

REF: Providence Journal

LED retrofit codes, standards

Clients are asking lighting designers to help them save on energy costs. Replacing fluorescent, HID, or other lights with LEDs is in high demand.

LED lighting retrofits are becoming popular due to their energy and operational savings. LED retrofits can save 40% or more energy when compared with traditional light sources such as incandescent, halogen, and high intensity discharge (HID).

Resources such as the U.S. Energy Information Administration indicate that lighting accounts for approximately 26% of the energy use in commercial buildings. It is also widely known that buildings consume more than 40% of the energy in the United States, according to the U.S. Dept. of Energy.

The U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 marked Jan. 1, 2014, as the date when 100-, 75-, 60-, and 40-W incandescent lamps can no longer be manufactured by U.S. companies. As a result, LED light sources are an attractive alternative to the lamps that have traditionally been used to replace incandescent lamps such as halogen and fluorescent lamps.

Why use LEDs?

Why are LED retrofits popular with clients? LEDs have a reduced environmental impact compared to other light sources. This is attributable to the energy savings from using LEDs as well as the longevity of LED light sources, resulting in many fewer lamp replacements over time. LEDs also do not contain hazardous materials such as mercury, which is used in fluorescent lamps.

LEDs emit virtually no ultraviolet (UV) rays or infrared (IR) heat radiation. This makes LED light sources ideal for venues where UV and IR are undesirable, such as in museums and art galleries. UV and IR can degrade sensitive materials found in these facilities.

LED light sources work well in applications where there is frequent on-off switch cycling. The life of fluorescent lamps is decreased when used with instant start ballasts and there is frequent switching. HID lamps have a restrike time delay (usually 2 to 20 min) when they are turned off so they can cool down before turning on again. This makes HID lamps ineffective for switch cycling applications. Conversely, there are no detrimental effects with frequent on-off cycling of LEDs, making them popular in spaces that use occupancy sensors for energy savings.

When turned on, LEDs are instant-on with full light output and do not require a warm-up period to reach full light output as many compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and HID lamps do. LEDs also perform well in cold temperatures whereas other light sources like fluorescent lamps have lumen degradation at lower temperatures.

The rated life of most LED light sources is higher than comparable light sources including halogen, HID, and most fluorescent lamps. Also, the lifecycle cost of LEDs is favorable compared with other light sources due to their long life and their energy efficiency.

LED retrofit options

There are several retrofit options with LED light sources. Popular retrofits include a self-ballasted LED screw-in A19 lamp or a LED PAR screw-in lamp. A typical LED A19 light source uses 13 W compared to a 60 W A19 incandescent lamp with similar lumen output. This comes out to a 78% reduction in energy usage.

The A19 LED light source in the above example has a typical life of 25,000 h compared to 1,000 h for a standard A19 incandescent lamp.

When comparing lifecycle costs, the low operational and maintenance costs of LED light sources make them very attractive compared to the A19 incandescent lamp. In our example, an incandescent lamp would have to be changed out 25 times before the LED lamp would need to be changed.

Another LED retrofit option is to replace T8 and T12 tubular (typically 4-ft linear) fluorescent lamps with tubular LED lamps. T8 and T12 lamps are omnidirectional, meaning that light is emitted in all directions out of the lamp. Omnidirectional light may not be desirable; reflectors in lighting fixtures are used to help provide a more uniform distribution of light.

Many of the early linear tubular LED retrofits had narrow beam angles, which presented issues with good lighting distribution.

Several manufacturers provide an LED retrofit kit complete with the LED driver and the tubular LED lamps. The conversion would involve removing the existing magnetic ballast, the fluorescent lamps’ lamp holders, and the fluorescent lamps themselves. Another option is a retrofit kit that is complete with LEDs and driver that come as an assembly and mount directly into the existing luminaire housing. One advantage of this style of retrofit kit is photometry is available for analysis.

Tubular LEDs can reduce energy usage by about 40% compared with standard 32 W T8 lamps with a normal ballast factor (0.88) while producing similar light level at the target area. However, most new tubular LED lamps have a wide beam angle (such as 160 deg) that has rectified this problem.

Another popular LED retrofit application is with street lighting and parking lot lighting. Many existing lighting fixtures in these applications use HID lamps such as high pressure sodium (HPS) and metal halide (MH).

Using LED lighting for streets and parking lots over HID lighting has many significant benefits. These include reduced energy usage and longevity, resulting in fewer lamp change-outs (saving high maintenance costs with tall light poles). LEDs also reduce risk from inadequately lit spaces when HID lamps are burned out (due to their shorter rated life) and areas become unsafe. LEDs also are flexible when it comes to controllability such as dimming or occupancy sensing, saving energy and helping comply with energy codes.

Code considerations

What are some of the code related considerations when retrofitting existing lighting fixtures with LED light sources? In most cases an existing lighting fixture is UL listed based on a particular lamp type (such as T8s). Most likely, the fixture that is being retrofitted does not have a UL listing with a retrofit LED light source.

It is important to check with the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) to determine if luminaire retrofit kits require inspection and how compliance is established. In an online document, UL implies that modifying a fixture by replacing the existing lamps and ballasts in the field might negate the UL listing. AHJs may require that a LED retrofit kit be UL classified under the product category “Luminaire Conversions, Retrofit (IEUQ).” According to UL, “these products have been investigated to determine that, when used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, they do not adversely affect the operation of the complete unit.”

A luminaire that is modified so it can no longer accept the original lamp should have a label affixed (provided by the retrofit kit manufacturer) indicating the luminaire has been modified and can no longer operate the originally intended lamp(s). The label is an easy way for the AHJ to identify whether a conversion retrofit kit meets the UL Classified Mark.

Some of these tubular LED linear light sources are able to use the existing T8 lamps’ electronic ballasts. This makes it easy to change out the linear T8 lamps without having to remove the existing ballast and installing a new LED driver.

REF: Consulting – Specifying engineer

Cordelia Lighting recalls two-lamp fluorescent shop lights

The lamp sockets can allow loose connections

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Cordelia Lighting of Rancho Dominguez, Calif., is recalling about 222,000 fluorescent shop lights

The lamp sockets can allow loose connections, posing a risk of an electrical arc and fire.

The company has received 888 reports of incidents, including 382 of units smoking, 328 of units catching fire, 173 of units sparking and 5 of units with electrical arcing. No injuries have been reported.

This recall involves Commercial Electric brand basic hanging shop lights that use two, 48-inch, two-pin, T8, fluorescent lamps. The recalled shop light is a metal light fixture with four plastic lamp sockets and a white finish.

It is 48 inches long, 4.25 inches wide and 2.5 inches high and has two 10.5-inch long chains for hanging. The lamp sockets must be snapped into place during installation.

Model number CESL401-06 and SKU number 201-462 are printed on a white label on the top of the fixture.

The lights, manufactured in China, were sold exclusively at The Home Depot from August 2013, through March 2014, for about $13.

Consumers should immediately stop using and unplug the shop lights and return them to any Home Depot store for a full refund.

Consumers may contact Cordelia Lighting at (800) 345-0542, extension 3001 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday

REF: Consumer Affairs

Cree Takes on $4B Fluorescent Lighting Market With LEDs

Can an LED light that works with nearly all T8 ballasts win the market?

Cree Takes on $4B Fluorescent Lighting Market With LEDs

Unlike the beloved incandescent light bulb, the fluorescent light is a technology that has been tolerated, but never embraced, despite its years of dominance.

Cree hopes to change that with the release of its light-emitting diode (LED) T8 lamp.

“There [are] a lot of sacrifices we’ve been living with in this fluorescent world,” said Jeff Hungarter, product portfolio manager for Cree Lighting. “There is a huge opportunity.”

The commercial lighting sector accounts for more than 40 percent of all lighting in the U.S. and is dominated by fluorescents. There are about 2.3 billion fluorescent sockets in the country, about 1.3 billion of which are T8 sockets, according to Cree, which is a big market — and a big bet. Pike Research puts the 2014 combined T8 and T5 market at more than $4 billion.

T8 lamps are more efficient than some fluorescents, but there is an additional 30 percent to 35 percent energy savings that can come from switching to LEDs. Despite these advantages, LED technology has never been able to compete head-to-head with fluorescents in efficacy and color quality (see this DOE report on LED T8s).

“The next innovation from Cree aims to end an era of compromise by taking on the billions of linear fluorescent lamps plaguing North American buildings with a true T8 lamp replacement with nearly universal ballast compatibility and industry-best CRI, while consuming 30 percent less energy,” the company said in a statement.

LED options exist for T8 bulbs, but they make up less than 1 percent of the market, says Hungarter. One of the problems is that there are various types of ballasts for the T8 lamps. Each sends a different current to the lamp, so most LEDs available for T8s have only been able to fit certain types of ballast or would require some rewiring.

Cree’s design for its T8 lamp can be used with more than 90 percent of existing ballasts, said Hungarter. “From a technology standpoint,” he said, “that’s huge.”

Raise Energy Solutions, a startup, offers a ballast-compatible LED tube as well. It uses a circuit which is described as "absorb[ing] the short high-voltage burst that the ballast provides." He adds, "The ballast itself remains in the circuit and uses a small amount of power."

The Cree bulb also improves upon the light quality of the fluorescent, moving from approximately 80 on the color rendering index, or CRI, to approximately 90. A CRI score of 100 is the closest to natural light that a bulb can get. One of Cree’s successes in penetrating the incandescent LED lighting market is that the company was the first in the industry to have an LED bulb with a CRI of 93.

The LED T8 is still far more expensive than traditional fluorescent technology. The suggested price for the Cree lamp is about $30, about ten times the cost of a traditional bulb. The price, however, is within about 10 percent of other competing LEDs, said Hungarter.

With increasing utility rebates for the lights, which can range from $5 to $15 per lamp, the price could be easier to swallow. In 2008, there was about $3.1 billion in total U.S. rebate funds, with the money concentrated in ten states. The figures are expected to more than double in coming years, with a total of $7.4 billion to $12.4 billion in rebates expected to be available by 2020.

Cree also offers a five-year guarantee for the bulb, although it could last for up to eight years, depending on how often it is used. Typical fluorescents need to be changed about every two to three years, so halving the maintenance of the bulbs is another significant upside.

The price will have to come down, however. “To really move the needle, we’ll have to keep innovating,” said Hungarter. But that is exactly what Cree is focused on. He noted that the price of the company's first-generation LED downlight went from $100 to less than $20 in just a few years' time.

Unlike some lighting incumbents, the North Carolina-based company does not have to balance investment in new technology with maintaining legacy portions of its product portfolio. It is also aggressive about pricing its bulbs; it sells a $99 LED street light and was the first to offer a warm-white 40-watt-equivalent LED for less than $10.

Unlike the residential market, where Cree is a relatively new name, Hungarter said the sales pitch in the commercial market is easier given the company’s success with its previous products. Earlier this year, Cree also jumped into the $1.7 billion lighting controls market with its SmartCast product.

“We’re 100 percent LED-focused,” said Hungarter. “We’re a technology company looking at lighting, not a lighting company looking at LEDs."

REF: Green Tech Media

An Audacious New Player About To Enter The Consumer Light Bulb Market

I recently heard about a new light bulb company called Finally, that plans to offer a warm white, highly efficient bulb replacement to the incandescent (The New York Times carried a piece about the company earlier this month).

I was curious to find out more about the technology and about the bold company with the audacity to enter a market crowded with established players such as Philips and Sylvania, as well as companies like Toshiba , Walmart, and pure-play LED manufacturer Cree.  After all, with the federal lighting standards spelling the demise of the old and wasteful incandescent, it is a crowded space, with all make and manner of replacements out there in the form of compact fluorescents (CFLs) and light emitting diodes (LEDs).  And that is precisely what attracted Finally to the arena.

Founder and CEO John Goscha took an hour out of his hectic schedule to tell me more about the company, the product, and his motivation.  The first thing that struck me was that Goscha is a serial tinkerer and entrepreneur.  He went to Babson – a top ranked business school in the Boston area – and while there got an idea for a paint that could be applied to walls and create a whiteboard on any surface. He pulled together some angel investors (including professors), founded a company called IdeaPaint, and the concept took off.

"I don’t have a scientific degree.  I graduated from Babson, and with IdeaPaint I was lead technologist just by accident…I was lucky enough that it was a college dorm room project that became successful.

After that, Goscha became restless and started looking for the next project. And it had nothing remotely to do with paint. His notion was that we needed a better light bulb. He knew that the new lighting standards were going to force incandescent lamps into extinction, but he didn’t like the other options he saw.

"We certainly need to work to reduce energy consumption, but when I looked at the CFL and LED replacements on the lighting aisle, I wasn’t happy with the light bulbs I saw or tried – and got the sense other consumers weren’t either. These replacement light bulbs weren’t cutting it.  And I just didn’t think it was fair or necessary to make people pay a much higher price for a long-lasting, energy-efficient light bulb that doesn’t produce quality light.

So Goscha got to work figuring out the world of lighting, starting his company three years ago.

"I set out to build a bulb with everything you love about your incandescent, just without the energy waste.  Nobody was replicating the incandescent glow that we love…I thought customers deserved something better – an energy-efficient bulb that actually captures the nice, warm and reassuring glow that we all grew up with.

 

Image:Finallybulb.com

 

 

Image:Finallybulbs.com

Armed with the credibility he had gained during his IdeaPaint years, he pulled in a team of top lighting scientists.

"In this company, I brought together some of the most brilliant minds in lighting – from some of the biggest lighting companies – to build a better light bulb.  One that produces the right light: warm, energy-efficient, long-lasting and affordable.


Presumably, that type of talent doesn’t come cheap, so I asked Goscha how he was funding the endeavor.This team represents some serious firepower: his Senior Technologist, Dr. Victor Roberts (formerly from GE), holds 30 U.S. patents in lighting. His Chairman of the Technology Board, Dr. Jacob Maya (formerly from Sylvania), holds another 59 patents with 20 more pending. The Director of Research and Development, Dr. Walter Lapatovich (also formerly from Sylvania), holds 55 patents as well.

"Thanks to the success of IdeaPaint I was able to sell some of my stock to investors in IdeaPaint. I was the first investor in Finally, and a number of my angel investors who had invested in IdeaPaint came and invested in Finally as well.  These investors include professors and other individuals I had met at Babson College who had enjoyed their experience with IdeaPaint.

The basic technology is simple in its concept, but of course it is far more complicated than that.

"We’ve developed a unique way to harness and compact induction technology.  We call it Acandescence.  We have 50 patents pending, the first few of which have already been issued.  We don’t rely on a computer chip or a tungsten filament.  Instead, you’ll find a copper wire inside our bulb.  When that wire is powered, it generates an electromagnetic field and creates nonvisible light.  The inside of our bulbs are coated with phosphor which turns the nonvisible light into that warm, omni-directional glow we all seek.

Three years into the endeavor, they have a real product. The Finally bulb is under test prior to certification with a number of government entities including the Department of Energy (performance and life), and the Federal Trade Commission (performance and life).  The lamp is also being tested by Underwriters Laboratories (safety), and has been tested for TCLP (hazardous waste – the bulb has just under two milligrams of mercury in solid, amalgam form).  The Finally bulb will shortly be submitted for ENERGY STAR testing, which will qualify it for utility rebates in many parts of the country.

Image: Finally

 

 

Image: Finallybulbs.com

It has the same familiar A19 shape and uses 75% less energy than an incandescent bulb, using 14.5 watts. It lasts 15,000 hours, which is about 15 times longer than your old bulb.  It has a Color Rendering Index (CRI – the ability to reproduce colors relative to natural light: sunlight has a CRI of 100) of 83, and a warm white of 2700 K (how warm or cool the light is), and retails for just under $10.00.

In many ways, the bulb is very comparable to the latest soft white True and Natural offering from Cree, which says a good deal, since that is one of the best offerings in today’s market.  The Cree bulb – also with the familiar incandescent form, has almost the same efficiency (at 13.5 watts), and lasts 25,000 hours. Its CRI is 93. It retails for $19.97 ($15.95 on Amazon.com AMZN +1.07%).  Both bulbs are omni-directional.

With this new bulb Goscha and team are confident they have a contender, and they are intent on bringing the bulb to market in short order.

"I’m proud to say that the first product will be available on the shelf at retailers this summer. We are currently working through the details with big box retailers, but the bulbs can be pre-ordered on our website. In the last week we’ve received a tremendously positive response.  I think the consumer clearly has a pent up desire for a better bulb.

Very soon Goscha expects to be able to use the economies of scale from the factory in India to bring the product to market below $8. Once the ENERGY STAR testing is complete, the price to the consumer will get even more attractive.

At the end of the day, Goscha is optimistic. He is fairly certain that he and his team have built a better mousetrap, something customers will readily embrace.

"There’s a lot of ways to measure light, but I think the real proof is when you look at it, and how you look under it. The bulbs we have in our home shouldn’t make you look and feel washed out. That glow is what I was looking to reproduce… If Edison were alive today, this is a bulb he would be proud of.

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Choosing light bulbs harder than it used to be: The Weekly Fix

Not so many years ago, purchasing light bulbs was simple. Now, incandescent bulbs have been joined by an array of compact fluorescent (CFL) and LED bulbs. How should you decide which to buy? 

First, consider "brightness" – it's measured differently in the new bulbs. The light output of CFLs and LEDs is described in "lumens." An 800-lumen LED (which uses only 6 – 6 watts of electricity) or an 800-lumen CFL (which uses 13 – 15 watts of electricity) will give the same brightness as a traditional 60-watt incandescent bulb. You can also choose the "temperature" of light desired. For a "warm" temperature (resembling the yellowish light of an incandescent bulb); select a "soft white" or "warm white" bulb; for a "cool" bluish-white temperature, select a "daylight" bulb.

Next, think about performance. For energy use and longevity, LEDs are far superior to CFL and incandescent bulbs. So, if an LED bulb matches your fixture, it's your best choice — especially as prices have dropped considerably for the most commonly used bulbs. Although they have a higher initial cost, they will last a lot longer, produce less toxic waste, work with dimmers, are at full strength immediately, and produce less heat.

However, don't throw out a working bulb just to replace it with an LED. You'll waste the energy it took to manufacture that bulb and transport it to your house. Wait for it to burn out, and then properly dispose of it.  

To help you compare these types of bulbs and decide how to use them, check theinformation sheet produced by NPR, and the comparison chart compiled by designrecycleinc.com.

REF: cleveland.com

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