The Department of Energy (DOE) Commercially Available Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Product Evaluation and Reporting (CALiPER) Program has been purchasing and testing general illumination solid-state lighting (SSL) products since 2006. CALiPER relies on standardized photometric testing (following the Illuminating Engineering Society, IES LM-79-08) conducted by qualified, independent testing laboratories.1 Results from CALiPER testing are available to the public through detailed test reports for each product tested and through periodic summary reports, which assemble data from numerous product tests and provide comparative analyses.
It is not possible for CALiPER to test every LED product on the market, and LED technology is constantly in flux, so it is important for buyers and specifiers to reduce risk by learning how to compare products and by examining every potential LED purchase carefully. CALiPER summary reports and detailed reports are an extensive resource, providing unbiased photometric data and explanations covering LED product performance in a wide range of lighting applications
Round 13 of CALiPER testing was conducted from June to September 2011. In this round, 19 products (14 LED and 5 conventional products for benchmarking purposes) representing a range of product types and technologies, were tested with both spectroradiometry and goniophotometry using absolute photometry. All 14 LED products were tested following the IES LM-79-08 testing method. To enable direct comparison of results, the 5 benchmark products were also tested using absolute photometry.
Round 13 of testing included three primary focus areas:
1. LED and benchmark high-bay luminaires
2. LED wallpack luminaires
3. LED and benchmark 2' × 2' troffers.
To view a summary of the findings from this Round of testing, please go to the following link:
http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/caliper_round13_summary.pdf
Monday, October 24, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Putting Light Where It's Needed: The Benefits of Task Lighting
by Mark Hogrebe, PhD
(this article appeared in the National Assoc. of Independent Lighting Distributors, Inc. News)
There is a renewed interest in task lighting. "Renewed" because task lighting was all the world had known before our dependence on high-output overhead fixtures. Prior to electrically powered lighting fixtures, seeing at night was accomplished through the use of "task lights" such as candles and oil and kerosene lamps. When the power of electricity was first harnessed, it was applied to crude incandescent "task lights."
For many years, task lighting continued to be the best option for seeing indoors. It was a long time before overhead fixtures would make a significant impact on how work areas were lighted.
First, the technology had to be developed so that overhead fixtures could produce adequate amounts of quality light. For buildings that had been built prior to the application of electricity, it was difficult to integrate overhead lighting into the old structures. Finally, architects had to discover how to efficiently incorporate overhead lighting into new buildings.
Despite obstacles to subduing our need for task lighting, America was convinced that task lights were not necessary in the presence of powerful overhead fixtures. We were shown that adequate foot-candles on the desk top could be produced from overhead lighting – but at what cost? In recent years we have begun to discover some of the costs of total reliance on overhead lighting to illuminate the work surface. The key is total reliance. The best approach for designing an energy-efficient and visually comfortable lighting installation is effective integration of overhead and task lighting.
Benefits for individuals.
Task lighting and productivity. Much research has been conducted on the relationship between lighting conditions and worker productivity. Surveys continue to find that poor lighting and eyestrain are frequent worker complaints. Although it may be difficult to demonstrate a direct cause-and-effect relationship between lighting and performance in real world settings, we can make some common sense observations.
First, we must be comfortable to maintain productivity over the course of a day. There are enough demands and distractions that compete for our energy and concentration. Straining to see should not be one of them.
Seeing should be effortless and automatic. We spend a great deal of time and money trying to make ourselves comfortable so that we can be more efficient and productive. Yet frequently, proper lighting is neglected. If lighting is so poor as to make workers uncomfortable, then efficiency is going to decrease over the long term.
However, once lighting reaches a "critical comfort level," better lighting above and beyond that level will probably not increase productivity. Once lighting surpasses the critical comfort level, many other environmental factors interact to influence productivity.
Task lighting and vision differences.
Our ability to see differs from person to person, and within ourselves, on different occasions. When we are tired or sick, we may see less well than when we are healthy and fresh.
The visual capabilities of individuals of the same age can vary greatly. Older people need substantially more light to see than younger people. Research indicates that the visual performance of those in their 20s is about eight times better than those in their 60s, and almost four times better than those in their 50s.
This increased need for light is due to a number of biological facts in the aging process. For example, the muscle in our eye called the iris, expands and contracts to control the amount of light entering our eye. As with all our muscles, the iris loses some of its flexibility in the aging process, and doesn't open as wide. More light is needed to compensate for the reduced ability of the iris to open wide.
Not only are there obvious vision differences between people, but different tasks have unique lighting requirements. Lighting demands for a video display terminal (VDT) operator are different from a proof reader, which are different from a graphic artist working at a large table where accurate color perception is critical.
Task lighting gives user control.
The major advantage of an adjustable-arm task lighting is that the user controls the lighting of his or her immediate work environment.
The key is "adjustable-arm" task lighting to give the user maximum control of the light level for optimal comfort. Our posture changes during the day. Our tasks vary to some degree. If we have windows, light in the room changes from morning to evening.
In response to these changing conditions, we need to adjust the lighting levels directed on our work in order to reduce eyestrain and fatigue. By raising, lowering, and tilting an adjustable-arm task light, the user determines how much light is needed and the best angle required to avoid direct glare and reflections.
A task light permits an individual to compensate for fluctuations within one's visual acuity from time to time, as well as for variations in ambient lighting.
Further control is provided by task lights that use a parabolic louver to direct light onto the work surface. The louver light control system is ideal for use around computers where you want to eliminate light "spill" onto the screen. The parabolic louver directs light output onto the source document and prevents "wash-out" on the computer screen.
A major advantage of a louver light control system versus the asymmetric method (directing light from the reflector at one angle) is the elimination of direct glare. With the louver system, you cannot see the bright bulb when the lamp head reaches eye level.
Task lighting mounting systems.
There are a variety of options for mounting task lighting in the work setting. Popular methods include a clamp base that attaches to the edge of a desk/table, and the weighted base that sits on top of a desk. Task lights can be mounted on stationary pedestal floor stands or movable caster floor stands.
The newest mounting systems attach task lights to the vertically slotted channels in workstation wall partition panels. Wall partition mounting frees-up valuable desktop space and eliminates the problem of "lack of edges" encountered by clamp-on versions. One option is a single-mount holder which the user places in the channel closest to the work area to be illuminated.
Another mounting option is a track-mount which provides greater illumination coverage for the work surface. The track spans the width of a wall panel and mounts in the slotted channels on both sides. A movable pivot holder for the task light slides along the track length to the desired position. The key factors in selecting a wall partition mounting system are ability to fit the many styles of standards and deep partitions; ease of installation; firm and sturdy mount; versatility to mount more than one specific task light model; a cord management system; and compatibility with standard track accessory items such as hanging paper trays and file folders.
Task lighting and magnification.
Do we need a task light if we have magnification? The answer is yes, because magnification is only half the solution for achieving good vision. Proper lighting is of equal importance. Take an extreme example. How much good would magnification do in the dark? The benefits derived from visual aids such as magnifiers and prescription glasses are entirely dependent upon the lighting conditions in which they are used.
Proper task lighting allows us to get the maximum benefit from a visual aid, and may even allow for reduced magnification. Increasing the amount of light (brightness) directed onto a task will help compensate for small print size or poor contrast. Examples of poor contrast include faded print on white paper, dark print on a dark background, or dim characters on a computer screen.
Bottom-line benefits for business.
The use of a lighting system which integrates task and overhead lighting can have a direct impact on the bottom line by lowering utility dollars.
Instead of trying to maintain proper lighting levels on desktops from overhead fixtures, task lights can do a better job in providing adequate foot-candles. A task light using an 18-watt compact fluorescent will consume far less energy than a typical overhead lighting fixture.
A work environment can maintain lower levels of overhead light by illuminating desktops with energy-efficient task lights. For examples consider an office with 16 workstations illuminated by 16 overhead fixtures each with four T8 32-watt fluorescents. The total wattage when all fixtures are operating is 2,048. If each fixture used two T8 instead of four, and each workstation was equipped with an 18-watt task light, energy consumption would be reduced by 36 percent!
A recent example demonstrates the energy waste that occurs all too frequently. An office manager remarked that, "we don't need those (task lights) to control glare on our computer screens. We installed these filters on the screens to block out glare." This makes no sense in terms of cost reduction and energy conservation. First flood the room with light and then block it out with filters. It is like turning the heat up to 90 degrees in the winter and then opening the window to maintain the right temperature.
Other ways in which the use of task lighting can help control costs are by reducing maintenance costs. Task lights are easy to install, keep clean, and change bulbs. When offices made from wall partition furniture systems are rearranged, task lights are easily moved. Proper lighting is achieved without much worry about the location of overhead fixtures.
Environmental benefits.
Finally, task lighting can have a significant environmental impact by reducing energy consumption of a building's lighting system.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) "Green Lights" program has brought the need for energy-efficient lighting into public awareness. The EPA estimates that lighting accounts for 20 to 25 percent of the electricity used annually in the United States . Lighting for industry, offices, stores, and warehouses represents from 80 to 90 percent of the total lighting electricity use. If energy-efficient lighting were used everywhere it was profitable, the electricity required for lighting would be cut by 50 percent, and aggregate national electricity demand would be reduced by 10 percent. This reduction in demand would significantly reduce power plant emissions, pollutants, and wastes.Many past issues of NAILD NEWS have devoted articles to the environmental impact of lighting and specifically, how to calculate savings in environmental pollutants (NAILD NEWS, December 1990).
In summary, a system that integrates overhead and adjustable-arm task lighting makes good dollar sense for business and the environment.
Task lighting makes good psychological sense by giving individuals control over their own workspace lighting.
(this article appeared in the National Assoc. of Independent Lighting Distributors, Inc. News)
There is a renewed interest in task lighting. "Renewed" because task lighting was all the world had known before our dependence on high-output overhead fixtures. Prior to electrically powered lighting fixtures, seeing at night was accomplished through the use of "task lights" such as candles and oil and kerosene lamps. When the power of electricity was first harnessed, it was applied to crude incandescent "task lights."
For many years, task lighting continued to be the best option for seeing indoors. It was a long time before overhead fixtures would make a significant impact on how work areas were lighted.
First, the technology had to be developed so that overhead fixtures could produce adequate amounts of quality light. For buildings that had been built prior to the application of electricity, it was difficult to integrate overhead lighting into the old structures. Finally, architects had to discover how to efficiently incorporate overhead lighting into new buildings.
Despite obstacles to subduing our need for task lighting, America was convinced that task lights were not necessary in the presence of powerful overhead fixtures. We were shown that adequate foot-candles on the desk top could be produced from overhead lighting – but at what cost? In recent years we have begun to discover some of the costs of total reliance on overhead lighting to illuminate the work surface. The key is total reliance. The best approach for designing an energy-efficient and visually comfortable lighting installation is effective integration of overhead and task lighting.
Benefits for individuals.
Task lighting and productivity. Much research has been conducted on the relationship between lighting conditions and worker productivity. Surveys continue to find that poor lighting and eyestrain are frequent worker complaints. Although it may be difficult to demonstrate a direct cause-and-effect relationship between lighting and performance in real world settings, we can make some common sense observations.
First, we must be comfortable to maintain productivity over the course of a day. There are enough demands and distractions that compete for our energy and concentration. Straining to see should not be one of them.
Seeing should be effortless and automatic. We spend a great deal of time and money trying to make ourselves comfortable so that we can be more efficient and productive. Yet frequently, proper lighting is neglected. If lighting is so poor as to make workers uncomfortable, then efficiency is going to decrease over the long term.
However, once lighting reaches a "critical comfort level," better lighting above and beyond that level will probably not increase productivity. Once lighting surpasses the critical comfort level, many other environmental factors interact to influence productivity.
Task lighting and vision differences.
Our ability to see differs from person to person, and within ourselves, on different occasions. When we are tired or sick, we may see less well than when we are healthy and fresh.
The visual capabilities of individuals of the same age can vary greatly. Older people need substantially more light to see than younger people. Research indicates that the visual performance of those in their 20s is about eight times better than those in their 60s, and almost four times better than those in their 50s.
This increased need for light is due to a number of biological facts in the aging process. For example, the muscle in our eye called the iris, expands and contracts to control the amount of light entering our eye. As with all our muscles, the iris loses some of its flexibility in the aging process, and doesn't open as wide. More light is needed to compensate for the reduced ability of the iris to open wide.
Not only are there obvious vision differences between people, but different tasks have unique lighting requirements. Lighting demands for a video display terminal (VDT) operator are different from a proof reader, which are different from a graphic artist working at a large table where accurate color perception is critical.
Task lighting gives user control.
The major advantage of an adjustable-arm task lighting is that the user controls the lighting of his or her immediate work environment.
The key is "adjustable-arm" task lighting to give the user maximum control of the light level for optimal comfort. Our posture changes during the day. Our tasks vary to some degree. If we have windows, light in the room changes from morning to evening.
In response to these changing conditions, we need to adjust the lighting levels directed on our work in order to reduce eyestrain and fatigue. By raising, lowering, and tilting an adjustable-arm task light, the user determines how much light is needed and the best angle required to avoid direct glare and reflections.
A task light permits an individual to compensate for fluctuations within one's visual acuity from time to time, as well as for variations in ambient lighting.
Further control is provided by task lights that use a parabolic louver to direct light onto the work surface. The louver light control system is ideal for use around computers where you want to eliminate light "spill" onto the screen. The parabolic louver directs light output onto the source document and prevents "wash-out" on the computer screen.
A major advantage of a louver light control system versus the asymmetric method (directing light from the reflector at one angle) is the elimination of direct glare. With the louver system, you cannot see the bright bulb when the lamp head reaches eye level.
Task lighting mounting systems.
There are a variety of options for mounting task lighting in the work setting. Popular methods include a clamp base that attaches to the edge of a desk/table, and the weighted base that sits on top of a desk. Task lights can be mounted on stationary pedestal floor stands or movable caster floor stands.
The newest mounting systems attach task lights to the vertically slotted channels in workstation wall partition panels. Wall partition mounting frees-up valuable desktop space and eliminates the problem of "lack of edges" encountered by clamp-on versions. One option is a single-mount holder which the user places in the channel closest to the work area to be illuminated.
Another mounting option is a track-mount which provides greater illumination coverage for the work surface. The track spans the width of a wall panel and mounts in the slotted channels on both sides. A movable pivot holder for the task light slides along the track length to the desired position. The key factors in selecting a wall partition mounting system are ability to fit the many styles of standards and deep partitions; ease of installation; firm and sturdy mount; versatility to mount more than one specific task light model; a cord management system; and compatibility with standard track accessory items such as hanging paper trays and file folders.
Task lighting and magnification.
Do we need a task light if we have magnification? The answer is yes, because magnification is only half the solution for achieving good vision. Proper lighting is of equal importance. Take an extreme example. How much good would magnification do in the dark? The benefits derived from visual aids such as magnifiers and prescription glasses are entirely dependent upon the lighting conditions in which they are used.
Proper task lighting allows us to get the maximum benefit from a visual aid, and may even allow for reduced magnification. Increasing the amount of light (brightness) directed onto a task will help compensate for small print size or poor contrast. Examples of poor contrast include faded print on white paper, dark print on a dark background, or dim characters on a computer screen.
Bottom-line benefits for business.
The use of a lighting system which integrates task and overhead lighting can have a direct impact on the bottom line by lowering utility dollars.
Instead of trying to maintain proper lighting levels on desktops from overhead fixtures, task lights can do a better job in providing adequate foot-candles. A task light using an 18-watt compact fluorescent will consume far less energy than a typical overhead lighting fixture.
A work environment can maintain lower levels of overhead light by illuminating desktops with energy-efficient task lights. For examples consider an office with 16 workstations illuminated by 16 overhead fixtures each with four T8 32-watt fluorescents. The total wattage when all fixtures are operating is 2,048. If each fixture used two T8 instead of four, and each workstation was equipped with an 18-watt task light, energy consumption would be reduced by 36 percent!
A recent example demonstrates the energy waste that occurs all too frequently. An office manager remarked that, "we don't need those (task lights) to control glare on our computer screens. We installed these filters on the screens to block out glare." This makes no sense in terms of cost reduction and energy conservation. First flood the room with light and then block it out with filters. It is like turning the heat up to 90 degrees in the winter and then opening the window to maintain the right temperature.
Other ways in which the use of task lighting can help control costs are by reducing maintenance costs. Task lights are easy to install, keep clean, and change bulbs. When offices made from wall partition furniture systems are rearranged, task lights are easily moved. Proper lighting is achieved without much worry about the location of overhead fixtures.
Environmental benefits.
Finally, task lighting can have a significant environmental impact by reducing energy consumption of a building's lighting system.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) "Green Lights" program has brought the need for energy-efficient lighting into public awareness. The EPA estimates that lighting accounts for 20 to 25 percent of the electricity used annually in the United States . Lighting for industry, offices, stores, and warehouses represents from 80 to 90 percent of the total lighting electricity use. If energy-efficient lighting were used everywhere it was profitable, the electricity required for lighting would be cut by 50 percent, and aggregate national electricity demand would be reduced by 10 percent. This reduction in demand would significantly reduce power plant emissions, pollutants, and wastes.Many past issues of NAILD NEWS have devoted articles to the environmental impact of lighting and specifically, how to calculate savings in environmental pollutants (NAILD NEWS, December 1990).
In summary, a system that integrates overhead and adjustable-arm task lighting makes good dollar sense for business and the environment.
Task lighting makes good psychological sense by giving individuals control over their own workspace lighting.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Neat new website for LED residential products....
If you are wanting to find a MR-16 LED, for example, and want to compare some of the industries top brands, check out this website...
http://www.ledlamplocator.com/
It will also locate a product based on the specifications you input.
I went through a few scenarios on the website and it seems to be a good reference tool. I would not use it as the end-all-be-all authority, but rather a good starting point for your specific residential LED lighting needs.
To take your search a bit further, check out products available through your home centers, local electrical distributor or lighting showroom.
http://www.ledlamplocator.com/
It will also locate a product based on the specifications you input.
I went through a few scenarios on the website and it seems to be a good reference tool. I would not use it as the end-all-be-all authority, but rather a good starting point for your specific residential LED lighting needs.
To take your search a bit further, check out products available through your home centers, local electrical distributor or lighting showroom.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Street Lighting market shows momentum is behind quality luminaires
A new market-research report from Strategies Unlimited indicates that street-lighting applications are taking off, though the market is currently suffering from a temporary setback.
This article was published in the September 2011 issue of LEDs Magazine.
Revenues in the street- and area-lighting market are expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12% between 2010 and 2015, according to a new report entitled “LED Outdoor Area and Street Lighting: Market Analysis and Forecast.” LEDs Magazine spoke with Vrinda Bhandarkar, the report’s author and Director of Research for LED Lighting at Strategies Unlimited (San Jose, CA), a unit of PennWell Corporation, who has been tracking the street- and area-lighting market since 2006. Bhandarkar discussed recent developments and pointed to a temporary market standstill in China due to quality issues, great momentum in Europe and the US, and misconceptions about the role of stimulus packages.
LEDs Magazine: How large is the street- and area-lighting market?
Vrinda Bandarkar: In 2010, it was a $327-million market, which is not huge, but street lights are sort of a gateway technology. When street lights become feasible, the markets for area lights, parking-lot lights, flood lights, wall packs, billboard lights and other lighting applications become available to LEDs.
What markets are included in that number?
That includes worldwide capital spending on street lights and tunnel lights; plus area lights, which includes parking-lot lights, canopy lights, flood lights and wall packs. This is a worldwide estimate of the market size, primarily made up of the US, Europe and China. Markets in other countries at this time are quite small.
What kind of growth do you expect going forward?
We are looking at a CAGR for unit growth of 28% from 2010 to 2015. However, because LED luminaire pricing will continue to depreciate, the revenue growth will be lower, at around 12% (see Chart). The slowdown in China is reflected in a temporary setback for the market in 2011.
What has been the role of stimulus packages, such as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009?
The large installations, such as the one that happened in Anchorage, Alaska, and the one that’s currently happening in Los Angeles, were not implemented because of stimulus money. They happened because the cities wanted to reduce their operating costs – both the energy used and the maintenance cost of the street lights. These cities did use some stimulus funding, but more funding was provided through grants and financing through other channels such as environmental groups.
But there are so many cities trying LEDs and those are potentially going to result in full-scale installations very soon. I think that was the role of the stimulus – it exposed city officials to this energy-efficient technology. Many people tend to get comfortable with the status quo, but when you are given money and asked to do something with it that will result in energy savings, you take advantage of something like solid-state lighting. Then, when everyone sees the results, there is strong motivation to want to implement LED lighting throughout the city or municipality. I don’t think this would have happened otherwise.
And what’s going to determine whether these pilot programs go to full-scale implementation, aside from solid performance from the pilot run?
The biggest hurdle for these cities is raising the capital, especially in this difficult economic environment.
Are there other benefits beyond the savings?
Yes, uniformity of light and fewer dark spots. But beyond those qualities, I don’t think we can underestimate the value of the political point it makes.
In your press release, you say the US market has taken the lead in proving the viability of LED technology for outdoor lighting applications. Can you elaborate?
Yes, the US put an early emphasis on street-lighting quality. Through several programs, such as the Department of Energy’s Municipal Solid State Street Lighting Consortium and the DesignLights Consortium, a great deal of effort was made to educate the consumers – meaning the cities – on LED technology, the energy efficiency it can provide, lumen depreciation, and other issues. The DesignLights’ qualified-products list alone gives users a good starting point for selecting luminaires.
What about China?
What happened in China was very different. The local governments encouraged the installation of LED-based street lighting and several programs were implemented. However, instead of getting the expected energy savings, there were many cases of premature luminaire failure. As a result, this year China put their street-lighting projects on hold. They realized the need for standards to ensure the quality of every luminaire that is installed.
What will happen next?
Once China implements some standards, and they may borrow from the existing international standards, the market will ramp back up. The top 10-15 suppliers of street lights will begin bidding for projects again, but that may not happen for another year.
Where do you see the greatest opportunities in this market?
The biggest opportunity exists where old technology is in place – starting with mercury vapor lamps, to fluorescent and incandescent lamps – these are no-brainer applications right now because they pay for themselves in energy savings alone.
Linear fluorescent tubes are common in many parking lots. The fluorescent tubes need to be changed out every year and a half to two years. With exposure to heat, cold and vibration, these fixtures do not perform to their maximum efficiency. They represent another obvious area.
In area lighting, people are also going after high-pressure sodium lights. LEDs offer superior light quality, directionality and the user can reduce lumens and increase uniformity of light, which is the biggest plus for LEDs.
Where do you see maintenance being the biggest factor?
For tunnel lighting, it’s critical. When a tunnel needs to be shut down or partially shut down due to luminaire change-outs, the effect on traffic is very disruptive.
What do you see as the next step for lighting-fixture design in this market?
The luminaire designers, especially in Europe, have gotten very creative artistically. When it comes to shop owners and upscale malls, the buyer will be more swayed by the attractiveness of the luminaire and the security the light provides. This is a different value proposition than when luminaires are being sold to a city based mostly on energy efficiency. I think we will see innovative, interesting luminaire designs going forward.
This article was published in the September 2011 issue of LEDs Magazine.
Revenues in the street- and area-lighting market are expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12% between 2010 and 2015, according to a new report entitled “LED Outdoor Area and Street Lighting: Market Analysis and Forecast.” LEDs Magazine spoke with Vrinda Bhandarkar, the report’s author and Director of Research for LED Lighting at Strategies Unlimited (San Jose, CA), a unit of PennWell Corporation, who has been tracking the street- and area-lighting market since 2006. Bhandarkar discussed recent developments and pointed to a temporary market standstill in China due to quality issues, great momentum in Europe and the US, and misconceptions about the role of stimulus packages.
LEDs Magazine: How large is the street- and area-lighting market?
Vrinda Bandarkar: In 2010, it was a $327-million market, which is not huge, but street lights are sort of a gateway technology. When street lights become feasible, the markets for area lights, parking-lot lights, flood lights, wall packs, billboard lights and other lighting applications become available to LEDs.
What markets are included in that number?
That includes worldwide capital spending on street lights and tunnel lights; plus area lights, which includes parking-lot lights, canopy lights, flood lights and wall packs. This is a worldwide estimate of the market size, primarily made up of the US, Europe and China. Markets in other countries at this time are quite small.
What kind of growth do you expect going forward?
We are looking at a CAGR for unit growth of 28% from 2010 to 2015. However, because LED luminaire pricing will continue to depreciate, the revenue growth will be lower, at around 12% (see Chart). The slowdown in China is reflected in a temporary setback for the market in 2011.
What has been the role of stimulus packages, such as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009?
The large installations, such as the one that happened in Anchorage, Alaska, and the one that’s currently happening in Los Angeles, were not implemented because of stimulus money. They happened because the cities wanted to reduce their operating costs – both the energy used and the maintenance cost of the street lights. These cities did use some stimulus funding, but more funding was provided through grants and financing through other channels such as environmental groups.
But there are so many cities trying LEDs and those are potentially going to result in full-scale installations very soon. I think that was the role of the stimulus – it exposed city officials to this energy-efficient technology. Many people tend to get comfortable with the status quo, but when you are given money and asked to do something with it that will result in energy savings, you take advantage of something like solid-state lighting. Then, when everyone sees the results, there is strong motivation to want to implement LED lighting throughout the city or municipality. I don’t think this would have happened otherwise.
And what’s going to determine whether these pilot programs go to full-scale implementation, aside from solid performance from the pilot run?
The biggest hurdle for these cities is raising the capital, especially in this difficult economic environment.
Are there other benefits beyond the savings?
Yes, uniformity of light and fewer dark spots. But beyond those qualities, I don’t think we can underestimate the value of the political point it makes.
In your press release, you say the US market has taken the lead in proving the viability of LED technology for outdoor lighting applications. Can you elaborate?
Yes, the US put an early emphasis on street-lighting quality. Through several programs, such as the Department of Energy’s Municipal Solid State Street Lighting Consortium and the DesignLights Consortium, a great deal of effort was made to educate the consumers – meaning the cities – on LED technology, the energy efficiency it can provide, lumen depreciation, and other issues. The DesignLights’ qualified-products list alone gives users a good starting point for selecting luminaires.
What about China?
What happened in China was very different. The local governments encouraged the installation of LED-based street lighting and several programs were implemented. However, instead of getting the expected energy savings, there were many cases of premature luminaire failure. As a result, this year China put their street-lighting projects on hold. They realized the need for standards to ensure the quality of every luminaire that is installed.
What will happen next?
Once China implements some standards, and they may borrow from the existing international standards, the market will ramp back up. The top 10-15 suppliers of street lights will begin bidding for projects again, but that may not happen for another year.
Where do you see the greatest opportunities in this market?
The biggest opportunity exists where old technology is in place – starting with mercury vapor lamps, to fluorescent and incandescent lamps – these are no-brainer applications right now because they pay for themselves in energy savings alone.
Linear fluorescent tubes are common in many parking lots. The fluorescent tubes need to be changed out every year and a half to two years. With exposure to heat, cold and vibration, these fixtures do not perform to their maximum efficiency. They represent another obvious area.
In area lighting, people are also going after high-pressure sodium lights. LEDs offer superior light quality, directionality and the user can reduce lumens and increase uniformity of light, which is the biggest plus for LEDs.
Where do you see maintenance being the biggest factor?
For tunnel lighting, it’s critical. When a tunnel needs to be shut down or partially shut down due to luminaire change-outs, the effect on traffic is very disruptive.
What do you see as the next step for lighting-fixture design in this market?
The luminaire designers, especially in Europe, have gotten very creative artistically. When it comes to shop owners and upscale malls, the buyer will be more swayed by the attractiveness of the luminaire and the security the light provides. This is a different value proposition than when luminaires are being sold to a city based mostly on energy efficiency. I think we will see innovative, interesting luminaire designs going forward.
Monday, September 19, 2011
What's New in HID Ballasts
Written by Craig DiLouie
Published: Electrical Contractor Magazine, August 2011
As with other types of lighting, energy codes and legislation are influencing high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting—high-pressure sodium (HPS), metal halide (MH), and mercury vapor—in this era of regulated efficiency.
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 eliminated mercury-vapor ballasts—with specialty ballasts allowed by later legislation—encouraging a switch to HPS or white light. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 eliminated probe-start magnetic ballasts in new 150–500W MH lighting fixtures, increasing demand for pulse-start quartz and ceramic metal halide (CMH) lighting. Pending energy legislation in Congress would eliminate general-purpose mercury-vapor lamps starting January 2016.
Meanwhile, commercial building energy codes continue to impose restrictions on outdoor lighting. California’s Title 24 energy code and the ASHRAE/IES 90.1 2010 energy standard go even further by requiring outdoor lighting to be capable of bilevel switching. And California Title 20 product regulations require 150–500W MH fixtures to achieve a certain level of ballast or fixture efficiency or feature automatic energy-saving lighting controls.
While many of these regulations affect the new construction market, the retrofit/replacement segment also offers opportunity. In 2010, this segment represented 46 percent of HID ballast sales, according to National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) sales data. Popular retrofit options include pulse-start electronic HID (eHID) replacements of existing large-wattage probe-start systems, and eHID/CMH replacement of halogen lamps.
As a result of this pressure, innovation is trending toward efficiency, controllability and smaller size. MH is the most popular HID light source with a massive installed base. As the market is shifting to white light options, most innovation is occurring in the MH category.
The big efficiency story is on the ballast side, where the trend is toward higher efficiency and controllability. The eHID ballast has been around for a long time, but its moment has arrived. Sales of eHID ballasts constituted 17 percent of the $231 million HID ballast market in 2010, up from 15 percent in 2009, according to NEMA. Most of this is in the wattages smaller than 150W segment, where the smaller than 39W pulse-start eHID ballast sales increased 338 percent over 2009 and 40–149W pulse-start eHID ballast sales increased 84 percent. Pulse-start eHID 150–250W ballast sales, however, also increased a healthy 108 percent, while those wattages larger than 250W, with fewer offerings, increased 21 percent.
In the larger than 150W segment, we’re seeing interesting innovations. A number of new ballasts feature digital construction, increasing their capabilities. Many eHID ballasts offer continuous dimming to satisfy energy codes, such as Title 24—usually with a range from 100 to 50 percent of lamp power per NEMA recommendations. Some of these products connect to 0–10V DC controls or DALI, enabling them to join a control network.
Another recent breakthrough in high-wattage eHID ballasts is the adoption of a low-frequency square wave shape, already popular in low-wattage CMH systems. The low-frequency square wave shape reduces wear and tear on the lamps, producing better performance.
Some ballasts can be used to operate both MH and HPS lamps, providing eHID options to HPS that were previously lacking and with fast HPS restrike. Finally, we’re starting to see more offerings for higher wattage lamps. Legislation and development has focused on 150–500W MH, but there are viable retrofit opportunities above 500W.
Some products worth a look include Sylvania Quicktronic MH, Sylvania Metalarc Powerball 200W system, GE UltraMax, Sylvania Quicktronic QHO (outdoor product), Universal Lighting Technologies 210W, Philips CosmoPolis programmable digital ballast, Metrolight SmartHID Plus and Empower digital ballasts.
In the smaller than 150W segment, the big story is 15W and 20W systems with eHID ballasts available in an extremely compact size, with the ultimate goal being to make the ballast “disappear.” This objective permits smaller fixture designs to open new track and other applications in both new and existing buildings. With extremely compact components, CMH lighting fixtures are approaching the factor and size of low-voltage MR16 halogen systems, offering an attractive alternative to traditional incandescent and halogen sources.
Let’s start with 20W, until recently the smallest MH system available. A 20W CMH system might replace a 75W halogen lamp, for example. To support CMH as a viable alternative, ballast manufacturers are producing extremely small electronic ballast designs. New ballasts from GE, Universal Lighting Technologies and Hatch Transformers measure about one-sixteenth the size of a standard eHID ballast, allowing for smaller products.
Even smaller than 20W is the recently introduced 15W system. An example is the Sylvania Metalarc Powerball 15W T4 CMH lamp and Super Mini ballast producing output comparable to a 12V, 50W MR16 and savings of up to 32W per lamp (25 percent energy savings compared to the 20W option). This system allows HID to be substituted for lower wattage lamps where the 20W system might be considered too bright.
Market pressure is driving an extraordinary level of innovation in HID ballasts, creating new opportunities in both new and existing buildings.
Published: Electrical Contractor Magazine, August 2011
As with other types of lighting, energy codes and legislation are influencing high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting—high-pressure sodium (HPS), metal halide (MH), and mercury vapor—in this era of regulated efficiency.
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 eliminated mercury-vapor ballasts—with specialty ballasts allowed by later legislation—encouraging a switch to HPS or white light. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 eliminated probe-start magnetic ballasts in new 150–500W MH lighting fixtures, increasing demand for pulse-start quartz and ceramic metal halide (CMH) lighting. Pending energy legislation in Congress would eliminate general-purpose mercury-vapor lamps starting January 2016.
Meanwhile, commercial building energy codes continue to impose restrictions on outdoor lighting. California’s Title 24 energy code and the ASHRAE/IES 90.1 2010 energy standard go even further by requiring outdoor lighting to be capable of bilevel switching. And California Title 20 product regulations require 150–500W MH fixtures to achieve a certain level of ballast or fixture efficiency or feature automatic energy-saving lighting controls.
While many of these regulations affect the new construction market, the retrofit/replacement segment also offers opportunity. In 2010, this segment represented 46 percent of HID ballast sales, according to National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) sales data. Popular retrofit options include pulse-start electronic HID (eHID) replacements of existing large-wattage probe-start systems, and eHID/CMH replacement of halogen lamps.
As a result of this pressure, innovation is trending toward efficiency, controllability and smaller size. MH is the most popular HID light source with a massive installed base. As the market is shifting to white light options, most innovation is occurring in the MH category.
The big efficiency story is on the ballast side, where the trend is toward higher efficiency and controllability. The eHID ballast has been around for a long time, but its moment has arrived. Sales of eHID ballasts constituted 17 percent of the $231 million HID ballast market in 2010, up from 15 percent in 2009, according to NEMA. Most of this is in the wattages smaller than 150W segment, where the smaller than 39W pulse-start eHID ballast sales increased 338 percent over 2009 and 40–149W pulse-start eHID ballast sales increased 84 percent. Pulse-start eHID 150–250W ballast sales, however, also increased a healthy 108 percent, while those wattages larger than 250W, with fewer offerings, increased 21 percent.
In the larger than 150W segment, we’re seeing interesting innovations. A number of new ballasts feature digital construction, increasing their capabilities. Many eHID ballasts offer continuous dimming to satisfy energy codes, such as Title 24—usually with a range from 100 to 50 percent of lamp power per NEMA recommendations. Some of these products connect to 0–10V DC controls or DALI, enabling them to join a control network.
Another recent breakthrough in high-wattage eHID ballasts is the adoption of a low-frequency square wave shape, already popular in low-wattage CMH systems. The low-frequency square wave shape reduces wear and tear on the lamps, producing better performance.
Some ballasts can be used to operate both MH and HPS lamps, providing eHID options to HPS that were previously lacking and with fast HPS restrike. Finally, we’re starting to see more offerings for higher wattage lamps. Legislation and development has focused on 150–500W MH, but there are viable retrofit opportunities above 500W.
Some products worth a look include Sylvania Quicktronic MH, Sylvania Metalarc Powerball 200W system, GE UltraMax, Sylvania Quicktronic QHO (outdoor product), Universal Lighting Technologies 210W, Philips CosmoPolis programmable digital ballast, Metrolight SmartHID Plus and Empower digital ballasts.
In the smaller than 150W segment, the big story is 15W and 20W systems with eHID ballasts available in an extremely compact size, with the ultimate goal being to make the ballast “disappear.” This objective permits smaller fixture designs to open new track and other applications in both new and existing buildings. With extremely compact components, CMH lighting fixtures are approaching the factor and size of low-voltage MR16 halogen systems, offering an attractive alternative to traditional incandescent and halogen sources.
Let’s start with 20W, until recently the smallest MH system available. A 20W CMH system might replace a 75W halogen lamp, for example. To support CMH as a viable alternative, ballast manufacturers are producing extremely small electronic ballast designs. New ballasts from GE, Universal Lighting Technologies and Hatch Transformers measure about one-sixteenth the size of a standard eHID ballast, allowing for smaller products.
Even smaller than 20W is the recently introduced 15W system. An example is the Sylvania Metalarc Powerball 15W T4 CMH lamp and Super Mini ballast producing output comparable to a 12V, 50W MR16 and savings of up to 32W per lamp (25 percent energy savings compared to the 20W option). This system allows HID to be substituted for lower wattage lamps where the 20W system might be considered too bright.
Market pressure is driving an extraordinary level of innovation in HID ballasts, creating new opportunities in both new and existing buildings.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Are you ready for some football???? Stadium lighting case-study, that is...
Ready for football: GE ingenuity scores at Dallas Cowboys Stadium
As the largest NFL venue ever built, the Dallas Cowboys' billion–dollar stadium is an engineering marvel. GE's contribution to the project -- cost-effective and energy-efficient lighting and electrical distribution equipment -- has satisfied the Texas-sized expectations of the Cowboys organization. For GE Appliances & Lighting, the charge was to go on offense, developing and delivering stadium lighting that provides uniform and maintained light across the field, while eliminating glare and shadows for fans in the stands and at home.
“Our stadium has capacity for as many as 100,000 people, and our football games are some of the most watched in the NFL, so making sure our field has effective lighting is imperative to our business,” says Jack Hill, general manager, Cowboys Stadium. “We needed a proven and robust solution that could enhance and sustain the viewers' experience and GE delivered.”
Sports lighting
At the onset of the project, GE laid out a photometric design that took into account the complex problem of maintaining uniform lighting and light levels on the field that would eliminate shadows and glare for fans, as well as the multitude of High Definition TV (HDTV) cameras positioned throughout the stadium. “This is a complex process that takes substantial design time to render an optimal solution that works within the consulting engineer and architect's requirements,” says Jack Bohner, GE's commercial director – sports and entertainment. “This crucial step serves as the roadmap for delivering uniformity and continuity of light that provides a consistent appearance, style and light quality from any vantage point.”
The result of the GE-recommended design required 668 1500-watt PowrSpot® III luminaires with glare control and 96 1500-watt UltraSport™ luminaries with hot re-strike. The combination of these 764 luminaires makes up the main event lighting, or the entire football field's horizontal surface beyond the sidelines and end zones but not into the stands.
GE's innovative UltraSport offers advanced design light output and efficiency with excellent visibility and color rendering for players, spectators and broadcasters. It features a “hot re-strike” capability that enables the fixture to come back on almost instantaneously during a temporary loss of power. This attribute is critically important during sporting and other large stadium events since standard high-intensity-discharge (HID) sport lighting requires 11 to 15 minutes to cool down and come back on after a momentary loss of power. “Having thousands of fans sit in the dark for 15 minutes is not acceptable,” Bohner adds. “GE's technology solves this problem efficiently and really enhances the quality of light in the Cowboys stadium.”
GE's customized lighting solution of UltraSport and PowrSpot luminaires provides 300 foot candles of maintained light level on the field, which is above the NFL specification of 250 foot candles. Generally, the higher the foot candle level the better for the viewer, as long as it alleviates glare, hot spots and shadows for fans and cameras. In addition, 60 1500-watt PowrSpot III luminaires (non-event lighting) were supplied for use as house and security lighting. Click here for more information about GE sports and stadium lighting.
LED lighting
The organization also engaged a lighting design firm, Craig Roberts Associates, Inc., (CRA), to analyze and design the lighting schematic in some of the suites and club space. The result was a more sophisticated and thoughtful lighting design.
Stephanie King, principal designer with CRA, worked to design the LED cove lighting. “We installed LEDs wherever an architectural opportunity presented itself,” she notes.
CRA integrated coves into dropped soffits, created lighted coffers, and incorporated up lighting within suspended decorative elements. Because of the linear footage involved, incandescent lighting was not an option. CRA specified the GE LED Cove Lighting System for its rich color quality, LED color consistency, integral driver and dimming simplicity.
“The use of GE LED lighting systems in coves has become an irresistible proposition for many businesses,” says GE's Bohner. “Paybacks based on the cost of the product and comparative energy and maintenance costs will invariably show that the GE LED Cove lighting system is preferable to halogen systems. The GE LED system offers a 50,000-hour rated life, so it could run continuously for more than five years.”
King adds: “We wanted to make the spaces feel warmer. It imparts a more residential feel while respecting the contemporary design and functionality of the stadium.” Click here for more information about GE LED Cove lighting.
Electrical distribution
Since sustained power in a stadium is imperative, GE developed a robust solution that includes 70 substations, 15 switchboards and a variety of other electrical distribution products to provide emergency power during an outage or surge. GE's quiet, reliable transformer operation requires no vaults for installation so the transformers can be located right at the load to provide the correct voltage for the stadium's requirements. This eliminates the need for long, costly, low-voltage feeders.
“Given the space constraints in the electrical rooms, the substations were a challenge to fit, but our manufacturing team and suppliers came up with an efficient size design that suited the space perfectly,” says Bohner. “Our solution is an ideal combination of technology and teamwork that exceeded original specifications and provides reliable and energy-efficient power for the stadium now and into the future.“
http://www.gelightingsolutions.com/lighting-news-releases/ready-for-football-ge-ingenuity-scores-at-dallas-cowboys-stadium
As the largest NFL venue ever built, the Dallas Cowboys' billion–dollar stadium is an engineering marvel. GE's contribution to the project -- cost-effective and energy-efficient lighting and electrical distribution equipment -- has satisfied the Texas-sized expectations of the Cowboys organization. For GE Appliances & Lighting, the charge was to go on offense, developing and delivering stadium lighting that provides uniform and maintained light across the field, while eliminating glare and shadows for fans in the stands and at home.
“Our stadium has capacity for as many as 100,000 people, and our football games are some of the most watched in the NFL, so making sure our field has effective lighting is imperative to our business,” says Jack Hill, general manager, Cowboys Stadium. “We needed a proven and robust solution that could enhance and sustain the viewers' experience and GE delivered.”
Sports lighting
At the onset of the project, GE laid out a photometric design that took into account the complex problem of maintaining uniform lighting and light levels on the field that would eliminate shadows and glare for fans, as well as the multitude of High Definition TV (HDTV) cameras positioned throughout the stadium. “This is a complex process that takes substantial design time to render an optimal solution that works within the consulting engineer and architect's requirements,” says Jack Bohner, GE's commercial director – sports and entertainment. “This crucial step serves as the roadmap for delivering uniformity and continuity of light that provides a consistent appearance, style and light quality from any vantage point.”
The result of the GE-recommended design required 668 1500-watt PowrSpot® III luminaires with glare control and 96 1500-watt UltraSport™ luminaries with hot re-strike. The combination of these 764 luminaires makes up the main event lighting, or the entire football field's horizontal surface beyond the sidelines and end zones but not into the stands.
GE's innovative UltraSport offers advanced design light output and efficiency with excellent visibility and color rendering for players, spectators and broadcasters. It features a “hot re-strike” capability that enables the fixture to come back on almost instantaneously during a temporary loss of power. This attribute is critically important during sporting and other large stadium events since standard high-intensity-discharge (HID) sport lighting requires 11 to 15 minutes to cool down and come back on after a momentary loss of power. “Having thousands of fans sit in the dark for 15 minutes is not acceptable,” Bohner adds. “GE's technology solves this problem efficiently and really enhances the quality of light in the Cowboys stadium.”
GE's customized lighting solution of UltraSport and PowrSpot luminaires provides 300 foot candles of maintained light level on the field, which is above the NFL specification of 250 foot candles. Generally, the higher the foot candle level the better for the viewer, as long as it alleviates glare, hot spots and shadows for fans and cameras. In addition, 60 1500-watt PowrSpot III luminaires (non-event lighting) were supplied for use as house and security lighting. Click here for more information about GE sports and stadium lighting.
LED lighting
The organization also engaged a lighting design firm, Craig Roberts Associates, Inc., (CRA), to analyze and design the lighting schematic in some of the suites and club space. The result was a more sophisticated and thoughtful lighting design.
Stephanie King, principal designer with CRA, worked to design the LED cove lighting. “We installed LEDs wherever an architectural opportunity presented itself,” she notes.
CRA integrated coves into dropped soffits, created lighted coffers, and incorporated up lighting within suspended decorative elements. Because of the linear footage involved, incandescent lighting was not an option. CRA specified the GE LED Cove Lighting System for its rich color quality, LED color consistency, integral driver and dimming simplicity.
“The use of GE LED lighting systems in coves has become an irresistible proposition for many businesses,” says GE's Bohner. “Paybacks based on the cost of the product and comparative energy and maintenance costs will invariably show that the GE LED Cove lighting system is preferable to halogen systems. The GE LED system offers a 50,000-hour rated life, so it could run continuously for more than five years.”
King adds: “We wanted to make the spaces feel warmer. It imparts a more residential feel while respecting the contemporary design and functionality of the stadium.” Click here for more information about GE LED Cove lighting.
Electrical distribution
Since sustained power in a stadium is imperative, GE developed a robust solution that includes 70 substations, 15 switchboards and a variety of other electrical distribution products to provide emergency power during an outage or surge. GE's quiet, reliable transformer operation requires no vaults for installation so the transformers can be located right at the load to provide the correct voltage for the stadium's requirements. This eliminates the need for long, costly, low-voltage feeders.
“Given the space constraints in the electrical rooms, the substations were a challenge to fit, but our manufacturing team and suppliers came up with an efficient size design that suited the space perfectly,” says Bohner. “Our solution is an ideal combination of technology and teamwork that exceeded original specifications and provides reliable and energy-efficient power for the stadium now and into the future.“
http://www.gelightingsolutions.com/lighting-news-releases/ready-for-football-ge-ingenuity-scores-at-dallas-cowboys-stadium
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Changing an exterior light bulb at 1,768 feet-MUST SEE VIDEO!!!
Think your job is tough? Stressful? Today we lighten things up a little, with a neat video showing a man scalling an exterior tower to change the light bulb at the very top of it.
Be careful, your hands may get sweaty just watching this!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFMHjDqHL_Y
Be careful, your hands may get sweaty just watching this!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFMHjDqHL_Y
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