CleanTechies
  • Home
  • Articles
    • Clean Transportation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Green Building
    • Renewable Energy
    • Recycling & Waste
    • Water & Conservation
  • Contact
    • Editorial
      • General Inquiries
      • Article Submission
    • Advertising
      • Advertising & Sponsorship
      • Guidelines
      • Media Kit
  • Are you a CleanTechie?

CleanTechies

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Clean Transportation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Green Building
    • Renewable Energy
    • Recycling & Waste
    • Water & Conservation
  • Contact
    • Editorial
      • General Inquiries
      • Article Submission
    • Advertising
      • Advertising & Sponsorship
      • Guidelines
      • Media Kit
  • Are you a CleanTechie?
Tag:

Lighting

Trends in Business LED Lighting

Trends in Business LED Lighting

written by CleanTechies.com Contributor

Have you read Malcolm Gladwell’s longtime-bestseller The Tipping Point? In it, the author discusses the phenomenon where something goes from being marginal to mainstream. For LED (light-emitting diode) lighting, the tipping point has arrived. U.S. Department of Energy statistics show that about 49 million LEDs were installed in the U.S. in 2012 — saving about $675 million in annual energy costs. And, switching entirely to LED lights over the next two decades could save the U.S. $250 billion in energy costs, reduce electricity consumption for lighting by nearly 50 percent and avoid 1,800 million metric tons of carbon emissions. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why the LED industry is rapidly expanding, and why commercial facilities, big and small, are turning to LEDs as their lighting application of choice.

LED is a type of solid-state lighting that uses a semiconductor to convert electricity into light. The Department of Energy says that today’s LED bulbs can be six to seven times more energy-efficient than conventional incandescent lights and can cut energy use by more than 80%. What’s more, the Department of Energy says good-quality LED bulbs can have a useful life of 30,000 to 50,000 hours or more — meaning they can last more than 30 times longer than traditional light bulbs.

What to expect?
Now that LEDs, and especially business LED lighting, have gained traction as a highly effective and beneficial way to light spaces, what can we likely expect from this technology in the months and years ahead?

•    Low prices. The average selling price of LED bulbs is continuing to decline as manufacturing competition intensifies. The Department of Energy recently reported that LED lamp $/klm pricing is expected to decrease roughly 55% by 2017, relative to current pricing, while a more modest decrease of 30% is projected for LED luminaires over the same period. Supply exceeding demand is putting downward pressure on pricing, so payback terms for LED upgrade installations are more attractive than they have ever been.

•    More lighting controls. Occupancy sensors, photo sensors, and wireless and cloud-based controls are gaining popularity in conjunction with LED lighting installations. Lights can be switched and controlled from a central network, and controls that eliminate over-lighting can significantly improve energy savings. What’s more, LEDs are easily dimmable and offer an almost linear progression of energy savings at dimmed settings. LEDs offer opportunities for control, monitoring and network connectivity that weren’t previously possible.

•    Ability to adjust color temperature. The digital nature of LED technology allows flexibility in controlling color and spectral content, which can have a variety of positive effects on people’s lives. Benefits range from improved sleep patterns and energy levels to enhanced productivity, better moods and speeded recovery from illness or injury. New products on the market include wall- and ceiling-mounted LED fixtures that provide indirect ambient illumination with a daylight-like appearance, and it can supplement or replace overhead lighting. For a full discussion about the potential and far-reaching benefits of variable LED lighting, see Stan Walerczyk’s article, “Human-Centric Lighting.”

•    More outdoor and overhead applications. LED technology for street lighting has evolved over the past several years and is gaining momentum as manufacturers have made advancements regarding cost, photometrics, thermal management, fixture durability and light color. Although LED fixtures are commonly more expensive than traditional lighting options, LED lighting offers many advantages that include: improved night visibility due to higher color rendering, significantly longer lifespan; lower energy consumption; reduced maintenance costs; and a lower environmental footprint. For many of the same reasons, the use of LEDs in parking garages can result in significant savings because these structures are often large and lights are typically left on at all times. In a parking garage setting, LED fixtures can create a bright, shadow-free environment that can improve the safety and comfort of employees and customers.

Article appearing courtesy Xcel Energy Blog.



September 16, 2014 1 comment
0 Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest

Out With The Old And In With The New – Light Bulbs That Is!

written by Walter Wang

As of January 1, 2014, 60 and 40 watt incandescent bulbs will no longer be manufactured or sold in the United States. Retailers will sell out what is on their shelves and not restock incandescents. George W. Bush signed the phase-out, which was called for by The Energy Independence and National Security Act, in 2007. The bill also

Continue Reading


December 24, 2013 0 comment
0 Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest

London’s Largest Street Light Investment Drives Energy Efficiency Forward

written by Walter Wang

Transport for London (TfL) has agreed on a new energy efficient lighting program to help reduce the cost of lighting the TfL Road Network (TLRN). It is one of the largest ‘invest to save’ strategic road lighting projects ever undertaken in the UK with the hopes of lowering operating costs and improving reliability.

Continue Reading


December 3, 2013 0 comment
0 Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest

Low-Income Solar Project Is Recognized at U.N. Climate Talks

written by Yale Environment 360

An Australia-based solar start-up company was recognized at the U.N. climate change talks in Warsaw for its work replacing highly polluting kerosene lamps with solar lighting in low-income regions of India. The company, Pollinate Energy, trains members of local communities to install household solar-powered lights in India’s slums, where families

Continue Reading


November 21, 2013 0 comment
0 Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest

LED Lighting – A Solution for Developing Countries

written by Walter Wang

The world’s poorest countries are investing more in LED lighting, energy storage, and other off-grid electricity technologies, according to a report by Larry West.

In cities across the United States, LED lighting like LED wall packs or LED bollards help cut energy costs, carbon dioxide emissions, and excessive light

Continue Reading


October 9, 2013 0 comment
0 Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest

Cleantech in Court: Green Patent Complaint Update

written by Walter Wang

I will catch up on the new green patent lawsuits filed in the last few months with a two-part green patent complaint update. The first part covers May through mid-June, which saw several new green patent complaints in the areas of biofuels, fuel recycling, smart grid, and LEDs, and other energy efficient lighting.

Continue Reading


August 8, 2013 0 comment
0 Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest

Teamsters Union Hall is First Los Angeles County PACE Funded Project

written by Walter Wang

Every month, Teamsters Local 848 pays an average of about $2,500 in energy bills to power its meeting hall on the 3800 block of Cherry Avenue.

But when it’s done with its energy-efficient project, the group representing some 7,000 delivery and bus drivers and warehouse workers can see that cost shrink to as low as $10 a month.

Continue Reading


August 5, 2013 0 comment
0 Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest

Green Street Lighting Projects in Los Angeles

written by Walter Wang

On June 18, 2013, Mayor Villaraigosa of Los Angeles announced the completion the largest Greenshine street lighting program: LED street light replacement program. This is the largest LED replacement program in the world and has retrofitted over 140,000 street lights all over LA with LED fixtures.

Continue Reading


July 8, 2013 0 comment
0 Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest

4 Ways Your Business Can Improve Energy Efficiency

written by Walter Wang

There are many compelling reasons for actively improving energy efficiency in your business. Not only will you save money and resources, you’ll also have the distinction of promoting your company as environmentally friendly. Whether you’re interested in small changes or sweeping alterations, you’ll find many ways you can make your business more

Continue Reading


June 17, 2013 0 comment
0 Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest

Pink Light Cuts Greenhouse Energy Costs

written by Walter Wang

Traditional indoor greenhouses typically use white light, which is a combination of all colors in a spectrum. A Pinkhouse, on the other hand, is a vertical indoor farm that uses only red and blue light, which give the place a nice pink glow.

Proper lighting is crucial in indoor farms. In order to grow a lot of plants in limited space, the plants have to be stacked and have sufficient lighting. That means each row or shelf of plants in the vertical platform need its own source of light. Multiple sources of light constantly running mean high energy costs.

New research has shown that plants don’t really need light in all the hues of the color spectrum to grow. At Purdue University, researchers led by Cary Mitchell, professor of horticulture and landscape architecture, are studying the use of red and blue light in indoor greenhouses. Pharmaceutical company Caliber Biotherapeutics are already using red and blue lights in a 150,000 square foot indoor farm where they grow plants for clinical and medical use. Caliber’s indoor farming system was designed by EEA Consulting Engineers and grows about 2.2 million plants with red and blue low-energy LED lights.

According to an article on The Salt, the company developed their lights to correctly match the needs of their plants in terms of photosynthesis. Barry Holt of Caliber Biotherapeutics said they get ‘almost 20 percent faster growth rate and save a lot energy.’

Article by Leah Gonzalez of PSFK, appearing courtesy Celsias.



June 7, 2013 0 comment
0 Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest

The Next Apple Will be Found in LED Lighting

written by Lisa Ann Pinkerton

Who doesn’t wish they had invested in Apple when it was $16 a share? Quite often, timing the market is more intuition than science. Those who know analog to digital inflection points are watching LEDs. Get it right, and enormous wealth can be created. Time it wrong and you’re left in the dust, like Polaroid.

Continue Reading


May 16, 2013 0 comment
0 Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest

Cleantech in Court: Green Patent Complaint Update

written by Walter Wang

LED lighting remains the hottest area of green patent litigation, with several complaints filed in the last several weeks. Green patent complaints were recently filed in the areas of advanced batteries and solar powered lighting as well.

Continue Reading


May 7, 2013 0 comment
0 Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest

The $40 Billion Hiding in US Buildings

written by Walter Wang

A pretty big wad of money – $40 billion – is hiding somewhere inside the lights, AC, thermostats, furnaces and fans of our offices, stores, hospitals and schools.

That’s the amount of money the federal government estimates we can save annually by reducing energy use in commercial buildings 20 percent by 2020. To achieve the goal, the Obama administration in 2011

Continue Reading


April 29, 2013 2 comments
0 Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest

Design Watch: “Lit” Offers Greener Lighting Option

written by Walter Wang

It looks great and it’s also greener. Designed by Elie Ahovi, “Lit” combines LED (Light-Emitting Diodes) with optical fiber technology.

This means that the bulb will last much longer, besides offering dimmable light quality. It is a much more eco-friendly option to incandescent lights

Continue Reading


April 16, 2013 0 comment
0 Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest
Newer Posts
Older Posts

CleanTechnica.TV

Listen to CleanTech Talk

CleanTech Talk

Free CleanTechnica Newsletters

CleanTechnica's main newsletter (daily)

CleanTechnica's EV newsletter

CleanTechnica's wind newsletter

CleanTechnica's solar newsletter

CleanTechnica's weekly newsletter

Support Our Work

CleanTechnica Clothing & Cups

Recent CleanTechie Bios

Amy McMorrow Hunter

Keith Allen

Tom Scheel

Patrick Corcoran

Christine Bennett

Mike Casey

Henk Rogers

JB Straubel

Lynn Jurich

Matt Moroney

Kyle Field

Paul Francis

Chelsea Harder

Griff Jurgens

Scott Cooney

The content produced by this site is for entertainment purposes only. Opinions and comments published on this site may not be sanctioned by, and do not necessarily represent the views of CleanTechnica, its owners, sponsors, affiliates, or subsidiaries.


Back To Top