The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today that Seattle City Light, Seattle’s publicly owned power utility, has been selected to lead a national effort to guide municipalities in evaluating light emitting diode (LED) street lights. The Municipal Solid-State Street Lighting Consortium will collect, analyze, and share information and lessons learned about LED street-lighting demonstrations to facilitate the adoption of this energy efficiency technology. Starting today, cities, power providers and others who invest in street and area lighting are invited to join the consortium and share their experiences through national and regional meetings, Webcasts, Web-based discussion forums, and other means. The goal is to build a repository of valuable field experience and data that will significantly accelerate the learning curve for buying and implementing high-quality, energy efficient LED street lights. This DOE effort is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/progress_alerts.cfm/pa_id=316
EERE News January 15, 2010
Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced more than $37 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support high-efficiency solid-state lighting projects. Solid-state lighting, which uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) instead of incandescent bulbs, has the potential to be ten times more energy-efficient than traditional incandescent lighting. Lighting accounts for approximately 24% of the total electricity generated in the United States today—by 2030, the development and widespread deployment of cost-effective solid-state lighting could reduce electricity use for lighting by one-third nationally. The 17 projects selected today include funding for solid-state lighting core research, product development, and domestic manufacturing.
“The United States must lead in energy efficiency. These solid-state lighting projects will help us significantly cut our energy use, reduce our carbon footprint, and save money,” said Secretary Chu. “This funding will also support the United States as a global leader in this rapidly evolving industry, creating high-tech, value-added jobs.”
The projects selected today address the full spectrum of research, development, and deployment for solid-state lighting (SSL) technologies. These 17 SSL awards will be leveraged with nearly $28.5 million in private industry cost share, for a total project value of more than $66 million. Projects have been selected in the following three areas:
http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/progress_alerts.cfm/pa_id=287
From UCS’s Greentips: January 2010 Edition
Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) have become the go-to choice for energy-efficient lighting, consuming 50 to 80 percent less electricity than traditional incandescent bulbs. But an even more efficient option is light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs, which use semiconductor technology to convert electricity directly into visible light.
LEDs use a fraction of the electricity required by other light sources: a six-watt LED generates more light than an 11-watt CFL or 40-watt incandescent while using 45 percent less electricity than the CFL and 85 percent less than the incandescent. According to our research, if a million households each replaced one 40-watt incandescent bulb with a six-watt LED, and used it six hours per day, more than 53,000 metric tons of heat-trapping carbon dioxide would be kept out of the atmosphere per year.
LEDs offer other advantages as well, see:
http://www.ucsusa.org/publications/greentips/
Those last minute Christmas presents you’re thinking about aren’t like this one. A team of Michiganders is manufacturing and selling a solar powered lantern. It can also function as a flashlight. It costs $50 and lasts 10 years. Michigan Now’s Chris McCarus has their story.
They’re green and clear plastic, about 8 inches long. They come with a thin solar panel, about 6 inches long. Herman Moffett is packing them in boxes. They’re called K-lights.
“This lantern is changing lives. That’s a good thing. This lantern is changing my life as well. It’s allowed me to be employed. It works out nice on both ends.”
The two ends are the basement of an old furniture warehouse in Grand Rapids where Moffett is working. And the other is East Africa. The K-Light lantern is made and sold there as well as here. Just 1 out of 4 homes in Sub-Saharan Africa has electricity. People walk miles to chop down fragile forests so they can cook and heat and light their homes.
Product pictures and more info can be seen by clicking on the link below.
http:/
/www.michigannow.org/2009/12/23/michigan-made-solar-lamp-sold-here-and-abroad/
(MPSC Press Release, October 15, 2009) – Calling it an energy efficiency revolution taking place one light bulb at a time, Commissioner Monica Martinez, of the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC), today highlighted the efforts of Michigan utilities and the MPSC to help customers cut their electric bills by making compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) available at discounted prices.
All Michigan electric utility customers will have a utility-sponsored energy efficiency program available to them by the end of November, with an emphasis on switching to CFLs.
“Compact fluorescent light bulbs offer electric customers a quick, easy and affordable way to see an immediate reduction on their bills,” Commissioner Martinez said at an event hosted by Michigan Energy Options in East Lansing. “And they are now available around the state at lower prices, thanks to utility-sponsored energy efficiency programs and a MPSC grant.
“The result will be a significant improvement in energy efficiency across the state. That will help customers save money, cut the need for new electric generation, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. You could call what’s happening in Michigan an energy efficiency revolution taking place one light at a time.”
Martinez noted that ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs save $30 or more in energy costs over each bulb’s lifetime; use up to 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs; last up to 10 times longer; can be used in most incandescent fixtures already in the home; and offer bright, warm light.
Joining Commissioner Martinez today were Teri VanSumeren, manager of Consumers Energy Company’s Energy Efficient Solutions program; Michael McNalley, director of DTE’s Energy Efficiency and Business Energy Services; Susan Devon, assistant general manager of the Lansing Board of Water and Light; and Mike Buda, director of external affairs at the Michigan Electric Cooperative Association, who all highlighted their CFL discount programs. Jennifer Binkley-Power, of Michigan Energy Options, and East Lansing Mayor Vic Loomis also highlighted their roles in energy efficiency.
Utility-sponsored CFL discount programs are part of each utility’s mandated energy optimization program. More information on the DTE CFL program is available here: http://www.dteenergy.com/residentialCustomers/saveEnergy/rebates/resEnergyStarLighting.html (http://www.dteenergy.com/residentialCustomers/saveEnergy/rebates/resEnergyStarLighting.html)
More information on Consumers Energy’s lighting rebate program is available here: http://www.consumersenergy.com/eeprograms/Landing.aspx?ID=799 (http://www.consumersenergy.com/eeprograms/Landing.aspx?ID=799)
Customers of other electric utilities are encouraged to contact their local electric utility to find out details about available CFL programs.
To promote energy efficiency and environmental stewardship, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm has proclaimed October 15 as “ENERGY STAR Change a Light Day.”
Governor Granholm has once again joined with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Governors from across the country to celebrate ENERGY STAR Change a Light Day and bring attention to the critical importance of using energy wisely at home. This commemorative day is part of the national ENERGY STAR Change a Light, Change the World Campaign to encourage Americans to take simple actions at home to help preserve our energy resources and be part of the solution to global climate change. The national educational campaign is run in partnership with hundreds of businesses, energy efficiency organizations, state and territory governments, and more. This annual campaign encourages Americans to be energy aware on ENERGY STAR Change a Light Day – and all year long.
More information about ENERGY STAR is also available toll-free by calling 1-888-STAR-YES or on their Web site: energystar.gov/changetheworld (http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=globalwarming.showPledgeHome).
CFLs contain a small amount of mercury, so it is important to dispose of them properly. The Michigan Department of Community Health has a helpful fact sheet that contains information on proper disposal: michigan.gov/documents/mdch/CFL_Fact_Sheet_193840_7.pdf (http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch/CFL_Fact_Sheet_193840_7.pdf).
The MPSC is an agency within the Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth.
Sept. 1 was a landmark day for energy-efficiency in the EU, as a new law requires retailers to stop ordering incandescent light bulbs. The bulbs are being phased out until 2012, with stores selling compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and halogen bulbs instead.
In the U.S., incandescent bulbs will be phased out by 2014 under the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007. Nothing will be mandated until 2012, although in many areas, energy companies are offering incentives such as mail-in rebates to switch to CFLs.
http://tinyurl.com/ybygogr
Induction lighting is one of the best kept secrets in energy-efficient lighting. Simply stated, induction lighting is essentially a fluorescent light without electrodes or filaments, the items that frequently cause other bulbs to burn out quickly. Thus, many induction lighting units have an extremely long life of up to 100,000 hours. To put this in perspective, an induction lighting system lasting 100,000 hours will last more than 11 years in continuous 24/7 operation, and 25 years if operated 10 hours a day.
The technology, however, is far from new. Nikola Tesla demonstrated induction lighting in the late 1890s around the same time that his rival, Thomas Edison, was working to improve the incandescent light bulb. In the early 1990s, several major lighting manufacturers introduced induction lighting into the marketplace.
Despite its high initial cost, induction lighting has many superior characteristics, including the following:
- Virtually maintenance-free operation
- High efficacy—in many cases, 60+ or 70+ lumens per watt
- Long life
- Excellent color rendering index (CRI)—80+ and in some cases 90+
- Choice of warm white to cool white (2,700–6,500 K) color temperature
- Instant start and restrike operation
- No flickering, strobing, or noise
- Low-temperature operation
- Dimmable capability with some units
- High power factor: .90+
Long Lifespan
Experience with using induction lighting at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad, New Mexico, has demonstrated the long life in actual usage. WIPP’s first induction lighting system was installed in 1998, replacing high-pressure sodium (HPS) lights. More than 10 years later, all but three of the original 36 induction units are still operating after more than 88,000 hours of continuous, 24/7 operation. Additional systems were installed in 2002 and succeeding years, both indoors and outside, with excellent results.
Having said that, there are some caveats. One induction bulb’s rated life is only 15,000 hours and its output is only 1,100 lumens. It is a self-contained all-in-one screw-in unit that can directly replace a conventional incandescent or compact fluorescent bulb. This bulb targets different applications than those of most other induction lighting systems because of both its lower light output and shorter life.
Two of the top manufacturers of induction lighting systems have an average rated life of 100,000 hours, including the ballast. Some other manufacturers only rate their ballasts for 60,000 hours, even though the bulb may last longer. Check out the warranties before buying. Some manufacturers offer full five-year warranties on the entire induction lighting system. Others offer shorter warranties on some or all components.
Although they may last 100,000 hours, after 60,000 to 100,000 hours of operation the initial lumen output of many of the induction lighting systems drops to 70%—the point where relamping is often recommended.
Applications with High Potential for Induction Lighting
- In hard-to-reach locations that make maintenance costs high, such as street lighting and tunnels, or in high ceilings where there is continuous operation, such as hotel rotundas
- Cold environments, such as supermarket walk-in coolers and freezers
- Where high-quality lighting is required or highly desirable
- Where reliability is highly valued
- Where high lumen output is required
- In areas that require lamps to reach full illumination immediately.
Saving More Energy with Innovative Controls
Some manufacturers are introducing innovative control strategies for additional energy savings.
Although most units cannot be dimmed, at least two systems allow for full dimming. One company has teamed with the University of California Lighting Technology Center at the University of California Davis campus to demonstrate a bi-level induction lighting system. This system has two brightness levels. In areas such as parking garages, the light remains at half brightness in the absence of occupants and moves to full brightness when an occupancy sensor shows the presence of someone entering the area. (PDF 3.0 MB). Download Adobe Reader.
Utility Involvement in Induction Lighting
Utilities throughout the country are installing and/or promoting induction lighting. For example, many Northwest public utilities are offering incentives. One utility in New Jersey has a program offering municipal customers the opportunity to replace older mercury vapor street lighting fixtures with new induction lighting fixtures.
Environmental Drawback
As do standard fluorescent bulbs, induction bulbs contain a small amount of mercury, although it is in a solid state that makes it less harmful in case of breakage. Nonetheless, dispose of these bulbs responsibly at the end of their service life like fluorescent bulbs because of the mercury content.
Article by John Lippert, an employee of Energy Enterprise Solutions, a contractor for EERE. He assists with technical reviews of content on the Consumer Guide Web site.
Pretty soon, lighting is going to get a lot more efficient.
New standards for incandescent reflector bulbs, general purpose fluorescent bulbs, and regular incandescent bulbs are going into effect beginning in approximately three years.
We’ve discussed compact fluorescent lighting on the blog in the past, but you may be curious about how these standards will affect the most popular types of incandescent bulbs we’ve all used for so long: the common non-reflector 40-watt, 60-watt, 75-watt, and 100-watt bulbs.
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (also known as EISA) requires that these incandescent bulbs use 30% less energy than today’s bulbs by 2012 to 2014. The “phasing out” of less-efficient bulbs will begin with 100 watt bulbs in 2012; lesser wattage light bulbs will then be gradually removed from distribution, ending with non-compliant 40 watt bulbs being taken out in 2014.
There will then be a “Tier 2″ required improvement of incandescent bulbs, requiring that they be at least 70% more efficient than today’s bulbs—effectively equal to today’s compact fluorescents (CFLs)—which would take effect by 2020. This echoes similar legislation in other countries that are trying to adopt more energy-efficient lighting; it has also spurred media articles proclaiming that Congress is banning incandescent light bulbs.
Can that be true?
Wait! Not so fast. That’s not quite accurate. EISA 2007 is performance-based and does not specifically ban incandescent bulbs. The legislation established minimum requirements for bulb life and for the amount of light delivered per unit of energy consumed. For the same lumen output, the minimum requirements represent a reduction of 25% over the incandescent technology in use in 2007. The specific requirements are:
- Beginning on Jan. 1, 2012, bulbs with a rated lighting output of 1,490 to 2,600 lumens (current 100-watt bulbs) may consume a maximum of 72 watts.
- Beginning on Jan. 1, 2013, bulbs with a rated lighting output of 1,050 to 1,489 lumens (current 75-watt bulbs) may consume a maximum of 53 watts.
- Beginning on Jan. 1, 2014, bulbs with a rated lighting output of 750 to 1,049 lumens (current 60-watt bulbs) may consume a maximum of 43 watts, and bulbs with a rated lighting output of 310 to 749 lumens (current 40-watt bulbs) may consume a maximum of 29 watts.
California and Nevada are authorized to adopt the standards up to a year earlier. For the same start dates as above, bulbs must meet a 1,000 hour minimum rated lifetime.
The requirements cover general purpose incandescent bulbs with medium screw bases with light output ranging from 310 to 2,600 lumens; dimmer and brighter bulbs are not covered. Specialty bulbs are exempted, at least for now. The U.S. Department of Energy is authorized to monitor sales of certain exempted bulbs between 2010 and 2025 and impose regulations if DOE deems them to be appropriate. Simply put, specialty bulbs such as appliance, bug light, plant, rough service, shatter-resistant/shatter-proof/shatter-protected, 3-way incandescent, black light, and colored bulbs are exempt.
Manufacturers are introducing new halogen bulbs, a type of more efficient, longer-lasting incandescent bulb, that comply with the standard. Companies also are working on high-efficiency incandescent bulbs that could possibly satisfy the requirement. Work is progressing on totally different high efficiency lighting technologies as well.
By John Lippert whom is an employee of Energy Enterprise Solutions, a contractor for EERE. He assists with technical reviews of content on the Consumer Guide Web site.
The new standards apply to general service fluorescent lamps, used in most offices and commercial buildings, and incandescent reflector lamps, which are used for recessed lighting and track lighting. It will result in a 15% lower electricity use for general fluorescent lamps, while decreasing the electricity use of incandescent reflector lamps by 25%. For more information, see the entire EERE article here http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/news_detail.cfm/news_id=12613
