EleBlog

07 Sep, 2010

There's a paper (downloadable PDF) on the DoE microsite devoted to LEDs on Lighting + color quality. Title: "Rationale of Color Quality Scale." Among the points:


The paper is readable, even for schmoes like me, as there are illustrations throughout that help you see the case being made. You don't have to "buy" the substitution of CQS for CRI, but you ought to read the thing. To download it, go here and look under June 2010.

23 Aug, 2010

. . . in Alberta, Canada -- a June 9 article in the Edmonton Journal is really about air pollution. But the hearing held to investigate that included something about Light Pollution, too:

20 Aug, 2010

That's what a Q&A in the "Consults" blog (it's about medicine) on the NY Times site talked about on 8/11. Here's a bit of what the Dr. had to say (the link at left takes you to the blog, the link below takes you to research the Dr. recommended):

18 Aug, 2010

Company "warns" on stimulus-funded streetlighting decisions by cities.

Free DoE webtool - big lighting energy savings in office buildings

'Builders' tip' -- switch work lights to CFL bulbs (from NAHB weekly newspaper)

. . .  some lighting can cause problems. Halogens, for instance, can get too hot, while smaller tungsten-filament trouble lights can be troublesome.

After they have been on for a while, the filament heats up and becomes fragile. Then, the slightest jolt can break the filament, causing the incandescent bulb to go out — even the so-called “rough-duty” bulbs.

To avoid this problem, I’ve replaced filament bulbs in all my trouble lights with compact-fluorescent screw-in bulbs, as shown in the accompanying drawing. After having dropped work lights and knocked them about, I can testify that compact-fluorescent bulbs can take some abuse — and still work.

Facility managers, lighting retrofits & codes + standards

Homeowners, energy savings & lighting control (Q&A with a Lagotek exec)

12 Aug, 2010

LED edges BELOW $20 (NY Times green blog)

When light triggers migraines (NY Times medical blog)

"as many as 500 million conventional T12 lamps are in place" -- from the National Lighting Bureau's latest release.

THIS SUNDAY IN DALLAS: Free DoE LED Lighting Workshop (from Craig DiLouie's blog)

11 Aug, 2010

In July, the DoE had an SSL Workshop.


ALSO: Tutorials + webcasts plus downloadable handouts from the thing itself.

10 Aug, 2010

I've been reviewing the results of OSRAM Sylvania's 2nd annual "Socket Survey" here -- there were 2 previous EleBlog posts. Here's another, probably the last:

One slide (Page 19) of the Sylvania presentation noted the answer to Q10 of the survey:


There are bans of certain bulbs beginning in 2012. I don't expect awareness to increase. When people have a choice in 2012 and in 2014 of CFLs (slightly more expensive than incandescents) and LEDs (very much more expensive, even tho they promise much longer life) . . . people are going to be REALLY TICKED OFF.

That's my prediction.

And: When they find out the Federal Government is the one that took away their 40-cent light bulbs, they are going to be EXTRA ticked off.

06 Aug, 2010

From a 7/21/10 release from DoE:

DOE announced plans today for a new consumer education initiative that will be timed to the upcoming changes in light bulb regulation. The initiative will provide greater awareness of the overall benefits of the legislative changes and new, “greener” technologies, such as LEDs and CFLs.

Joining DOE at the Solid-State Lighting (SSL) Market Introduction Workshop in Philadelphia for today’s announcement were representatives from GE, Philips, Cree, and Osram Sylvania, as well as major retailers including The Home Depot, Costco Wholesale and Grainger. These partners are already on board to work with DOE in this effort, and we anticipate that many more will follow their lead.

Why have you not seen anything just yet? The initiative launches in Fall 2010.

- - - - -

RELATED: Jim Brodrick of DoE, who heads the SSL program (which is all about LEDs), included in his Postings blog/PDF of 7/28 an explanation of why this education program is needed:

The point is that after EISA's standards take full effect, stores won't be carrying "your grandfather's light bulb" any more. Instead, they'll be selling only energy-efficient products, including those that use LEDs. But incandescent bulbs are pretty much all the American consumer knows, at least when it comes to most lighting applications. So the big concern is that many people will be lost if all that's available are LED lamps, CFLs, and other energy-efficient products – in other words, that they won't know how to distinguish between those products, or what to buy, the next time a light bulb needs changing.

That PDF includes his brief report on what happened at the DoE's 5th annual SSL Market Introduction Workshop.

04 Aug, 2010

Previously (July 23), an item posted here with a CFL Factolito from the 2nd annual Socket Survey, conducted by OSRAM Sylvania.

As I may have said even earlier, I have no bone to pick with OSRAM. It's a good company. It makes good products. And so forth.

And I am sure (as OSRAM, a unit of Siemens, has oodles of money), that it picked a very good firm to do the survey work. It was a consumer survey. I'm sure the lighting manufacturer did NOT do this survey itself.

However, one of the slides in a presentation based on the survey shows answers that are . . . at least in this one case . . . somewhat questionable.

Does that through "a new light" on all of the numbers generated in the Socket Survey? I don't know. You have to decide that.

But let's get to specifics.

- - - - -

According to page 12 of the 12/19/09 "The Lighting Landscape" presentation, respondents were presented with this question:

Are the LED light bulbs in your home being used like traditional light bulbs placed in sockets, or are they part of electronics you have in your home, or both?

Answers:

• Sockets = 5%
• Both Sockets + Electronics = 7%

. . . from which the inference is drawn (by OSRAM, on the slide) that "Total ownership of stand-alone LEDs" = 12%.

- - - - -

EleBlog take:

Home-ownership stats show about 80 million owned dwelling units in the U.S. (that is to say, there are 80 million places to live owned by individuals + families).

I doubt -- I really, really doubt -- that 12% of them (or 9.6 million!!!) have LEDs in at least one socket.

In fact, I would say that the number is "incredible" -- and not in a good way.

No. It's Not Credible.

26 Jul, 2010

According to a story in the Guardian (of the U.K.), utilities in that country have given away 224 million energy-saving lightbulbs.

That's 10 for each household.

A survey by the Energy Saving Trust (done in '09), "the average home had six unused bulbs lying in drawers."

What kind of light bulb is obtained FREE OF CHARGE and still left unused?

It's a bunch of CFLs, of course.

Read more here.

25 Jul, 2010

IES has a publication, "Lighting Your Way To Better Vision." Much of the publication talks about an existing home. Here are 10 questions to ask if you're moving into a new home:

1. Adequate lighting in the parking area? Are steps + curbs "marked with white or yellow strips to indicate a change of level?"

2. Steps properly lighted -- inside and out?

3. Corridor lighting -- lots of questions. One = "Is there an excessively bright window at the end of the corridor that causes glare?"

4. How many windows will there be in each room?

5. "Is the lighting indirect, filling the space with light, or are the fixtures recessed (making the ceiling dark and cave-like)?

6. Light controls for bedroom and bathroom -- glowing switches?

7. "Where are lights placed relative to mirrors?"

8. "Is there lighting in the closets?"

9. Fluorescent task lights underneath kitchen cabinets?

10. Lighting in "hobby areas" -- ?

Download the thing here.

23 Jul, 2010

I've been leafing through the 2nd annual "Socket Survey" -- from OSRAM Sylvania. You can download a PDF of the presentation.

Here is one thing I noticed: The survey taker read people three light bulb types, with the general question

"For each one, please tell me if you have definitely heard of this type of light bulb, might have heard, or if you have not heard of this type of light bulb."

For compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) -- 72% have heard, 7% might have heard (by subtraction, 21% have not heard).

- - - - -

Them's the facts from the survey. Here's The EleBlog take:


. . . and yet, 21% of the folks surveyed (in a lighting survey, don't forget) have NOT HEARD of the damned things?

Incredible.

19 Jul, 2010

PG&E, the No. California utility, offers a 4-page (PDF) "business fact sheet" on LED replacement lamps.

Covered: CALiPER testing, linear replacement lamp testing, LED product labeling, and more. A key sentence from the conclusion:

19 Jul, 2010

The DoE's "Energy Savers" blog of 7/12 is titled "Changing How You Choose Light Bulbs" -- it's about the lighting labeling/packaging changes coming next year.

It's written for the consumer, but it's worth a professional's time to skim this (and perhaps click through on the links).

25 Jun, 2010

Happening in 2011. I think most people who make/sell the things are aware of this, but if you ain't, read the "consumerish" version of what's up here. 

15 Jun, 2010

Stuff about lighting that maybe you missed:

07 Jun, 2010

The most overhyped, overpromoted "mainstream" electrical product in the history of electricity -- yes, since Edison -- the Compact Fluorescent Lamp -- is now 25 years ago.

They've given CFL bulbs away. They've subsidized purchases. They've urged people to buy them. They've promoted the heck out of the energy savings of the things. They've constantly told people about the math (you save money in the long term if you buy one of these). They've attacked the idea that the mercury content of the CFL makes it a household danger.

And still, the damn things have like a 25% market share, at best, against the incandescent.

NOW, the lighting/energy-saving proponents have gotten the U.S. government to ban low-performing incandescent bulbs, as of 2012 and 2014. So - in theory - the CFL will now "win."

Except that the LED is coming up, quickly, along the rail. LEDs Magazine here asks: "Will there be another 25?"

03 Jun, 2010

Tyco started up a blog on Circuit Protection. I went over + checked it out. I found a 5/25 post on LEDs and stimulus money, but I persisted (you can count on me!) and read thru to the final paragraph, which was interesting:

See Tyco's blog here.

01 Jun, 2010

According to LEDs Magazine, an exhibitor at LightFair -- a CFL and LED supplier -- was caught with its pants down (by the U.S. DoE). 

29 May, 2010

Real about it at GreenTechMedia.com.

29 May, 2010

Even the idiots at The Motley Fool understand the advantages LEDs have over CFLs:

 (More)

29 May, 2010

Texas Instruments news:

It appears the chip-making world is swarming toward the LED-lighting world. It is probably going to be good.....

29 May, 2010

From Investors Business Daily:

As it does with memory-chip designs, Rambus plans to develop technologies to boost performance of LEDs and LED light fixtures. It will license the technologies to chip companies and lighting fixture makers.

27 May, 2010

Motion-sensing technology in floodlights from Cooper Lighting (a new product, but the EleBlog was not paid for this!) combine PIR plus Doppler radar. 

23 May, 2010

Nope, not a good idea.

From LEDs Magazine's coverage of LightFair, which happened a few weeks back:


See also this 4/2/10 post to NECA's energy solutions blog.

21 May, 2010

From a Reed Construction Data blog:


. . . with all of the talk about daylighting (and I've heard a lot, including a reference at a conference to the fact that daylighting would change the way architects designed buildings!) -- the basic truth in those 2 sentences can be lost. It's a VERY good idea if you envision having human beings work in your building.

18 May, 2010

It's the Leviton Zipline:


Note that Leviton paid EleBlog nothing for this, and we've not seen the product in action. Sounds good, tho.

16 May, 2010

It's true that most of us can't get our brains wrapped around the scale of things in India and/or China. Check out this paragraph, from the Times of India:

For perspective: That "Rs 15" and "Rs 100" reference is to the rupee, India's national currency. I used the currency converted at Oanda.com, and it looks like 15 rupees = 33 cents U.S. That's a bargain!
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27 Apr, 2010

Writing for the Lighting Controls Association, Craig DiLouie makes the point that there are COMPATIBILITY ISSUES when retrofitting LEDs in places where dimmers are already installed:

An issue of critical importance will be compatibility with the large installed base of lighting controls. It is estimated that there are some 150 million incandescent dimmers installed in American homes. Consumers value high-performance dimming, which offers the benefits of energy savings and mood setting. Additionally, application of energy-saving vacancy sensors continue to increase, driven largely by the Title 24 energy code.

Aside from poor performance with some low-end motion sensors, switching usually does not present any issues; well-designed integrated LED lamps turn ON and achieve full brightness instantly, making them friendly with switches, and frequent switching does not affect lamp life, making them friendly for use with vacancy sensors.

At first glance, LED technology appears to be very friendly with dimming control, with dimmable integrated LED lamps available. However, the given integrated lamp must be rated as compatible with the given line-voltage dimmer.

25 Apr, 2010

Why LED Street Lamps Are Better is a blog entry on CR4 -- which (via a link) takes you to a video on FirstZoom. 

14 Apr, 2010

These frickin' things are like Albert Pujols. Is there anything they can't do? 

13 Apr, 2010

I recently became aware of something called a Pharox, which is basically a brand name for someone's idea of an LED light bulb:


From here.

06 Apr, 2010

What about those LED "tube" replacements for fluorescents? See the NECA Energy Solutions blog I wrote on this, posted just the other day --

http://energysolutions.necanet.org/2010/04/led-replacements-for-fluorescent-tubes/

05 Apr, 2010

Did you know there were 6? Can you 'splain the difference between them?

Yes? Great!

NO? Go here --

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/6-types-of-occupancy-sensors-explained

01 Apr, 2010

Watkins also said the product has several advantages over compact fluorescent lighting, which he described as "crappy design, lousy light, and it has mercury and lead."

. . . from this story: http://cleantech.com/news/5723/bridgelux-reveals-corporate-partner'

[found this story via edisonreport.net]

01 Apr, 2010

Dept. of Energy investigation of torchiere lamps sold at retail -- ! ! !

http://thegovmonitor.com/world_news/united_states/doe-investigates-target-for-alleged-lighting-efficiency-violations-26709.html

25 Mar, 2010

Writing for Buildings magazine, a Chicago electrical engineer had this to say about sweep switches:

and

24 Mar, 2010

. . . that's the title of a recent Energy Solutions blog post I contributed (the link will take you to NECAnet.org). 

11 Mar, 2010

This is from a 12/09 article posted to LEDs Magazine's site:

In order to promote energy savings, CFLs are heavily discounted or are being given away, and incandescent bulbs are scheduled to be banned in the U.S beginning in 2012 (they are already banned in Europe). In spite of heavy investment in promoting CFLs, incandescent technology has proved difficult to unseat, especially in the residential segment.

There is no publicly available data on the number of CFLs that are recycled, but in a report on CFL recycling programs around the world published in July 2009 by the Northeast Waste Management Officials’ Association (NEWMOA), CFL recycling rates vary from 87% in Taiwan (which includes all fluorescent) to 3% in 2004 in Canada. Only 2% of CFLs were recycled by German households in 2008. There is increasing evidence that efficient recycling of CFLs is going to require heavy investments in new infrastructure and public education.

Rationally, one might say that the markets for CFLs is stagnant, that the still-ongoing efforts to hype that market via giveaways haven't worked, and that the state of CFL recycling is horrible (meaning more risk of mercury pollution from tens of thousands of these disposed improperly in local areas).

These things are a failure. I've have more on this in the next few days.

25 Feb, 2010

Before I discarded a print-out of an old (12/31/09) blog item from GreenTechMedia --

"Light Bulb Turns 130 -- and Heads to the Grave"

. . . I re-read it. Here's the last paragraph, which escaped my notice the first 3 times I handled this piece of paper:

-- some stuff to think about in there!

07 Feb, 2010

Back in December, the EleBlog ran a ditty about LEDs and traffic lights (see it here).

That was 12/28. Ten days later, LEDs Magazine ran a piece -- in response to the flood of negative stuff, NOT the EleBlog! -- with the headline LED advantages outweigh potential snow hazards in traffic signals.

. . . I've looked at that piece 4 times now. Each time, I say to myself -- "yeah sure, but -- probably not to the driver who is dead."

31 Jan, 2010

Venture capitalists engaged in a "greentech funding frenzy" in the year's first few days (new calendars make a big deal, apparently) -- according to GreenTech. Among the recipients: A company named Digital Lumens got $5 million of the cash to fund a closely kept secret of some sort involving LED lighting.

23 Jan, 2010

Yes! In Livermore, Calif. 

17 Jan, 2010

People who do energy audits MUST have a gazillion horror stories to tell. Put 'em together in a book and call it "Weird Tales Of Electricity!"

Leafing through a presentation (which I can't find online) by John L. Fetters of Effective Lighting Solutions -- "Back to Basics: Lighting Audits" -- I came across a slide with this:


As you might imagine, it's that final bullet that got me!

11 Jan, 2010

OK, apparently I sleep one heck of a lot of the time. A post to the GreenTechMedia.com site notes that the company Philips acquired over the summer, Teletrol Systems, was acquired from Dean Kamen. This is the guy who invented the Segway. From the thing:

Teletrol makes software and hardware to control lighting and other building energy-using systems at multiple sites from a central control platform. It has installations in more than 10,000 commercial and retail sites around the world.

Now it's part of Philips' lighting electronics group, adding to the group's stable of acquisitions. The Dutch electronics giant has spent $5.4 billion on buying various lighting and energy-related companies from 2005 to 2007, and earlier this year bought Australian lighting control company Dynalite.

and something on Kamen --

Kamen has worked with Philips on the past, recently asking the company to supply LEDs to North Dumpling Island, the island in Long Island Sound that Kamen owns and is setting up to be powered independently of the electricity grid with wind and solar power

. . . better late than never?

11 Jan, 2010

A two-page case study on saving energy in school gyms, from Universal Lighting Tech (the ballast makers) -- posted to Craig DiLouie's site -- includes this:


and

04 Jan, 2010

When an issue gets into The Wall Street Journal, does that mean it's emerged into the light . . . so to speak?

The 11/20 WSJ included an op-ed piece, Everything Is Deluminated, about the discussion and legislation in an Illinois town about keeping lights from polluting the sky. As is typical (I think) of the WSJ op-ed pieces, it's completely outrageous.


As is usually the case when I read a WSJ op-ed piece from start to finish, I came to the conclusion that the idiot who wrote the thing is . . . a big idiot. What sense does it make to use electricity to power lighting that illuminates . . . the sky?

- - - - -

Fortunately (so I feel that I didn't completely waste my time), there was this snippet:


a. I wasn't aware of the 1931 Detroit history. That's valuable and interesting.

b. Of course, even the idiot who wrote this wasn't making the case that streetlights have to spill light into the night sky. I think. But he was having fun writing about something that makes so much sense only an idiot would oppose it, so he went right on stepping all over Common Sense. For example: He included a tale about some stuff going on in Sedona, N.M., but -- from my reading long before this -- a lot of stuff goes on in Sedona that is a one-off (in a nation of thousands of towns and cities). It's a big SO WHAT YOU BLEEPING IDIOT.

c. The point attached to this was: People go out for walks and out on bicycles at night, so they need street lights that spill light up into the sky. I'm not sure I agree with that, either. The unspoken assumption here seems to be: We need to illuminate every country road (what the heck else do you think they have in Sedona?) so that people can exercise in the dark if they so desire.

- - - - -

Considering how little exercise Americans get as a group, it would be unwise to discourage people from night-time exercise. What gets lost (in this idiot's telling of the tale) is the fact that:

28 Dec, 2009

I am down (negative) on CFLs, for a variety of reasons. I am TRYING (trying, really I am) . . . to NOT be down on LEDs.

For one thing, no one (even someone who is "right" 100% of the time) should be down on everything.

For another, LEDs don't have the same number of problems that CFLs do, in my opinion.

However, LEDs -- again, my opinion -- just are not "there" yet.

Let me give you 2 quick examples:

1. I just leafed thru a direct-mail catalog with an LED "light bulb" (shaped just like a 60-watt incandescent). It replaces a 60W bulb with a 12W bulb-shaped thing chock full of LEDs. The cost: $59. The cost of an incandescent: Let's put it at 50 cents for argument's sake.

Now, let's say you keep the light in the socket on for 10 hours a day, for the sake of argument. The savings of the screw-in LED will be 10 x 48 = 480 watts. Over two days, let's round it up to 1 kilowatt. Over 365 days, let's round it up -- again -- to 200 kilowatt hours.

A kilowatt hour costs about 11 cents (a bit less, actually), in U.S. average price. Let's say the incandescent burned out once during the year, so you replaced it. Here's the cost of the incandescent:

50 cents x 2 bulbs = $1.00

11 cents x 200 kWh = $22.00

So it will take roughly 3 years for the LED to repay its initial cost. In the interim, a typical homeowner has paid the electrical bill in monthly increments.

Note that I've rounded up all of the numbers here in favor of LEDs. Electricity might cost less than 11 cents/kWh where you live; incandescents are said to burn out after 1,000 hours, but many last a lot longer. And some LEDs do, actually, give up the ghost before "forever."

Final note: I've seen where a 60-watt-equivalent LED might cost $40, not $59. So the payback might be two years. But this still requires a human being to put out $40 up front for a light bulb, instead of 50 cents (or less) for the incandescent.

I'M NOT SAYING LEDs ARE A RIP-OFF. I'm saying that you have to be very "green" to jump on this bandwagon.

2. Then, today, a friend of mine told me he noticed the story -- which has been around for about 2 weeks or so -- about LEDs using in municipal traffic lights having a problem. The deal: They don't give off a lot of heat, so the lights are freezing over. According to at least one source, this problem has already led to many traffic accidents, and perhaps one death.

The solution: Install a heating element with the LEDs in the traffic light, to prevent the thing from freezing over. I'm not sure what that's going to cost (I am sure it's going to prolong the return-on-investment on the savings from putting the LEDs in the traffic lights . . . right?).

See this report.

24 Dec, 2009

While visiting the EGSA blog, I came across this (admittedly, OLD) item:


Kind of makes you wonder, doesn't it? ConEd is the NYC utility. Isn't there anyone (or any group of electrical people, maybe) closer to NYC to have grabbed the $67M from ConEd?

And look at the work to be performed (via Willdan) -- for small biz:


If you're like me, you might immediately wonder who the F this "Willdan" is -- this is from the company's "about" page:

Willdan has dedicated itself to providing public agencies with reliable engineering and consulting services for more than 40 years. Combining depth of staffing, state-of-the-art technical resources, and local offices rooted in their communities, Willdan has earned its reputation as a problem solver across a wide range of client interests. We understand the concerns of government agencies – especially those of local government.

Our operating brands (linked below) offer a broad scope of expertise that uniquely qualifies us to serve the needs of cities, counties, and special districts, as well as state and federal agencies.

And here's a quote from Willdan's release on the ConEd deal:


If EleBlog correctly interpret that (and maybe . . . ) -- it seems to mean that Willdan ain't very big in the Northeast. It is a crying, screaming, steaming SHAME that no one in the electrical industry (a consortium of distributors and contractors, maybe?) could have stepped up and filled this bill for ConEd, a very nice price tag.

24 Dec, 2009

Apparently, YES -- in traffic light applications.

Why? They don't run hot, so in cold weather, they ice over . . . causing traffic accidents at this time of year and (according to the NEMA Blog) perhaps -- already -- one death.

12 Dec, 2009

A story on what is supposed to be the "first U.S. commercial LED-lit building" -- in Auburn, Wash. -- quotes Aleksey Guyvoronsky, owner of 5-Star Electric (also of Auburn). Here's the snippet:

04 Dec, 2009

The Lighting Control Association in October posted this 2,100-word "primer" on control wiring in a lighting and control system, by my friend Craig DiLouie. 

29 Nov, 2009

Business Week ran an article, "Can blue light save lives?"


No, really. I'm not kidding.

27 Nov, 2009

From a Business Week article on Philips & LEDs:

The shift will boost sales of energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs, but manufacturers say the real opportunity is in LED over the long term. Says Philips' de Jong: "In the next few years the price premium over fluorescent lights will be very modest, making it much more attractive for consumers to make the switch."

"de Jong" = Marc de Jong, "a member of Philips' management board and CEO of Philips' professional lighting division." Rudy Provoost, who is CEO of Philips Lighting, is also quoted in the piece.

According to the article, Philips has invested $5B in acquisitions in th epast five years, "in large part to expand its LED business." That's not precise enough for me, but there it is.

22 Nov, 2009

I've written previously (several times) that the people at CE Pro magazine tick me off. The reason: They are very, very good journalists. One such is Jason Knott, the Editor of the damn thing.

In the 11/09 issue, his editorial (page 10) is "4 Technologies Worse Than Their Predecessors."

Slick headline. Online, it's even more interesting (it's a slide show). You SHOULD click on the link agove, but if you don't, here are the 4 technologies that went the wrong way, in Jason's opinion:

• CFLs (I agree).

• 3D TVs.

• Digital music (vs. analog).

• Solar panels will make lighting control necessary (on this one, I need a little more 'splaining).

22 Nov, 2009

I came across two items on the LEDS Magazine site (dated 9/22 and 10/13):

a. Philips makes its own Lighting Facts labels.

Good news, you would think. Except that Philips had not received their labels from the Lighting Facts organization, but had instead gone ahead and made the labels themselves. 

That one appeared 9/22. Less than one month later . . .

b. OSRAM Sylvania LED lamp appears with rogue Lighting Facts labels.

Last month, LEDs Magazine reported that several Philips LED lamps were on sale in the USA with unauthorised versions of the Lighting Facts label on their packaging – 

After the problem came to light, the Philips lamps group hurriedly joined the program and submitted the required performance data.

Now, it appears that Osram Sylvania has also made its own Lighting Facts label for its 4W PAR16 LED lamp . .  . The label lacks the standard portrait format and other features of the authorized label.

When we checked the Lighting Facts website (on October 12), Osram Sylvania was listed as a partner, but the product in question was not listed.

Separate from the Lighting Facts label issue, the Osram Sylvania packaging also raises another issue, that of inappropriate comparison with existing technology. The 4W LED lamp is stated to be a replacement for a 25W lamp (of unspecified type).

31 Oct, 2009

See this article about Prismatic vs. Parabolic fixtures -- for the end-user perspective on lighting. 

02 Oct, 2009

. . . are summarized, HERE, by Craig DiLouie. Worth a scan by everybody. 

28 Sep, 2009

I am sick and frustrated about the way the world of CFL advocates is going about its "business" of forcing people to make lighting choices that suck.

Please read this, tip #6 of "Top 12 Tips for Energy Efficient Lighting Design," posted to the Lowes For Pros website:


Now, I don't know Kelley Cunningham. But if you read the sentence as written, it says: "reducing the chance of reverting back to incandescents."

In other words, let's arrange the lighting installation in someone's house -- someone's HOUSE, where they live with their family and spend their time off from work, most likely -- so that they can't have the kind of lighting they might want after trying CFLs.

Screw the customers! They might want incandescents, but we're going to force CFLs down their throat!!!

I really hate this. You might (maybe) ask -- "How is this accomplished?" It's accomplished with something called GU-24, a lamp base for CFLs. If one installs a lighting fixture with that base, it will be impossible (short of a rewiring job) for someone to screw in an incandescent if he/she/they are unhappy with the kind of light provided by CFLs.

I really, really hate this kind of thinking. If you pay attention to the CFL issue and CFL advocates, you see it all of the time.

28 Sep, 2009

CE Pro (back in May) ran a feature with the headline that appears on this item, written by Kevin Mikelonis, owner of Process Dealer Services Group ("a Lutron Homeworks authorized programmer"). It's a 2,500-word "case study" of sorts, starting with a phone call "from an out-of-state electrical contractor named Ed asking rather desperately for help" on a lighting control installation that was going wrong.

While the EC involved (apparently) had little or nothing to do with the way the control system was programmed, the control program was somehow blown up. Mikelonis wrote: "Within this program, there were 75 different rooms and 250 lighting loads named. This is like having 250 tools in 75 separate drawers of a large toolbox!"

15 Jun, 2009

According to this report, researchers at the U. of Rochester have found that:

An ultra-powerful laser can turn regular incandescent light bulbs into power-sippers . . . The process could make a light as bright as a 100-watt bulb consume less electricity than a 60-watt bulb while remaining far cheaper and radiating a more pleasant light than a fluorescent bulb can.

The laser process creates a unique array of nano- and micro-scale structures on the surface of a regular tungsten filament—the tiny wire inside a light bulb—and these structures make the tungsten become far more effective at radiating light.

Got that? Maybe the incandescent bulb is NOT going to go away (?) . . .

 (More)

10 Jun, 2009

The Christian Science Monitor several weeks ago ran a story about energy efficiency, lighting, and such. It's a pretty good piece, interesting to read. Check out these slick paragraphs:

Osram Sylvania already sells premium-priced fluorescent bulbs that meet the highest possible standard DOE might soon implement. But some company officials say the toughest standard being weighed for fluorescent tube lights is not the most appropriate.

“One concern we have is that legislators are listening to all the press releases about what future technology can do, but not paying attention to real life,” says Susan Anderson, energy relations manager for Osram Sylvania.

Many residential customers, she notes, have older fluorescent fixtures that are incompatible with high-efficiency bulbs, so the toughest standard would force homeowners to replace not just bulbs, but fixtures as well.

Technology experts at Sylvania say they can make lighting more efficient but that technical hurdles are getting higher. “We’re reaching the limit in gaining savings from the lamp alone,” says Martin Zachau, vice president of research and development. “A lot of future potential energy savings is really more in the electronics than the lamp itself. It’s a growing challenge.”

08 Jun, 2009

"Prevent 17 Common Lighting Mistakes" is a Buildings magazine article. It's 1,935 words, which is about 100 words per miscue. Here's #13, which is about end-zone dancing, I guess:

04 Jun, 2009

The NY Times' "Green Inc." blog asks whether incandescents can be made more efficient. A slice of the thing:

Michael Siminovitch, the director of the California Lighting Technology Center, described super-efficient incandescents as the “holy grail” of lighting research right now.

“The stuff is happening, and will happen,” Mr. Siminovitch said. “We’re all going to be doing it because people hate fluorescents so much.”

EleBlog take: Mr. S is absolutely correct!

04 Jun, 2009

TEDMAG this past week posted a Special Report based on what I heard at LightFair (early May, NYC) about LEDs. It wasn't all good. In fact, it was surprisingly BAD. What that means: I was surprised, anyway. 

02 Jun, 2009

Via the services of BOM magazine, GE Lighting is presenting a free webinar on lighting on June 11. From the propaganda:

Key Learning Objectives:

1) Understand today's lighting options (including LEDs) so that you can maximize your facility's appearance and savings, by comparing what you currently have with today's most efficient solutions

2) Stay compliant with legislation and learn how to take advantage of the incentives, rebates & tax deductions that help improve your already attractive lighting retrofit ROI

3) Understand the economic value of lighting upgrades and learn how to arrive at the right decision for your facility

06 May, 2009

Saw a lot of exhibitors on Day One of LightFair 2009. Attended one session, which I had to leave early. The topic:

"100,000-Hour Lifetimes and Other LED Fairytales." Presenter: Dr. John W. Curran of LED Transformations.

Unfortunately, I had to leave early (after only 1 HR of this 90-minute session). Some points worth thinking about:


Curran stressed, at the beginning of his presentation, that he was not ANTI-LEDs. But he made a lot of points aimed at getting lighting people to rethink blind faith in LEDs. There's an awful lot yet to be done. I skipped ahead to slide #99 (of 101) to get to his conclusions, which I did not get to hear:

25 Apr, 2009

No less a publication than The New Yorker (3/23) ran an article, featuring the famous designer Howard Brandston, on urban lighting. Brandston hates high-pressure sodium lighting. While he's at the very top of the pyramid, I don't believe those of us here at the bottom like that crummy light any better. 

25 Apr, 2009

That's the subject of an 1,830-word article from FacilitiesNet. Did you know? A law enacted in 2004 in NEw York City "requires installation of photoluminescent emergency markings in any office building more than 75 feet in height, regardless of age."  (More)

11 Apr, 2009

As much as you might like to argue with what's in this release on daylighting, you probably won't find yourself able to do so. 

10 Apr, 2009

A recent feature in Electrical Contractor magazine tackled one of my favorite topics, how lighting needs to change as a building's occupants age. 

08 Apr, 2009

From a Maine newspaper, on compact fluorescent lamps:

Legislation to be presented at the State House today would require makers of the bulbs to set up and promote a statewide collection and recycling program.

Conservationists say the idea will keep an environmental success story from turning into an environmental problem. A group of manufacturers, however, warns that the proposed solution will make the bulbs so expensive that many Mainers may stop buying and installing them.

07 Apr, 2009

I can't make stuff like this up -- the National Geographic Preserve Our Planet Hybrid Lighting Collection. 

29 Mar, 2009

Lighting retrofits are THE thing that this country needs. We are wasting a lot of kilowatts to provide light (in many case, out-of-date insufficient light!) to office buildings and elsewhere. This is not just "Green," it's goshdarn common sense.

Consulting-Specifying ENgineer recently ran a feature from a Pittsburgh engineer on Retrofititing Office Lighting Controls. Among other things, the writer talked about occupancy sensors:

Think about that. A room which is occupied less than 6 hours a day provides a better-than-3-year payback on a occupancy sensor. Why the heck aren't these everywhere? 

16 Mar, 2009

OLED = organic light-emitting diode, a technological variant of the LED that's goinna be BIG in lighting.



The graphic above is from a research firm's report that says OLED sales will be $6 billion in 2018.

LED lighting is coming. It's going to be a major change for electrical contractors and the distributors who sell to them. The EleBlog can have no idea if this research report is correct, but it is (obviously, from the graphic above) pointing in the direction of Market Disruption.

15 Mar, 2009

GE recently rolled out the Energy Smart CFL -- old (12/15/08) story here. The company has a savings calculator here. 

12 Mar, 2009

CALCTP is an acronym for a training program on lighting + energy efficiency in California. I first heard about it at last year's NECA Show. Here's a release that talks about it (although the release source is NOT the creator of CALCTP) -- and here's a paragraph of interest:

12 Mar, 2009

I've been attending the National Facilities Maintenance & Technology show the past few days (in Baltimore). I've heard a lot, and some of it will end up (eventually) here somewhere.

Among other things, I've heard:


I have this picture of older Americans (there are a lot of us) squinting to read what's printed out on recycled copy paper in substandard ambient light. I know that "vision" is an overreaction.

Yet I've had experience with this. Once, upon presenting a report to a group of clients -- printed on recycled paper -- I got a lecture about not being so damn cheap. The client delivering the lecture worse glasses and had a problem seeing what was printed on the paper.

And on the CFL front, I've previously written how difficult it was for my wife (who has vision problems) to read using light from an expensive floorlamp I purchased (which came with a CFL pre-installed).

. . . so perhaps my "vision" is not so damn stupid.

10 Mar, 2009

You'll have to read this post carefully. It's about how LEED might have someone design a parking lot lighting deal and safety. I'm not sure it's accurate. It's been up on the site, We Light, for four months and attracted zero comments (which may not mean anything). 

16 Feb, 2009

The EleBlog remains upset, skeptical, and quizzical about CFLs. However, they ARE here.

Here's a slide show (from TheDailyGreen.com) titled 10 New CFLs to Fit Your Life and Lamps.
 (More)

08 Feb, 2009

. . . according to NEMA (release and graphics here):

06 Feb, 2009

My friend Craig DiLouie is still providing a great take on lighting industry news online, but he's changed the location to http://www.lightnowblog.com.

Sample: A 2/4 post was headlined Efficiency Laws Are Retiring Lighting's Workhorses. Here's a slice:

30 Jan, 2009

My client NECA+IBEW together run ElectricTV.net. The recent edition (posted 12/29/08) included a segment on LED street lights in Ann Arbor, Mich.

It might be worth a look-see.

28 Jan, 2009

When I talk to people about LEDs, I try to point out that they are going to change the very nature of lighting. The technology makes things like a "wall of light" possible (changing ambient lighting, for example).

Here's a 1,200-word story from the Cape Times (in South Africa), offered 12/23/08, headlined The future of lighting may be turned on to paper-thin sheets.

The article talked about OLEDs (organic LEDs). It's stuff that used to be futuristic. You'll find the article FASCINATING. And yet it doesn't go far enough into the possibilities of this technology.

This is gonne be BIG. Find the piece here.

19 Jan, 2009

An Associated Press article on Boston.com -- on light bulbs -- pretty much goes all over the place (which is pretty impressive, considering it is relatively short). Among other facts in there:

The cost of switching to LEDs and compact fluorescents could be a jolt to some consumers. Royal Philips Electronics introduced a line of LEDs in Europe last year for about $90. General Electric's base LED bulb sells for about $35 to $40.

Americans keep about 73 million lights on every day for a period of between four and 12 hours, with about 28 million powered by energy-efficient bulbs, according to the Department of Energy.

What the article OMITS: General Electric recently halted its research into creation of a more-efficient incandescent bulb. In theory, this would be a bulb that could meet the federal efficiency lighting standards of 2012 (keeping incandescents in the game). Here's what Craig DiLouie wrote about this a month ago.

12 Jan, 2009

While stumbling over an article on Transformers the other day from the New Yorker magazine -- I had clipped it from the magazine two years ago, and was pleased (a) to find the tear-out in my files, and (b) to discover the article freely available online(!) -- I found another piece worth calling to your attention.

It's about LIGHT POLLUTION, and it's from the 8/20/07 issue. A tiny slice:

12 Jan, 2009

After listening to a 90-second podcast from a Jones Lang LaSalle associate on "sustainability in industrial buildings," the website Globest.com (which is pretty good, by the way) asked him to elaborate ("go into greater depth on the feasability of building industrial product to LEED standards." Here's where you find it -- and here's an important (to EleBlog visitors, I hope) slice:

GlobeSt.com: You say industrial lighting costs can be reduced by "up to 40%," but what is the average savings? How much additional upfront costs would be involved to reach the 40% figure?

Brandt: From a tenant’s perspective, often new buildings can come outfitted with energy-efficient T5 or T8 lighting already in place. There are no direct costs for this tenant, only savings in their monthly electricity costs. Other times this cost will come out of a tenant improvement allowance.

A general estimate is that T5 or T8 lighting will require a 15%-25% premium over the cost of metal halide lighting. The actual average savings is tough to estimate as other factors such as daylight harvesting, motion sensors, interior painting, and skylights all affect the final number.

While this might not be as high as 40% for all tenants, any savings they can realize over older metal halide lighting will help to improve their bottom line.

05 Jan, 2009

OSRAM Sylvania conducted a socket survey. I have no bone to pick with Sylvania, but I'm pretty certain the results (read 'em here) are skewed somehow.

Here's one result:


I'm pretty sure that, if this result is correct, it's not reflected in actions by actual human beings. Sales of CFLs are up, but they are not up to the point that 68% of U.S. consumers are buying ONLY CFLs when they go to the store to buy replacements.

Let's say I'm right. Why would that number have popped up in the survey?

Well, it seems to me that, were you to do a comprehensive survey on Broccoli, you'll find out that Americans claim to eat a lot more of the stuff than is actually sold.

You can find this in a lot of things. An overwhelming number of Americans claims to be religious Christians, and yet church attendance does not reflect this.

Surveys are scientific. But like any scientific product, the numbers need to be understood by first throwing in a heaping helping of Common Sense.

31 Dec, 2008

"How LEDs Improve the Bottom Line for Commercial and Industrial Users" is the title of a two-page article in the 32-page Nov/Dec issues of LED Journal. You have to download the whole magazine (32p PDF) -- and it's FREE. Go to page 22 to see the aritlce, which includes a slice on "maintenance economics - the missing link." 

16 Dec, 2008

Michael C. Schmitt is senior vp for electrical special projects for Egan Co. in Minneapolis/St. Paul, according to his credit line on an article in the 9/08 issue of EC&M -- Lighting for the 21st Century. The bio note also says "He's a member of the IBEW." Noteworthy (in the EleBlog's view) paragraphs:

Sometimes, it's difficult to convince a customer it's time for a change. Two main factors typically hold companies back from installing new lighting technology. The first deals with cost — as system retrofits can be quite expensive. Although the time needed to see the results on a company's bottom line might take longer than desired, it's your job to convince the client it will likely spend far less in the long-term due to energy bill savings and lower maintenance costs.

Beyond cost, a second factor causing companies not to move forward with the most innovative technology is that new technology is constantly introduced into the market. Some companies are anxious about installing the newest system and then a year later a new piece of technology replaces what was just installed. Your message to those naysayers should be the energy savings they'll reap now will be more favorable than what is presently installed as a system — not to mention electric utility rebate programs can help reduce their initial investment.

Good stuff, Mike.

25 Nov, 2008

I'm not sure this 1,872-word article will enlighten you, but then it's interesting to find an article in Consulting-Specifying Engineer magazine written by an employee of an electrical contractor. James W. Hines is a senior electrical engineer for Rex Moore Electrical Contractors & Engineers (Sacramento).

Hines has a P.E. and a LEED AP after his name. Maybe this is worth your time!

18 Nov, 2008

An item in a recent Springwise newsletter carried the headline "Hotel helps guests fight jet lag." It's a quick read, and there are several lighting angles in the piece, including this one:

18 Nov, 2008

A feature in the online edition of "Green Intelligent Buildings" supplement to Engineered Systems (an HVAC magazine) -- from a wireless lighting system supplier -- made some good points. Here's a particularly telling section:


Bottom line: Reduced need for an electrician, at the beginning (in constructing the building) -- and especially over time.

17 Nov, 2008

NECA's Electrical Design Library has published (and offers to anyone for FREE) a 4-page PDF explaining LED Lighting's advantages and prospects to the unenlightened. 

19 Sep, 2008

A blogger for NEMA put together a few well-chosen words about energy-efficient lighting, in response to a Washington Times op-ed piece. NEMA (which is the Natl. Electrical Manufacturers Assn., if you didn't know) allows responders to post on its site. There is (as of now) one comment, which includes this:


EleBlog take:

a. I do not read the Washington Times. It is a newspaper owned by the Rev. Moon. Leaving political leanings aside, I don't believe any newspaper should be owned by a religious organization (period). Plus, I'm pretty sure I can't give ANY credibility to a newspaper owned by a person who believes what Moon seems to believe.

b. The NEMA blogger correctly notes that the law DID NOT DO AWAY with incandescent bulbs. They just have to come up in the world in terms of efficiency (by 2012-14). I'm thinking that's a possibility.

c. The respondent, however, is correct. Fluorescent lighting is not a lot of fun.

30 Aug, 2008

Here's a factolito about LED downlights from the CREE Inc. earnings call transcript:

26 Aug, 2008

I wrote that line (should I copyright it?) in a missive titled, "How do energy-smart retrofits happen, anyway?" It's one of the better 1,500-word pieces I've written lately. Give it a read. 

13 Aug, 2008

I've done a good deal of reading lately about the "circadian" system -- which means, I think, "the human system" -- and it's reaction when exposed to light.

My reading has nothing to do with my professional interest in the electrical industry and lighting itself. It has more to do with the fact that I am a diabetic. One of the things you can read in books for diabetes is that SLEEP is important, and that the advent of big numbers of humans with diabetes has something to do with Edison's invention of the light bulb.

Well, here's more, but not about diabetes. It's from a release on "circadian math" from the Lighting Research Center, and it offers some hope to those who would like to get the 7, 8, or 9 hours of sleep a night that artificial lighting is (apparently) playing a key role in denying them:

Like a wristwatch that needs to be wound daily for accurate time-telling, the human circadian system — the biological cycles that repeat approximately every 24 hours — requires daily light exposure to the eye’s retina to remain synchronized with the solar day. In a new study published in the June issue of Neuroscience Letters, researchers have demonstrated that when it comes to the circadian system, not all light exposure is created equal . . .

Short-wavelength light, including natural light from the blue sky, is highly effective at stimulating the circadian system. Exposure to other wavelengths — and thus colors — of light may necessitate longer exposure times or require higher exposure levels to be as effective at “winding the watch.” 

18 Jun, 2008

Getting the light switches of the world to chat amonst themselves was the headline on a 5/21 blog on the NY Times website. The blog goes by the name BITS -- the entry, which is pretty interesting, can be found here. The article is all about a company that makes smart technology chips. A slice:


EleBlog take: I was attracted to the piece (by the headline) because I thought it was about ZigBee. I'm not sure we need another technology that lets light switches talk to each other, when we already have several!

03 Jun, 2008

For business reasons, I had to consult government building/energy data today. It's called CBECS (commercial buildings energy consumption survey). The government did a CBECS survey in 1995, 1999, and again in 2003. The 2003 data were revised 6/06, accoridng to the table (Table B43) that I printed out.

Here's the scoop on a HUGE opportunity:Commercial "non-mall" buildings constructed, by year:


I'm not sure why there is an "all buildings" total and a "lit buildings" total, but I went with the lesser number.

For the years before 1980, then, there are 2,537,000 buildings -- STILL IN USE as of the 2003 survey.

For more on CBECS, go here.

- - - -

Page 218 (the 3rd page of Table B43) shows "Renovations in Buildings Constructed Before 1980." According to this table, as of the CBECS survey date (2003), 444,000 of the "non-mall" commercial buildings built before 1980 had undergone a Lighting Upgrade since 1980.

• Now, you can do a lot of quibbling here. A building that had a lighting upgrade in 1995 probably needs another one. AND, certainly, at least some of the buildings that had NOT had an upgrade since 1980 HAVE had one in the period 2003-2008.

But still -- this government data tells us that, as of 2003, MOST of the building built before 1980 had not had a lighting upgrade. In fact, if you take the trouble to subtract 444K from 2,537K, you get 2,093,000 buildings built before 1980 that NEEDED a lighting upgrade as of less than five years ago.

• Quibbling further still: There were 652,000 "lit" buildings constructed in the years 1980-89, and another 781,000 "lit" buildings built in the years 1990 to 1999. I would guess some of them have had lighting upgrades in the 8+ years since, but many have not.

Therefore, we can say (to ourselves) this: Some big number -- close to 2 million (?) -- of older commercial buildings NEED a lighting upgrade right now. According to government data. As best as we can tell. And there is MORE, almost certainly, in the buildings built between 1980 and 1999.

- - - - -

Now, let's go ahead and quibble. Let's say 50% of the opportunity in the pre-1980 buildings has disappeared in the past 5 years, as many of these old (pre-1980) buildings. Let's say 50% of the buildings built between 1980 and 1999 already have had a recent (2001 or later) lighting upgrade. That still leaves the sitch as follows:


So if you walk down an "average" urban or suburban street in the U.S. today, and walk or drive past 10 building that were built before 1999, there's a good chance that four of them need an up-to-date, modern, energy-savvy lighting retrofit.

. . . now, go ahead and Quibble Still Further. Say that the 2003 survey is old, energ prices have become much higher lately, and there's been a rush of retrofitting. Cut the opportunity outlined here in half again.

That still means TWO out of every TEN buildings -- some 850,000 nationwide -- need lighting retrofits.

01 Jun, 2008

I got a handout on the Energy Star Program from some event I attended. I just got around to reading it this past  week. It's from March 2003 (that's the date on it). There is a bullet point that says this:


 . . .  I didn't know there were 100 manufacturers of light bulbs (of all types) in the world. So, I guess, if you are Paying Attention, you DO learn something every day!

01 Jun, 2008

That's the name of a new program NEMA is rolling out. The release, found here, notes that the initiative will include:

09 Apr, 2008

From The News-Herald (Panama City, Fla.):

A Bay County businesswoman who has spearheaded efforts to develop “turtle-friendly” lighting fixtures to prevent disorientation of sea turtle hatchlings has received national recognition from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Gradi Morgan, owner of Rachel’s Lighting and Home Accessories, is one of two Florida residents selected for the Recovery Champion Award issued by the federal agency each year. This year’s award recognizes contributions from 16 agency employees and private citizens nationwide toward efforts of recovering threatened and endangered species in the United States.

01 Apr, 2008

AgWeb.com recently hosted a 1,400-word opus on lighting a farm shop. I'm always interested in lighting articles aimed at end-users (rather than at the electrical community) -- and this one disappoint. A snippet:

Clear thinking. Sound reasoning. And: If everyone thought like this, the electrical industry would have more work to do than it could accomplish before the end of 2015!

30 Mar, 2008

Some recent news on compact fluorescent lamps:

LIGHTING DESIGNERS -- the IALD has issued a position statement on incandescent bulb bans. Included among 7 bullets in the thing:


Yep. Read the other 6 points. There's a lot to think about here. My interpretation of the IALD statement is that it boils down to one word . . . Whoa!

- - - - -

NEMA ADDRESSES FEARS -- the electrical manufacturers' group has issued a white paper (available FREE) addressed, apparently, to consumers. Despite that, the title they came up with was "Failure Modes for Self-Ballasted Compact Fluorescent Lamps - A NEMA Update." Catchy, eh? NEMA's release says it:


I am fairly certain that turnings CFLs into SBCFLs is not a consumer service.

- - - - -

NBC NEWS FANS FEARS -- an item posted to the CE Pro website carries the headline "CFL Cleanup: Harder Than It Sounds" and includes an embedded video of an NBC Nightly News segment on what happens when a CFL bulb breaks ("and mercury leaks out").

The 2-minute video deals with two main CFL issues, both stemming from the fact that the things include Mercury:

a. Whaddya do when the light bulb breaks? A Maine woman is shown; she asked local authorities and was eventually referred to a company that would charge her $2,000 for cleanup. That will pay for a lot of incandescent bulbs -- which you can buy now and store for future use!

b. Whaddya do when the bulb reaches the end of its useful life? There's still mercury in the damn thing. NBC News says: Take it to a household hazardous waste disposal facility. Hey, good luck with that! Unless you have a lot of HHW to get rid of on a regular basis (how much of that stuff do you use regularly), that means you'll have to STOCKPIILE used CFLs somewhere (safe) in your house, and (eventually) dump 'em all at once.

. . . so you don't blow the energy (and money) saved driving a few CFLs to the HHW site.

- - - -

ELEBLOG TAKE:

Here's a damn good bet: You won't drive one used CFL at a time to the HHW site (unless you are out of your mind). So you'll create a space in your house -- the top shelf of a closet, maybe -- where you'll put a box of dead CFLs, with the idea being that you'll "eventually" get those bulbs to the right disposal site.


My bet is that the following happens:


- - - - -

Here's the thing: CFL market share ran up last year -- 180 million of them were sold to American consumers. According to the DOE, that gave CFLs a 20% share of domestic bulb use. Unless much more efficient incandescents are developed -- or LEDs become a lot cheaper (which is the EleBlog hope!) -- by 2016 every screw-in socket in your house, when replaced, will sport a CFL.

If all of this seems like "much ado about nothing," you are wrong. Mercury doesn't belong in the same environment with human beings. The environmental people (I'm a tree-hugger, so I'm on that team) have been very clear about the risks of mercury. Now, some of the same people are advocating CFLs because they use less energy than incandescents.

Above, some things -- pro and con -- for you to take a look at. I've read and watched this stuff, and the previous volumes of info, about CFLs. I'm against them just on the mercury angle.

. . . And I've not even dealt here with the fact that CFLs provide lousy light and are bad for some people (like my wife).

21 Mar, 2008

. . . it generates energy savings of as much as 40%, according to an item (sourced from NEMA) posted to RealComm's Advisory. But this isn't just "let the sun shine in," as you might imagine. Problems found in one study of daylight harvesting projects:


 (More)

06 Mar, 2008

NEMA -- the electrical manufacturers' group -- now has a blog. It's sometimes interesting, as NEMA staffers who post there are allowed to provide their own individual perspectives.

Posted yesterday: "Poking fun at going green."

Worth reading? Kinda. The blogger starts out well, but then gets all too serious about what, after all, is a short article in a daily newspaper. He concludes:

In the blog, the cause of CFLs is taken up. Personally, I don't happen to believe that buying CFLs is a "Green" activity.

So in the EleBlog's point-of-view, this NEMA blog entry is WRONG-O.

20 Feb, 2008

A Q+A piece in Professional Remodeler magazine's 2/08 issue deals with what some folks think electrical contractors CAN and CAN'T do.

The interviewees are remodelers, of course. The article is "Keeping Up With Home Technology: Outsourcing Allows Remodelers to Manage Homeowners' Needs."

Note that the thing runs 5,000 words!!!

From the piece:

Apparently, the idea is that ECs can't do some of the technology installations. "We wouldn't allow the electrician to get involved beyond the lighting" is an interesting concept. On the one hand, as a big fan of the electrical contractor (look at the URL on this site!) . . . I'm integrally opposed to the idea that a contractor and his professional electricians can't handle any part of the low-voltage work.

On the other hand: At least this remodeler gives the lighting piece of a home technology installation to the electrical contractor! Increasingly, in home tech work, the EC is being aced out.

15 Feb, 2008

I inadvertently found this on SpaceDaily.com:

It's from a company called Kelly Space and Technology(!).

07 Feb, 2008

On Jan. 2, The Wall Street Journal ran an article on CFLs. In the Sat-Sun (Jan. 12-13) edition of the WSJ, eight letters to the editor printed in reaction to the piece:


As The EleBlog has its own opinions on CFLs -- and they've been expressed here (use the search feature!) -- it was interesting to read a smattering of viewpoints from folks who have the $ and time to read the WSJ. According to Wikipedia, the newspaper in 2006 had a worldwide paid print circulation of 2 million, with 931,000 online subscribers.

28 Jan, 2008

In August, the research firm Parks Associates came out with a white paper, "Home Controls: Trends and Opportunities." This graphic shows a MAJOR opportunity -- lighting control.

Evidently, up to this point, the people selling home technology haven't had as much success selling lighting controls as they've had with home theaters.

24 Jan, 2008

While leafing through the Nov-Dec issue of Eco-Structure magazine -- yes, yet another "green" and sustainable publication -- I stumbled upon PowerSeeds, "self-contained light units [that] offer customizable schemes." Seemd pretty neat. I ran the item by Craig DiLouie, a lighting expert, and he thought they looked interesting, too.

Here's a bit of what Eco-Structure wrote:

" . . . decorative, site-specific solar-light sources embedded into pedestrian areas, sidewalks, plazas, parks,and other surfaces exposed to the sun. Individual unts are planted and replanted according to development of the area. Each unit is controlled by a timing device that dictates varied light and color schemes that combine to provide a controlled lighting design through a large space."

These things are called PowerSEEDS. There's no wiring. The product comes from UeBERSEE Inc. of Los Angeles, but I was unable to find product propagands at www.uebersee.us.

To see the magazine item: 1 -click through on that link and launch the "DigiMag" online version of the magazine. 2 - page over to page 12.

19 Jan, 2008

With the news (reported here earlier this week) that Compact Fluorescent Lamps in '07 accounted for 20% of light bulb sales (up from 5% in 2005), not only should you be thinking "energy savings" . . . but also "mercury problem if we don't recycle them properly."

You might not be thinking that, but others are. According to FacilityBlog, Waste Management, Inc., is expanding its lamp recycling program.

17 Jan, 2008

Today has been a green-and-lighting day, for reasons having to do with what I'm working on (a green issue of Rexel's POWER OUTLET magazine!) -- and I apologize if today I am Johnny-One-Note.

I came across an 1,100-word article on Group Relamping. It sometimes seems to me that I've been writing and reading about this particular subject for 30 years. That's not fair -- while it might be old news to some of us, those of us who are NOT doing group relamping ought to read and think about it!

To hit it quickly: There are so many advantages to group relamping that it's surprising that -- still -- folks need to here about it. You would think that these obvious plusses would make this a standard operating procedure -- everywhere. As the article notes:

I guess one conclusion might be: Those of us writing about group relamping (me included) have not done a particularly effective job of spreading this gospel!

17 Jan, 2008

The Natl. Lighting Product Info Program sent an e-mail out 1/14 to let the world know that it has uploaded a (Free) 32-page report on CFL Residential Downlights.

That link will take you to the page from where you can download a read-only OR printable PDF of the report. I think you've got to be registered with the site (which I believe is FREE) to download the printable version.

According to the NLPIP release, the report:

“For the past 25 years or so, the trend in residential new construction and remodeling has been to install recessed downlights as the predominant luminaire,” explained Patricia Rizzo, residential program manager at the Lighting Research Center (LRC) and one of the report’s authors. “Their clean, low-profile appearance appeals to many consumers,” she added.

17 Jan, 2008

A release posted 1/15 by the DOE notes that the market share of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) has jumped from 5% in 2005 to 20% last year:

15 Jan, 2008

The "Ask An Expert" corner of the e-mail newsletter from Facility Care magazine featured a short ditty on 11/27 answering the query, "what's new in lighting for nuses' stations and patient rooms?"

I have been reading and thinking a lot about lighting and health, for several reasons:


Here's something from the FC NL that might be of interest (actually, this free newsletter is pretty good, and if you click through you'll probably find yourself reading other pieces of it):

Research has determined that the part of the eye responsible for receiving and sending information to the body's circadian system, or body clock, which regulates sleep patterns and other physiologic and behavioral functions, is most sensitive to blue-green light. Also, darkness triggers the secretion of the hormone melatonin, which in turn brings on sleep.

When providing the patient room with a nightlight, research suggests that the light be amber or red in color. Light that has a wavelength of close to 589 nm is thought to be the optimum because this wavelength does not shut down the melatonin cycle.

Ideally, choose a lighting fixture that can be used as a pathway light/night light, or integrate red or amber lamps or LED's into an overhead or wall fixture. The controls for the nightlight should be readily controlled by the patient from the bed, as well as by the staff from the door. Also, a nursing task light is helpful for reading charts and performing tasks in the dark.

12 Jan, 2008

I stumbled today over a Lighting Research Center publication on fluorescent dimming problems. It's presented in a downloadable PDF; I think you have to register to get a printable PDF. I actually AM registered, so my efforts got me a free PDF -- e-mailed to me. So you might wanna register. Here's the description from the site:

Note: NLPIP = National Lighting Product Information Program.

12 Jan, 2008

One reason I remain skeptical that everyone and every company is gonna go Green is stories that pop up from time to time -- like the one in the Denver Business Journal under the headline, "Lights flickering on Xcel's conversion program."

Xcel is the local utility. No problems here, the company says.

Here's a key section (for me):

But Xcel is failing to convince owners of office buildings -- with thousands of lights on hundreds of floors in buildings throughout downtown and the Tech Center -- to take part by swapping old lights for new ones, said John Baeverstad, owner and president of E-Technologies LLC.

His Denver company has worked with clients big and small since 1994, not only to swap old lights for new, energy-efficient ones, but also to figure out just how many lights are needed for employees to be comfortable.

Baeverstad said the current Xcel program isn't working because the section that deals with commercial lighting is too restrictive and doesn't pay enough money to encourage building owners and managers to swap the lights. And while Xcel allows for a "custom" rebate designed for new technologies, the paperwork and time to get through the program don't appeal to customers, he said.

Notes:

1 -- there's more. Click thru to the piece.

2 -- if everybody wanna be green, why don't everybody BITE on this program, whether it "pays enough money" . . . or not???????

3 -- In the first place -- not to defend Xcel -- why do you have to bribe people to do the right thing?

Paperwork smpaperwork. Why not just "do" an energy-efficient retrofit, save money, do something good for the environment (and grab the PR that goes with that) . . . and forget the damn utility rebate?

I'm not mystified by any of this. I'm not satisfied by it, either. It's just more of the same -- folks talking the talk, but NOT walking the walk.

06 Jan, 2008

A Wall Street Journal story -- posted to another site -- runs 1,130 words and details how TCP Inc. makes 70% of the CFLs sold in the U.S. The company's products are sold under private labels (someone else's name is on them).

02 Jan, 2008

What's in the new Energy Law (signed by GW Bush last month)? I know what's not in it -- the extension of the commercial building tax deduction (CBTD), which has helped create a lot of lighting retrofit work, from a 12/31/08 expiration to 12/31/13. They took that out, the morons.

However, I wasn't sure about what IS in the law. Craig DiLouie did an analysis for the Lighting Controls Association, and has posted a 3,000-word analysis (including six tables) -- here.

Obviously, Craig's concern -- and the LCA's -- is LIGHTING. So there ain't a lot about automobile mileage standards in his write-up.

- - - - -

FWIW, here's the Eleblog Take on the auto mileage standards: Did they really boost the mileage requirements but push that out to 2020? Crude oil is at $98 per barrel today. What the heck are we waiting for?

19 Dec, 2007

New energy rules in the law President Bush signed today are going to result in the phase-out of the incandescent bulb. I predict a thriving black market. I plan to buy 17 or 20 gigantic warehouses (there's a lot of industrial space of size for sale in Detroit, I understand) and stockpile incandescent bulbs for sale as collector's items in the future.

"Pssst . . . hey, buddy . . . wanna buy an outlaw bulb? It's great -- you can actually SEE with this light, no flicker. And it gives off plenty of heat!"

Here's the picture, as painted by a Reuters service item today:


EleBlog prediction: Increasing sales of aspirin in the 2015-2020 period, to battle numerous headaches caused by insufficient light quality. I'm hoping that WON'T happen . . . as it should (I hope) be . . . "LEDs to the rescue!"

18 Dec, 2007

A few tidbits about CFLs and LEDs:

1A -- I ran across an 800-word Newsweek story on "Edison's Dimming Bulbs" from mid-October. I don't read that publication unless I'm in a waiting room somewhere (like a doctor's office). The article credits Wal-Mart.

I'm no fan of CFLs. I'm a big fan of LEDs. I think the movement -- in some places -- to ban the incandescent bulb is going to spur a black market!!!

1B -- The magazine article turns out to have been an opinion piece. Here's something totally inane from the opinionator:


This is interesting to me. First, CFLs have been around for a while; the person who wrote this apparently just fell off the turnip truck. The carrot IS NOT working -- that's why there are incentives (to get people to try the CFLs), giveaways (sponsored by some local utilities) . . . and now the threat of a ban. THINK!


2 -- at EcoBuild Fall last week (an event held here in D.C. in December and someplace out West in May), I was chatting with a guy who does local energy conservation work. He told me about a horrid installation where he found in place CFLs in an outdoor installation. They weren't working (surprise!). The reason: Bad application. I am virtually certain that there's a lot more of this out there.


3 -- a company in North Carolina, LED Lighting Fixtures, has -- according to a report in The News & Observer (of Raleigh) -- had a breakthru in LED technology.

Re-read that carefully. The new LED product will use "less than 30%" of the energy needed by fluorescents.

28 Nov, 2007

In the event you've never thought about buying and using compact fluorescent (CFL) light bulbs, you need to flip over to this article (on a site about investing!) that's written from a return-on-investment point-of-view.

I'm still a CFL skeptic, and I've written (and will continue to do so) -- but you need to hear the "pro" argument, I think. It's hard to believe that you have not already heard this about 1,000 times.

But maybe you haven't; or maybe you don't believe it. CFLs have a market share (vs. the old incandescent energy-wasting alternative) of some place in the single digits, percentage-wise.

Something isn't working here.

27 Nov, 2007

The Freedonia Group -- which specializes in coming up with numbers people want to see -- has projected that lamp demand in the U.S> will grow by 5.0% from 2006 to 2011, including 10.1% growth in the $ value of fluorescents and 0.7% growth in incandescents.

I've posted TFG's 2-page PDF (which includes a table of reported actual and projected future demand for lamps in four categories and a total) here. I posted it because I couldn't get the table to reproduce correctly here, which is just one of my many shortcomings.

27 Nov, 2007

I wrote what I think is a pretty good column a few weeks ago, posted to TEDMAG.com before national eat-the-bird day. It includes some price shopping I did (locally, at retail) comparing CFL bulb prices vs. incandescents.

08 Nov, 2007

From a Parks Associates press release:

25 Oct, 2007

A blogger for Facilitiesnet.com noted problems she's had with lighting -- including "an old magnetic ballast" that recently "went up in smoke and flames, literally." While it's probably indicative of nothing, it helps to remember that real-world people have problems with electrical technology!

22 Oct, 2007

A blog item that surrounded -- confusingly -- by stuff about ABB is really about home security and lighting. I don't understand the world in general, or the unrelated headline and other stuff below this item, but there is basic common-sense stuff here about using lighting to make your house look occupied when you're not at home. If you are missing a bit of common sense -- i.e., if you've never used light timers or other very affordable technology to get burglars to pick on your neighbors instead -- you should read this.

08 Oct, 2007

Industry Week magazine recently ran tips on how manufacturers can reduce energy use. One of the seven bullets:


I'm not unhappy with IW for printing this. However, here's the EleBlog take: I'm scared.

1 -- the "tip" is not that industrial facilities should do this. The tip is: If you haven't already done this, you're an idiot.

2 -- people go on and on about how efficient and smart our "free market society" is supposed to be. It isn't. The fact that Energy Savings 101 stuff like this has to appear in magazines in 2007 is shameful.

3 -- many folks aren't happy with excessive government regulation on energy issues. They should NOT be. Let's take just one facet of the above tip: Restrooms. The fact that there are millions and millions of institutional, commercial, and industrial restrooms that don't already have occu sensors is wasteful. It's all dumb-stupid. Etc.

4 -- think of it this way: Forget about melting icecaps, global warming, the national bent toward wasteful consumption, and on and on. Buildings have owners. The owners pay monthly electricity bills. These bills could total a lot fewer dollars with intelligent use of occu sensors in restrooms. The fact that so many have not done this means the building owners (as represented by their operations people) would rather flush money down a toilet than solve a rather simple problem.

That is scary.

07 Oct, 2007

The previous post referenced Tom Konrad's excellent piece on why energy efficiency is a tough sell. Here's another slice of it which I wanted to present -- just the conclusion of a section on the slow sales of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). Why, Konrad asks, aren't they selling like hotcakes?


This is part of a longer section. Click on the link and read his piece for the whole thing. By the way, I've never met Konrad (or even heard of him before reading this excellent blog entry).

07 Oct, 2007

A graphic in the 10/5 Wall Street Journal is pretty interesting to look at AND think about.


The image accompanied an article about GE's plans to shut down 7 of the 54 manufacturing plants it now operates in its incandescent lamp biz. But look closely; the thing isn't about GE. Take a look at what is projected for 2010, in terms of "market share" of incandescents vs. CFLs!!!

One thing is missing, of course (at least one Important thing): LEDs. Perhaps by 2010 they will still have an insignificant share. But I don't think that will be the case if one looks out to 2015!

14 Sep, 2007

A 7/27 press release from the Home Lighting Control Alliance is (perhaps understandably) anti-CFL. Or sort-of reads that way. Here are three paragraphs of note:

Later on in the release, the HLCA notes that "dimmers can greatly extend bulb life. 50% power extends bulb life 20X." The last sentence notes: "A blend of incandescent, halogen, and fluorescent bulbs wil yield the best combination of energy savings, convenience, and enjoyment."

05 Sep, 2007

According to Craig DiLouie at Lightsearch.com, on 8/13 the House of Representatives voted to OK an energy bill which would, among other things, "extend the energy-efficient commercial building tax deduction through 2013, and five-year accelerated depreciation for advanced electricity meters."

I believe it's up to the Senate now. They returned from vacation yesterday.

26 Jul, 2007

Caution: I've not seen previous editions of this research, so I might well be talking out of my hat. But . . .

The Association of Energy Engineers makes available on its website a 14-page PDF -- Market Survey of the Energy Industry 2007. Download it and turn to the bottom of page 5 -- question 14 -- which asked, "Which technology listed below is the highest priority for application at your facility in the near future?"

As provided by 410 respondents, the answer came back - LIGHTING, BIG. See the chart. Lighting is the top prority for 42% of respondents. #2 priority (finishing up the track) was metering equipment -- with 20%.
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23 Jul, 2007

HSL = hybrid solar lighting. I cannot tell (because the future is not clear!) whether this will be BIG or just another weird thing we remember in 20 years (like BetaMax). However, it SOUNDS interesting -- you collect light on the roof, and you route it (though FO cables) into the building. The solar illumination gets to people in the space via special fixtures.

This has got NOTHING to do with solar photovoltaics or solar thermal. We are talking here about routing illumination. According to the RenewableEnergyAccess.com story, it can be cheaper than incandescent lamps (what about CFLs, you ask?). The link takes you to the story, which prints out in brief; there are 16 reader comments that follow the piece.

21 Jul, 2007

The federal ENERGY STAR program is in the process of mutating from a "nice to have" into a Monster. According to this facilitiesnet.com item, federal buildings will have to use ENERGY STAR-approved products. "Exceptions must be justified in writing and signed by the head of the agency," it says. That's big.

22 Jun, 2007

A friend sent an article from WorldNetDaily.com to me a few weeks ago -- it's from 5/31. The headline "Light-Bulb Ban Craze Exceeds Disposal Plans."

I read it. It's interesting. But I also noticed that the website from which it flows is a haven for crazed far-right-wing crazies (yes, double crazy) who need to stop voting forever.

I'm holding my nose (can't you see that?) and presenting the link -- Facts about CFLs . . . downplayed in government-enviro push.

Here's a paragraph that -- if true -- is potent:

15 Jun, 2007

"LEDs Emerge to Flight Fluorescents" said the headline on a USA Today item (it actually was an AP news story). I've written about this; see this post, where I posit a future in which CFLs and LEDs compete around the year 2012.

The AP/USAT article talks (in part) about advantages the LED has over the CFL. I'm wholly on board with that. Let's hold off on banning incandescents until the LED option's competitive advantages (including BIG energy savings) harden, crystallize, and become more apparent.

12 Jun, 2007

While we're on the subject of CFLs, a new report on TEDMAG.com talked about how Wal-Mart is pressuring its suppliers to reduce the amount of mercury they put in CFLs.

12 Jun, 2007

Mike Holt sends out a number of newsletters from his site, www.mikeholt.com. Yesterday's Safety NL contained a link to a Toronto government PDF (1-page). The PDF included a photo, NOT reproduced below.

Here's the content if you don't want to click:

THE ELECTRICAL SAFETY AUTHORITY RESPONDS TO CONSUMER CONCERNS ABOUT
COMPACT FLUORESCENT LAMPS.

Toronto, ON – The Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) is receiving increasing reports from concerned
consumers regarding the end-of-life failure of Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs). The end-of-life failure
for CFLs may vary depending on the manufacturer of the CFL, and on the type and location of the lighting
fixture being used. When CFLs fail they may emit smoke, an odour, or a popping sound; and the plastic
base may become discoloured, charred or deformed. Certification agencies have advised that this failure
does not present a shock or fire hazard for approved products.

ESA is concerned that it can be difficult for consumers to distinguish between what is normal and what
may be a precursor to fire or some other hazardous condition. As a safety precaution, ESA encourages
consumers to replace CFLs at the first sign of failure or aging. The early warning signs to look for include:
flickering, a bright orange or red glow, popping sounds, an odour, or browning of the ballast enclosure
base).

ESA is also advising consumers that different CFLs are required for different applications and use. CFLs
may lack information on the packaging, or provide conflicting information about safe product use.
Consumers are encouraged to read the base of the lamp and to contact manufacturers for additional
information if required. Unless otherwise specified, CFLs should not be used: in totally enclosed
recessed fixtures; with dimmer switches; in touch lamps with photocells or with electronic timers; where
exposed to weather; or where exposed to water.

ESA is encouraging product manufacturers to review packaging information to support consumers
making safe product decisions. Activities are underway to update the existing Canadian safety standard
for CFLs to address consumers’ end-of-life product issues.

Contact: Electrical Safety Authority: Ted Olechna, Provincial Code Engineer, (905) 712-5366.

11 Jun, 2007

Accoridng to a study conducted by IFMA and Johnson Controls, 46% of respondents -- "North American business leaders" -- have installed lighting occupancy sensors. I don't believe this. I have no data with which to make my case. Click on the link, the release is interesting (even if the numbers don't pass the smell test).

06 Jun, 2007

The 5/3 issue of The Wall Street Journal included an article on high-tech hotels -- and how "many guests are stymied by gadget-stuffed rooms." The lead is about a female guest (from England) who stayed at a "chic boutique hotel" in Barcelona (as in Spain). Here's the part (from the article's lead) that's relevant here:

04 Jun, 2007

"Artificial Lighting and the Blue Light Hazard" (The Facts About Lighting and Vision) is a piece that printed
out at 30 pages.

2+ pages are devoted to "Typical Observations and Discussion." Included in there is this: "The halogen,
standard incandescent, and warm-colored fluorescent lamps provide the best lighting." Comment from the
author the follows this: "This reflects the opinion of virtually ever viewer who has compared the lamps
side-by-side. 100% of more than 150 doctors surveyed . . . concur that the three display lamps measuring
below 5000K provide the best illumination, contrast, and color replication."

There's more. This is NOT an anti-CFL diatribe. The article is about the vision of people with eye problems,
and comes from www.mdsupport.org -- with MD meaning not doctor, but Macular Degeneration.

As more people live to older ages, they are likely to have more vision problems. Problems seeing "blue"
light are going to be standard for many of us on the other side of 65. While the piece itself is not an
argument against fluorescent lighting or CFLs, it certainly COULD be used to make such an argument.

For more, see: www.mdsupport.org/library/hazard.html

04 Jun, 2007

Lutron has four patents that date back to 1993, according to reporting by Julie Jacobson,on wireless lighting control. Other people are now introducing products that do the same things.

According to her article -- CLICK HERE to see it -- Lutron has


Headline on Julie's item: "Lighting Control Vendors Not Deterred by Lutron Lawsuit.

She's also written a response to criticism about her blog item -- which printed in the May issue of CE Pro. As of this moment, that issue's not yet online; I'll reefer it
when they post it.

I've said this before: Julie is the best writer/reporter in the wiring business.

That includes me.

01 Jun, 2007

To check on a fact I was quoting somewhere recently, I had to go to the site of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. I wandered around and found a release, "Evidence-Based Hospital Design Improves Healthcare Outcomes" -- CLICK HERE to see it (it's long).

A few points:

25 May, 2007

Lighting.com posted news/highlights from LightFair -- and it lead the item with info on LEDs. CLICK HERE to read it.

25 May, 2007

Check out THIS PAGE for a run-down of products in the LightFair 2007 "Innovation Awards" program. Look at the menu at left (on the page, if you click through) to navigate and see what you'd like to see.
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23 May, 2007

I wandered around the LightFair show in New York City a few weeks ago. I was struck by a number of things, but mostly by the number of booths that said something about LEDs. I didn't expect that.

Now comes Color Kinetics Inc., which predicts (CLICK HERE to see an article) that 75% of commercial lighting in the U.S. will come from LED sources by 2030.

Some facts:

a. The percentage right now is probably very close to 0%.

b. It's 2007. The year 2030 is 23 years away.

c. If CK is right, we're going from 0 to 75 in roughly 8,500 days.

I don't know how to evaluate any prediction made for decades from now. But I do know that, if CK's vision becomes reality, that will be very good news for everyone.

23 May, 2007

According to Lighting.com, "Congressional initiatives are underway to extend [EPAct 2005] coverage to 2012, for certification . . . and to increase the whole-building deduction from $1.80 to $2.25 per sq. ft." CLICK HERE to see the item.

12 Apr, 2007

According to Figure 1 in a Sept/Oct article in School Construction News, electrical lighting consumes 22% of the energy in a typical school building. To see the article, CLICK HERE.

05 Apr, 2007

Craig DiLouie is a lighting industry genius -- and a friend of The EleBlog. One of the permanent links at right is to his LightNow monthly lighting news. Below, he's contributed an article enlightening (!) all of us on the various movement to ban the incandescent light bulb.

Is it Time to Ban the Bulb?

By Craig DiLouie

In January, a California assemblyman proposed legislation to ban the incandescent bulb, which was quickly imitated in Rhode Island and Connecticut. By the end of March (the time of writing), Australia and the European Union announced that they would begin adopting performance standards that would phase out today’s general service incandescent lamps, and other countries were also considering it.

Then a U.S. Representative proposed national legislation that would establish performance standards requiring lamp efficacies of 60 lumens per watt (LPW) by 2012 (about where compact fluorescents, or CFLs, are now), 90 LPW by 2016 and 120 LPW by 2020. By 2020, in other words, overall U.S. lighting efficacy would be required to more than double. Even if this legislation fails, the Department of Energy (DoE) has already begun the process of regulating general service incandescent lamps.

Every watt saved can reduce U.S. dependence on fossil fuels and strengthen the economy, both of which are considered societal goods. But why such ambitious goals?

The answer is global warming. A United Nations panel of 2,500 scientists recently concluded that increases in average global temperatures by 2100, with attendant climate change, could result in significant migrations and food and water shortages in some countries. The panel further reported that human activity, primarily burning fossil fuels, is “very likely” (scientists are 90% sure) responsible for most of the warming observed in recent decades. Most countries are taking these warnings seriously and have begun enacting policies to address potential human causes of climate change.

So the government steps in because the market would take too long to achieve the same policy objectives. Government interventions, in fact, have long been important drivers in adoption of efficient lighting. According to the International Energy Agency, lighting product efficiency standards, energy codes and utility rebate programs resulted in estimated energy savings of 20% compared to current consumption since 1990 in the U.S. and Canada. This represents billions of dollars in savings, significant reductions in air pollution and less consumption of finite fossil fuels.

However, such interventions are effective when they are sensible. Product bans, as proposed in three states, limit choice. The right approach is to raise the bar on efficacy based on a realistic understanding of the potential of available technology. For example, technology is available to increase incandescent efficiency—manufacturers just have not yet had the incentive to realize it. GE, for example, says it can double the efficacy of general service incandescents by 2010, and may ultimately be able to match the efficacy of today’s CFLs. If this occurs, it may be the CFL, not the incandescent lamp, that ends up in trouble.

Additionally, performance standards must be realistic. For example, an efficacy target of 120 LPW, as proposed in the Harman bill, may be based on dreams of future technological gains in white LEDs that may simply not be possible.

A sensible approach may be to simply allow DoE to do what it has begun doing—beginning the process of regulating incandescent lamps. DoE should work with the lighting industry to establish realistic goals based on technological gains that can be confidently gained, as well as consumer lighting needs, or else risk tossing the baby with the bath water. After all, efficacies as high as 150 LPW are achievable today—but only if you don’t mind high-pressure sodium lighting in your living room.

There is too much at stake for policymakers not to get this right. In the U.S., there are about four billion screw-base light sockets that are currently fitted with general service incandescent lamps. If every one of these switched to the most efficient alternative, consumers and businesses could save about $18 billion annually while reducing energy demand by the equivalent of 80 coal-burning power plants and carbon emissions by more than 158 million tons. This sensible policy goal now needs sensible policy.

Craig DiLouie, a journalist, consultant and analyst specializing in the lighting industry, is principal of ZING Communications, Inc. (www.zinginc.com).

31 Mar, 2007

I'm a subscriber to the British magazine, New Scientist. It's a weekly, and it's good reading. The magazine has an Environment.newscientist.com Web site, which I checked out today. There's not a lot to report (you can't access some of the stuff unless you are a subscriber!) -- but on the site's Blog, I found a short entry about the downside of energy-saving light bulbs -- CLICK HERE to see it.

27 Mar, 2007

I'm not sure how often anyone reading this will come across light bulbs containing Xenon gas, but Lighting.com just ran a short FAQ about these things. See it by clicking here.

15 Mar, 2007

A 2/23 press release from the Lighting op at GE C&I says the company could potentially "elevate the energy efficiency" of incandescent lamps. It's "targeted for market by 2010" -- so don't hold your breath, unless you can hold it that long. Read the release by clicking here.

Here's the slice that interested me, from a GE exec:

"We and other lighting manufacturers have been aggressive in developing and marketing CFLs. But consumers want more options and we plan to respond to their needs and deliver environmental benefits, too. It’s important that we offer consumers a full range of products that meet their personal desire to reduce their negative impact on the environment while preserving their ability to pick the best lighting product for their needs. That’s why we are moving aggressively to commercialize these new lamps."

What I did not see -- in the 18Seconds item on the DOE site (referenced in the previous item) or in the GE release -- is anything about LED lamps. I know for a fact that the first generation of "white" LED lamps for general use will be introduced this year.

At some point, we're going to need a chart that compares the energy efficiency AND the user reception of LEDs, CFLs . . . and now the "HEI incandescent" from GE.
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15 Mar, 2007

According to a news item on the DOE Web site, a "New Nationwide Effort Promotes a Switch to Energy Star Lights." See it by CLICKING HERE.

The gist: "the 18Seconds movement" is behind replacing an incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent (CFL). Why the strange name? "It takes only 18 seconds" to change light bulbs (is there a joke in this somewhere? 35 seconds for scientists? 2 hours and 11 minutes for Brittany Spears?).

As it turns out, if you go to 18seconds.org, you end up at http://green.yahoo.com.

I've already noted here (on 2/27 -- to see blog entry, CLICK HERE) that fluorescent lighting is not for everybody. I related my personal experience with trying to replace incandescents with CFLs.

As a spoiler, the DOE item noted that "Now that people are learning that CFLs use far less energy than incandescent light bulbs . . . GE is preparing to throw a wrench in the works." See next item.

27 Feb, 2007

From the London Free Press, a Canadian newspaper (2/27) -- "European light bulb makers are close to an agreement in principle to work together on phasing out energy-wasting incandescent bulbs for the consumer market, the chief executive of Royal Philips Electronics NV's lighting division said yesterday."

From the Edmonton Sun, a Canadian newspaper (2/25) -- "Venezuela,Cuba and Australia are all phasing-in bans on energy-sucking incandescents, while Ontario and California are poised to follow suit in the coming years."

From the Sydney Morning Herald, an Australian newspaper (2/25) -- "So what kind of hypocrisy is there in a government that bans incandescent light bulbs while subsidising people who drive fuel-guzzling, greenhouse gas-emitting, giant four-wheel-drives?"

From the New York Times (2/20) -- "Australia intends to phase out incandescent light bulbs completely within three years, the country’s environment minister said today. The minister, Malcolm Turnbull, said the government would use both persuasion and regulation to get the whole country to switch to compact fluorescent bulbs, which use less energy, as part of its drive to cut down on the amount of “greenhouse” gases, implicated in global warming, that it releases into the atmosphere."

EleBlog take:

a. I replaced the lamps in our den -- where my wife and I do most of our recreational reading -- with high-brightness CFL lamps two months ago. The CFL unit was more flexible (really) and offered the advantage of letting you put the light exactly where you want it; the lamps then in place did NOT do that.

My wife went nuts. Her eyes need help. This was not enough light. I brought back the old ones; the CFL units were relocated to places where they are used very infrequently. Some Christmas present, eh?

This isn't a case study, just a data point.

b. I personally prefer incandescent light over that emitted by fluorescents. Even the state-of-the-art CFLs aren't quite "there" in my opinion.

c. From the Aussie article referenced above: " . . it's worth noting psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, a member of the advisory committee for the Government's Boys' Education Lighthouse Schools Program in 2003, has advocated the removal of fluorescent lighting in classrooms after studies showed its flickering nature reduced boys' ability to learn and concentrate, especially if they have autism or attention deficit hyperactive disorder."

d. HELP IS ON THE WAY. New lamps using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are going to make their debut this year (2007). They are coming SOON. They will put CFLs . . . in the shade! If everything goes according to plan, LEDs will provide the same light quality as incandescents, with much lower energy consumption.

24 Jan, 2007

The Department of Energy's ENERGY STAR program is working on Solid State Lighting. CLICK HERE for more info -- including "draft ENERGY STAR requirements for SSL luminaires."

18 Jan, 2007

The Consortium for Energy Efficiency Web site offers a 32-page PDF, Residential Lighting Programs - National Summary. It profiles local electric utility programs (in 2006 with a space for plans for 2007) on residential lighting energy efficiency. Click here to download it.
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15 Jan, 2007

Wireless lighting control? Cooper 's Aspire RF products were honored recently (as part of the pre-show CES hoopla). Accoridng to the release (click here), the products use Z-Wave "to connect over 200 devices in a single network."

08 Jan, 2007

"Load-shedding" is a strategy in which customers voluntarily shed certain loads when electric utilities are having trouble meeting electric demand. Think about the hottest days of a summer: The utility can either build enough power-generating capacity to meet the absolute peak load imaginable . . . or it can "shave" that peak via voluntary load-shedding.

Up to now, the load-shedding of which I've been aware has been centered on HVAC loads. For example, at one of the houses I owned years ago, there was a load-shedding device from PEPCO, the local utility, on the air conditioning system. Should PEPCO have trouble reaching a summer peak, they had the option of shutting off my air conditioning for some period of time.

A recent (12/14) press release from Osram Sylvania called my attention to a new load-shed ballast system. This technology was developed by the company and the Lighting Research Center, apparently.


Is this the most wonderful lighting development ever? No. But it is a logical development, as lighting comprises 40% of a typical commercial building's energy use. According to the Osram release (which I can't find online), an LRC study "determined dimming electric lighting by up to 40% for brief periods was acceptable to occupants in an office setting." Osram says its "load-shed universal-wattage electronic ballast for 32W T8 lamps" will be available this year.

28 Dec, 2006

"DOE Study Finds Commercial LED Lamps Fall Short of Claims" is the headline on an item in a Dept. of Energy e-mail newsletter on energy efficiency. See the piece (which has links for more info) here.

Net-net: A pilot test of 4 LED lamps found they don't meet their claimed output. Claims: 36 to 55 lumens per watt. Test results: 11.6 to 19.3 lumens per watt. Roughly, the best-tested lamp came up about 50% short of the lowest lumen efficacy.

Hey -- EleBlog is NOT anti-LED. All this proves is that the technology as yet has a ways to go.

18 Dec, 2006

Square D (a unit of Schneider Electric) planned to open a store in the Orlando area last month, accoridng to a news report in CE Pro magazine.

What's the big deal? Probably it's NOT a big deal. But:


Find the story here.

12 Sep, 2006

It's the Home Lighting Control Alliance, yet another "group" from the folks in the consumer electronics area. It's not my imagination -- these folks have a lot of alliances, associations, and other semi-formal structures. Anyway, read about this one here.

10 Aug, 2006

I have in front of me the 2005 annual report of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (www.nwalliance.org). I'm on their mailing list. This is a group that's done studies about -- and followed up with Action -- "market transformation."

Chalk me up as a skeptic. What "market transformation" means is changing the behavior of the buying public. The Alliance's goals include getting consumers and businesses to buy energy-efficent products and be smarter about using energy. I've followed "market transformation" efforts on and off for two decades; my six years as Editor of Waste Age magazine included soliciting and running articles about recycling. When recycling took off in the late 1980s, it became obvious that a limit on growth would be use of the recycled stuff; I created a monthly column, "Building Markets For Recyclables," in the magazine, about "market transformation."

That effort (the effort to build markets) was not a fabulous success, and still isn't.

BUT: For a skeptic, the first page of the Alliance's report is eye-opening. Here's a piece:

"In 2005, we saw a number of examples of success in market transformation. The most stunning was in residential lighting, where the regional sales of ENERGY STAR-qualified fluorescent light bulbs increased by about a third from 2004 to 6.8 million bulbs purchased by consumers in 2005. This increase exceeded the goal of raising bulb sales by 1 million bulbs a year through 2009.

" . . . the Northwest's investments are now paying off. We see four times as many bulbs per capita being sold here as the national average."

Unfortunately, the 2005 annual report is not yet online. If you go here, however, you can download 13 documents on Residential Lighting -- and heck of a lot else.

13 Mar, 2006

At the NFM&T trade show, I picked up a neat gadget at the Advance Transformer booth. It’s called “Quick Calc” – and it helps figure out lighting energy savings. It’s one of those sliding-calculator gizmos, except this one has THREE sliding calculators: Hour Adjuster, Watt Savings, and Quick Calc. You use the third one to adjust the savings-per-fixture you’ve found using the first two sliding things, and arrive at total savings (next to your total number of fixtures).

This thing isn’t hard to use, but it’s not just one sliding gizmo, it’s three, and the answers you get from the first two interrelate. That's why Advance put a tiny brochure in there (“Quick Calc Mini Map”) – on how to use the thing. It put the Mini Map inside a plastic brochure holder hat's inside the handheld Quick Calc.

All in all, this is an elaborate – and seemingly useful – free giveaway!

Advance's booth kid (at my age, there are an increasing number of kids) enthusiastically told me that there was a Web site by Advance where you can find this stuff online. There is: www.energybillinfo.com

At EnergyBillInfo, you’ll find more than calculators – the site is about the tax savings possible via provisions of the Energy Policy Act. But there are calculators there, too.

# # #

20 Dec, 2005

From a Lighting Research Center release:

" . . . a novel concept for lighting homes and offices. The design integrates light-emitting diode (LED) technology with building materials and systems to create electronic walls and ceilings. The design includes interchangeable, modular panels with integrated LED lighting fixtures that "snap" in and out of an electrical grid. Occupants can change the location of light fixtures or introduce new fixtures on a whim to satisfy their needs or their mood."

LRC release: http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/resources/news/pressreleases/electronicWalls.asp

Project description page: http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/solidstate/ongoingprojects.asp?id=78

27 Sep, 2005

EdisonReport.com is a lighting-oriented Web site that sometimes prints rumors and other times "scoops" everyone else in the industry. This time, they scooped -- posting a 1-page PDF that appears to be from Philips Lighting Co. The headline "T5HO Ooperating on Dimming Ballast."

I looked at the Philips' Web site and couldn't find it. You'll want to read it, to see what led the company to include this sentence:

"Until further testing of Philips T5HO lamps and dimming ballast systems produces positive results, Philips will no longer warrant our T5HO lamps on dimming systems."

Download it by clicking here: http://www.edisonreport.com/Philips%20T5HO%20Dimming.pdf

13 Sep, 2005

Perhaps you've heard -- it's going to be DARKER in The Home Depot. I'd like to poke fun at this move (revealed in a Sept. 6th press release), but I'm a tree-hugger. I spent six years as Editor of Waste Age magazine (#1 in the industry, in what then was a very competitive time for those publishing solid waste management magazines). Those six years, 1984-89, probably were the waste industry's Heyday! Recycling got moving, waste incineration boomed, and "The Garbage Barge" left port (and never looked back) in those years.

There even was a statistically proven-beyond-the-shadow-of-a-doubt-on-paper national landfill crisis, which never actually materialized in real life.

How did working for a B2B magazine for waste haulers (called "carters" in New York City, by the way) convert me into a tree hugger? I set foot on one heck of a lot of landfills in those six years. I learned about landfill liners and what happens to pristine groundwater when something goes into a landfill that doesn't have a liner . . .

Back to THD: As one might expect, the company's PR and marketing folks jumped on this announcement -- which basically says "it's going to be darker in our big box stores, for the greater good of Mom, baseball, apple pie, and the Republic!" They converted it into a marketing piece. See the stuff under the subhed, "Consumer Education Planned" in the release. They're using the release to sell ceiling fans & even set up an energy auditing Web site.

Here's the bottom line from EleBlog on THD's release:

a. Too skillful. I'd feel better if you just said "we're saving energy" and didn't try to sell me something at the same time.

b. It raises the Big Q: Why didn't you do this before, THD?

c. Sometimes, I walk around my local THD store, looking for something or other. Whatever it is, it always seems to be a hard-to-find item. I ask for help -- and the various THD helpers range from almost-good to just goshdurn awful. Now, is this gonna improve or deteriorate when ambient lighting levels plummet?