Anyone know a way to replace incandescent 3-way light bulbs with LEDs? My table lamps are all 3-way and I like the ability to have ambient or tactical light for different purposes from the same lamp.
Blog Post
Beat the Bulb "Ban": LED Replacement Lamps in a New Light
The incandescent ban is here, but LEDs have improved rapidly in the last couple of years and there are now several bulbs that meet Energy Star criteria.
We've been hearing for years that "they're going to ban the incandescent bulb"--is that for real?
Starting on January 12, 2012, the Energy and Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) began regulating energy-efficiency standards for 100-watt screw-in light bulbs (also known as Edison or A19 lamps). These bulbs are now required to use 27% less energy, or 72 watts or less, for the same lumen output.
Over the next couple of years, 75-, 60-, and 40-watt bulbs will have to have that same 27% reduction. And starting in 2020, EISA ups the ante and will require that most light bulbs be 60%–70% more efficient than today's incandescent bulbs.
The law does not mean incandescent bulbs will be illegal, but it will be a challenge for them to comply. Meanwhile, most LEDs already meet those standards.
Why move to LED replacement lamps?
You're probably going to to have to switch to LEDs eventually, but there are good reasons to do it now.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which runs the Energy Star program in a partnership with the Department of Energy, replacing one standard incandescent bulb in every home in the U.S. with an Energy Star-qualified bulb--CFL or LED--"would save enough energy to light 3 million homes" annually and prevent 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere.
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See membership options »Though more expensive, an LED has a few advantages over a CFL: LEDs are typically more efficacious, they don't contain mercury, they work well in cold temperatures, and they can be turned on and off repeatedly without affecting the lamp's lifespan.
Forget watts: Look for lumens
As we move away from incandescent bulbs, we have to stop thinking in terms of "XX-watt light bulbs." Watts simply tell us how much energy a bulb consumes and don't make sense as a metric for CFLs or LEDs.
Lumens, on the other hand, tell us the amount of light produced or how bright it is, and lumens per watt (lpw) gives us the amount of light produced per the amount of energy consumed. (See LEDs: The Future Is Here for more information on LED performance).Standard incandescent bulbs produce anywhere from 10 to 17 lpw, according to the DOE, so a 60-watt bulb is about 800 lumens; a new Philips EnduraLED produces 940 lumens while consuming only 10 watts, or 94 lpw.
New packaging for replacement lamps prominently displays lumen output, estimated annual energy costs, and lifespan. This should make it easier for consumers to find the amount of light they prefer and compare products, but it will take some getting used to (see table for lumen equivalents), and they might have to calculate lumens per watt on their own.
Look for Energy Star-qualified LEDs
Energy Star lists LED A19 replacement lamps that are "omnidirectional" so they shine light down to illuminate the table or work surface, something many older LED replacement lamps (and some current models) could not do, and which limited their usefulness and appeal.
Energy Star-qualified lamps also have to undergo third-party LM-79-08 test methods for efficacy and color quality and must meet the following criteria:
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- A minimum of 50 lpw
- A minimum rated life of 25,000 hours while still producing 70% of its original light (the light from LEDs typically fades away rather than the bulb failing catastrophically, so below 70% is considered the end of its service life)
- Specific correlated color temperatures of 2700K, 3000K, 3500K, or 4000K (3000K is similar to the warm white color associated with incandescent bulbs--higher color temperature numbers mean "cooler" blue colors)
- A power factor greater than 0.70
- A color rendering index (CRI ) over 80 (Philip's L-Prize-winning EnduraLED 60-watt replacement has a CRI of 93)
- A minimum three-year warranty.
Are we paying more and getting lower quality?
As with early CFLs, the two big complaints about LEDs have been high cost and questionable light quality.
Energy Star for LED replacement bulbs has helped lead to significant improvements in light quality, so it is less of a free-for-all in the marketplace (remember the cylinders with hundreds of individual LEDs masquerading as a lamp?). GreenSpec now lists Energy Star-qualified bulbs from Philips, GE, Toshiba, The Home Depot, and Technical Consumer Products.
Though some of these products are still quite expensive (Philips' 940 lumen EnduraLED is about $40), you can buy an Energy Star-qualified 40-watt replacement bulb from Home Depot made by Lighting Science Group for less than $10! And there are rebates available from local utilities and public service boards that can drop the price even further, making LEDs very cost-competitive, especially when you consider their long lifespans.
LEDs are not a panacea--at least not yet
Though LED replacement lamps are improving quickly, the technology still has some challenges to overcome.
They still don't look like an incandescent bulb, and the light from an LED is "different"--after all, there is no burning filament--so it may take time before consumers get used to them. And because LEDs are more like a computer chip than they are like an incandescent light bulb, they are affected by other electronics and wiring, so dimming may not be as smooth, they might flicker, or the color and light quality could change.
In most residential application, these problems will be minimal, but in commercial buildings with numerous LEDs and more electronics, the potential for problems increases. (Look for a follow-up blog on LED problems in commercial buildings)
Nevertheless, the lighting world has changed forever. So get used to thinking in lumens, and if you want to make the change to an LED replacement lamp you should try one in your home or business and run it through its paces so you know what you are getting. The energy savings will be worth the effort.
Published April 3, 2012 Permalink Citation
(2012, April 3). Beat the Bulb "Ban": LED Replacement Lamps in a New Light. Retrieved from https://www.buildinggreen.com/blog/beat-bulb-ban-led-replacement-lamps-new-light
Comments
LED Issues
All lighting has advantages.
Energy saving is only one reason to choose a bulb - and, overall, the energy saving of switchovers is questionable, as linked
Issues regarding LED lights: http://ceolas.net/#li15ledax Moreover , LED pure light sources means they don't have the smooth broad spectrum light output of incandescents, that have the maximum possible color rendition index of 100 Phosphor coated "white LEDs" imitate CFLs in jagged light spectrum light quality.
I HAVE READ YOUR ARTICLE BUT
I HAVE READ YOUR ARTICLE BUT UNLESS THE BULBS HAVE CHANGED A LOT IN THE LAST YEAR OR SO I AM NOT IMPRESSED WITH THE LED BULBS. I BOUGHT A FEW OF THEM ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO AND THE LIGHT OUTPUT FROM THE LED BULB WAS NOT ANYWHERE NEAR AS MUCH AS THE REGULAR BULB THAT WAS TO BE EQUAL. I THEN TRIED THEM AGAIN LAST YEAR AND FOUND THE RESULTS TO BE THE SAME. I UNDERSTAND THE FACT THAT THEY SAVE ENERGY AND ARE TO SAVE US MONEY AS WELLN ELECTRIC USE BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT I END UP HAVING MORE LIGHTS ON TO GET THE SAME AMOUNT OF LIGHT AND THAT THE BULBS COST A LOT MORE THAN A REGULAR LIGHT BULB. I AM VERY CAUTIOS ABOUT BUYING THESE BULBS BECAUSE OF THE COST AS WELL AS THE LIGHT OUTPUT.
Then there are only (17) A19
Then there are only (17) A19 style lamps with 50 lpw or better. Helps to keep the shopping list managable.
Edward, There are a lot of lo
Edward,
There are a lot of low quality products out there. I would say 90% of LED's being sold are garbage. Yes it is difficult to know what you're buying is good or not. That's part of why Energy Star lists products to help consumers have a quick way of know if it's good or not.
LED technology has advanced a lot in the last 3 years. At that time I was strongly against LED for anything that wasn't ornamental. It has since passed a tipping point and become a viable light source. Every one of the (17) LED, A-lamp replacement bulbs listed in the Energy Star database was added within the last 12 months.
LED products were over hyped too fast. People trying to make a quick buck. This happened with CFL technology when it first came out 20 years ago. It will happen again with the next great technological advancement. There's actually a phrase called the "hype cycle" that tracks this. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hype_cycle
I'm fine with CFL lamps for most residential applications. And what I do at my house is use the next wattage up equivalent. If the product says it replaces a 60W A-lamp then I buy the 75W equivalent. My wife is happy with the light level and I'm still happy with the energy savings. And CLF cost has come down so much anyone not paranoid of the technology has already bought them.
This blog is about LED products. And convincing people who still use A-lamps. So, only buy LED replacement lamps with an Energy Star label. If you're really worried about light output go up one level in wattage. This is a significant price increase and less of a energy savings, but if you're not happy with the light levels then it's not a useful product to you. And only buy it for where you use the lights most often. Keep the receipt and return it the next day if you're not happy. Wait 3 more years and consider buying it for the rest of your house.
Hi Edward--Your caution is wa
Hi Edward--Your caution is warranted. Just like cfls, there can be a huge difference in color, efficacy, and durability between LED A19 lamps. Just being an LED does not guarantee performance.
LED technology has changed significantly in the past year, however. I bet the bulb you bought a year ago hadn’t undergone LM-79 testing, and LED chip and phosphor advances are happening so quickly that today’s bulbs have little in common with a three-year-old product, or even most products from last year. I toured GE’s LED research facility in the fall, and they have made their LED lamps somewhat modular so they can quickly swap out chips and electronics to keep up with rapid advances in technology. They can create and test these lamps in days rather than months.
With all that said, you still do need to “try before you buy.” LED lamps are electronic devices that are closer to a computer chip than a standard incandescent bulb. An LED lamp that works perfectly in the lab, the retailer, or your neighbor’s house (or even your upstairs room) may not work as well in your den….but another LED bulb just might.
LEDs still face some big challenges in terms of playing nicely with older wiring (this is why manufacturers provide lists of approved dimmers), but they are no longer niche, boutique products as far as bulb manufacturers are concerned. There is a lot of competition out there now and the industry is fully committed to making LEDs function in the real world. So, I wouldn’t give up on LEDs quite yet, but you are right to proceed with caution.
LEDs
A less expensive LED with about 450 lumens is the 6-Watt EarthLED bulb for less than $10 at: http://store.earthled.com/products/earthled-zetalux-2-6-watt-led-light-bulb
40-Watt replacement works best in a multiple light fixture. i.e. 5-bulb fixture = 200 Watt equiv. for only 30 Watts. I replaced most of the lights in my house (average 60 watts) for this 6-Watt bulb and noticed the difference immediately on my usage. The bulbs will m ost likely out live me.
That Energy Star list is mass
That Energy Star list is massive! But this blog only deals new regulations surrounding omnidirectional A19 style lamps, and there are only a handful of those. They can be found under the “A - Arbitrary (standard incandescent shape)” designation. The other lamps you see on that list are PAR, MR, BR, and others, many of which are sold primarily to lighting professionals for commercial use rather than to general consumers. These lamps often have significantly different considerations that are not necessarily applicable to consumers and are not addressed by Energy Star...but that is fodder for another blog.
We’ve been following LED A19 replacement lamps, their promise and problems for years, and it is amazing how fast the industry is now moving. When I looked at the Energy Star list just a couple months ago, only GE and Philips had A19 LEDs, but now there are three more companies and we’ll see many more in the very near future.
The Energy Star website keeps
The Energy Star website keeps an up to date list of all qualified lamps.
http://downloads.energystar.gov/bi/qplist/Lamps%20Qualified%20Product%20...
Most of the thousands listed are CFL so you need to filter those out to get the LED if that's what you're interested in. There are 685 LED lamps listed as of today. Of those, 436 have a lpw of at least 50. And only 113 have a 60 lpw or higher efficacy.
Most of these high performance lamps have Edison bases and are dimmable. They're also the more expensive lamps. The best payback is if they are used a lot. A porch light that's on all night, or a kitchen that's on all day. Just putting it in your garage that might be turned on 1 hour a day is too expensive. In those locations it would be better to wait a few more years for LED cost to come down even further.
I still haven't seen the award winning Philips EnduraLED for sale in local stores yet so I can't calculate a payback but the older version of the Philips lamp is still available. $25 for a 12.5W, 700 lumen lamp, 56 lpw. (replaces 60W incandescent) Assuming $0.10/kWh.
1-hour/day = 14.4 year payback
3-hour/day = 4.8 year payback
6-hour/day = 2.4 year payback
12-hour/day = 1.2 year payback
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