Light

All lamp bulbs are manufactured, transported, and used.  Transport is relevant in the selection of a vendor and manufacturer if the differences in manufacture and operation efficiency are slight.  As sophisticated shoppers MSC looks at how much light they get for their money (Ideally Lux/$, or Lumen/$ if the lighted area is equivalent).  Green investors seek total life cycle need assessments to compare fundamentally distinct technologies.  Both CFL and LED manufacture is efficient enough that the efficiency of their use overwhelms additional costs of manufacture1.  Unlike mature incandescent technology (e.g. halogen), or fluorescent lamps that are unlikely to profoundly improve, LED is a rapidly improving technology in terms of longevity, light quality, lighting efficiency, and manufacture efficiency. Phosphorescence used to create fluorescent light quality, now contributes to light quality of LED lamps. Heat recycling into incandescence has promise, but no such lamp sold yet.

The New York Times Reports that study results show that over the entire life of the bulb — from manufacturing to disposal — the energy used for incandescent bulbs is almost five times that used for compact fluorescents and LED lamps.  The energy used during the manufacturing phase of all lamps is insignificant — less than 2 percent of the total. Given that both compact fluorescents and LEDs use about 20%of the electricity needed to create the same amount of light as a standard incandescent, both lighting technologies put incandescents to shame.  The cited Osram report compares a 40W incandescent to 8W covered omni directional bulbs using LED and CFL technology.  Additional savings are available in uncovered spiral CFLs, and in directional LED lamp applications. Neither Osram nor Philips (the prototype bulb pictured in the New York Times Article) have produced any of the best available LED lamps so far identified by MSC.  Major light manufacturers realize that LED technology can take over most of the light market, and are positioning themselves to not loose dominance of the lighting market.  As of March 2016 MSC has yet to find a Philips, Sylvania or GE LED product that was the best deal for efficiency and efficacy.

We know incandescent lights are a bad investment. The challenge is identifying and locating where to buy the best CFL and LED bulbs.  We have yet to see the best models listed on the Energy Star website on shelves of local shops.  Generally there are look alike models with the Energy Star logo that last less than 12000hrs and produce less than 60Lumen/W, even when prices exceed $3/bulb.  We look into the technical specifications, for the Lumens/W delivered by linear fluorescents because such vital information is generally not presented to residential customers.  The goal is simply to know what we are buying, so that our managers can make informed decisions.

Recommendations:

Inventory bulb needs so we can get a discounts on bulk purchases direct from distributors.

Don't pay to upgrade light fixtures to anything that restricts light bulb choice because the better technologies generally hit market first in the most common socket and dimensional formats.  Those who are upgrading customers to fluorescent could simply upgrade to LED to have up to 90CRI with >100Lm/W efficiency now. If one needs to hire electricians, one can have them remove T8 to T12 fixture ballasts, wire for UL listed direct AC LED lamps, ad add vacancy sensor controls.  T5 might make sense to continue for now, but MSC still enjoys the 18W T12 light installed in 2009. In 2016 EarthLED sold MSC many UL listed T8 tubes that deliver >100 Lm/W for less than $10 per bulb. Each seemed as bright as a bare of fluorescent tubes, so we generally left the other socket empty for perhaps a better lamp later.  LED greatly reduces our risk of breakage releasing mercury gas in our homes, and heat from old ballasts that were in fixtures.

Incandescent makes sense in ovens were heat kills both CFL and LED circuits, and even in stove range hoods where heat both harms LED brightness and shortens life. Other than these there is no excuse for less than 59Lm/W.  CFL is generally obsolete everywhere there is a 100Lm/W LED option, or >60Lm/W directional LED option with use life rated at least 15000Hrs if not 30000Hrs. 50000Hrs seems to be the high end limit for rated current LED circuit life expectancy.

60W omni directional lamp:

Maxlite 13W Mini Spiral yields 900Lumen of 2700K light CRI=82 ($2 each through NEC Energy Squad) became our standard in 2009.

Bulbs meeting this standard were easy to find in 2013, but we still need to be careful to avoid bulbs only rated to last 8000 hours. 12000hours is effectively half again the utility per dollar.  15kHr bulbs exist but as of 2016 we never found one at a good price, and now dimmable and damp condition rated 7W 800Lm filament LED lamps exist at EarthLED, and less dimmable versions are sold at Menards.

The ban on 60W bulbs was great for LED sales, but initially resulted in a sudden flood of very bad products.  An LED lamp was actually for sale in Target that only claims to deliver 18L/W.  That efficiency is more cheaply obtained from an incandescent bulb.

The CREE 60Weg and 40Weq bulbs are the most trusted standard LED bulb.  Since the 40Weg bulb mostly lacks light directed out of the top, it often equivalently replaces 60W bulbs in fixtures that only emit light to the sides. 5.5W PL replacement bulbs emit light all to one side and can be purchased in E26 base for use in fixtures.

nanoleaf Smart-Ivy  7.5W 800Lm, smart phone programmable...

nanoleaf -Bloom 75W equivalent, 10W, 1200Lm Dimmable using a non dimming switch $31, or $27 on sale

nanoleaf-One 75W equiv, 10W, 1200Lm doesn't dim $15 -not damp rated but ideal for enclosed fixtures

6" downlight  11.5W, 750Lm directional, dims, damp $12

4" gimbal down light  10W, 700Lm directed, high color accuracy = 90CRI, $20 damp rated

Standard 60W bulb replacement - dims 7W, 800Lm, damp rated... $4.50  filament makes it look like incandescent until light becomes less yellow at lower dim settings.

Downlight for junction box retrofit, 13W, 910Lm, installs into junction box, damp rated, dimmable $20

Standard 40W bulb replacement - dims 4W, 450Lm, damp rated... $3.50 filament ...

Flood light    10W, 650Lm directional BR30, damp rated, $5.75 Thinklux LED Gen2

3 inch globe    4W 400Lm dimmable, G25 damp rated... $13 Kodak

In 2009 the Energy Squad installed 14W Maxlite 3" globe CFLs.  They were bad, only reaching brightness about when people were leaving the bathroom. Menards then sold 1.7W LED globe bulbs that were perfect in our fixtures of 10 globes, but now only sells higher Watt versions.

Linear fluorescent is a serious replacement option for vanities if we find an attractive fixture. (We haven't)

Bright and efficient LEDs with good light quality exist, but so do overpriced poor quality LEDs.  Unless a vanity fixture distributes LED light properly, it can be very harsh shining into ones eyes.

Outdoor Flood and spot lights:

LED technology is best.  Identifying affordable quality products was difficult ($35 to $75 is steep). EarthLED, Amazon, and eBay start to have affordable options.

Bright performance in bitter cold (-25F), instant light in response to sensor switches, and directional focus limited to where light is wanted are key benefits.

Tiny 3W spots from eBay have been great.  Many motion sensor switches require more than 2W.

Floods 10W+.   Motion sensors will save money.

Attention is needed to avoid glare from lights directed within 35° of horizontal.

Closet lights: (on for brief periods of time)

1.7W to 5W LED lights are best, but identifying affordable quality products is difficult.  (options exist for under $10 at EarthLED, amazon, and eBay)

Bright Kitchen Lights

• 4ft long Linear T5 Fluorescent lights (Lithonia $27 at Home Depot) produce > 100Lumen/Watt.  Much better efficiency and light quality than our old fixtures.

• however: LED T8 options are brighter (18W, $60 per bulb + $20 per Driver) or dimmer (14W, $50 per bulb with internal driver on sale) and aggressive motion sensor switching doesn't shorten lamp life. 

-- Example:  Little House Kitchen often uses one bright T8 LED in place of two 4' flourescent tubes to achieve equivalent lighting with only 18W rather than >64W.  Because this Kitchen is frequently used briefly as a hallway, the 2nd fixture has a separate switch for when people want maximum light.  This greatly extended the life of the fluorescent lights and ballasts of the extra light, and means that most the time only 19W of power are used (The all florescent Kitchen lights had used 170W and annual bulb replacements). Now even the 2nd fixture is an 18W LED Lamp.

• LR6 LED Downlights ($85 per bulb) very high quality light (60Lumen/Watt directional light). So far out of our price range, but we did install a 12W HomeDepot Commercial Electric downlight in Keda for significantly less.  Once the connector was wired to the junction box, the lamp clicked right into place with no additional fixture when the 2 year old T8 fixture installed during a kitchen remodel failed.  It may be fewer Lm/W but in this application the stairway below became the brightest and best lit part of the basement due to a more focused light distribution.

Hall Lights:

(Always on): 4ft or 2ft long single Linear T8 LED  lights produce > 100Lumen/Watt.  Much better efficiency and light quality than previous fluorescent fixtures. Fluorescent T5 (Lithonia $27 at Home Depot) can be as efficient, but don't last as long unless in a room where boiler heat harms LED lamps.

•  Some 7W to 13W CFL lamps, and rarely 5W LED lights work for small areas.

(Motion Switched):  2ft and 4ft LED T8 options can run on an aggressive motion sensor switch without shortening lamp life.