In 2007, a bipartisan effort was made to pass new lighting rules aimed at improving energy efficiency across the board. Named the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA), the regulations were set to go into effect by 2020 but were tabled by the administration of that time.

The current administration announced in April 2022 that the rules were back in force, scheduled to go in effect on August 1, 2023.

The new efficiency standards essentially ban incandescent bulbs from manufacture or sale, meaning the incandescent lightbulb’s century-long reign as lighting king is coming to an end.

Here, we’ll address what the new rules include and how consumers can seamlessly make the switch from incandescent lighting technology.

What is Banned Under the New Lighting Efficiency Rules?

The new regulations establish two new rules. One is an updated definition of general service lamps – a catch-all term for lights with a screw-in base and those that operate with certain voltages. This includes almost all residential lights and many commercial lamps. The other rule establishes efficiency standards for lighting products. Specifically, new bulbs must output a minimum of 45 lumens per watt.

Incandescent lights only produce about 15 lumens per watt, on average. That means incandescent bulbs can no longer be produced or sold. Consumers are not required to throw their incandescent bulbs out and may continue to use them as long as they work.

Using the updated rule for general service lamps, the following lamps are not included in the ban:

• Colored lamps (Christmas lights)
• Infrared lamps
• Plant and grow lights
• Flood lights
• Reflector lights
• Black lights
• Bug lamps
• Appliance lights
• Traffic signals

There are a few more exceptions for exotic fixtures, but for homeowners and facility managers, the important point is that most residential and commercial incandescent bulbs are now off the market.

Why are Incandescent Lightbulbs Now Banned?

The Department of Energy (DOE) is spearheading the regulatory rollout, and its justification for the ban is two-fold:

• Reducing consumer utility costs – The DOE estimates that the switch from incandescent lighting to energy efficient lighting (LED bulbs) will cut consumer utility bills to a massive degree. The department’s estimate is approximately $3 billion every year – savings that home and business owners can both capture.
• Reducing carbon emissions – The second reason is environmental. By transitioning to energy efficient lighting, the DOE expects to remove close to 222 million metric tons of carbon from the air over the next 30 years.

Will Future Regulations Ban Other Types of Lighting?

Resurrecting EISA is likely just the first step in a march toward tighter lighting efficiency standards. In fact, there’s a tougher efficiency standard set to take effect at the end of 2024. This standard will raise the lumen-to-watt ratio required from 45 to 120. In other words, any lights manufactured following 2024 will need to be almost three times as energy efficient, at the minimum.

That means CFL bulbs will be phased out starting then. If your building runs on CFLs, it’s time to start planning a transition. Other fluorescent fixtures – T12 tubes, for example – are also being phased out by the DOE, so any fluorescent-heavy system will need an alternative fairly soon.

LED Lightbulbs Are the Energy Efficient Alternative to Incandescent Bulbs

Whether replacing incandescent or fluorescent bulbs, LEDs are the frontline replacement in most applications. In fact, LED lighting solutions are found in more commercial buildings than any other lighting technology – a trend that continues to grow.

Here is why LEDs represent the future of residential and commercial lighting:

• Compatibility with toughening efficiency standards – LED lights are the most energy efficient on the market, which means they are the most compatible with emerging efficiency regulations. Some current-generation LED lights can output 120 lumens or more per watt, and these ultra-high-efficiency bulbs are not just compatible with EISA, they are efficient enough for the next round of standards coming in 2024. In short, LEDs are as future proof as lighting gets these days.
• Unmatched operating costs – LED’s superior energy efficiency can be a source of huge cost savings. Compared to incandescent lights, LEDs require about 20 percent of the energy to produce the same amount of illumination.

  Further, LEDs last much longer than all other lighting options. An incandescent bulb, for example, provides about 1,000 hours of light before it needs to be replaced. A fluorescent lamp performs for about 20,000 hours before it reaches the end of its useful life.

  An LED bulb will last for 50,000 hours or more before failure is a concern. That means fewer replacements, reduced replacement costs, and lower maintenance overhead. Combine this with better energy efficiency and LEDs are the cost-effective choice.

• High-quality, high-performance lighting – The concern with early LEDs was that they could not match incandescent, halogen or metal halides in terms of brightness and lighting quality. That was then, this is now, and LEDs now offer comparable – or superior – illumination quality compared to other options.

  LEDs are available in a range of color temperatures, including incandescent-like warm hues. They are also available in high lumen builds perfect for commercial or exterior applications. And LED light is characterized by its even metering and excellent color rendering.

  Its flawless lighting quality means LEDs can be trusted in any application, including industrial or exterior applications where long-distance visibility and safety are paramount.

• Better versatility – LEDs have been adapted for almost every lighting application out there, and this is only the beginning for the technology. Right now, engineers are working on never-seen-before fixture options that only LEDs can be used with. For example, there’s a near future where LED lights are integrated into clothing and household surfaces, which gives designers a whole new repertoire of lighting tools.
• Lower environmental impact – LEDs possess a lower environmental footprint compared to older lighting technologies. Their energy efficiency is the primary reason why, but it’s not the only reason. LED fixtures are safe and nontoxic enough that they can be disposed of in a general waste stream, without fear of environmental contamination. That is not the case with fluorescents, for instance, which contain enough mercury to pose a health hazard to people and other living things.

Even if incandescent and fluorescent bulbs were not being targeted by regulators, there would still be several compelling reasons to adopt LED lighting. Now that older lighting technologies are being phased out, though, there’s additional pressure for late adopters to make the switch.

Stay Ahead of the Regulatory Curve with LED Lights

The reinstatement of EISA and the incoming 2024 efficiency standards make one thing clear – lighting standards are only going to get tougher. In response to this, many businesses have already integrated LED lighting into their facilities. For those lagging behind, time is running out.

Fortunately, switching to LED lighting is easier than it used to be, as LED retrofit solutions are widely available and can be used in nearly any application.

If your facilities are in need of an LED upgrade, but your organization cannot invest in a from-scratch lighting solution, LED retrofits are a cost-effective alternative that offer all the benefits of LED – including compliance with efficiency standards – at a budget-friendly entry point. A trusted lighting expert can walk their clients through the retrofit process, survey the facility’s existing lighting infrastructure, and recommend the most effective options.

Disproving Four Common Myths About LED Lighting

LED technology is taking over the lighting industry, and for good reason. LED bulbs offer excellent energy savings, an extended lifespan, instant startup, and many other benefits. But even as LED lighting makes progress, myths about the technology are still widespread.

Let’s address four of the most stubborn myths surrounding LED bulbs and shed some light on the truth of the technology.

Myth #1: LED Lighting is Too Expensive

This is perhaps the most persistent myth regarding LED lighting, causing many companies to avoid installing LED lights for fear of their perceived cost.

LED lights cost more than older types of light bulbs, but this fact only speaks to the upfront cost. There is also ongoing operating costs that need to be considered. This includes:

• The cost of energy consumption
• The cost of lamp replacement
• The cost of lost productivity (due to poor lighting quality)

LED lamps have the advantage in all three areas over all other forms of lighting. LED fixtures are the most energy efficient available, with significant advantages over fluorescent tubes, metal halides, halogen, and other technologies. Part of this advantage is derived from the lamp itself, which uses a sophisticated semiconductor chip instead of filaments or pressurized gas. An additional advantage is due to LED’s directional nature. LED bulbs cast illumination directionally instead of omnidirectionally (like fluorescents and metal halides) – meaning they can be aimed with precision. As a result, less power is needed to get enough light to the target.

As for maintenance and lamp replacement – a high quality LED bulb will last for at least 50,000 hours, which adds up to about 12 years of 12-hours-a-day illumination before replacement is needed. Compare this to fluorescent tubes (about 20,000 hours) and metal halides (10,000 hours at most), and the replacement cost advantage is rather clear.

Modern LEDs also produce high quality illumination that can facilitate greater productivity. Their brilliant output is similar to sunlight in emission range, so it’s the next best thing to natural sunlight. For many workers, this is a welcome change from the green pallor (and headaches) that fluorescent tubes are known for. Research shows that retrofitting LED lighting comes with a modest per-worker productivity boost. For large facilities that rely on hundreds or thousands of workers, this added productivity can offset overhead costs.

Add it all up and LED’s operational cost advantage means a return on investment in as short as a couple of years.

Myth #2: LED Lights Are Not as Bright as Older Lighting Technologies

LED lights were not immediately embraced by the industry as first-generation LEDs could not compete in lighting output or quality.

That is to be expected with any new technology, but LED lighting has definitely made up the gap. High quality LEDs now generate more lumens per watt than all other lighting options. That means more light per unit of energy spent.

LED fixtures and lamps can also be scaled up to any degree, including massive stadium sportslighters that can throw 50,000 or more lumens. And again, because LEDs are directional, more of that light reaches its intended target.

LED lights are also available in neutral and cooler color temperatures that are usually perceived as brighter, compared to warmer lamps. With these facts in mind, it is no surprise that LEDs are also replacing older street lighting technologies, like high pressure sodium lamps, as they support better night-time visibility.

Myth #3: LED Lighting Produces Zero Heat

Another benefit of LED’s energy efficiency is its low heat output. Since the technology wastes very little energy on thermal waste, it outputs a fraction of the heat that other lights put out. As such, LED lights tend to be a safer option and less burdensome on a facility’s HVAC systems.

However, no lighting system can be 100 percent efficient, and the same is true of LED lighting technology. A tiny amount of heat is generated as part of the lighting process, and this heat needs to be controlled to preserve the lamp’s reliability. Poor internal heat regulation will lead to early LED failure.

That is why LED lighting manufacturers include heat sinks with every lamp. Onboard heat sinks are responsible for capturing and dispersing thermal energy, ensuring it does notcollect around the light and affect its performance. So, while LEDs are not exactly heat-free, they do manage thermal waste in a much more efficient and controlled way.

Myth #4: LED Lights Emit Unsafe Levels of Blue Light

Blue light may be an emerging health concern among medical researchers, as this energizing light can disrupt circadian rhythms and therefore affect sleep quality. LEDs have been blamed for outputting blue light, perhaps owing to LED’s reputation as a cooler light.

However, multiple lighting agencies have reported that the blue light emitted by LEDs is no more concerning than the blue light emitted by other lighting products. When controlling for color temperature (cooler lights do emit more blue illumination than warm lights), the amount of blue light emitted by LED lighting is no different than other sources.

Fact: LEDs Are the Present and Future of Lighting Technology

The truth is that LED lighting is quickly replacing older lights in a wide array of applications. In 2018, almost half of all commercial buildings were utilizing LED lighting to some degree. That number is significantly higher now.

No technology is perfect, of course, but LED lighting is in the best position, among all lighting options, to get as close to perfect as possible. Since its introduction decades ago, LED lights have improved in quality and reliability, while dropping in costs. Since LED lighting is a relatively new technology compared to other lighting options there is still plenty of room to improve LED engineering and optimize lighting products further. Contact your lighting expert today to start your journey into creating a brighter future.

The LED lighting revolution is well underway, yet in many ways it is really just getting started. It’s been more than half a century since LED lights were invented, but even the geniuses behind the engineering could not have guessed that the future belonged to LED technology.

Today, LEDs are rapidly replacing all other bulbs in every application imaginable, but replacing older lights is only the beginning. LED fixtures are poised to rework how we think about lighting, from an efficiency, appearance, and even health standpoint.

How LEDs Helped Phase Out Incandescent and Fluorescent Lighting

For more than a century, Edison’s most impactful invention – the incandescent bulb – has provided the world with warm illumination, and fluorescents have provided larger commercial spaces with reliable (albeit unattractive) illumination.

But time is up for these outdated lighting options, which pale in comparison to LEDs in several ways. Here is some insight on how LED technology made its way to becoming a frontline lighting option:

• LEDs have an unbeatable efficiency advantage – The topline benefit for LED lighting has always been its energy efficiency. Early on, it was clear that LED lamps could improve facility efficiency, but this advantage has become more pronounced with time. Today’s LED lighting products can achieve luminous effectiveness ratings of 170 lumens per watt, and manufacturers believe LEDs with 200 watt-to-lumen ratios will be available soon.In fact, some experts believe that LED lights could eventually achieve luminous effectiveness ratings in excess of 400 lumens per watt, but it’s not clear just yet on whether there will be a market for those.

  The point is, LED bulbs are so efficient because of their underlying engineering, which uses semiconductor technology to transform electricity to illumination at the atomic level. While other lighting technologies rely on metal filaments or pressurized gasses to emit light, LED fixtures represent the power of modern engineering.

  For property owners, this overwhelming efficiency advantage promises a rapid return on investment and compliance with toughening efficiency regulations.

• LEDs minimize operating costs for facility owners – LED’s other primary cost-saving mechanism is its minimal maintenance design. The typical LED light lasts for 50,000 hours before it’s time to consider replacement. With improving energy efficiency metrics, LED fixtures are improving in lifespan as well. It’s not difficult to see a future where LED lights regularly provide 100,000 hours or more of reliable illumination. And during their lifespan, LED bulbs need almost no attention from maintenance crews, providing the ultimate install-and-forget lighting option.With fewer replacements and less maintenance to budget for, facility owners can recoup their investment faster.
• LEDs can be adapted for a much larger range of applications – An impressive, but often overlooked advantage of diode engineering is its scalability. LEDs can be manufactured in a huge array of form factors, including microscopic diodes that can be integrated into clothing.LEDs are unlocking designer and installer creativity in ways that would have been unexpected just five years ago. They can already be integrated into a range of surfaces and materials, with no visible bulb, fixture, or wiring interfering with the final look.

  For businesses, LED’s versatility means an expanded range of applications that can reduce costs and boost visual impact.

• LEDs offer precision controllability – LEDs are far more compatible with modern lighting controls than older technologies. The implications here are vast, but for facility managers, the immediate result is better energy efficiency, security, and productivity.Dimmers, timers, photocells, and occupancy controls can all be easily attached to LED fixtures, and this is only the start, as we’ll address in a bit.

Why LED Lighting is Taking Over Commercial Spaces

No matter the application, LEDs provide better efficiency, versatility, and controllability. Commercial properties obviously benefit from these factors, but there are additional reasons why LED lighting is taking over commercial spaces.

Survey data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) drives this point home. In 2012, only 9 percent of commercial buildings were fitted with LED lighting equipment. In 2018, that number had jumped to 44 percent, with only fluorescent lighting still ahead of LEDs (though fluorescent lighting did drop in popularity during the same timespan from 84 percent to 68 percent).

When the EIA’s newest survey data is available within a couple of years, it will likely show what lighting experts already know – that LED lighting is now the undisputed lighting leader.

In addition to LED’s impressive efficiency, reliability, and performance, there are a few reasons why LED lighting technology is dominating commercial settings. They include:

• Government incentives and regulations – Energy efficiency means businesses pay less for their lighting. It wasn’t too long ago that companies were dedicating up to 40 percent of their utility costs to lighting. This number is quickly trending down and it’s likely that lighting costs will represent less than 10 percent of a commercial building’s utility expenditures year-over-year.That energy efficiency is also relevant for regulatory reasons. Incandescent bulbs are already becoming difficult to find among lighting suppliers, and most T12 fluorescent tubes are following suit. The reasoning behind these regulatory waves is to improve overall lighting efficiency among commercial facilities, and it’s a pattern that companies should anticipate going forward.
• Access to less expensive LED retrofit products – The upfront cost of a new LED lighting solution has been a hurdle in the past, but numerous retrofit options are now available to commercial facilities. These retrofit LEDs are available in a comprehensive range of fixture designs (tubes, panels, etc.) and can be used with existing lighting infrastructure. With retrofit fixture options available, companies can enter the LED lighting market without committing as much upfront.
• A boost to worker productivity and safety – LED lighting emits in a full spectral range, akin to natural sunlight. Our bodies seem to adjust best to this type of light, as LED lighting solutions are often accompanied by a worker productivity boost. That is what recent research shows, and though the boost was minor, it was cumulative among workers, so companies with larger facilities can reap significant productivity bonuses from LEDs.Along that line, workers tend to be more alert and comfortable in the presence of LED light. This can improve worker attention and focus while on the job, which correlates with increased safety.

Three Ways LED Technology Will Transform Urban Lighting Solutions

LED lighting’s victory isn’t limited to buildings. It’s also poised to transform how cities and municipalities deploy their lighting resources. We’re still in the early stages, but there are exciting LED lighting concepts on the near horizon – concepts that we may see deployed in the next several years. Three of them include:

• Smart LED lighting controls and sensor networks – LED’s extensive controllability is yet to be fully leveraged, but cities are getting closer. Smart controls, for example, can be integrated into street lighting and used to dim an attached LED streetlight, power it on or off, change its color, tell it to strobe, amongst other interesting things.With these controls in place, streetlights can respond to people or vehicles in the vicinity and only output at full intensity as needed – further improving efficiency. These features can also be used to point out alternative traffic routes and direct first responders to emergencies.
• Networked monitoring and remote configuration – LED street lighting systems can also be remotely monitored and managed from a central location, giving utilities granular control over their resources.For instance, a networked lighting solution can send an alert back to home base when a fixture’s output dips below a certain level. Maintenance crews can respond before failure and ensure no interruption in lighting.

  LED lighting systems can remain modern with regular updates to fixture firmware. These updates will be remotely pushed over from a central location, ensuring the entire system remains up to date.

• Minimal (or zero) glare fixtures – Light pollution is an emerging concern, for humans and the environment. Our ever-expanding cities are pumping out so much illumination that it’s interfering with wake/sleep patterns, migration patterns, and blotting out the night skies.Older lighting technologies had to answer for these issues, but modern LED fixtures are directional to the point where they can be precision-aimed and shielded to minimize uplighting. This same approach can be used to minimize glare and ensure lighting solutions only illuminate what should be illuminated.

From Novelty to Gold Standard, LED Technology is Lighting the Way to a Better Future

LED lighting has captured headlines for decades, so the ongoing lighting revolution may not be getting the attention it deserves. What is clear, though, is that LED technology is changing the way lighting professionals design, manufacture and implement lighting solutions.

That means LED lights are not just poised to light the future – They’re bringing the future of lighting to people, businesses, and cities everywhere.

LEDs have long been touted as the lighting technology of the future, but if the data is anything to go by, it’s also the present. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), almost half of commercial buildings in 2018 had LED lights installed. And that trend is likely accelerating, as fluorescent tubes are quickly being phased out for LEDs.

The case for LED lighting is strengthening, and for business owners, the time has never been better to make the switch.

Here are six compelling reasons why it’s time to transition to LED lighting technology.

1) The Benefits of LED Lighting are Instantly Available with a Retrofit

For many businesses, the initial cost and lead times associated with LED lighting have been limiting factors. The emergence of LED retrofit solutions, though, has minimized these factors.

Through retrofitting, companies can instantly access LED lighting without ripping out and overhauling the existing lighting infrastructure. In most cases, only the bulbs need to be replaced. A lighting expert can help confirm this and provide insight into what a retrofit project will include, so business owners know what to expect budget and timeline-wise. In general, though, an LED retrofit costs less and takes less time than installing a new system.

LED lighting is now as accessible as it’s ever been with retrofit options hitting the market. And unsurprisingly, many businesses are using them to make the switch to LEDs.

2) LED Lights Have an Unbeatable Energy Efficiency Advantage

Lighting represents 15-20 percent of a commercial property’s energy consumption, making it the biggest power draw for many facilities. That means the biggest efficiency gains often involve lighting upgrades. Specifically, upgrading to LED bulbs.

LEDs offer serious energy savings compared to other lighting technologies. The advantage over incandescent and halogen is enormous, but in a commercial context, the comparison is usually made with fluorescents or metal halides.

Compared to fluorescent tubes, LED lighting is about 20 percent more efficient, according to the EIA. Compared to metal halides, LED’s system-level advantage is even more impressive and up to 50 percent more efficient than metal halides.

LED lighting’s efficiency advantage is two-fold. One, LED bulbs generate minimal heat. With a metal halide, about 75 percent of the input energy is wasted in thermal emissions. LEDs also emit heat, but at a much smaller scale than other forms of lighting, meaning more of that precious power is converted into light.

Two, LED lights are directional. They can be aimed, in other words. And because they can be aimed, more illumination reaches the ground, where it’s needed.

Fluorescent, HID lamps, and most other forms of lighting are omnidirectional – as in, they emit illumination in every direction. Bulky, inefficient reflectors are needed to capture and redirect this light. The result is lower system efficiency.

3) LEDs Last Much Longer Than Other Lighting Options

LED’s energy efficiency advantage can instantly reduce operating expenses, but there’s another way LEDs help in this area. Maintenance and lamp replacement costs add up quickly with outdated lighting systems. A fluorescent tube, for example, will fail around the 20,000-hour mark. The situation is worse with metal halides, which reach this point around 10,000 hours. In fact, a metal halide lamp may lose up to 10 percent of its initial output within the first 1,000 hours. With this rapid rate of decline, businesses spend a lot of money on replacement lamps.

With LED lighting, companies can claw back most of those maintenance and replacement expenses. The typical LED bulb will provide upwards of 50,000 hours of solid performance, and many last until the 100,000-hour mark. Even better, LEDs last that long with minimal maintenance. It’s a double bonus from an operating cost standpoint.

4) LED Bulbs Can Unlock Additional Productivity from Employees

LEDs produce a high-quality light that mimics the emission spectrum and brilliance of natural sunlight. People respond well to this natural-feeling and natural-looking illumination, which often encourages higher levels of productivity.

While more research is needed, early studies show that installing LED lighting comes with a slight productivity boost among workers. The boost is modest (a few percentage points), but multiply it among hundreds or thousands of employees, and that modest jump in productivity can shorten the system’s ROI by several years.

5) Tax Incentives and Rebates are Available with LED Lighting Solutions

There are a few tax write offs and incentives that can sweeten the pot when switching to LED lighting. Made permanent in 2021, Section 179D of the Internal Revenue Code allows qualified building owners (including commercial building owners) to deduct up to $0.60 per square foot when upgrading interior or exterior lighting solutions. To qualify, the improvements must reduce energy consumption by 25 percent or more.

Rebates are another option and are available in most parts of the country. Utility companies offer rebates because they have their own energy savings goals to hit, and one way to do that is to incentivize facility owners.

Thousands of products qualify for rebates where applicable, so consulting with a lighting professional is recommended. A lighting expert can point out which LED lighting products qualify for a rebate and how much a company can expect to save on its new technology.

6) LED Bulbs Can Be Easily and Safely Disposed Of

LED lighting is considered safe and non-toxic enough that it can be disposed of in the company’s general waste stream. That’s not the case with fluorescent tubes, which contain enough toxic mercury to be hazardous to the environment. Many municipalities require specialized disposal methods to deal with fluorescent tubes – an additional use of resources that isn’t necessary with LED lighting.

LED Lighting Offers Better Efficiency, Longevity and Performance for Business Owners

Older lighting technologies are entering their twilight, so to speak. Incandescent bulbs are practically history, T12 fluorescent tubes are phasing out, and it’s clear that the U.S. is moving toward LEDs as its next large-scale illumination solution.

It’s a switch that many business owners have already embraced because of what LED lighting offers. With superior energy efficiency, lifespan, performance and durability, commercial facilities are better with LED lights.

On August 1, 2023, an impactful piece of lighting regulation went into effect. The Energy Independence and Security Act, more than 15 years in the making, finally became official at the start of the month and has put new efficiency standards in place.

The most notable is the minimum required lumen-to-watt ratio for newly manufactured lights. All new bulbs must output at least 45 lumens per watt, a threshold that incandescent bulbs cannot meet. The result is a de facto ban that will take most, but not all, incandescent bulbs off the market.

Let’s address the ban’s details and what consumers can do to adapt in response.

How Will the Incandescent Ban Affect Consumers and Manufacturers?

Multiple lighting regulations have been passed in recent years, and they follow the same pattern as the incandescent ban. Technically, it’s not a ban, because consumers are permitted to use their existing incandescent bulbs (and any they can find to purchase) until they no longer work.

The ban’s teeth are really felt on the manufacturing side because new incandescent bulbs cannot be made as none are capable of meeting the 45-lumen minimum.

Manufacturers have steadily been pulling their incandescent products, but this trend will likely accelerate until they are impossible to buy anywhere. At that point, alternative lighting solutions will be needed.

Which Incandescent Light Bulbs are Getting Banned?

Although most incandescent lights are included in the manufacturer ban, there are a handful of exceptions. They include:

• Appliance lamps, such as oven lights
• Black lights
• Bug lamps
• Colored lamps
• Infrared lamps
• Left-handed thread lamps
• Plant lights
• Flood lights
• Reflector lamps
• Showcase lamps
• Traffic signals
• A small number of other specialty lamps, like marine lights

These lights do not need to meet a minimum lumen requirement to be manufactured, sold, or utilized.

What is the Reasoning Behind the Incandescent Bulb Ban?

The Energy Independence and Security Act was originally conceived as a bipartisan piece of legislation, proposed by the Bush administration. Then, like now, the act was intended to improve energy efficiency among U.S.-based lighting solutions. The hope is that improved energy efficiency will save consumers $3 billion or more in utility bills. Also, the hope is that the new regulations will reduce carbon emissions by hundreds of metric tons every year.

Incandescent bulbs are being targeted because they are the least energy efficient lighting technology on the market. As a piece of early 19th-century engineering, that’s not a surprise. The problem is the metal filament, which is heated to more than 2,000 degrees Celsius to produce light. About 90 percent of the energy injected into an incandescent bulb is wasted on heat, so only a small portion is used to produce illumination – the definition of inefficient lighting.

LED Lights are an Effective Alternative to Incandescent Bulbs

With the ban in place, it’s likely that consumers will gravitate to high-efficiency options in order to stay ahead of future regulations.

LED bulbs are poised to be that high-efficiency option for the vast majority of applications. LED light bulbs output close to 100 lumens per watt, so they exceed the required minimum with plenty of room to spare.

Of course, LED lighting isn’t a new technology for most people. It’s already in use in residential and commercial properties throughout the country. In fact, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) found that about half of commercial buildings were already running LED lighting back in 2018. That number is likely much higher today.

LED Retrofits Make Switching from Incandescent Bulbs Easy

LED lighting has improved greatly in recent decades. Some of the initial pushback against LED lighting technology was based on perceived quality issues like undesirable color temperatures and flickering. Those issues were always minor and fixable, and now they have been addressed. Today’s LED bulbs can generate a wide spectrum of color temperatures, including warmer tones that incandescent lamps are known for. Further, LED lights generate illumination that’s superior in brilliance, quality, and spectral range to other mainstream lighting options, like HIDs and fluorescents. LED systems are more efficient than all other major lighting technologies.

The only remaining issue for many businesses is the initial costs associated with purchasing LED lighting, but the cost of LED lighting has declined rapidly, especially when tax incentives, rebates, and retrofit solutions are factored in.

LED retrofits are an emerging solution for companies that need to boost their lighting efficiency but don’t have the capital to invest in an entirely new system.

During an LED retrofit, the existing lighting fixtures are preserved, along with most of the underlying electrical infrastructure. In some cases, ballasts may need to be replaced with LED drivers, but there are some retrofit LED lamps that can also function with traditional ballasts.

Because only the bare minimum is replaced – often just the bulbs – companies can easily minimize their upfront costs while still attaining the energy efficiency, longevity and performance advantages associated with LED lighting technology.

Work With an Experienced LED Lighting Expert for Solutions to the Incandescent Bulb Ban

While many companies have already moved on from incandescent bulbs, nearly 20 percent of commercial facilities still relied on this outdated form of illumination in 2018. If your facility is among them, it’s time to formulate a lighting transition plan. Incandescent lighting supplies will continue to become more scarce over time. Again, this is a pattern seen with other lights that have come under recent regulatory scrutiny – such as T-12 fluorescents.

However, this is a switch that many businesses are eagerly welcoming. That’s because LEDs aren’t just future-proofed against future regulations – they’re also inexpensive to operate and maintain, while providing excellent lighting performance.

As technology advances, one of the benefits that comes along with it is reduced environmental impact. This is also true of LED lighting, which offers several positive environmental impacts on top of reduced operating costs.

LED’s green-friendly engineering is a primary reason why it’s a top choice for street lighting, parking lot lighting, sports field lighting, and many other large-scale applications. Here, we’ll take a closer look at what gives the technology its green reputation.

LED Lights Offer Unmatched Energy Efficiency and Minimal Heat Loss

The engineering behind LED lighting is far more sophisticated than that offered by legacy solutions. LED fixtures are driven by efficient semiconductor dies, which generate illumination by exchanging electrons at the atomic level. Compared to heated filaments or pressurized gas chambers, much less energy (in the form of heat) is lost with semiconductors.

At the lamp-level, this means LEDs spend more of their energy on light. LEDs convert 80 to 90 percent of the energy they receive into illumination. Compare this to metal halides, which only convert about 25 percent of received power into light.

At the source and system level, LED lighting consumes far less energy per watt than all other alternatives. That added energy efficiency is good for the environment, good for society and good for your company’s budget.

LED’s reduced heat radiation also reduces the load on HVAC systems, which is a downstream boost in energy efficiency.

LED Fixtures Prevent Excess Light Pollution

Light pollution may not harm air quality or build up on roadsides, but it can affect human and animal health all the same. Excess nighttime uplighting can produce ecosystem-destabilizing effects, such as altering migratory patterns or confusing nocturnal animals.

Too much nighttime illumination also has deleterious effects on people. It can disrupt sleep-wake cycles, exacerbating sleep disorders, and depression and anxiety. It can also result in fatigue, brain fog and various mood-related issues.

Engineers have been hard at work on the problem and some LED fixtures represent a viable solution. For example, shielded LED fixtures are designed to only emit illumination below the horizontal, and emit reduced output at angles close to the horizontal. Further, these fixtures are built with anti-glare optics, so they reflect less illumination up into the sky.

Another advantage of LED lighting is its controllability, and this controllability also makes LED fixtures an environmentally friendly option. With advanced controls, LED bulbs can be automatically dimmed when no one is nearby, reducing energy consumption. And this may be welcome in residential areas, where lighting trespass can be a significant nuisance.

LED Lamps Last Longer and Don’t Require a Secondary Disposal Stream

Compared to legacy lighting, LED fixtures last far longer. An LED bulb will provide around 50,000 hours of quality illumination before replacement is indicated, which means years of reliable operation between bulbs.

Fluorescent tubes provide between 8,000 and 15,000 hours of light, while metal halides are around the same (maybe a little less). That means you’ll replace a fluorescent tube or metal halide fixture up to six times before a single LED lamp replacement is required.

Reduced lamp turnover minimizes your facility’s operating costs, and it also minimizes material waste. Even better, LED fixtures do not need a dedicated waste disposal stream for safety reasons. That’s because LED light bulbs contain no mercury, which is a highly toxic substance. Mercury, though, is built into some of the components inside fluorescent lighting. When fluorescent lights break, it’s a safety hazard that will disrupt facility operations. LEDs aren’t hazardous in the same way, so they can be disposed of in your company’s general waste stream.

LED Fixtures Have a Lower Carbon Footprint

From manufacturing to disposal, LED lighting comes with a much smaller carbon footprint, compared to legacy lights. According to data tracked by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, an incandescent bulb is responsible for 4,500 pounds of carbon dioxide every year, while an LED bulb is responsible for only 450 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions every year – a 90 percent reduction. An EPA study found that if every residential property replaced a single incandescent bulb with an LED bulb, it would reduce carbon emissions by more than 9 billion pounds every year.

And that’s just residential properties. At the commercial, industrial, and municipal levels, switching out legacy systems with LEDs will greatly shrink your company’s carbon footprint.

LED Lighting is More Effective When Used with Photometric Analysis

In many cases, companies must decide between environmental compliance and cost. It can be a difficult balance to strike, but with LED lighting, the cost and environmental benefits line up. With their excellent energy efficiency, extended lifespan and modern fixtures designs, LED lights are the first option for cities and businesses looking to go green.

And with their impressive ROI, reliability and illumination quality, LED lighting is also a top choice for companies that just want to save on the margins.

In either case, organizations can get the most out of their new LED lighting solution by working with an experienced system designer and installer. An experienced designer, for example, can perform a photometric analysis of your project. Photometric designs use a 3D model of the property to simulate various lighting solutions. The goal is to produce the most illumination possible with the fewest fixtures possible, taking care to avoid lighting trespass.

If an Organization Prioritizes Sustainability and Green Initiatives, LED Technology is the Ideal Lighting Solution

With their cost-saving and green-friendly benefits, companies are quickly making the shift to LEDs. If your organization is also considering the same, there are retrofit fixtures that will provide most of the benefits of a new LED lighting system at a lower cost. With multiple price points available and electricity costs on the rise, it’s an opportune time to make the transition.

 

Humans and animals are adapted for dark nights. Our circadian rhythms – the daily biological cycles that govern our biological clocks – are dependent on those dark nights, and lighting pollution threatens them. Lighting pollution refers to excessive amounts of night-time illumination, often resulting in “skyglow.” That’s the orangish haze that blankets urban areas at night and creates elevated lighting conditions around the clock.

Health and lighting experts agree that lighting pollution is a problem, but LED lighting technology suggests that the problem is solvable.

What Are the Risks of Excessive Light Pollution?

The American Medical Association (AMA) has considered lighting pollution and believes it should be minimized when possible for better human health. The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) of North America, one of the industry’s largest associations, agrees with the AMA’s assessment.

Light pollution can cause melatonin levels to drop in people, and lower levels of melatonin are associated with several health problems. They include:

● Sleep deprivation and poor-quality sleep
● Increased stress and anxiety
● Fatigue
● Headaches

Medical researchers are concerned that there could be long-term effects associated with low melatonin levels, but it’s too early to know for sure.

What’s important is that the AMA and IES agree that lighting pollution and trespass should be minimized when possible. One way to do this is with LED lighting. Some current generation fixtures are designed with light pollution-limiting features that can make for a darker night sky.

LED Fixtures Can be Engineered with Full-Cutoff Capabilities

Older street lighting systems feature non-cutoff or semi-cutoff fixtures that do a poor job of limiting light pollution. A major cause of skyglow is the uplighting that street and parking lot fixtures emit. If allowed to radiate in all directions, high-output lights generate a considerable uplight effect.

To prevent this, fixture manufacturers have created cutoff and full cutoff options designed to work with LED lighting solutions. Full cutoff fixtures can go a long way in reducing light trespassing. These fixtures provide 100 percent shielding at angles 90 degrees and above relative to the light’s nadir and 90 percent shielding in the 80 to 90-degree zone.

Fixture shielding works especially well with LED lamps because LED lighting is directional by nature. It doesn’t radiate in all directions like most other lights. Instead, it emits in a tighter spread that can be easily aimed. Even when LED lamps are shielded, they can generate high levels of output where needed most – at ground level.

Minimal Glare is also Possible with Modern LED Fixture Designs

Another significant cause of light pollution is glare. It doesn’t play a major role in skyglow, but glare is uncomfortable for people and animals. It also reflects off of surfaces, so it can trespass in unpredictable ways.

LED fixtures also offer a solution here. Some LED streetlights are built with advanced optics that act as diffusers, spreading the illumination out evenly instead of creating intense bands of light.

LED technology is ideal for this approach because LED light sources are made up of many tiny diodes. Each diode is fitted with a primary optic that orients each diode’s light in the right direction. A secondary optic fitted over the lamp diffuses this evenly distributed illumination, eliminating glare in the process.

LEDs are Available in Warmer, More Comfortable Color Temperatures

When LEDs were first adopted by cities for use in streetlights, it quickly became clear that people prefer warmer illumination at night. This was especially true in neighborhoods. Cooler color temperatures – blue light, in particular – boost attention and alertness. While this is nice during the day, at night it’s less welcome.

In the past, high pressure sodium lamps were responsible for delivering this warm illumination that people prefer. High pressure sodium bulbs, though, create low quality light that is terrible at rendering colors. That has a negative effect on long-range visibility and, therefore, safety.

When first introduced, LED lighting came in a limited variety of color temperatures, most of them on the cool side of the spectrum. Now, LED lighting is available in a full range of color temperatures, including warmer tones that people find more comfortable.

Pairing LED Lights with Modern Lighting Controls Helps Manage Output Levels

One of LED’s standout advantages is its controllability. LED lights are compatible with all modern lighting controls, giving cities and property owners better management over their lighting system.

In fact, LED streetlights are at the forefront of the smart lighting control movement. Cities around the world are experimenting with networked LED lighting systems, as these allow for centralized control at the utility. With networked controls, utilities can manage an entire system’s worth of lights at the fixture level. If the fixtures are integrated with dimmers, utilities can reduce output and light pollution in a specific area of the city. Neighborhoods are an obvious choice for this approach.

Smart controls can also use data picked up by integrated sensors to dim up or down. For example, when motion or IR sensors pick up a nearby motorist or pedestrian, the light can automatically come up in output. When no one is nearby, the light dims back down.

This isn’t just effective for light pollution. It also promotes much better energy efficiency and can reduce loads on the city’s grid.

Light pollution is a problem, but LED technology offers solutions

Night-time lighting has extended our species’ capabilities well after the sun goes down, which is great for productivity. It isn’t great for our health, though, but the lighting industry is quickly developing solutions. Many of those solutions are most effective when paired with LED lighting technology. With their superior engineering and controllability, LEDs can be adapted for a range of light pollution-limiting initiatives.

HOUSTON, TX – LED Spot, a global leader specializing in commercial and residential lighting is pleased to announce they are under new management. This change in management features the return of Halley Liu, who has been named Chief Operating Officer. “It feels like being home again, and I am beyond excited to be leading the way toward new opportunities and growth for the company,” said Liu.

For more than twenty years the Houston business has been a trailblazer in the lighting industry, being one of the first to offer commercial lighting products through e-commerce, expanding product availability for both new, existing, and retrofitting projects. As part of their commitment to provide environmentally friendly energy efficient products, LED Spot offers a full catalog of LED fixtures that can be retrofitted into any light pole or mount.

Fixtures and specialty lighting are only a part of LED Spot’s available services. They also provide Photometric drawings, which are an integral part of planning, to identify the best project design and meet city/state guidelines. LED Spot offers commercial lighting solutions for a wide variety of projects including office buildings, parking lot lighting, athletic field lighting, indoor lighting applications and more.

Under new leadership, from design to installation, LED Spot’s future is incredibly bright. “As a token of appreciation to the clients who trust us with their lighting design projects big and small, the company is offering a limited time ten percent discount on their next purchase order with the coupon code LIGHTITNOW,” Liu continued.

“We are excited for the opportunity to continue spreading light and warmth to homes, businesses, and venues all over the world,” Liu concluded.

 

About LED Spot

Founded in 2001, LED Spot is a national commercial lighting company located in Houston, TX. LED Spot specializes in parking lot poles, sports lighting and more. LED Spot also works with government and private contractors to provide the best variety in commercial lighting at the best pricing, with the best lead times and service.

 

Media Contact Information:

Beth Guide
281-389-5117
beth@seo411.com