EEbeat

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) just released a report that details the savings gained from switching over to energy efficient LED lighting by the U.S. market. The report, entitled Adoption of Light-Emitting Diodes in Common Lighting Applications, breaks down the 2012 cost savings of the following categories of lighting.

The report states that in 2012 approximately 49 million LED lights were installed in the U.S., saving about 71 trillion BTUs equaling $675 million annually. The report goes on to assert that, if the entire lighting base were to convert to LEDs, the cost savings could be as high as $39 billion.

The illustration below (Figure ES .1) shows the sources of the 2012 energy savings (pie chart) and the potential savings (bar graph) should there be a complete conversion to LEDs. Interestingly, the biggest opportunity for LED penetration is in the area of troffer lighting – those square overhead office fixtures that currently use fluorescent tube lighting.

You can read the report in its entirety, including all the research and calculations, by going to the following link on the DOE website:

Adoption of Light-Emitting Diodes in Common Lighting Applications

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Last month, I wrote about the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) invitation to participate in the 2012-2013 Appliance Efficiency Rulemaking Request for Information (RFI) by submitting data on products that the state is considering for efficiency standards (click here to read the blog). The information submittal deadline is May 9th.

The commission isn’t wasting any time in moving the process along. It just published a stakeholder workshop schedule for each of the appliance categories to discuss the material received from the RFI. The CEC is seeking input on the merits of the data in order to use it in forming the basis for future efficiency standards.

The workshop schedule is shown below. Besides attending in person at the CEC building (1516 Ninth Street, Sacramento, CA), stakeholders can also attend over the internet using the WebEx meeting information included.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013 – Other Appliances Products: Residential pool pumps & motors, portable electric spa labeling, commercial clothes dryers, and air filter labeling

Time: 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm Pacific

Location: 1st Floor, Hearing Room B

WebEx Meeting Number: 922 250 010

Web Ex Meeting Password: meeting@1

Wednesday, May 29, 2013 – Consumer Electronics Products: Computers, displays, game consoles, set-top boxes, and network equipment

Time: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Pacific

Location: 1st Floor, Hearing Room A

WebEx Meeting Number: 927 242 261

Web Ex Meeting Password: meeting@9

Thursday, May 30, 2013 – Lighting Products: Fluorescent dimming ballasts, LED lamps, and multifaceted reflector lamps

Time: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Pacific

Location: 1st Floor, Hearing Room B

WebEx Meeting Number: 923 931 729

Web Ex Meeting Password: meeting@9

Additional information can be found at: http://www.energy.ca.gov/appliances/2013rulemaking/documents

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Earlier this month, the U.S. Environmental Agency (EPA) distributed the latest draft of their ENERGY STAR® Lamps Version 1 program specifications. The new specification, in development since mid- 2011, is intended to replace the existing CFL and LED ENERGY STAR program specifications.

Draft 4 includes a number of changes from the previous draft:

• Updated definitions for flicker, lumen maintenance, omnidirectional, directional, and decorative lamps
• New definitions for flicker index, percent flicker, and periodic frequency
• Updated testing requirements for dimmable lamps
• Adjusted acceptable flicker index range

Most requirements for LED lamps remain the same in the new draft, including dimmer performance, Power Factor (0.7 or greater for lamps > 5 W), and luminous efficacy (shown in Table 1). While there was a stakeholder request to lower efficacy for lamps with a CRI* ≥ 90, this was rejected by the EPA since test data revealed that lamps are currently available on the market that meet both high CRI and high luminous efficacy.

Table 1. Minimum Luminous Efficacy for all Lamps (Source: ENERGY STAR)

If a lamp is marketed as dimmable with phase cut dimming operation (i.e. using a standard triac dimmer currently found in most homes), then its compatibility must be tested with ten dimmers from at least two different manufacturers. At least one of those dimmers has to be marketed as compatible with CFL or LED lamps.

Flicker continues to be a topic of discussion in the program’s development. The EPA has adjusted the acceptable flicker index range and introduced a frequency-dependent equation to address concerns about PWM circuits in the driver stage (see Table 2 below).

Table 2. Minimum Flicker Requirements for all LED Lamps (Source: ENERGY STAR)

Future versions of the Lamp program may consider lamps incorporating additional power consuming features (wi-fi), Zhaga compliant LED light engines, and improving the dimming experience, color quality and consistency of lamps.

The Lamps Version 1 program specification will become effective twelve months after release of the final requirements. For a copy of the Draft 4 specification and test methods, click here. To register for a May 13th webinar that will address the proposed changes, send an email with the words “Lamps Draft 4 webinar” in the subject line to lamps@energystar.gov. Be sure to include your name, company name, phone number and email address.

*CRI = Color Rendering Index

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