LED's Good Housekeeping Seal

By Eric A. Taub

Professional conferences always have refrains, leitmotifs that begin to define the thrust of many of the discussions. One of the popular ones at last week's Solid State Lighting Conference in San Francisco was, "We don't want to screw up like we did with compact fluorescents."

The point was that when compact fluorescent bulbs first hit the market, they were poorly engineered, overpriced and oversized alternatives to traditional light bulbs. They buzzed, created harsh light, took 30 seconds to warm up, and didn't last as long as promised.

The trick is how to avoid that problem with LED lighting, the technology that many believe will eventually replace most other lighting technologies in office buildings and homes.

As I've noted before, there is already plenty of LED junk for sale in the nation's home improvement stores. Many products use significantly more power than they claim and last a fraction of the time they advertise. At the conference, lighting designers chimed in to say that they rarely found LED products that performed properly.

"Some LED products are only delivering 30 percent of the illumination that they claim," said James Brodrick, the Department of Energy's solid state lighting head.

To stem the disaster of a potential consumer backlash against a technology that, done right, could have major positive environmental impacts, the D.O.E. is bringing LED lighting products into its Energy Star program.

Those products that get Energy Star certification will have to perform according to a set of Energy Department guidelines, as to the amount of light they produce and their effective life.

A handful (but just a handful) of products have received the Energy Star imprimatur. But Mr. Brodrick thinks he'll have up to 300 LED certified products by the end of the year.

If his agency pulls it off, it could help provide a comfort level for consumers concerned about new technologies. It's just too bad there's no Energy Star certification for price. With early LED replacement lamps priced at $60 a pop, the industry could use one.

Recessed Lights and Greenwash

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Recessed can lighting is a familiar method of lighting rooms. Rather than having fixtures protruding into the space, the light source is hidden in a recess in the ceiling, reducing glare. But, when the ceiling above is insulated, the can light fixture is a potential source of air leaks and thermal bridging.

I recently got a press release from a company advertising a product to quickly and easily “convert” recessed can lights to a pendant light look. But, after a brief look, it turns out to be a particularly bad case of greenwash.

Like sticking a ‘Hybrid’ label on an SUV to make it more efficient

The company advertises its product “reduces air leaks” around the recessed light, but there is no gasket or other means of sealing the cover plate, so it is unlikely to do much of anything in terms of reducing air leaks out of the box. More to the point, there is nothing that this kit does that addresses the original problem of an inefficient light fixture creating an insulation gap in the ceiling. In that way, this is like sticking a ‘Hybrid’ label on an SUV, or like putting a hybrid shell on top of a non-hybrid chassis and thinking that would make it a more efficient vehicle. It makes it look like the other, but underneath, none of the key issues have been addressed.

Their greenwash also notes “energy efficient lighting,” though there is no mention of how this increases efficiency. In fact, a recessed can fixture can be more efficient than a standard incandescent. Halogen lights are commonly available for recessed can lights, and are more efficient than standard incandescent bulbs. Rather than using the recommended 100 watt incandescent bulb the manufacturer suggests with the conversion kit pendant, a 60 watt halogen bulb would produce nearly the same light level and would last slightly longer than the conventional bulb. But halogen lights are generaly less attractive for direct view. The one pendant light fixture in my own house is one of the few places where I have not replaced an incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent, and that is because it is directly visible.

Proper selection of recessed can lights

Greenwash aside, there are two kinds of recessed can lights: IC fixtures and Non-IC fixtures. Non-IC fixtures must have insulation kept from directly coming in contact to prevent overheating and the risk of fire. The IC fixture (the IC stands for “insulation contact”) is completely sealed and can have insulation placed right against it and on top of it. IC fixtures are also generally built tighter, with seals to reduce or prevent air leaks. In an insulated ceiling, an IC fixture should always be used, to allow the insulation against the fixture without any gaps that will contribute to heat loss. Non-IC recessed light fixtures are cheaper to produce, so naturally they are often found in homes where builders have cut corners to save money.

If you are building new, or are renovating, be sure to use IC fixtures where appropriate. But if the ceiling above a recessed fixture is another floor, the non-IC fixtures are adequate, and IC fixtures are not necessary. Removing and replacing a non-IC fixture in a ceiling is a good step to take as part of an overall home improvement to tighten the house against air and energy leaks.

If you like the look of pendants, this does offer an inexpensive (and reversible) method for getting the look without getting involved in a more extensive renovation. But don’t fool yourself into thinking that this is going to be a big energy savings step for you.

Written by Philip Proefrock

10 Ways to Cut Home Energy Consumption

Editor’s note: Our friends at Low Impact Living point out 10 ways you can save energy this summer. This post was originally published on June 10th, 2008.

The heat of summer is coming, and that means many of us are about to crank up the AC, make an extra batch of ice, and generally burn energy like it’s our job. But we need all need to continue to try to conserve as much energy as possible to conserve resources and slow the march of global warming. And we get to save money at the same time–woo hoo to that!

Here are the ten things we can all do at home to cut our energy consumption. We start out nice and easy, then ramp up to some extra-credit methods at the end of the list for you Climate Crusaders.

1. Resist the urge to live in a refrigerator.
78 degrees is plenty cool in the house. Turn down the AC and get a programmable thermostat so you’re only cooling the house when you really need to.

2. Air dry your dishes and clothes.
The dryer and dish washer use a lot of energy– and the air does the drying job just as well. See some great clothes-drying racks here.

3. Take shorter showers and do not take baths.
Hot water heating is one of the major uses of energy in any home. Showers are the way to go– and keep ‘em short. Baths use much more water and heat than do baths (unless you’re taking 30 minute showers!).

4. Make sure you have energy-efficient lighting throughout your home.
Everyone has heard about compact fluorescent lights by now– but are you up to date on LED lights? Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have come a long way, baby, and they are often 10 times more efficient than compact fluorescents.

5. Ditch the beer fridge.
It’s amazing how many homes have two refrigerators. Please do not use more than one fridge. And if you have an old model, get a newer Energy Star model.

6. Use ceiling fans rather than AC.
They are much more energy-efficient and you can get very reasonably priced Energy Star models.

7. Get solar screens for your windows.
These screens cut 75% of the heat coming through your windows, but don’t impact your visibility. They are really great energy savers. See them here.

8. Plant trees!
Placing deciduous trees on the South side of your home is a great way to block summer heat, but keep the sun shining on your home in the winter when you need the warmth.

9. Spend one night each week in candlelight.
It’s romantic, fun and inspires new conversation. If you’ve got kids, how about turning off the TV one night and playing a board game by candlelight? Clue would be particularly spooky!

10. Use a solar oven for some cooking.
They really work! You don’t want that hot oven on in your house anyway. You can either buy a solar oven, or you can learn to make one yourself. It’s another fun summer activity to do with your kids.

** #11: For the truly hard core, here’s a great tip I learned in Africa.

If you don’t have or don’t use AC, at night you can wet a scarf or towel or sheet and lay it on your chest. The evaporative cooling effect will really do the trick for you.