LEDLightingEconomicBenefits

WhyisLightingSoImportant?
Sufficientandappropriatelightingintheworkplaceoratonesworkstationisimportantforavarietyofreasons.Proper lightingnotonlyhelpsoneseebetterwhileworking,butitcanalsohelppreventhealthissues,improveproductivityand createsanoverallbetterworkingenvironment.AstudyconductedbytheAmericanSocietyofInteriorDesigners indicatedthatapproximately68percentofthosewhoworkinanofficeenvironmenthadconcernsaboutlightingintheir workarea. Thechallengeisprovidingadequateergonomiclightingataneconomicalprice.AsLEDtechnologyisimprovingat breakneckspeed,itisquicklybecomingthegotosolutionforlighting.AccordingtotheU.S.DepartmentofEnergyand manufacturersandresearchersinthelightingcommunity,solidstatelighting(LEDtechnology)isheretostay. CompaniessuchasPhillips,ToshibaandPanasonicaredevelopingLEDs,andareconsistentlyachievingimprovementsin performance.ThesefirmsbelieveLEDsandorganiclightemittingdiodeswillreplaceincandescent,halogenand fluorescentsourcesinjustabouteveryapplicationintenyearsorless.

HowareLEDsDifferentfromIncandescentBulbsorCFLs?
LEDlightbulbsuseonly210wattsofelectricitywhichis1/3to1/30thofincandescentorcompactfluorescent(CFL) bulbs).UnlikeincandescentbulbsandCFLs,whichemitlightinalldirections,LEDbulbsaredirectional.Theydrivetheir lightinonedirection,orconesofvaryingwidthdependingonthebulbdesign.Thisdirectionallightworksespecially wellfortasklighting.Directionallightingisalsoefficientinthatitdoesntwastelight(energy)onareaswhichdonot requireillumination.

WhataretheBenefitsofLEDs?
LongLastingLEDbulbslastupto10timeslongerthancompactfluorescents. DurableSinceLEDsdonothaveafilament,theyarenotdamagedundercircumstanceswhichregularincandescent bulbswouldbebroken.Becausetheyaresolid,LEDbulbsholdupwelltojarringandbumping. CoolThesebulbsdonotcauseheatbuildup;LEDsproduce3.4btus/hour,comparedto85forincandescentbulbs. EnergysavingLEDsuseafractionofthewattageofincandescentbulbs.SinceLEDshaveanextremelylonglifespan, costsformaintenanceandreplacementsarekeptataminimum. ReturnonInvestmentThecombinationofthesefeaturesdrivequickreturnoninvestments(ROI).AsofQ22009, paybackswerebetween1.5and4years.Takingintoaccountincreasingelectricityrates,decreasingLEDprices,andthe costofmaintenance,LEDlightingisexpectedtocrossthedesiredoneyearROIsometimewithin2010. MercuryfreeNomercuryisusedintheproductionofLEDs.ToxicmercuryisusedtoproduceCFLsandcanbea problemifthebulbsarenotrecycledcorrectly.Thereisapotentialforthedangerousleakageofmercuryvaporinthe workplace.

AchievingLEEDCredits
Withgrowingrequirementsforenergyefficiencyandthe2,000percentexplosioninUSGBCmembership,expertisein lightingsystemsandhowtheyimpactLEEDCIcertificationhasbecomeacompetitivefocus.Thereareseveral categorieswheretasklightingcanhelpachievepoints.Theyinclude: IndoorEnvironmentalQualityProvidingtasklightingfor90percentofemployeesmayearnapointforcontrollability ofsystems. EnergyandAtmosphereEnergyuseofbothambientandtasklightingmustbecalculatedtomeetLEEDrequirements forcarryingpercentagesbelowASHRAE90.12004standards(underCaliforniasstrictTitle24EnergyEfficiency Standards,themaximumisonewattpersquarefoot).Pointsarebeingachievedbyremovingoverheadfixturesin existingbuildingsandaddinglowenergytasklighting. InnovationandDesignProcessByincludingtasklightingaspartofacomprehensiveergonomicsprogramthatincludes appropriatetrainingforemployeescanhelpaprojectearnanadditionalLEEDpoint.

ESIErgonomicSolutionsLEDUnderCabinetLightsIncorporatingLeadingTechnology
ESIErgonomicSolutionshaschosentoincorporatethelatesttechnologyinthedevelopmentofundercabinetlighting. AnewhighCRI(ColorRenderingIndex)85LEDhasbeenchosen.ThisLEDjustbecameavailableearlyJanuary,2010 andoffersthebestbalancebetweenlightefficiencyandCRIlevel. Atouchsensitiveon/offswitchinsteadofadimmerhasalsobeenincorporated.Thisdecisionwasduetoconcernsfor energyefficiency.AdimmercircuitcomplicatestheLEDdrivercircuitandthus,consumesmorepower.Thetouch sensitiveon/offswitchalsoeliminatestheneedforamechanicalswitchthatcouldeventuallybreakdown.Thetouch sensitiveswitchnotonlyoffersabetterexperiencetotheuser,butalsomakestheswitchmorereliable. Alsoofimportancewasthedesignoftheoptics(shapeofthebulb).Thenewopticsdesignthatwaschosenincreases transmissionrateofthelightfromtheLEDsandthereforeachieveshigheroverallluminaireefficiency(measuredin overalllightoutput/overallpowerconsumption).ThisiscriticalformeetingthestrictCaliforniaTitle20energy requirements. Inanefforttodecreasetheminimalheatproducedbythelight,afinnedheatsinkhasbeenincorporatedtoprovidea largersurfaceareaforheatdissipation.Thisdesigncreatesauniqueelementwhileprovidingevengreaterlevelsofheat management. Therotatingbarrelprovidestheabilitytodirectthelightwhereitisneededinsteadofwastingenergyilluminating unusedspace. WithROIsapproachingoneyear,theworldwillseelargescaleconversionoffluorescentlightingtoLEDsolutionsin thenextfewyears.