The traditional incandescent light bulb as you know it soon will be extinct. It’s probably not going to happen tomorrow or even next year, but there is no doubt that the 125-year-old technology that Thomas Edison created will be largely gone before you know it.
In some ways, the slow death of the bulb has already begun. When President Bush signed the energy bill last December, buried in the legislation was a provision that phases out incandescent light bulbs over the next four to 12 years in favor of more energy-efficient technologies.
Incandescent has had a good run. The technology uses an electrical current that heats a filament to produce warm, high-quality lighting that is very flattering, says Mary Beth Gotti, manager of GE’s Lighting and Electrical Institute in Cleveland. It’s cheap, effective, and readily available. “It also comes in different shapes and sizes and is dimmable,” Gotti adds.
However, the traditional light bulb is an energy hog, and this is the reason for its demise. Compact fluorescent lighting (CFL), the likely successor to incandescent, is a good, energy-efficient option that has come a long way from the days when long tubes produced an unappealing buzz and an undesirable bluish hue. Newer spiral-shaped bulbs offer better performance. With light outputs of 40 to 80 lumens per watt, they’re extremely efficient. ToolBase Services, the technical information resource of the NAHB Research Center in Upper Marlboro, Md., says fluorescent bulbs last up to 10 times longer than incandescent and use 50 percent to 80 percent less energy.
But now a newer technology, light-emitting diode (or LED), is emerging, and manufacturers say it offers more promise than CFLs. LED fixtures use a semiconductor to convert electricity into light. ToolBase says the bulb incorporates a built-in driver (like a fluorescent ballast) or uses a plug-in transformer that allows portable fixtures to run on standard AC power. Bulbs generate about 20 to 30 lumens per watt.
LEDs aren’t exactly new—they’ve been around since the 1960s—but manufacturers say they have made technological advancements that will propel the technology into consumer consciousness. Zachary Gibler, chief business development officer for New York–based LED manufacturer Lighting Science Group Corp., has even proclaimed 2008 “the year of the LED light.” Why the confidence? LEDs are “now at a point where they deliver comparable performance to incandescent,” Gibler says. “They can put out the same amount of light, the color temperature is similar, and the color rendering is now close to incandescent.”
“In the past, LEDs were synonymous with harsh, blue tints, but LED technology has grown considerably,” says Jim Jones, product manager of Kichler Lighting in Cleveland. “The LED chips Kichler uses emit a soft, white light that adds warmth and ambience.”
ToolBase agrees that LEDs are more efficient and do not produce heat like incandescent bulbs. Moreover, they “last considerably longer than incandescent or fluorescent lighting” and “don’t typically burn out like traditional lighting, but rather gradually decrease in light output.”
Lighting designers admit that LEDs have come a long way, but some say the technology still has some growing to do. Naomi Miller, principal of Naomi Miller Lighting Design in Troy, N.Y., says the technology still isn’t mature enough. “The color rendering is not very good, and many flicker during operation with a dimmer,” she says. Miller admits that LEDs are great for colored lights, but she says they’re inconsistent for white light and don’t generate as many lumens as manufacturers claim. “The technology is evolving very fast,” but it’s still about five years away from perfection, she says.
Samuel Samson, CEO of Moda Light in Cape Coral, Fla., disagrees with this assessment. Samson says Moda, which only manufactures LED fixtures, develops products that are every bit as consistent as incandescents and more energy efficient than CFLs. The fixtures “use only a small amount of electricity, last in excess of 50,000 hours, and are maintenance-free,” Samson says. One of the company’s 15-watt recessed products is brighter than five 50-watt halogen bulbs, he claims.
Despite the long list of positive attributes, LED has limitations. Designers say the fixtures typically beam light in a single direction, so they are great for art or as undercabinet lighting but are not as good for general-purpose illumination unless you use a lens or reflector to spread the light. Price is also a major issue. “The biggest limitation to LED for common residential use is the cost of manufacturing due to still-limited production runs,” ToolBase reports. “Manufacturers claim production will increase considerably in the near future, further lowering prices. Currently, there is a limited number of LED fixture manufacturers, but this is changing.”
Despite cost and other issues, manufacturers are convinced that LEDs are the future of lighting. With the surging interest in energy efficiency and high-performance homes, they say, the demand for products that cost less to operate will only grow.
Cabinet Position: Design Pro is a new line of undercabinet LED lighting that saves money and energy. Featuring a thin profile that blends into cabinet design, the product offers 40,000 hours of life and is easy to install. It comes in three outputs—4-, 8-, and 12-watt—and bronze, white, and nickel finishes. Kichler Lighting. 866-558-5706. www.kichler.com.
Moda Load: The manufacturer’s LED recessed lighting has a life expectancy ranging from 30,000 hours to more than 50,000 hours at 70 percent of its original lumen output. Each light measures 3 inches and features 1- or 3-watt units. A series of downlights also is available with a black reflector. Moda Light. 239-242-6667. www.modalight.com.
Step Lightly: This new architectural collection of 12-volt LED step lights can be used for outdoor walkways, steps, decks, and patios. Offered in a variety of models and sizes, the fixtures are designed in horizontal, circular, and vertical configurations and come with louvers and frosted glass. The units shown here feature a cast aluminum housing and measure 5 inches or 7.5 inches wide and 3 inches thick. Orbit/Evergreen. 800-906-7248. www.orbitelectric.com.
Recess Appointment: The Halo downlighting product line now includes an LED version. Designed for new or retrofit construction, the module delivers over 600 lumens or about the same light output as a 65-watt BR30 lamp or an 18-watt compact fluorescent bulb and will provide up to 50,000 hours of life (or more than 20 years when used six hours a day). Cooper Lighting. 770-486-4800. www.cooperlighting.com.
Mood Lighting: The Ambiance Lx LED lighting system is designed for undercabinet or architectural cove applications. Unlike traditional lighting that produces illumination in every direction, the system is efficient at directing light where it’s needed. The low-voltage product offers 1.2 watts per socket and will provide 50,000 hours of life. Sea Gull Lighting. 800- 347-5483. www.seagulllighting.com.