LED for The Home, Is it Worth It?

There has been many issues lately in regards to electricity consumption.  We try our best to reduce our carbon footprint by reducing the amount of electricity we use daily, drive more fuel efficient cars, and use what we need while not wasting much.  These are all good ideas, but in reality though we don't actually apply most of what is said.  Take driving for instance, we may drive more fuel efficient vehicles, but we don't drive efficiently because the misconception is when the vehicle is quite a miserly method of transport, we tend to not change our driving habits like say with most Toyota Prius owners.  We love speeding even in the rain (Southern California drivers especially) with no concept as to how much fuel we are actually using.  Efficiency is something that most of us preach but rarely practice.  If companies try to become efficient, then why can we apply this same concept in our daily home lives.  

Now enter into this equation, the idea of replacing every light bulb in the house with compact florescent technology and the watch the efficiency of lighting increase while reducing the overall electricity bill.  This is a step in the right direction if a person or family lives in a home with almost every light turned on as though having an open house or party.  Something interesting everyday eh!

Newer houses today are being built with energy efficient devices ranging from smart circuit breakers and other electronic devices in the hope of reducing overall energy consumption.  This is a smart idea, especially since the cost of electricity is climbing to higher amount.  Reducing consumption by replacing light bulbs is just a small part.  Using energy efficient computing devices such as with laptops, iPad, tablets, etc., helps reduce the overall consumption.  There are many ways to reduce electricity consumption, but the only item in this list that makes the greatest sense is lighting technology.  Many of use lights as though they exist to bring comfort to the darkness.  Some of use prefer to light up the whole house while others try to reduce the costs by just turning on one light to provide some form of ambient lighting to a large room.  The light bulb gets the greatest attention since we use this technology in just about every form possible both home and commercial applications.  If automobiles get to use this newer energy efficient technology, then why not the home.

Cost effectiveness is the primary reason why LED or solid-state lighting hasn't completely caught on.  Right now compact florescent lights are cost effective enough, but with time though, solid-state lighting technology will reach the same level in pricing as with CFL (Compact Florescent Light).  Unlike with solid-state technology, CFL requires a starter, regulator, and electronic ballast thus requiring a rather large base for a rather small tube of light.  Larger tubes use the same electronic ballast control since the amount of sustained current is rather consistent regardless on how large the tube of light is.  The starting circuit is an electronic device that allow a tremendous amount of voltage to well up within the ballast to excite the mercury gas within the tube. As stated with the information posted previously, energy consumption is at its greatest during the startup procedure of any given Compact Florescent thus a large electrical discharge is to be expected. This is also the reason why CFL bulbs generate a high frequency whine during startup similar to the Xenon gas discharge lamps found in many luxury automobiles. Now solid-state lighting especially the drop in bulbs using the standard Edison medium base do not feature complex ignition circuits. Rather a simple Puck Driver and a heat sink with the LED and a light bulb is created. Newer energy efficient designs are coming up with better optics and does thus raising the light output without raising consumption are making waves with consumers. Cooper Lighting, the makers of the Halo Lighting Fixtures have released many recessed lighting fixtures that replace older style systems so no major reconfigurations are required to use the upgraded lights. I have personally used these new lighting systems for a significant period at which have seen significant and justifiable energy savings. The light output actually exceeds many of the new CFL lights while still consuming less electrical energy. Hind sight 20/20, a 6-watt Cree diode Halo recessed fixture produces light output equal to an industrial grade 28-watt compact florescent light tube with better light dispersion and with no form of flicker to speak of. Since an LED puck driver can be designed to invert electrical current from alternating to direct, then the typical AC oscillations can be eliminated. Something interesting learned everyday. Now the cost of new tech can be rather cost prohibitive, but the savings and long service life alone should justify itself in the long run. Best case example, some of the newer Feit Electric Cree powered diode drop in bulbs have an average service life of about 50,000-hours while the equivalent light output compact florescent lasts about 12,000-hours. Plus the startup to excite the gas in the bulb significantly reduces the life of the bulb. So word of the wise, please do consider solid-state lighting technology given that this new form of illuminating or daily lives is not only energy efficient, it also reduces material waste in the form of long service life. Some very good good for thought. Have a great week and weekend.  

2011 Fenix TK60 - The Mag Flashlight Killer Short Review

The Fenix TK60 is a four D-Cell flashlight with the illuminating power of a light cannon and or a very powerful flashlight.  I currently have a Mag Instruments 4 D-Cell Krypton flashlight with a focusing ring that allows for a spot and flood beam.  Filament bulbs generate a large amount of heat with the amount of light being thrown out of the reflection optics.  In the case of the Fenix TK60, a single Cree XR-G emitter through a multi reflection optics thus providing more light output than that of a 55-watt Halogen Cycle bulb.  The Mag 4 D-Cell flashlight doesn't produce the light output that the TK60 is capable of.  The XM-L emitter is rated at 6-watts at 7.2VDC with a safety maximum amperage of 700-Milliamps (taken from Cree LED's website).

At 800-lumens of light output and a color temperature of 5000K, there is a certain lighting class that allows for the best compromise of a hand cannon and flashlight.  The next powerful flashlight in Fenix light's category features four Cree XM-L emitters while generating about another 120-lumens of light.  Not a lot more, but the distributive mode that LED emitters are capable of allows the current output to be spread out evenly thus also reducing the heat being generated while providing considerably more light. The single emitter allows for the best distribution of light while also being able to lower the combined amount of heat generated.  A single emitter usually isn't capable in delivering close to 800-lumens, but Cree Semiconductor was able to combine the right amount of synthetic phosphors and heat dumping technologies thus creating the most powerful six watt solid-state diode emitter.  

800-Lumens of light with a minimum projection range of 200-meters is quite impressive especially with the color temperature exuded here.  A six watt emitter with a minimum of 4.5-VDC to drive would require a complex voltage circuit to provide the necessary 7.2VDC (range of 5.0 to 12.0VDC) and up to 700-mAH to provide the gross amount of light emitted.  This is a standard Cree XM-L and not the high-voltage variety like with some of the Halo lighting fixtures currently gracing the walls of my home.  There are many things that I can say that have been gracing the walls and ceiling areas of my home, but in this case to have a high-flux output solid-state diode emitter to be put in such a small device is just sheer madness (in a good way).  

The voltage circuit allows to extract every drop of juice in the four D-Cells from high to low output settings to the degree that when the cells approach their absolute lowest levels, then the circuit and the integrated processor would pull every ounce until the flashlight is put into the Moon Mode setting (lowest illumination).  Sounds like a mouthful, but many of these websites don't list the full specifications or description as to what the flashlight is fully capable of while also being able to perform many duties or comparisons to other closely knit brands.  

Now for the interesting parts of the flashlight that many including the 4 D-Cell MAG and other large tactical flashlights don't feature, which is the four light output modes, strobe, and SOS with a simple press of a switch.  There is a memory feature embedded within the processor and voltage circuit thus allowing an exceptionally wide range of mode uses for a high-flux output flashlight.  And since a solid-state emitter is used, the cost of replacing bulbs is quickly mitigated by the fact that the lighting output and temperature is maintained through the light processing circuit.  Standard filament flashlights don't feature a voltage circuit which means that the batteries, once exhausted will begin to dim thus causing a significant decrease in lighting output and a change in color temperature.  And here is one more note, most large flashlights usually use Polycarbonate lenses primarily due in part of their rather high transmission efficiency and the ability to withstand shock and scratches.  That is as long as the coating on the lenses remains intact, but once the coating is scratched off, then the lenses begin to yellow and become highly diffused.

The Fenix TK60 that I have specified uses a textured reflector and has an AR coated tempered glass lens.  This allows the highest level of transmission efficiency while also delivering the highest resistance to scratches and breakage.  Sure Fire, a company renowned to building some of the finest tactical flashlights and gracing many law enforcement agencies don't use tempered glass in all but their most expensive tactical devices.  This is saying something since the TK60 that I specified and purchased at a cost of $75.00 including shipping and handling.  It is no wonder why the US market is quickly shrinking as the Chinese are building finer products at one-quarter the cost of both labor and materials.  I still believe in products made in the USA, but a simple flashlight though would be better served by a company committed to providing some of the best without incurring the exceptionally high cost of a US company brand.  This is my two cents.

Not to get into too much detail here, the Mag Light is a good general purpose flashlight.  Mag Instruments have been with us here in the World for more than twenty years and to suddenly bring a solid-state lighting device with the potential of providing more for less is kind of rare.  Now the TK60 is much more expensive than the Mag 4 D-cell, but the overall cost over time is much lower than one would think since a solid-state emitter will not require replacement until at least ten years of usage (based on a 12-hour cycle).  Basically this means many light bulbs later, the Mag D-Cell will cost more than the TK60 after just one year of use.  

 

My final thoughts can be summed up in a single paragraph of sorts.  The TK60 is a good replacement for the aging 4 D-cell Mag flashlight as a significant increase in brightness allows the consumer to have the wielding power of a tactical flashlight without actually carrying a light cannon (those 6VDC large battery light cannons using quartz halogen filament tech).  Some food for thought and everyone, have a great week.

Seoul Semiconductor and Nichia Launches Cree Competition

There is one new company and one old one that is currently preparing to launch a more efficient line of LED lighting solutions aimed for both commercial and consumer level applications.  Stay Tuned for more details as they are coming in from the Tech Conference held on the UCLA campus.  Well a small group of solid-state Green lighting people.