My latest housing purchase has been fully retrofitted with Cooper Lighting's latest and greatest in solid-state lighting. Since I am a staunch advocate for LED lighting, I feel that it was a wise choice to use the Halo Stasis lighting solution. Quite expensive to purchase and install since all of the wiring must be done properly since these devices require both a ground and positive polarity in order for the lighting system to function properly. The initial sticker shock through Cooper Lighting from a friendly contractor friend came to about 66.00/unit for a 9-watt small with piped optics. The equivalent output is around 50-watts at 35-degree narrow flood using a simple MR16 halogen, which is actually quite good with all things considered. I have always wanted to personally replace all the lighting with the latest in modern innovation and style. Cooper Lighting has allowed for me to accomplish what I set out to do in the form of the Halo Stasis. This is one of many solid-state lighting solutions employed.
I used LED light ropes through simple AC/DC power puck drivers to create certain mood lighting and emergency lighting for those rather dark nights when I don't want to turn on every light in the house. And what if I do turn on every light in the house (the Venice Canal home has a total of 89-light fixtures - Halo Stasis replacements), the total power consumption is less than what it was before the change to solid-state technology. The original lighting consists of MR16 halogen reflector bulbs operating at 55-watts each for a near 5000-watt power consumption per hour versus the replacement Stasis draw of 800-watts/hour. That is quite a significant decrease in power consumption for all things considered so one has to ask if it is truly worth it to change. In the short and long term situations, Yes!
The initial costs of replacement can be very high to downright faint, but the energy savings alone would easily offset that cost. In fact since the high life span of over 30000-hours, it easily surpasses compact florescent lighting technology. A squiggly looking light bulb is not quite so hip as a halogen, but even a halogen is not a "Green" technology so if one is trying to appear like a cool and environmentally caring person, using old lighting tech may not be the wisest choice. Now granted that going "Green" poses significant challenges, but if one were able to replace the bulbs in the kitchen with solid-state lighting, not only the energy costs would be lower, the replacing of bulbs would be reduced to a significant degree. The reason is that many who use the kitchen may have experienced the environment such as the walls and cabinets with all those cooking oils of the kind. This something to think about.
There are reading lights out there that sport solid-state lighting to a greater degree and that it is able to completely replace the typical lamp. A compact lighting solution with all of the benefits of a 50-watt halogen with none of the typical drawbacks. That may be coming soon to a consumer convention near you, but until that day happens, we all must enjoy the beauty of sunlight. If replacing the recessed lighting fixtures are not affordable with today's market prices, then using drop-in replacements may be a better solution. Philips, Cree, and Seoul Semi-Conductor has designed their own direct replacement drop-in bulbs for both direct and alternating current systems as such can be used in many home and commercial installations. In a better sense, home applications would not accurately represent the energy saving that solid-state provides over compact florescent, but small business and commercial applications would see the true benefit of the energy savings provided by LED high-flux output lighting.
Excessive waste is generated when replacing light bulbs given that we as consumers purchase bulbs to replace others while trying to reduce both our environmental and energy footprint on this planet. In many cases this is true, but when one understands the manufacturing of compact florescent lighting technology, then this statement requires an adjustment. As stated in some of my other blog posts, compact florescent technology requires an electronically controlled ballast and starter to ignite the mercury gas in the light tube while the ballast controls the charge thus creating the light that we so much enjoy over the many years using this form of lighting technology. Cold Cathode lamps operate pretty much in the same fashion where a high-current/voltage charge is created to ignite the mercury within, which in turn creates the necessary ultraviolet wavelengths that excite the phosphors within the tube that ultimately create the white light that we as consumer so crave. Many home applications are using this lighting technology to save on energy costs and plus many of the cities building codes and regulations require houses to use a more efficient form of lighting. It both reduces the chance of a fire and also conforms to energy consumption demands. Every little bit helps, but there is a point to make when using this type of lighting method. Energy is not the primary but only concern at this stage until one understands how the lights are designed and manufactured.
Now we completely enter into the world of solid-state lighting. Using epoxy, a minute dab of an organic phosphor derivative, and a cathode/anode, viola. An LED is born with the potential to light up a room, well sort of. Careful development of the organic phosphor determines color and intensity while the quality of the material determines life span. If a proper heat sink method is introduced, then the solid-state lighting package is able to deliver the same output of light that many of us consumers take for granted in the form of the incandescent light bulb. These are rather simple yet complicated to design devices that allow the average consumer to enjoy without having to understand the process. Well this blog post should help in understanding what high-powered white LEDs are made and developed from. Just for further informative understanding, the phosphors in LEDs are of a different material composition than what is used in the manufacturing of compact and standard form factor florescent light tubes.
Some of the newer Cree LED chips use a more energy efficient phosphor compound to provide a uniform light dispersion and color temperature while reducing the amount of current require to create the same amount of illumination. Quite a great deal of information in a short sentence, but in the world of lighting, many would agree that quantity and quality of light is very desirable with the least amount of required energy to create. The lower the consumption, the better the efficiency in the case of LEDs because heat is a deciding factor of longevity for these solid-state lighting devices. Any high-flux output solid-state device requires considerable amount of cooling to maintain the level of efficiency and longevity. Failing that results in a burnt LED or worse, a damaged electronic step-up/down puck driver. The Puck driver's job is supply sustained voltage and regulated current to the LED to drive the chip properly. Electronic dimmers that are designed for LED and CFL are available through Levitron are used in many of the newer home installations since when switching between the two technologies can prove somewhat useful in a dynamic sense and adds to the compatibility of the lighting system. The old fashion mechanical type dimmers would not be able to properly operate solid-state lighting installations since a controlled dimmer circuit is required to prevent voltage spikes (voltage spikes can overload and destroy the Puck driver and LED bulb). Many of the newer generation (3rd) LED bulbs feature a PWM (Pulse Width Modular) circuit in the Puck Driver to allow a flicker free dimming capability thus reducing eye strain for those seeking a dimmer lighting environmental setting.
At the end of blog, I personally prefer the latest in greatest method of reducing environmental waste and energy consumption, which is the world of the solid-state lighting solution. CFL technology has its cost benefits, but the thought of mercury and somewhat toxic phosphors coating the bulb interior, the "Green" factor would obviously be the low energy consumption that it delivers. 13-watts of Compact Florescent Light delivers about 60-watts of light at 4000K color temperature, but with the use of mercury to create the necessary UV radiation to excite the phosphors to create the white light, then that "Green" factor starts to loose some of its shine. Virtually no UV is created with solid-state lighting solutions unless the buyer specifies that UV will be needed as such the chemistry can be tailored to create the spectrum of light to include ultraviolet.
Some food for thought and to everyone reading and or following the blog, "Have a Great Day and Stay Well"
I used LED light ropes through simple AC/DC power puck drivers to create certain mood lighting and emergency lighting for those rather dark nights when I don't want to turn on every light in the house. And what if I do turn on every light in the house (the Venice Canal home has a total of 89-light fixtures - Halo Stasis replacements), the total power consumption is less than what it was before the change to solid-state technology. The original lighting consists of MR16 halogen reflector bulbs operating at 55-watts each for a near 5000-watt power consumption per hour versus the replacement Stasis draw of 800-watts/hour. That is quite a significant decrease in power consumption for all things considered so one has to ask if it is truly worth it to change. In the short and long term situations, Yes!
The initial costs of replacement can be very high to downright faint, but the energy savings alone would easily offset that cost. In fact since the high life span of over 30000-hours, it easily surpasses compact florescent lighting technology. A squiggly looking light bulb is not quite so hip as a halogen, but even a halogen is not a "Green" technology so if one is trying to appear like a cool and environmentally caring person, using old lighting tech may not be the wisest choice. Now granted that going "Green" poses significant challenges, but if one were able to replace the bulbs in the kitchen with solid-state lighting, not only the energy costs would be lower, the replacing of bulbs would be reduced to a significant degree. The reason is that many who use the kitchen may have experienced the environment such as the walls and cabinets with all those cooking oils of the kind. This something to think about.
There are reading lights out there that sport solid-state lighting to a greater degree and that it is able to completely replace the typical lamp. A compact lighting solution with all of the benefits of a 50-watt halogen with none of the typical drawbacks. That may be coming soon to a consumer convention near you, but until that day happens, we all must enjoy the beauty of sunlight. If replacing the recessed lighting fixtures are not affordable with today's market prices, then using drop-in replacements may be a better solution. Philips, Cree, and Seoul Semi-Conductor has designed their own direct replacement drop-in bulbs for both direct and alternating current systems as such can be used in many home and commercial installations. In a better sense, home applications would not accurately represent the energy saving that solid-state provides over compact florescent, but small business and commercial applications would see the true benefit of the energy savings provided by LED high-flux output lighting.
Now we completely enter into the world of solid-state lighting. Using epoxy, a minute dab of an organic phosphor derivative, and a cathode/anode, viola. An LED is born with the potential to light up a room, well sort of. Careful development of the organic phosphor determines color and intensity while the quality of the material determines life span. If a proper heat sink method is introduced, then the solid-state lighting package is able to deliver the same output of light that many of us consumers take for granted in the form of the incandescent light bulb. These are rather simple yet complicated to design devices that allow the average consumer to enjoy without having to understand the process. Well this blog post should help in understanding what high-powered white LEDs are made and developed from. Just for further informative understanding, the phosphors in LEDs are of a different material composition than what is used in the manufacturing of compact and standard form factor florescent light tubes.
Some of the newer Cree LED chips use a more energy efficient phosphor compound to provide a uniform light dispersion and color temperature while reducing the amount of current require to create the same amount of illumination. Quite a great deal of information in a short sentence, but in the world of lighting, many would agree that quantity and quality of light is very desirable with the least amount of required energy to create. The lower the consumption, the better the efficiency in the case of LEDs because heat is a deciding factor of longevity for these solid-state lighting devices. Any high-flux output solid-state device requires considerable amount of cooling to maintain the level of efficiency and longevity. Failing that results in a burnt LED or worse, a damaged electronic step-up/down puck driver. The Puck driver's job is supply sustained voltage and regulated current to the LED to drive the chip properly. Electronic dimmers that are designed for LED and CFL are available through Levitron are used in many of the newer home installations since when switching between the two technologies can prove somewhat useful in a dynamic sense and adds to the compatibility of the lighting system. The old fashion mechanical type dimmers would not be able to properly operate solid-state lighting installations since a controlled dimmer circuit is required to prevent voltage spikes (voltage spikes can overload and destroy the Puck driver and LED bulb). Many of the newer generation (3rd) LED bulbs feature a PWM (Pulse Width Modular) circuit in the Puck Driver to allow a flicker free dimming capability thus reducing eye strain for those seeking a dimmer lighting environmental setting.At the end of blog, I personally prefer the latest in greatest method of reducing environmental waste and energy consumption, which is the world of the solid-state lighting solution. CFL technology has its cost benefits, but the thought of mercury and somewhat toxic phosphors coating the bulb interior, the "Green" factor would obviously be the low energy consumption that it delivers. 13-watts of Compact Florescent Light delivers about 60-watts of light at 4000K color temperature, but with the use of mercury to create the necessary UV radiation to excite the phosphors to create the white light, then that "Green" factor starts to loose some of its shine. Virtually no UV is created with solid-state lighting solutions unless the buyer specifies that UV will be needed as such the chemistry can be tailored to create the spectrum of light to include ultraviolet.
Some food for thought and to everyone reading and or following the blog, "Have a Great Day and Stay Well"
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