No more twisty bulbs for me! I’ve installed a new LED lighting system for my home that beats twisty bulbs in every way. It has been awhile since I discussed technology here, so this will be an interesting diversion for many readers.
I’ve always been a fan of alternate energy and improved energy efficiency, and I don’t just write about it like some people we know, I do things about it. I try out new things, I do the work. Longtime readers of my blog know that I’ve done two solar power projects, drive an electric car for my local short distance jaunts (I have two now, a really sharp new model, but that’s another story). I’ve put a 10KW solar array on my home, plus a 125 KW solar array on one of our local schools when I was a school trustee. I’ve retrofitted my home with CFL’s in some places, as well as installed timer switches on many of our most commonly used lights. I live in an an Energy Star rated home. However, I’ve not been all that pleased with the lighting that came with the house. Now I’ve changed the largest wattage draw of lighting in my house from incandescent to LED lighting.
No matter what you think about the veracity of global warming claims, there’s really not much of an argument anyone can make against improved energy efficiency as a way of reducing all emissions, not just CO2. Literally, CO2 sucks all the oxygen out of the energy efficiency issue. The goals of full spectrum pollutant reduction can also be accomplished via improved energy efficiency, and with much less rancor, in my opinion.
I’ve never liked the twisty fluorescent bulbs, even when practically given away. They are slow to illuminate, don’t live up to manufacturer’s lifetime claims, and contain toxic mercury making them a disposal hazard. Watts to like?
Up until now, I hadn’t liked the color temperature of the light that LED bulbs had put out. They were mostly a harsh blue-white. Now, that’s been solved.
So that was my weekend project, improving my energy efficiency. It was painless, fast, and the result was fantastic.
The problem: 5 recessed incandescent lighting fixtures each with a 65 watt bulb for a total draw of 325 watts. My kids leave the hallway lights on constantly as it is the most trafficked area of the house.
The solution: swap in LED recessed lighting fixtures at 12 watts each for a total draw of 60 watts
A liberal professor friend in the bay area (who also happened to be best man at my wedding) turned me on to these new recessed incandescent fixture replacements from a company called CREE Lighting. I was impressed the first moment I saw the light they produced. It was warm, not harsh, and even better, it worked on a dimmer control.
The neatest trick with these lights is that they combine yellow and white LED’s in a matrix to get a color temperature that is 2700K or 3500K (your choice) which makes them give similar light to incandescents. Here’s what they look like inside:
Besides making less heat through lower power consumption, They also seal against the ceiling better than incandescent recessed lighting fixtures which are essentially open to the attic.
Here is what it looks like outside:
I bought one for my office immediately, to put directly over my desk, replacing a 75 watt flood in a recessed fixture. It worked out great, so I decided to do my entire house hallway of 5 fixtures.
Here’s the details on this new technology:
Product Description
The LR6 is a downlight module for new construction and retrofit that installs easily in most standard six inch recessed IC or non-IC housings. The LR6 generates white light with LED’s in a new way that enables an unprecedented combination of light output, high efficacy, beautiful color, and affordability. U.S. Patent # 7,213,940 issued. Numerous patents pending.
Performance Summary
• Utilizes Cree TrueWhite™ technology
• Nominal delivered light output = 650 lumens
• Nominal input power = 10.5 Watts
• CRI = 90
• CCT = 2700K or 3500K
• Dimmable to 20%
• Three Year Warranty
Cree TrueWhite™ Technology
• A better way to generate white light that utilizes a patented mixture of unsaturated yellow and saturated red LEDs.
• Tuned to optimal color point before shipment.
• Color management system maintains color consistency over time and temperature.
• Designed to last 50,000 hours and maintain at least 70%
of initial lumen output.
Construction
• Durable die-cast aluminum upper housing, lower housing, and upper cover.
• Integrated thermal management system conducts heat away from LED’s and transfers it to the surrounding environment. LED junction temperatures stay below specified maximums even when installed in attic insulation with temperatures exceeding 60 degrees Celsius.
Optical System
• Proprietary optical system utilizes a unique combination of reflective and refractive optical components to achieve a uniform, comfortable appearance. Pixelation and direct view of unshielded LED’s is eliminated.
• White Lower Reflector balances brightness of refractor with the ceiling to create comfortable high-angle appearance. Works with refractor to deliver an optimized distribution that illuminates walls and vertical surfaces increasing the perception of spaciousness.
Electrical System
• Integral, high efficiency driver and power supply. Power factor > 0.9 Input voltage = 120V, 60Hz
• Dimmable to 20% with certain incandescent dimmers (reference www.CreeLEDLighting.com for recommended dimmers)
Regulatory and Voluntary Qualifications
• Tested and certified to UL standards. Suitable for damp locations.
• Utilize GU-24 base for new construction projects in California or other areas where high efficacy line voltage sockets are required.
• Exceeds California Title-24 high efficacy luminaire requirements.
• ENERGY STAR® qualified Solid-State Lighting Luminaire.
Full Spec sheet here
The company has a savings calculator here
Installation was easy. I’ve photo documented it below. If you are interested in reading how, here is the installation manual in PDF form, and more info here.
FIRST and most importantly: turn off your a/c circuit breaker that supplies power to the lights.
The box:
The contents:
The top with special socket:
One of the five incandescent flood lights to be replaced:
Beginning disassembly, take out the bulb, pull down the trim ring:
Squeeze the spring clips and pop them off:
Cut the wires off the existing socket:
Install the wire splice block:
Add the new socket and crimp the splice block:
Socket installed:
Final step, all it takes is two twists. I couldn’t hold the camera and do this so I’m relying on diagrams. Twist the socket onto the fixture, push the fixture into the hole and twist until it locks into place:
New LED fixture installed:
Can you tell which ones are the incandescent floods and which one is the LED light?
The one in the foreground is the LED lighting. It puts out more light than the floods it replaced, and uses 1/5th the energy.
All done, three in the main hall, one in each side hallway are not shown:
Want one? Get them here from a company that operates in my town, called Lighting Direct:
UPDATE: I got called away before I could finish this post, so here’s a few more points on why I’ve done this swap.
1) I’m usually an early adopter of technology, this is something I’ve been looking forward to. But it is not for everybody yet.
2) I bought a 5 pack, so I got 20% off. You can call the company at the link listed above and ask for similar discounts. There’s also other sources online: here, here. Some commenters have asked about screw in LED models, here’s one also based on CREE’s patented LED illumination engine.
3) In California, I won’t be able to buy incandescent bulbs soon. This was my way of beating the state mandate on my own terms.
4) These have an advertised life of 50,000 hours. I figure if they log 8 hours per day, I’ll get 17 years out of them. They’ll pay back long before that.
5) CFL floods aren’t that cheap either, and from experience I only get 2 years out of them. For example I can buy a CFL flood at my local ACE Hardware for $14.99 plus tax. If I have to replace it every 2 years, I’m into some significant cash and significant disposal issues in a few years. Even with the higher cost of the LED units, I see myself as still being ahead in the long run and I’m not generating mercury toxic waste.
6) These lights are sealed, so there’s no air leakage to/from the attic. This should help on heating/cooling issues since when the wind blew above 15mph I could feel air being blown into the old recessed lighting fixtures. Not anymore. It will keep dust and attic insulation fibers out of the house also.
Sounds good. LED lights is something I’ve been keeping an eye on and I’m glad to know that someone has them putting out a better spectrum. I’ll still have to wait until the price drops but this is very good news.
Another great sucker-punch to the wallet, just like those useless screw-in flouros and the current range of downlights. They will be expensive to buy, expensive to install, expensive to replace, unreliable, and will require an eletronics degree to change one. The marginal operations savings will take a billion years to pay back the capital investment.
Was looking to do the same with the lights in my house, but might have to wait a little longer. Seems California legislators, in their ultimate wisdom, enacted a law where all new homes must have fluorescent fixtures in the kitchen. The recessed lights we have will ONLY fit a 4-pin type fluorescent bulb, not the Edison (screw-in) style. So, if I want to save money/energy by switching to LEDs, I’ve got to shell out another $500 just to swap out the recessed fixtures. Ahh, our brilliant legislators!
I agree that this a superior technology to A lambs and Compact Fl. As an architect I have spent some time talking to manufacturers. The are a few things people need to keep in mind when making this change. First of all this is a young industry. Currently there is no standard for the actual color rating for the LEDs. What I understand is they are hand sorted into different colors by each maker by their own standards. This can be very problematic if you have a line of lights that you want to be color consistent. The next thing is they start to degrade as soon as you wire them up, so those color issues will be a problem if all the Leds don’t operate uniformly. Because of this degrading and the fact many new manufactures have not been around very long I would be very suspect of lifetime claims. They may last 50,000 hours, but at 20,000 they may start to be blue or orange. An important thing to prevent this a fixture with enough mass to eliminate heat. It looks like the pictures show a good heavy fixture with enough surface area to get rid of the heat, which is the main enemy to LEDs. If you get a cheap fixture without a decent heat sink, it will not last. I like some manfactures that use UV LEDs and a lens with a phosphor coating, like flourescent lamps, to get much better white light and predictability.
So, I have specified some LEDs, but before I do it regularly I am going to wait for some uniform standards and some maturing of the industry. By then OLEDs will be the next big thing.
Anthony,can these be used in non IC cans?
REPLY: Think so, check the compatibility guide at the CREE website see links in the story – A
Six words: “Publicly owned and publicly traded companies”.
You, too, can have ‘part of that action’.
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Another great use for these…
If you have a dimmed circuit that only handles 4X60w, you could add some fixtures.
I, too, appreciate efficiency in design. Not because I am worried about how much CO2 we put out, but because I am a skin-flint and like to save on energy bills. As an electrician, I have installed various lighting equipment. Including retrofits of flourescent lighting in commercial locations, changing from the old T-12 lamp and magnetic ballast to T-8 and electronic smart ballast, which senses the incoming voltage, making it simpler to install. A T-8 of lower wattage puts out as much or more usable light as an old T-12. That sounds counter-intuitive but it is not, really. The T-8, at a lower wattage, is more efficiently putting out light at a lower power comsumption and heat signature than the old T-12 and mag. ballast set-up. Likewise, I am sure, with the advances in LED lighting. I have a portable light that I can wear around my head or hardhat, like a miner’s light, that is LED and it is bright enough to dazzle your eyes in a dark room or attic.
Even though they may be a few dollars more expensive, the light lasts longer, passing savings on to the consumer over time. Whether it saves “CO2” or not is a political football. The fact that it does is a “happy” coincidence, depending on your perspective.
I believe we should drill our own oil. Just the same, I drive a car that gets 33 mpg because it’s easier on my wallet. The answer to anything is the free market.
Yeah I’m all LED. It uses less energy too (so my power bill is lower) and looks cool. I hate Fluorence mercury rubbish, they should be banned. Soon the mercury will leach into the groundwater from rubbish dumps and the problem will be MASSIVE!
Oldseadog (14:30:48) :
Remember that in G.B. only a qualified Electrician is authorised to carry out this work – Brussels has banned all electrical DIY.
REPLY: Well I’d hook them up just to spite them 😉
And many of us do just that Anthony 😉
I just spent Sunday morning looking at some LED stage lighting cans. Incredible brightness, little heat, light and no more broken bulbs!
Weren’t you people making fun of LED lights few weeks ago?
This sounds more like an advertisement. lol
Tungsten, $0.33 apiece if you shop around.
100% efficient in the winter.
What a bunch of garbage! Add in installation labor, a little annual interest, and the payout period is for-EVAH!
The California law should be repealed at the earliest opportunity.
REPLY: I did the labor myself, so no cost there. And for the less electrically inclined they have an Edison base screw in version. Why would you be against LED lighting that uses 1/5th of the electricity of the bulb it replaces? – Anthony
I love this kind of article. If you ever do another on the electric cars, I’m ready to read.
Invariant (13:56:55) :
“In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is”
Corollary: A PhD in theory is a PhD, in theory.
OT: Heads up, Guardian running with …
Detectives question climate change scientist over email leaks
… and
REPLY: Oh, gosh. Paul Dennis posted about three comments here in October and December 2009 related to a story I did on isotope reconstruction and on that endorsement list the Met Office was pushing. That clinches it fer sure.
Gavin Schmidt has posted a comment or two here a long time ago. Maybe they should question him too. 😉
– Anthony
Sorry, but I’m always skeptical of articles where the price isn’t mentioned. I see that Amazon.com has these light fixtures/bulbs for $80, so I suppose the payback period is ten years or so (just off the top of my head).
I hate the curly bulbs as well, for the reasons you mentioned AND in cold weather they take ~15 minutes to come up to full output.
Let’s go back to torches in hallways, OK?
Its all about saving money. Nothing else matters.
Very nice article. LED’s are definitely the way to go, and soon OLED’s, (Organic LED’s). The lighting world is really undergoing a huge revolution right now, and the early adopters (like Anthony) who are paying the highest prices for LED’s are making it possible for the rest of us to enjoy lower prices and even better technology tomorrow as those high prices will be put back into R&D for the next generation of lights. And no matter which side of the AGW side you fall on, if you can cut your home energy costs significantly, why would you not want to?
Thanks for the great article…
I am looking for something just like this, in a very shallow fixture. I have only about 4″ of less of ceiling to work with. Looks like all of their lamps are meant for existing fixtures. Too bad!
OT – anyone notice the dreadful AUDI ad during the Superbowl? AUDI sure misread the national mood, with AUDI’s car getting the nod from the Green Police. Up to the end I thought that the ad was spoofing green fanaticism, but it actually ends up with the AUDI driver getting the nod from the Green Gestapo.
Great post, Anthony! While I don’t have the money to go for solar panels, I’ve been an early adapter of compact CFLs: the first two bulbs I bought cost over $20 after taxes, and both needed to be quickly replaced due to rambunctious sons smashing them. Outrageous that there was no warning about the mercury content! A question for various experts here: is there any safe replacement for incandescent bulbs in the following applications: oven lights? appliance lights generally? (I found a CFL did not do well on the vent hood over my stove); and touch lamps? Thanks in advance for any wisdom offered.
Audi just had a “Green Police” commercial in the 4th quarter of the Super Bowl (wish I could post it?). It was funny, but I also believe that this talks directly to the core issue that fuels revolt even amongst the anti-AGW wave currently sweeping the globe.
While the commercial makes fun of being “green”, it points to a fundamental reaction of people who are sick and tired of having this eco crap shoved down their throat – the pinnacle of which would have been a global treaty like Copenhagen driven by IPCC.
Bad science – yes it was…
Bad politics – absolutely, and a very corrupt process…
Bad timing (worldwide economic downturn) – possibly the most important silent component…
Bad karma – “the watermelons should not have tried to take over our (normal people) lives with such arrogance because the retribution will be a @ur momisugly#$%^&* ! “
AGW specifically may be well over sexed as a threat to mankind but that is no reason to be stupid about energy consumption. Living smart is not counter to being unconvinced about AGW. One can do both, effectively.
CFL’s are abysmal for lifetime and for introducing poisons into the household where LED’s offer efficiency, long lifetime, and are non-poisonous. No reason to not use them where they will work well. And they’re dimmer-friendly. No way I’m putting a CFL in my fridge!
Forget the twisty bulbs. It is either incandescent or LED. LED is the way to go in the future. We will be able to buy rolls of LED lighting “paper” and stick it on the wall/ceiling/whatever. Currently it is a bluish light, but we will be able to modulate the colour in the future.
I am an electronics engineer and appreciate efficiency, for its own sake, not for pious, self-agrandizing, ethical reasons
But incandescents are cheaper and simpler.
Here-here! Thank you Anthony. The green we need to focus on saving is the green in our wallet. That is free market.