LED lighting: opportunities and challenges

LEDs, or light emitting diodes, have been around for decades but factors such as reduced costs, improved luminous efficacy and faster switching are leading to widespread use of this technology in the commercial, residential and industrial lighting market.

The solid state lighting (SSL) revolution is well underway. The market adoption of the SSL technology, used in diverse applications including general lighting, traffic signals and automotive lighting, is increasing at a record pace around the world.

The US Department of Energy expects LED lighting to represent 74% of US general illumination lumen-hour sales by 2030. “By 2027, widespread use of LEDs could save about 348 TWh, compared to no LED use, of electricity: this is the equivalent annual electrical output of 44 large electric power plants (1000 mW each) and a total savings of more than $30bn at today’s electricity prices.”

LEDs and OLEDs (organic LEDs), both forms of solid state lighting, are set to transform lighting as we know it, says Bryan Douglas, CEO, Lighting Council of Australia. “Solid state lighting is a highly adaptable technology, capable of brilliant and variable colours, is energy efficient and has a long lifetime, making it ideal for practically all forms of lighting.”

LEDs and lighting controls

While all the current excitement is about LEDs, a quieter revolution is going on with lighting controls, says Douglas. “Modern lighting controls have enormous potential to save energy. Being electronically based, they are also highly suited to use with LEDs. In fact, the full potential of LEDs may only be realised with sophisticated lighting controls. We can expect to see far greater use of lighting controls in the future.”

Mark Centofanti, product manager - lighting, Clipsal by Schneider Electric, shares a similar view. Lighting accounts for around 11% energy use in buildings, and lighting controls not only help home and business owners improve energy efficiency but they also help cut costs, he says. Currently most lighting controls are mounted on the walls - in the next few years, these controls will move into the lights themselves, he adds.

It is all about the transition from conventional to LED lighting, and with it a dramatic increase in the take-up of lighting control technologies, says Richard Shepherd, marketing manager, Philips (Australia). “We’re seeing the switch from lighting to lighting solutions across the entire spectrum of projects, from homes to offices to industrial installations and everything in between.”

Due to the rapid take-up of LED, Philips is anticipating energy-efficient technology to make up about 50% of the company’s global lighting sales by 2015, up from 25% last year.

Contractors’ role

Electrical contractors play a key role in further driving the uptake of the solid state lighting technology. “Because of the variability in quality, it is important that they understand the attributes of any solid state lighting product before selecting or recommending it,” says Douglas.

When recommending lighting fixtures, contractors need to be mindful that they are meeting the needs of the end user, using products that are suited to the space and/or the application, as well as meeting Australian standards, suggests Shepherd.

“It is important for contractors to always compare like for like when making product recommendations. There are a number of LED-only, non-traditional suppliers entering the LED market so contractors need to factor LED quality, optics, heat management and system efficiency into their decision making.

“Take a consultative approach with each customer when recommending lighting. Lighting has an enormous part to play in how we engage with a space so consider how you are satisfying a ‘light’ requirement rather than a ‘lighting’ requirement.”

Stay enlightened

Electrical contractors who keep up to date with the latest lighting trends and regulations by regularly visiting government, industry and lighting manufacturer websites as well as supplementing knowledge through upskilling courses will be well placed to support the update of new technology, says Shepherd.

Industry associations such as National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and Master Electricians Australia (MEA) offer various courses covering LED technology and energy efficiency. In 2012, NECA EcoSmart Electricians reviewed its training program and updated it to include new technologies such as lighting controls and energy management systems and the rapidly evolving LED technology market. It is now delivered under the training package as a course in Electrical Energy Efficiency 21876VIC, according to NECA. Following training, contractors can apply for accreditation as an EcoSmart Electrician. The association also runs a BCA Lighting (Commercial) course to help contractors understand the Building Codes of Australia. Candidates interested in enrolling in this course must have completed the Lighting Module of EcoSmart Electricians training or Lighting for Living course or equivalent.

Separately, MEA has recently launched the Master Electrician Energy Efficiency course for those wanting to build their business by entering the energy-efficiency market. “During the course you will learn to prepare, plan, carry out and complete the implementation and monitoring of environmental and sustainable energy management policies and procedures,” according to MEA.

Fighting the fakes

Training and education will not only help contractors acquire knowledge and grow their business, but it can also go a long way in getting rid of the counterfeit products from the market.

In any industry where there is a rapid transition from one technology to another, it is not uncommon for there to be issues, says Shepherd. “End users have and should have certain expectations when it comes to LED lighting. One way to respond to the issue of counterfeits is for contractors to always compare like for like when making product recommendations.”

“There are a lot of people buying lights on the internet and reselling them. They are causing some confusion in the marketplace and there is a lot of uncertainty about the quality of these components,” says Steve Cahill, general manager, enLighten Australia. This is causing a lot of turmoil and is giving the industry a bad reputation, he says.

The proliferation of low-quality, poor-performing products has led Lighting Council Australia to introduce a certification program for LEDs - the Solid State Lighting Quality Scheme, said Douglas. A minimum set of critical parameters is reported by participating suppliers to accurately reflect the performance of their products. The scheme participants provide test reports or other evidence verifying their claims. Lighting Council Australia registers the product on a database on its website (www.lightingcouncil.com.au) and authorises use of a label indicating conformance to the parameters.

Douglas suggests that if contractors are in doubt they should look for the Solid State Lighting Quality Scheme label or at the very least ensure that the product is from a reputable supplier. They should look for a warranty period of at least three years and preferably longer.

Government initiatives

The government has introduced minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) on a range of lighting products over the past 15 years or so, notes Douglas. While the Australian Government was the first in the developed world to phase out incandescent GLS lamps, to date, however, there is no regulation stipulating the energy-efficiency requirements of LEDs, he adds. “This will change, however, with the government foreshadowing a number of measures to ensure that LEDs meet MEPS and quality requirements. Lighting Council Australia will work closely with the government on implementation.”

Other initiatives that will encourage the move to more efficient lighting technologies include: voluntary take-up of Green Star Certification and mandatory CBD requirements, combined with government incentives such as IPART (Independent Pricing & Regulatory Tribunal of NSW) and VEET (Victorian Energy Efficiency Target) to create energy-saving certificates for energy-efficient projects (lighting retrofits), says Shepherd.