Bulbs

So many bulbs, so many choices...LED, Low voltage, halogen, incandescent. Let me explain.

Incandescent: Regular light bulb still renders (at 2500K) the best in terms of quality of light. It is however, really bad with 10% efficiency, 7 month life and 300 degree heat emission.

Halogen: Halogen is an incandescent bulb with halogen gas on the filament. It is a whiter beam, which is desirable in kitchens (2700-3000 Kelvin), but it is an incandescent so it is generally an inefficient bulb.

Low Voltage: Low voltage is another incandescent white light. The light and the beam can be controlled more readily, because it is converted to 12 volt from 120. Although there are a few high quality low voltage bulbs with life of up to 18,000 hours it has the characteristics of the aforementioned bad incandescent light.

CFC: Compact fluorescent bulbs have a better longevity at 7 years with less heat emission. You can buy dimmable, color rendering fluorescent bulbs, but typically a basic fluorescent cannot do either.

LED: Light emitting diodes (LED) are the best with a 20 year life, zero heat emission and 90% efficiency. It even renders similarly to an incandescent. Payback is 2.5 years, but the initial outlay is expensive. Be VERY careful with LED lights: buy them with a CREE chip, so the quality of the light is good.

This post is somewhat complicated, but search LED and Kelvin posts for a better understanding

BTW, thank you to Christine from Canton...appreciate the Twitter mention.

My Friend Robs' House

My friend Rob runs a hockey school in Walpole, and lives nearby. He was actually the guy in the famed Chuck Liddell spots we ran in 2005.

His house is a study in home improvement....Lets look at a couple of his rooms.

Chandelier

I actually like the fixture yet hate the light. Rob is smart enough to place compact fluorescent lights in most of his fixtures. However, the light would not be as harsh if he chose a fluorescent with a Kelvin temperature of 2700-3500 rather than the 5000 degree units in place.

As I have posted before, buying a fluorescent with lower Kelvin temperatures will provide a softer light.

Outside

This is truly awesome. Rob is a popular guy, but his outside cooking area is the reason behind the popularity of his summer parties. Have a look (went last night, sorry for the bad pics).

Unbelievable...Outside Marvel refrigerator (you should buy these units manufactured for the outside, because they are weather resistant).

53 inch Lynx grill with access doors

Outside keg refrigerator

Sink and faucet...If you place "wet" appliances outside, you have to shut off the water so the pipes don't crack during winter.

Great house...

The Future Of Incandescent

I am leading a panel discussion about The Future of Incandescent Lighting tomorrow at the RDC show. Personally, the incandescent bulb should be outlawed (then only outlaws will have incandescents), because it is only 10% efficient, lasts about 5 months and emits 90% of its energy as heat. That's 300 degrees, which will turn on your air conditioner.

A 100 watt bulb will cost Mass citizens $45 dollars a year to operate if used only 6 hours...(How many people left the lights on at home as you are reading this.)

Below is my presentation to the trade...



Big thanks to www.michaelbluejay.com and his energy calculator....

Why I Am So Cold

I like working later...less distractions. Recently, however, I noticed that it was a lot colder in the store. And the reason?

The switch from incandescent bulbs to CFLs and LED bulbs has eliminated residual heat from the store.





In a humorous departure, I am the moderator of a panel of experts at the Residential Design Show in April. My seminar (unbelievably): The Future of Incandescent Lighting.

My talk should last about 30 seconds, and I will create a Powerpoint with one slide, which will say: NONE.

Wonder if the architects and designer who are paying to hear me will appreciate the candor or despise the brevity.

Mercury And You Part 2

Quick Question:

Which contains more mercury; this Yale associate or a compact fluorescent bulb?




Correct answer is the Yale associate. The Yale associate has fillings, which contain higher levels of mercury than this bulb. Mercury is a dangerous element and harmful but, the bulb has only trace levels of mercury. You still however, have to dispose of it properly.

The benefits in my opinion (Hello Benton Harbor) outweigh the risks. The fluorescent is 4 times more efficient, lasts 10 times longer and emits 1/3 the heat compared to a standard incandescent bulb. We actually converted most of the showroom to color rendering (similar color output as an incandescent) fluorescent.

Total savings first month $1500-2500. Staggering as it may seem, we were able to use 5 watt fluorescent instead of 25 watt incandescent, and we no longer have the heat issue in the store...which turns on the ac, etc. We also do not have to change bulbs constantly.

Ban The Bulb

As of Monday August 30: 100 watt Incandescent bulbs will be banned in Europe. If this is the first time reading the blog, following are a few points about incandescent...

Invented in 1803

Mass manufactured in 1875 (give or take)

90% of the energy is heat, not light

Lasts about 7 months as opposed to 7 years for fluorescent and 20 years for LED



Banning this bulb will save a ton of energy, cut carbon emissions and waste disposal.

Products to Consider...Lighting

Yesterday was about mistakes...Today will be about considerations.

LED Recessed: 11 watts is equivalent to about 75 watts, with no heat output and a 20 year lamp-life.





Color rendering Fluorescents (in certain applications): Especially with white globes, these bulbs can actually accentuate fixtures. Second pic is 15 watt incandescent(yellow color) versus 5 watt fluorescent








Penadants: Guess what, if you have an informal kitchen/dining room, bar or other informal dining area, you will probably need a few.

Changing of The Bulb

We changed 214 bulbs in our wall sconce room from 15 watt incandescent to 5 watt color rendering fluorescent.

Have a look...



In addition to the fluorescent actually being brighter, it also expels less heat and lasts 10 times longer, but look at the energy difference.

Fluorescent - 214 times 5 watts is 1070 total watts

Incandescent - 214 times 15 watts is 3210 watts

Small tip: If you want good quality, buy it with a Kelvin temperature of less than 3000 degrees, so it looks like incandescent.

Retail Planning

Last year, I spent 118,000 planning a second store. It has not happened yet, functional word yet, but it is easy to understand how commercial lighting is adapted to residential.

Lamp choices will change in 10 years. In a new store, the most expensive part is the HVAC system, lets look at the impact of bulbs in adding added temperature (and more cost) into the room.

Incandescent - 300 degrees





Fluorescent - 100 degrees





LED - 0 added heat





Think of the savings over the lifetime...Roughly $1122 over 17 years per bulb PLUS the savings to to HVAC.

Cool Kelvin

First, Pat installed Google Reactions at the bottom of each post to gauge opinion. Think of it as particpation without commentary.

Now look at these two sconces...





The one on the left is a 15 watt incandescent...and the one on the right is a 5 watt fluorescent. You probably still hate fluorescent despite my pleas to think otherwise, but it does look better. This is a color rendering fluorescent, which has the same characteristics of an incandescent.

Now look at the benefits:

More light using 1/3 the energy

7 year lamp life versus 7 months for the incandescent

Less than 1/3 the heat output, which in a showroom of lights lowers the temperature and saves HVAC costs.

I want you to stop thinking about types of light in terms of light quality. Buy a bulb based on the Kelvin scale. Clean, white light is at 2500-3000 degress Kelvin, and poor lighting is 3500-5000 degrees.

16 Minute Seminar

I walk into work today to discover I am to represent Yale in a 10-20 minute sales seminar in about 90 minutes. Other than that I am a perfectionist, it really is a great opportunity to speak to architects, designers and homeowners.

If I cannot show them anything compelling, than I have a big problem...

But what to choose? EnergyStar? LED?, Color rendering fluorescent? Induction? Installation? It's also good practice since we have a weekend dedicated to it at Innovation '09 on June 20 and 21.

You can't be too technical with any crowd. You are toast when they start looking at their PDAs.

Following is my presentation sans my explanations and the Q and A.



My thanks to Design Magazine and Van Millwork for including us in their seminar series.

Dimming

Have a look at this color rendering fluorescent bulb...Notice anything different?

Dimmable Fluorescent Bulb

This fluorescent actually is dimmable. How? It has an electronic rather than magnetic ballast.

I still like fluorescent bulbs for many reasons. Although it does have trace levels of mercury, there is a greater presence of mercury in your cavities. Better fluorescent lights are also way more efficient than incandescent and have similar rendering.

As I wrote last week, LED may be the bulb of the future, but fluorescent should be considered right now.

Innovation 09 And Fluorescent Bulbs

Last year, we had an event called Innovation 08, which focused around new products. This year is a little different. We are focusing around better yet money saving technology. With the economic hardship, consumers need a ROI for their money. This year, we will show you.

Perhaps, one of the cooler activities at Yale are the private cooking demonstrations. Ours are a little different. You learn how to cook rather than watching a demonstration. This year, we will have 6 chefs including Jose Duarte of Taranta, Nelson Kognac of Kouzina, Steve Shipley of Johnson and Wales, Jay Murray of Grill 23, Dorchesters finest, Chris Coombs of dbar, as well as our own Kurt Van Kahle.

Innovation 09 is June 20 and 21.

Against The Wall

For new readers, The Yale Blog is about simple ways to save money. You do not have to buy a SubZero or Viking to have a great kitchen...That has been the substance of my posts lately.

In lighting, once again, you can change the environment completely with just a few inexpensive light fixtures.

But what if you are a lighting store and you want to change the environment with a sellable product....You buy art....lighted art, that is....The pictures are actually fluorescent, so the people in front of the pics won't fry with incandescent heat

Have a look...

2008 Winners

2008 was a great year for appliances....Not. Although 2008 was a difficult year for every industry, certain segments of the appliance and lighting business saw big increases.


Appliances: Affordable luxury...Bosch, GE Cafe and Frigidaire




Lighting: LED (finally) and color rendering fluorescent.




2008 will be remembered as the year we turned the corner certainly for many of the energy efficient products which will be the standard in the future.


Happy New Year

Lighting Effects......Ginger Part 2

Ah Black Friday....The next 3 plus weeks will determine the fate of half the retailers. Happily, the appliance business is fairly consistent throughout the year. Most manufacturers have some pretty interesting rebates, but I do not see a Black Friday rush to buy appliances and/or lighting. Then again, consumers may show a more practical side

About 2 weeks ago, I had a request for different bulbs and their effects especially in recessed lighting. Lighting effects are determined by the Kelvin scale. The lower number, around 2000 degrees, is decent, warm lighting. The higher end, 5000 degrees, is considered unflattering light. Commercial fluorescents and actually sunlight fit this category.


So lets look.


Incandescent:



Although the bulb should be outlawed for its inefficiency, the bulb renders especially well casting a warm, yellow glow.



Fluorescent:



Great question would be to ask which type. Color rendering fluorescents are actually pretty good at around 2800-3500 degrees Kelvin and are 4 times more efficient than incandescent.



LED



State of the art in all ways. It renders similar to an incandescent or low voltage bulb and is 6 times more efficient with 20 times the lamp life. Of course not all LED renders the same. Read some of our more recent posts about this lighting technology



Low Voltage



Low voltage is currently the standard for upscale homes. It is actually whiter or higher on the Kelvin scale than incandescent, but by only 200 degrees. This whiter temperature actually shows granites and cabinets better than incandescent.

Recessed Lighting

It is very hard to describe lighting. In previous posts, I have delved into the color rendition or Kelvin of different bulbs. In other posts, how to buy recessed has been the topic. Somehow, I may have confused as many readers as I have helped.

Everyone, it seems, wants to know the proper way to light a space. Of course, there is no one concrete way to light a room. The best method to properly illuminate any room is a combination of task, ambient, accent and decorative sources.

Recessed is used primarily as the main or task lighting and can also be used for accent applications. Choosing and more importantly understanding the right recessed lighting just became much easier.





This new display shows differences in sizes, apertures as well as light sources like LED and compact fluorescent.

Couple of quick pointers on designing lighting with recessed:

1. More light is needed in Kitchens and baths. Less in all other rooms
2. Ceiling heights are important
3. Use insulated cans on the top floors
4. For normal to short ceilings, use a 5, not a 6, recessed can. It is much neater

The Culprits...Part 1

17% of all energy is consumed in your home, which ironically is the same energy expended by every motor vehicle in this country. We could save a fortune as consumers by eliminating the 3 main offenders. With electricity increasing, better technologies will save more money in a shorter period.

Culprit Number 1: The Incandescent Bulb




It is amazing to me this product still exists. The technology is from 1803 and was first mass produced in 1876. 90% of its consumed energy is heat, while only 10% is actual light, so you are also paying for additional HVAC in the summer. Also, incandescent lasts only 7 months, so keep the ladder handy. Incandescent in all its forms, which includes low voltage and halogen, is wasting tons of energy and costing you money.




Heck, I would love to say buy the LED. LED emits zero heat, has a 20 year lamp life, and is 7-8 times more powerful than incandescent. Other than some isolated fixtures, LED is still expensive with a long payback on the bulb side.

Color rendering fluorescent is a great replacement. It is much cooler and lasts 10 times longer than an incandescent. It is 70% efficient as opposed to 10%, so its payback is probably less than a year.

We will look at appliances on Monday.

Saving Green

So we are planning a new store. We have been a 1 store shop since 1923, so thinking about a new one is not part of our DNA. Here is the process:

1. Hire architects
2. Hire retail analysts to understand your brand
3. Go out to different stores to see what is applicable
4. Have 12 meetings(and arguments) to build a prototype
5. Hire builder for preconstruction estimates
6. More meetings regarding costs

You have a higher appreciation of Green when you realize the costs of electricity and HVAC. We are now hiring a Green architect to assess the cost savings of wind and solar, but the biggest savings is a product in stock...Any Guesses?





LED and compact fluorescent can decrease the electrical load by 60-80%. It will also detract from the associated costs to HVAC, as incandescent will heat to 300 degrees and LED does not add heat.

I have written about the advantages to LED (20 year life, good lumen output, 80% cost savings), but the payback in my opinion is only justifiable in the long term. For consumers renovating or building, the payback is much shorter when you factor the associated costs to conventional products.

Mercury and You

I had to leave town unexpectedly, but will be back on Monday with new stuff...Here is an earlier post.

In an earlier post, I described how to handle a broken fluorescent bulb. My response was based on that story in Maine where a bulb broke, and they called a Hazmat squad. I honestly believe fluorescent bulbs and LEDs will save the individual consumer considerable amounts of money.

Mercury, however, is a poison and fluorescent bulbs do contain trace levels of Mercury. Of course, as you are reading this, you probably have trace levels of mercury in your body....They are called fillings. (I just went to the dentist this morning.)

Seriously, read this post and buy the bulbs for general task lighting to save money, energy and the environment.



Couldn't resist