Lamp Guide

Now that the market is being flooded with such a confusing profusion of different lamps to replace the incandescent bulb, it is more difficult than ever to find the right lamp for the right place.

Swedish national TV consumer program Plus last week tried to sort it out with the help of Kalle Hashmi at the Swedish Energy Agency, STEM. [1] My translation of his unusually informed and balanced recommendations:

* In closed luminaires it is not advisable to use CFLs as they get too hot which shortens their life. Where you have very short burning time, such as in a closet or the bathroom, the lamp life will shorten significantly if you turn it on and off a lot. In such a situation you could preferably choose a halogen lamp.

* If temperatures are too low [= outdoors in northern winters] the [CFL] lamp does not perform at its best. The lamp is made to function best in 25 degrees [C]. In such a situation we think the best option is to use an induction lamp. Very expensive but on the other hand it lasts 100 000 hours.

* When you get older, 60+, you need more light to be able to see, and our ability to distinguish colours and contrasts diminishes. Then we need to choose a light that solves all three problems.

* When it comes to contrast, for example, it is usually limited to reading text, black on white. Then you need to choose a CFL with higher effect, e.g. 15W and you can use a correlated colour temperature around 4000K, but only for reading.

* When in a situation where colour rendition is very important, where you need to match colours, then it is very important to use a mains voltage halogen lamp because it has much better colour rendering capacity. It can be a situation like cooking, where all colours seem matte to the eyes. So what an elderly person perceives as 'brown' may actually be burnt. With halogen you see better.

* CFLs are not the answer to all our prayers. When it comes to colour rendering they are not as good, and they also contain mercury. LEDs will be the dominating technique, but it's better to replace low voltage spotlights with LED spotlights than replacing standard bulbs for general lighting.

My comments: Good advice all of it, except for the recommendation to use cool-white CFL for reading. Some research suggests that contrast decreases rather than increases with higher correlated colour temperature (blueness) and that certain blue wavelenghts may harm rather than help in cases of macular degeneration. [2] The small traces of UV which some naked CFL tubes emit may at close range may also worsen cataracts and skin conditions. [3] If you sit closer than 30 cm for more than an hour per day, the the British Health Procection Agency recommend that you use a covered CFL with an extra outer bulb. [4]

I would instead recommend frosted incandescent or halogen for reading, as clear bulbs tend to give disturbing light patterns on the page and most LEDs are either too dim or too directional. Unfortunately, thanks to the European Commission, that's no longer an option.

Replacing spotlights with LED is a better idea as LEDs are already directional by nature and perform better as reflector lights than as omnidirectional light trapped in a bulb - if you don't mind the slightly lower light quality and paler colours which can be seen clearly in this comparison between 'warm-white' & 'daylight' LED and incandescent downlights [5]:


More tips:

* For those who prefer a daylight-simulating light despite the lower contrast, white LEDs are naturally cool-white and need no special phosphor mix like CFLs, or neodymium filter like incandescents, to achieve a daylight look. Daylight lamps usually look best in the daytime. At night the cold light can look and feel more unnatural when contrasted against the dark, as we humans are traditionally used to fire light at night (though cultural and individual preferences may vary).

* Where warm-white incandescent type light with perfect colour rendering is needed, there exists no replacement other than halogen. No CFL or LED has that special sunny feel and warm glow which makes colours come alive. The next best thing after halogen would probably be metal halide HID reflector lamps, but they're usually too bright to be used at home and require special luminaires.

* In traditional environments with antique furniture and art, CFLs and LEDs tend to look particularly out of place, whereas they may look acceptable with more contemporary designs, even if a bit dull.

* CFL and LED have zero romance factor when it comes to mood lighting of your dinner table, cosy corner or favorite restaurant, whereas halogen or incandescent spots on dimmers will complement candle light and create an attractive, romantic and relaxing atmosphere. More so the warmer, the dimmer, the lower down in the room, and the more directional & narrow-beamed the lighting is.

* Around children, I'd use only LEDs or incandescent lamps (preferably frosted in all open luminaires, if EU hadn't banned them, and clear in enclosed & shaded luminaires). CFLs contain mercury and can break, whereas clear halogen lamps can get too hot, bright and glaring.

* For night-lights, I would use LED. Even if you only save 6 watts per lamp, they're usually on all night, every night.

* Any coloured lights, e.g. Christmas lights, signal lights in cars and traffic signals, stage lighting etc. can be replaced by LEDs. LEDs come already coloured and are often ideal due to their smallness and lack of excess heat. Using top quality incandescent light only to filter out most of it with a colored filter is truly a waste! Except in cold climates where the heat helps melt the snow on traffic signals.

More photo comparisons between different lamp types can be found here:
http://snarkish.com/cgi-bin/forums/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=12;t=10654
http://www.popsci.com/environment/article/2009-09/better-energy-efficient-light-bulb http://www.hamhelpdesk.com/?p=914#more-914
http://apathyball.blogspot.com/2009/09/led-tints.html

TreeHugger CFL guide:
Be Careful When You Shop For Compact Fluorescents

Lighting design tips:
GE Lighting Style
Philips Lighting for the Home
Philips Lighting Design tool

References:
1. Plus, SVT, 17 sep 2009 http://svtplay.se/t/102796/plus
2. Artificial Lighting and the Blue Light Hazard
3. SCENIHR: Light Sensitivity
4. HPA - Emissions from compact fluorescent laights
5. Picture from http://www.ezdiyelectricity.com/?p=735

The Bush-Obama Energy Bill

Just a few words about the "new" U.S. Energy Bill (The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007) and how it affects incandescent lamps.

Original Energy Bill, 2007 (point 321 about lighting)
Energy Bill, 2009 amended version **snooze-warning on both**
Obama Administration Launches New Energy Efficiency Efforts (DOE summary)

Oddly enough, Americans seem to have made this into a party politics issue and mutual mud-slinging contest, when it was actually initiated under president Bush and only finalised and somewhat amended by the Obama administration.

But nevermind, let's see if we can sort out what the new lighting rules are:

1. It appears that the original idea was to regulate all types of fluorescent and incandescent lighting at the same time. But doing so too hastily might cause major problems and expenses for businesses - which use the majority of the linear flourescent tubes and reflector lamps produced. Thus regulating the latter two lamp types requires very careful consideration and in-depth analysis first, which takes time (several more years, according to DOE).
Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards and Test Procedures for General Service Fluorescent Lamps and Incandescent Reflector Lamps

2. Incandescent general service lighting is easier to regulate and causes problems mainly for private persons, so the part pertaining to GLS lamps was lifted out of the lighting section in the original bill to be rushed through congress straight away.

(Ironic side-note: What a coincidence that this happens to be the same popular light bulb which is so unprofitable to manufacturers that they literally can't wait to get it off the market! Only a scant few weeks after the "new and improved" Energy Bill, GE announces the closing down of several their U.S. and Canadian light bulb factories - despite the new GLS standards not taking effect until 2012.)

But there seems to be a lot of confusion as to what the new standards actually are - and small wonder if you look at how the rule is written: General Service Incandescent Lamp Provisions Contained in EISA 2007. (Why not just state required lumen per watt for each wattage class, as is done for the other lamp types?) Luckily for us, EnergyStar attempts to sort it out, in plain English:

"The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (the “Energy Bill”), signed by the President on December 18, 2007 requires all light bulbs use 30% less energy than today’s incandescent bulbs by 2012 to 2014.

"The phase-out will start with 100-watt bulbs in January 2012 and end with 40-watt bulbs in January 2014. By 2020, a Tier 2 would become effective which requires all bulbs to be at least 70% more efficient (effectively equal to today’s CFLs). It’s not entirely correct to say "CFLs will be required" or “incandescents will be phased out” because the standards set by the bill are technology neutral, and by 2012, a next generation of incandescent bulbs could satisfy the 30% increased efficiency.

"There are many types of incandescent bulbs that are exempt from this law: any kind of specialty light (ie. bulb in refrigerator), reflector bulbs, 3-way bulbs, candelabras, globes, shatter resistant, vibration service, rough service, colored bulbs (i.e. "party bulbs"), bug lights, plant lights.

"The law applies to the sale of bulbs, not the use of existing stock of bulbs."

That sounds straightforward enough, but look what the rule actually says:


Note the unusual max wattages. It so happens that the only lamps which exist in such wattages (29, 43, 53, 72W) are the new incandescent halogen energy savers. Which indicates that standard incandescent GLS bulbs are already counted out of the equation from the start (no doubt so that manufacturers can sell their halogen replacements at extortion rates to all those who hate CFL and LED light).

But the quirky thing is that the minimum lumen requirements for each wattage class are set just above what the best energy saving mains voltage halogen replacement lamps can produce today... hmmmmm... Checking manufacturer cataloges for actual lumen output, it seems that they don't quite save the claimed 30% but more like around 20%. So much for "truth in advertising"...

Seems they have done the same thing as with the CFL: replace e.g. a 60W incandescent (which gives 700-800+ lumen) with a 12W CFL, or in this case a 43W halogen, which both give only 630 lm! If you only count the wattage, 60W -30% is 42W, yes, but then it needs to give as many lumens as a 60W bulb too, otherwise it's just one more case of consumer fraud.

"Oh, it's such a small difference, the customer will never notice." (I've actually heard manufacturer representatives use that exact phrase when I've asked about the light deprication in CFLs.)

So, have lamp manufacturers shot themselves in the foot by claiming their halogen energy savers save 30%, as government experts seem to have taken their word for it and set lumen requirements at that exact level..?

Back to decoding the confusing table:

* 2012 the standard incandescent lamps are out (unless some manufacturer is able to make them more energy efficient - and profitable..). All you can use is up to max 72W halogen energy saver (which is meant to equal a 100W standard incandescent GLS lamp) - if they can improve it to the full 30% efficacy by then.

* 2013 the 72W halogen goes. Max permitted is an (improved) 53W halogen (= '75W GLS').

* 2014 the 53W halogen goes. Max permitted is an (improved) 43W halogen (= '60W GLS').

* 2015 the 43W halogen goes. Max permitted is an (improved) 29W halogen (= '40 GLS').

What will all those elderly and vision impaired do, who may need bright light of the highest quality (= incandescent light) in order to see?

EnergyStar claiming that the phase-out "will start with the 100W incandescent bulb and end with the 40W" is thus not correct, if one is to follow what the table mandates. Oh dear, if not even EnergyStar can interpret the table correctly, who can one trust? (Although EnergyStar also forwards the PR truth-stretching about CFLs "saving 75% energy" and "lasting 10 years" etc. - despite government & consumer tests + growing customer complaints giving a very different picture - so I guess they're not exactly an infallible source of information.)

Update 3 Aug: Something is definitely not right here... The only existing incandescent halogen lamp on the market which should pass the new requirements is the expensive and hard-to-find Philips Master Classic IR halogen with integrated transformer (see my Energy Saver Review) - which saves 42-45% (if you look at lumen/watt) not 50% as advertised, compared with a standard incandescent. But only the 20W seems to qualify, the 30W misses the max 29W category by 1W and the max 43W category by 130 lumen, despite being the most efficient incandescent-type lamp on the market, and with a life-span of 3000 hours!

And by the way, 72% Don’t Want Feds Changing Their Light Bulbs, but I guess legislators care more about keeping the lighting industry happy than about how their voters feel. Because it sure isn't going to save the planet, quite the opposite (but more about that in another post).

Next up for slaugher are reflector lamps (both in Europe and the U.S.).

Thanks to Peter at http://www.ceolas.net/#li01x for most of the links.

Energy Savers Review

Examples of energy saving lamps I've bought to see how they look in a home environment. They all looked good enough in the shop, but it's always hard to tell in the bright and predominantly fluorescent light-mix of a shop. Brief descriptions + my personal, subjective impressions of how they look in my home environment. (Note: lamp pictures do not reflect actual size, and prices are converted from SEK to Euro, include 20% VAT and may vary between countries.)

* 28W Osram E27 clear Halogen Energy Saver A-lamp

Info: CRI 100 (= full colour rendering). Costs about twice as much than its incandescent equivalent, uses about 20% less energy (though advertised as 30% less) and lasts twice as long.

Impression: Looks exactly like the 40W incandescent equivalent it's supposed to replace, though slightly brighter and with a rather glaring light point so best for luminaires with a shade.

* 28W Osram Spot R50 E14 Halogen Energy Saver reflector lamp

Info: CRI 100. Costs only slightly more than its incandescent equivalent, uses 20-30% less energy and lasts twice as long. Price only slightly slightly higher than incandescent reflector lamps.

Impression: Looks exactly like the 40W incandescent it's supposed to replace. And when I say "exactly", that means exactly and not "more or less similar", since halogen is an incandescent light, only concentrated into a smaller inner bulb.

* 30W Philips Master Classic E27 frosted Halogen Energy Saver A-bulb with infra-red coating and integrated transformer


Info: A low-voltage retrofit lamp that can be used in a standard mains-voltage luminaire. CRI 100. Costs over 10 times as much (€13) due to the built-in electronics, but then it lasts 3000 hours, so divide that by 3 and then deduct the 50% electricity savings and it's not so bad.

Impression: This one too gave a nice warm-white incandescent light that looked bright enough to replace a 60W bulb, as it promised. I could not tell it apart from a standard 60W frosted bulb.

* 7W Osram Duluxstar 'warm-white' E14 frosted CFL mini globe


Info: Appearance-wise, one of the most incandescent-like CFLs on the market, with a correlated colour temperature (CCT) at 2700K. CRI around 80 = standard (mediocre) colour rendering capacity. Price: about €10, but if you want a decent-looking (and decent-performing) CFL, be prepared to pay for it.

Impression: Visually, the light looked very soft and incandescent-like in the shop, but at home it still has a touch of that pink shade typical of flourescent light, though less markedly so than its early predecessors, more warm-pink than cool-pink, and admittedly an improvement compared with older CFLs and all the cheap budget lamps on the market.

As for colour rendering capacity, my do-it-yourself-spectral analysis with the back of a DVD shows the spectrum cut up into distinct bands with all the wavelenghts inbetween missing, as is normal for standard-quality FL light.

It does look bright enough to replace the promised 40W bulb (now in the beginning, will fade with age) though it took several minutes to reach full output. And the light was actually nicest before it did. Now it has turned a little more pink-white and makes the room look uniform and sterile. Many may not notice that much of a difference from an incandescent, or care if they did. But as I have a very well-developed sensitivty to such nuances, I could not relax in such a light and would never use it in my home.

* 1.2W Anslut 'warm-white' GU10 20-point LED reflector lamp

Info: 20-diode spotlight. Price was decent for an LED, just over 6€.

Impression: Don't quite know what to make of this one. On the one hand it's impressive to get so much light - at least in one direction - out of what is only 1.2W!

I picked this particular lamp because the light looked more white than the markedly green-white or blue-white I'd seen previously. It seems to have decent colour rendering too, both to the naked eye and in my DVD-test where I could see the full spectrum reflected without any large visible gaps (though no magenta).

Colour: Still slightly green-yellow-white (which is not surprising as 'warm-white' LEDs usually consist of blue diodes with yellow filters). Some may like this slightly cooler light (around 3000K, but gets a little warmer over time) but for my personal taste it still looks too much like FL light and gives my kitchen an industrial feel which dos not complement the warm colours and traditional design in a good way.

I have to say I was disappointed as I prefer mercury-free LED before CFL and would love to find a good enough LED to recommend instead. For commercial purposes fine, but not for home lighting unless that industrial feel is what you prefer. I'll keep looking.

(If you're a producer or retailer and have one you think is good enough, feel free to mail me and send me a sample.)

New (5 Aug):

* 1.8W Kjell & Co 'warm-white' frosted LED E27 mini globe


Info: Price around 12€.

Impression: This lamp is a joke. It's not even remotely warm-white, it's cool-white like a moon-beam, and about as dim. It gives only 65 lumen, less than a 10W incandescent, which is good for absolutely nothing. You certainly can't read in it and it's not warm enough to be used as mood-lighting (except at a Halloween party perahps). And this was the brightest LED globe light I could find in Stockholm retail stores!

Looking at the small print on the back of the package it says this lamp type is recommended "for decoration" or "for dark spaces like the cellar stairs, the attic passage-way, the garage or storage area". But it is not decorative, just dim and generally gloomy, now why would anyone want to put such a light in their cellar stairs and risk breaking their neck, or in spaces that are usually already creepy enough without adding a dim ghost light to it?

The only reasonable application would be as night light, but as this bulb requires a real luminaire with a full E27-socket, which makes it useless as night light too. (Instead, see my Coloured LED Review for a really great LED plug-in nightlight that costs only slightly more.)

New (9 Oct): Now I've sent for some higher watt LEDs from an online store that are supposed to be better quality.

* 4W clear 'warm-white' SMD LED E27 mini globe

Info: Price around 19€. Rated life 50 000 hours. 350 lumen or "about as much light as a 40W incandescent but using 1/10th the energy". Will not get warm, light up 100% in half a second. 

Impression: Yes, like all LEDs it lights up instantly and is luke-warm enough to touch even after being on for a while.

Colour: Warm-pink-white that looks similar to 'warm-white' fluorescent light rather than to golden-white incandescent light.

Brightness: Nowhere near that of a 40W incandescent. The 350 lm may be correct but a 40W incandescent gives 410-505 lumen and visual comparison between an incandescent 40W lamp seems to confirm it, so this seems to be another case of consumer fraud.

At the same time it is too glaring to the naked eye and must be used in a lamp with a thick shade so that the glaring little dots don't shine through. Which reduces its brightness even more as it is designed to throw light to the sides rather than downwards. Tried it in different luminaires. In modern table- & floor luminaires it doesn't work very well: what little light that finds its way out of the shade is very dim and gloomy indeed, and of no use whatsoever. A classic architect luminaire seems to be the only one it works with. The wide shade spreads the light much better than the very directional GU10 spotlight. In this luminaire it reading works if you can ignore the faint light dots reflected on the page.

Light quality: Like the other LEDs, the spectrum of this one is continuous in the warm end of the spectrum but spiky in the blue end, with no magenta. Colour in the room look sort of dampend, as if seen through a grey filter. Whatever room I try it in, it turns all gloomy and depressing. No life.

* 3W Cree 'warm-white' frosted LED E14 mini globe

Info: Price around 24€. 120 lumen or equivalent of a 25W incandescent. 50 000 hr life. Ceramic foot and chromed aluminium house.  

Impression: The frosted glass makes this one easier on the eyes and works well enough to read in. The socket limits its usefulness as its long heat sink makes it stick out too far in all the various E14 reflector luminaires I have. Putting it in a luminaire with a shade will reduce light output too much. The best fit would probably be in a vanity light for those who want a non-glaring white.

Colour: Cool-pink-white. More like fluorescent light and even less incandescent-like than the Osram CFL tested above.  

Brightness: Again erroneous equivalence info. An 25W incandescent lamp gives 215-235 lm so a 120 lm should not be enough to replace it. However, this one actually seems even brighter than a 25W incandescent, though the light itself has a duller quality.

Light quality: Continuous spectrum but with green, violet and magenta missing. Colours in the room tend to look a bit grey and faded and white surfaces look distinctly cool-pink, even though the bulb itself looks more neutral-white.  

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More lamp descriptions can be found on this site: http://lightbulbmarket.blogspot.com/

4. Summary - Lamp Type Pros & Cons

Comparison between different lamp types:

I. INCANDESCENT LAMPS

Models:
* Standard A-bulbs and T-bulbs
* Decorative (globe, flame, tinted etc)
* Reflector & PAR

Advantages:
+ Bright point light source
+ Good quality and performance
+ Natural golden-white light
+ Continuous spectrum
+ Highest colour rendering (CRI 100)
+ Lights up immediately
+ Can be used at both freezing and hot temperatures
+ Full compatibility with existing luminaires
+ Fully dimmable on any dimmer
+ Light gets warmer and more candle-like when dimmed
+ Highest Power Factor (1.0)
+ Contains no mercury (and no lead solder after 2006)
+ Easy to produce, use and recycle
+ Low purchase price

Disadvantages:
- More heat than light
- Short lifetime, 1000 hours (Long Life lamps 2500-7500 hrs, at reduction in output)
- Sensitive to voltage fluctuations
- Sensitive to vibrations (except Rough Service bulbs)

II. HALOGEN LAMPS

Models:
* Low voltage halogen minibulbs for spotlights
* Halogen minitubes for floodlights
* Halogen retrofit lamps with outer bulb and scew base
* Halogen retrofit reflector and PAR lamps
* Halogen retrofit Energy Saver bulbs & reflector lamps (new)
* Halogen retrofit bulbs with xenon gas filling (new)
* Halogen retrofit bulbs with IR coating and integrated transformers (new)

Advantages:
+ 10-50% more light than incandescent
+ Bright point light source
+ Good quality and performance
+ Continuous spectrum
+ Highest colour rendering (CRI 100)
+ Sunny white light
+ Fully dimmable on any dimmer
+ Gets warmer when dimmed
+ Full compatibility with existing luminaires
+ Light up immediately
+ Work as well in low as in high temperatures
+ Highest Power Factor (1.0)
+ Do not lose output with age
+ Contain no mercury or other toxic chemicals

Disadvantages:
- Low to medium low efficiency
- Risks due to high operating temperature
- Models with clear bulb or tube may be very glaring
- Medium short lifetime (2000 - 3000 hours, some reflector lamps up to 6000 h)

III. COMPACT FLUORESCENT LAMPS (CFLs)

Models:
* Tubes without integrated ballsts
* Retrofit tubes with integrated ballasts
* Retrofit spiral tubes
* Retrofit A-bulbs with outer envelope
* Retrofit globes & decorative with outer envelope
* Retrofit reflectorlamps

Advantages:
+ "Up to 80%" (in reality closer to 50%) more light than an incandescent
+ Long lifetime (6 000-15 000 hrs, with diminishing output)
+ Available with warm or cool light

Disadvantages:
- No bright point lighting
- Most models still have unnatural colour
- Suboptimal colour rendering (CRI 82-85)
- Naked tubes often glaring
- Relatively long starting and warm up time
- Lower Power Factor (often around 0.5)
- Sensitive to heat; poor function in closed luminaires
- Many have poor performance in cool temperatures
- May be sensitive to moisture
- May be sensitive to rapid on-off switching
- Often not dimmable (those that are often expensive)
- Dimming makes the light cooler/greyer, not warmer
- Too large for some luminaires
- Do perform well in reflector luminaires
- Some require specific burning position
- Higher production, transportation and recycling costs
- Contain small amounts of mercury (2-5 mg)
- Bare tubes may emit a little UV

IV. LIGHT EMITTING DIODES (LEDs)

Models:
* Reflector lamps (diodes stuck in a reflector lamp)
* Retrofit standard bulbs (diodes stuck on a stick and placed in a bulb).
* Decorative (tube lights etc)

Advantages:
+ Good efficacy (high output per watt)
+ Extremely long life (unless overheated)
+ Light up instantly
+ Warm, cool or coloured light
+ Versatile due to very small size
+ Not sensitive to vibrations, power spikes or rapid cycling
+ Not sensitive to cold
+ Give off less heat than other lamps, can be touched
+ Simpler to produce and recycle than CFLs
+ Contain no mercury

Disadvantages:
- Most common as low-watt lamps*
- Give light only in one direction, in narrow beam
- More or less unnatural light colour*
- Unstable colour, warm-white LEDs shift over time
- Mediocre to good colour rendering*
- Sensitive to heat
- Lower Power Factor than incandescent*
- Expensive*

* Under improvement

References:
EU consultants' Technical Briefing (italicised points)
Philips Lighting
OSRAM
Havells-Sylvania
GE Lighting
MEGAMAN
Aura Light