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Summary

LED Commercial Office Lighting (2 ft x 2 ft troffer)

General Office Lighting: Linear LED vs. Linear Fluorescent

Open area recessed, suspended or surface-mounted fixtures for office lighting, typically in place of fluorescent troffers.

Synopsis:

LED products are becoming broadly available for general office area lighting applications. Products are available in 2’x4’, 2’x2’ and 1’x4’ sizes to replace typical fluorescent troffers. The DesignLights™ Consortium Qualified Products List includes categories for 2’x2’ and 2’x4’ LED panels. The efficacy of LED linear panels can rival or exceed the efficacy of a high-efficiency fluorescent system, with some systems exhibiting overall luminaire efficacy as high as 100 lumens/watt. However, their overall performance may not exceed the best fluorescent systems and the first cost continues to be high. 

Energy savings over traditional fluorescents may be possible, depending on design light levels and fixture efficiency. Lamp life could be significantly longer than for most fluorescent lamps, potentially providing maintenance savings that can be significant for commercial applications. The white light is available in a range of color temperatures and high color-rendering index (CRI) suitable for office lighting uses. Additionally, the DOE predicts continued improvement in efficacy and decline in price for LED lighting. 

One potential advantage of LED lighting over fluorescent is that they have some features that are difficult to achieve with fluorescent technology. For instance, LEDs are inherently dimmable, though it is important to make sure the controls are compatible with the LED system. Another feature that is emerging is systems with the ability to control the correlated color temperature (CCT). This allows end users to control the light to have different color of light at different times of day, or to adjust for personal preferences in individual offices.

Energy Savings: 25%
Energy Savings Rating: Limited Assessment  What's this?
LevelStatusDescription
1Concept not validatedClaims of energy savings may not be credible due to lack of documentation or validation by unbiased experts.
2Concept validated:An unbiased expert has validated efficiency concepts through technical review and calculations based on engineering principles.
3Limited assessmentAn unbiased expert has measured technology characteristics and factors of energy use through one or more tests in typical applications with a clear baseline.
4Extensive assessmentAdditional testing in relevant applications and environments has increased knowledge of performance across a broad range of products, applications, and system conditions.
5Comprehensive analysisResults of lab and field tests have been used to develop methods for reliable prediction of performance across the range of intended applications.
6Approved measureProtocols for technology application are established and approved.
TAG Technical Score:  3.06

Status:
Comment: As of May 2012, the technology is being reviewed by the 2012 LED Lighting TAG, and is being studied in depth by a TAG Working Group as one of the top 4 ETs of interest out of all LED the LED lighting technologies. The Scoring meeting is scheduled to take place on May 31, 2012, and recommendations from the TAG to BPA are due in July.

Details

LED Commercial Office Lighting (2 ft x 2 ft troffer)

General Office Lighting: Linear LED vs. Linear Fluorescent

Open area recessed, suspended or surface-mounted fixtures for office lighting, typically in place of fluorescent troffers.
Item ID: 401
Sector: Commercial
Energy System: Lighting--Fixtures: Indoor
Technical Advisory Group: 2012 LED Lighting TAG (#5)
Average TAG Rating: 3 out of 5
TAG Ranking Date: 04/05/2012

Synopsis:

LED products are becoming broadly available for general office area lighting applications. Products are available in 2’x4’, 2’x2’ and 1’x4’ sizes to replace typical fluorescent troffers. The DesignLights™ Consortium Qualified Products List includes categories for 2’x2’ and 2’x4’ LED panels. The efficacy of LED linear panels can rival or exceed the efficacy of a high-efficiency fluorescent system, with some systems exhibiting overall luminaire efficacy as high as 100 lumens/watt. However, their overall performance may not exceed the best fluorescent systems and the first cost continues to be high. 

Energy savings over traditional fluorescents may be possible, depending on design light levels and fixture efficiency. Lamp life could be significantly longer than for most fluorescent lamps, potentially providing maintenance savings that can be significant for commercial applications. The white light is available in a range of color temperatures and high color-rendering index (CRI) suitable for office lighting uses. Additionally, the DOE predicts continued improvement in efficacy and decline in price for LED lighting. 

One potential advantage of LED lighting over fluorescent is that they have some features that are difficult to achieve with fluorescent technology. For instance, LEDs are inherently dimmable, though it is important to make sure the controls are compatible with the LED system. Another feature that is emerging is systems with the ability to control the correlated color temperature (CCT). This allows end users to control the light to have different color of light at different times of day, or to adjust for personal preferences in individual offices.

Baseline Example:

Baseline Description: Standard 2 ft U-Shaped Lamp
Baseline Energy Use: 233.8 kWh per year per unit

Comments:

A troffer fixture is an inverted metal trough that houses and serves as a reflector for a fluorescent lamp/ballast system.  These fixtures are widely used in commercial and industrial establishments ( Navigant Consulting Inc, 01/11/2011).  This analysis considers the potential for LED 2 ft x 2 ft troffers as replacements for T-12 and T-8 lamps (Note that T-5 lamps are another energy savings choice).  Navigant estimates a nationwide population of 9,200,000 2-foot U-shaped T-12 lamps and 39,300,000 2-foot U-shaped T-8 lamps in 2010.  These lamps draw 70 W and 59 W, respectively and operate for 3,833 hours per year.  The baseline energy use is thus 61 W (weighted average lamp wattage) x 3,833 hours per year/1000 = 233.8 kWh/year.

Manufacturer's Energy Savings Claims: Currently no data available.
Best Estimate of Energy Savings:

"Typical" Savings: 25%
Energy Savings Reliability: 3 - Limited Assessment

Comments:

An LED replacement for a T-12 or T-8 2 ft x 2 ft troffer requires about 46 Watts (Navigant Consulting Inc, 2011).  As the average power required by the population of existing fluorescent units is 61 Watts, the estimated savings is 24.6% 

Selecting an appropriate LED lighting system is not a matter of simply matching lumen output; because of the directional nature of LED sources, LED luminaires can often provide equivalent lighting performance using fewer lumens than conventional sources. Energy savings will be maximized by specifying an LED lighting system that delivers the necessary illuminance in the target area, with appropriate lighting quality, for the lowest power density. Energy savings will also depend on LED luminaire quality, longevity and proper installation of the LED lighting system, and whether controls are included in the system and what kind of controls are used.

Energy Use of Emerging Technology:
175.4 kWh per unit per year What's this?

Energy Use of an Emerging Technology is based upon the following algorithm.

Baseline Energy Use - (Baseline Energy Use * Best Estimate of Energy Savings (either Typical savings OR the high range of savings.))

Technical Potential:
Units: unit
Potential number of units replaced by this technology: 1,940,000
Comments:

 Navigant estimates that the nationwide installed base of T-12 and T-8 2-ft x 2-ft troffer fixtures is 48,500,000 units as of 2010 (Table 2.10) (Navigant Consulting Inc, 2011).  Assuming that 4% of the installed base is in the Northwest (prorating by population) yields 1,940,000 potentially replaceable units. 

Regional Technical Potential:
0.11 TWh per year
13 aMW
What's this?

Regional Technical Potential of an Emerging Technology is calculated as follows:

Baseline Energy Use * Estimate of Energy Savings (either Typical savings OR the high range of savings) * Technical Potential (potential number of units replaced by the Emerging Technology)

First Cost:

Installed first cost per: unit

Comments:

LED options are now available at prices on par with high quality architectural fluorescent lighting, making them particularly competitive in major remodel and new construction situations. Additionally, the DOE predicts continued improvement in efficacy (L/W) and associated energy savings and continued decline in first cost for LED lighting.

Based on information developed by Stan Walerczyk for the LED Linear Commercial Lighting TAG Working Group, the installed cost of high-performance LED troffer systems is approximately $325 per luminaire. The installed cost of high-performance fluorescent lighting systems is approximately $250 per luminaire. For a retrofit situation, the incremental cost will be the installed cost of the new LED lighting system plus the cost of removing and disposing of the previous luminaire ($20), or approximately $345 per luminaire. For a new construction situation, the incremental cost will be the cost of the new LED luminaire less the cost of the conventional option, or approximately $75 (assuming equivalent installation labor cost).

Cost Effectiveness:

Simple payback, new construction (years): N/A

Simple payback, retrofit (years): N/A

What's this?

Cost Effectiveness is calculated using baseline energy use, best estimate of typical energy savings, and first cost. It does not account for factors such as impacts on O&M costs (which could be significant if product life is greatly extended) or savings of non-electric fuels such as natural gas. Actual overall cost effectiveness could be significantly different based on these other factors.

Comments:

No independent evaluations of the cost effectiveness of LED linear commercial lighting in actual installations were found. However, in general, cost effectiveness will vary based on a variety of factors, including the electricity rate, maintenance savings estimates, fixture cost and new construction versus retrofit scenarios.

In retrofit situations, given the high cost of new LED luminaires, replacing fluorescent lighting systems with new LED linear commercial luminaires is not likely to be cost effective compared to simple lamp/ballast replacement. In major remodels or new construction where new fixtures are being installed, the incremental cost of LED linear commercial luminaires compared to high-performance architectural fluorescent is small and declining. In these situations, LED options are likely to be cost-competitive.

In general, the cost effectiveness of LED linear commercial lighting is expected to improve as LED prices continue to decline and performance continues to improve. The estimated cost trajectory for LED lighting is well documented by the DOE. Prices are anticipated to drop by approximately 85% between 2010 and 2020, from $181/klm to $24/klm.

Detailed Description:

LED products are becoming broadly available for general office area lighting applications. Typically, these are linear products, available in 2’x4’, 2’x2’ and 1’x4’ sizes to replace typical recessed, surface and pendant-mounted fluorescent luminaires. Fixture designs employ a variety of methods to produce appropriate light distribution, pleasing aesthetics and minimal glare. These include uplight, edge lighting and unique lens designs.

The efficacy of LED linear panels can rival or exceed the efficacy of a high-efficiency fluorescent luminaire, with some luminaires exhibiting efficacy as high as 100 lumens/watt. However, their overall performance may not exceed the best fluorescent systems and the first cost continues to be high. The DOE is encouraging research, development and market penetration of the technology and is providing resources for developing objective, updated information about the technology.

The useful life of LED luminaires could be significantly longer than for the most common fluorescent lamps, potentially providing maintenance savings that can be significant for commercial applications. The white light is available in a range of color temperatures and high CRI suitable for office lighting uses.

LED linear commercial office luminaires are widely available from a number of manufacturers. These include CREE, Finelite, Albeo, Lithonia, MaxLite, Peerless, Philips and Lunera. As of April 2012, the DOE LED Lighting Facts program lists almost 150 products and the DesignLights Consortium Qualified Products List includes categories for 1’x4’, 2’x2’ and 2’x4’ LED linear panel luminaires and lists over 115 qualified products as of April 2012.

In addition, manufacturers are taking advantage of the unique aspects of LED lighting to develop a broad range of lighting products for use in office environments. While the focus of these products is not to maximize energy savings, they demonstrate the wide range of lighting design possibilities with LED sources. Many of these design aspects may provide non-energy benefits that may drive customer adoption.

For instance, manufacturers are developing LED office lighting in a wide variety of non-standard form factors. One example is the Philips DayWave, which delivers different light intensities and color temperatures over the course of the day (http://www.design.philips.com/philips/sites/philipsdesign/about/design/designportfolio/product_innovation/daywave.page).

The DayWave product and others like it draw attention to the interesting possibility with LED linear commercial lighting to provide lighting that changes color throughout the day to simulate the natural circadian rhythms of sunlight color change throughout the day. Alternatively, these color-changing products can be adjusted to suit personal preferences in light color. PlanLED's Color Change LED Troffer, shown at the 2012 LightFair is featured in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPaKuOeuMg8&feature=channel.

Another interesting idea possible with LEDs is making the lights look like sky, such as blue sky with cloud scenes. PlanLED's Sky Panel is featured in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYDW7rvbpTY&feature=channel.

Phillips is offering a line of "HealWell" lights that include ceiling lights that change color with the time of day for healthcare patient rooms. They claim that this is "A lighting solution that improves patient satisfaction and supports recovery in patient rooms." For a video and brochure, go to: http://www.lighting.philips.co.uk/application_areas/healthcare/healwell.wpd.

Phillips has also introduced a line of SchoolVision lighting that gives teachers control over the level and color of the light, claiming that it can enhance performance of students and help control the mood of the class during the day. See the Philips video at: http://www.lighting.philips.com/main/application_areas/school/schoolvision/.

Product Information:
Lusio Commercial, Pro-Optics™ Series Low Bay Wide fixtures Philips, LM-80

Standard Practice:

Standard practice for office lighting most often focuses on providing an even distribution of light while meeting building and energy codes. Typically this is accomplished through the use of overhead fluorescent fixtures, either recessed or pendant mounted, with 2’ or 4’ linear fluorescent lamps.

Fluorescent lighting system technology has advanced over the years, progressing from T12 lamps and standard magnetic ballasts to high performance T8 and T5 lamps with electronic ballasts.

Development Status:

LED linear commercial lighting has advanced rapidly in recent years, tracking advancements in LED lighting in general. LED linear commercial luminaires are widely available from a significant number of manufacturers, with the number growing especially rapidly over the past two years. As of April 2012, the DOE LED Lighting Facts program lists almost 150 products. Approximately 25% of those have an efficacy of over 90 lumens/watt. The DesignLights Consortium Qualified Products List includes categories for 1’x4’, 2’x2’ and 2’x4’ LED linear panel luminaires and list over 115 qualified products as of April 2012.

The DOE CALiPER program tested LED linear commercial lighting in several rounds. The most recent report (as of April 2012) on the Round 13 tests was issued in October 2011. The CALiPER program also tested baseline traditional fluorescent products. Results show LED troffers tested in Round 13 and previous rounds were more efficacious and produced more light than some, but not all, tested fluorescent luminaires. On average, the 2' × 2' LED troffers had higher efficacies and lower light output than the fluorescent troffers, but there was a wide range of performance for both fluorescent and 2' × 2' LED troffers.

End User Drawbacks:

Long-term performance: Numerous independent assessments of LED lighting performance have been conducted and short-term performance is well documented. However, long-term performance data information does not exist given the early stage of the technology’s development.

Product quality: Studies such as DOE CALiPER reports demonstrate that product performance and application suitability vary widely. Product quality is highly variable and is changing rapidly, so it is important to carefully research and review available information to assess quality, performance, and overall value at the time of purchase. Product qualifications for LED exterior lighting available through organizations such as the DesignLights Consortium can be useful in vetting product quality.

High first cost and cost effectiveness: LED luminaires are currently more expensive than the incumbent lighting technologies. Costs are expected to decline due to technological advances and increased demand, and cost reductions are evident in the marketplace. Evaluating LED luminaires based on total cost of ownership will take into account potential non-energy benefits, such as maintenance savings, which will improve the cost-effectiveness analysis.

Operations and Maintenance Costs:

Comments:

LED sources promise long life with slow lumen depreciation, which could result in lower maintenance costs and longer intervals between product replacement. Typically, assessments of indoor LED lighting have assumed zero regular maintenance costs over the course of their useful life because the technology is very robust and periodic replacement of light sources is not anticipated.

Typically, LED lights do not fail catastrophically, but rather decrease gradually in lumen output. When they lose 30% of their original output, they are considered to be at the end of their useful life and need replacing. At that point, however, they are still serviceable, even though light output is decreased. This allows for planned and orderly replacement rather than having to replace individual lamps as they fail, as usually happens with fluorescent lighting. This helps to further decrease the relative maintenance costs.

Effective Life:

Comments:

The rated life for conventional light sources is typically calculated as the mean time to failure of a statistically valid sample of lamps. The typical rated lifespans of the most common fluorescent lamps is 20,000 to 36,000 hours. Fluorescent lamps with very long life, up to 60,000 hours, are becoming available. However, they are not in widespread use at this time.

The useful life of LED sources is typically expressed in terms of lumen maintenance, most often as the number of hours until the lumen output has dropped to 70% of the initial light output (commonly referred to as L70). Well-designed LED linear office lighting can be expected to have an L70 life of over 50,000 hours and perhaps much longer. Given an average operation of 3,000 hours/year, this translates to approximately 17 years.

For fluorescent lamps, it is important to note that operating cycles have a large effect on lamp life. In contrast, the life of LED sources will not be degraded by frequent switching. In fact, an LED lamp that is dimmed or switched off frequently will run cooler, which could arguably increase the lamp life.

Also, it is important to note that a fixture may fail before the light source has reached its end of life, due to failure of another component of the fixture, including the electronics, materials, housing, wiring, connectors or seals. This is true for fixtures with conventional sources and fixtures with LED sources, but is likely to be more of an issue for LED fixtures given the very long life of the source. Modular design of LED luminaires is desirable so components that fail can be replaced without having to replace the entire luminaire.

The expected life of LEDs is so long that many LED lamps will need to be replaced long before they have reached the end of their effective (technical) life. A lamp expected to last 17 years will often be in a building that will get a major remodel within the expected lifetime. In addition, end users willing to install LEDs now are likely early adopters, and may be willing to upgrade their lamps to the much higher quality and less expensive lamps that are expected to be on the market in 10 to 15 years, before the original LED lamps have to be replaced. It may be unwise to calculate utility savings of installing LED lighting based on a full 17-year life.

Competing Technologies:

High-performance fluorescent lighting systems are the primary technology competing with LED linear commercial office lighting. These high-performance fluorescent systems offer good color quality, luminaire efficacy up to 90 lumens/watt and relatively long life of up to 50,000 hours at a cost that is currently lower than competing LED systems. In retrofit situations, replacing fluorescent lighting systems with new LED linear commercial luminaires is not likely to be cost effective compared to simple lamp/ballast replacement with high-performance products. In major remodels or new construction where new fixtures are being installed, the incremental cost of LED linear commercial luminaires compared to high-performance architectural fluorescents is small and declining. In these situations, LED options are likely to be cost-competitive.

Reference and Citations:

DOE EERE, 10/01/2011. DOE Solid-State Lighting CALiPER Program, Summary of Results: Round 13 of Product Testing
Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy

DOE, 08/14/2014. LED Lighting Facts
U.S. Department of Energy

DOE, 10/02/2013. Solid State Lighting Program
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy

LEDs Magazine, 12/01/2011. Lusio Solid-State Lighting announces DLC approval of low-bay fixtures
LEDs Magazine

Navigant Consulting Inc, 01/11/2011. Energy Savings of Light Emitting Diodes in Niche Lighting Applications
Building Technologies Program, USDOE

Rank & Scores

LED Commercial Office Lighting (2 ft x 2 ft troffer)

2012 LED Lighting TAG (#5)


Technical Advisory Group: 2012 LED Lighting TAG (#5)
TAG Ranking:
Average TAG Rating: 3 out of 5
TAG Ranking Date: 04/05/2012
TAG Rating Commentary:

Technical Score Details

TAG Technical Score: 3.1 out of 5

How significant and reliable are the energy savings?
Energy Savings Score: 2.9 Comments:

  1. Will depend in retrofits whether an over lit space is being relighted.
  2. If the proper system is specified and installed properly
  3. The best of these products deliver high quality light efficiently, but only slightly better than T8 systems.
  4. Currently not much better than high performance T8 on a per fixture basis. However, it is a huge resource when you consider all of the fixtures in the region. The quality, savings, and price will improve over time.
  5. With LED troffer kits(complete w/new optics) and fixtures that are able to provide 90-110 LPW, energy savings will be significant. With the requirement of L90 and longer warranties, these savings should be very reliable. Also, LED office lighting integrated into a lower ambient and greater task lighting strategy, seems to be another viable way to cost effectively utilize LED in the office environment. Much of the office work today requires less need for high ambient lighting because of increased use of LCD monitors and less writing and reading of paper text. Combining lower ambient light levels with occupancy controlled desk and under cabinet lighting, LPD can be decreased significantly over current one-for-one replacement strategies.
  6. Can be significant with highest tier LED product efficiency and combined with dimming, photo-sensors (day-lighting) and vacancy/occupancy sensors.
  7. Depends on whether T8 baseline or T12 baseline. If T12 then good. If T8 then OK or even poor. On average 2-OK.
  8. Savings will vary with the incumbent, very great if you're replacing T12s, much less if you're comparing to high performance T8s. Also, the best performance comes from under-driving a larger number of LEDs, so more expensive to get the highest savings.
  9. Energy savings can be slightly better than fluorescent technologies at this time.
  10. Better when combined with controls - easy to dim
  11. The differential between a fluorescent solution and an LED troffer solution is still small. It's on the order of 20% at best, unless you are retrofitting an existing overlighted installation. It makes sense NOW for new luminaires, but the retrofit argument is more difficult because of the smaller differential in energy use.

How great are the non-energy advantages for adopting this technology?
Non-Energy Benefits Score: 3.7
Comments:

  1. Depending on the value to the customer LEDs may serve them better than other technologies and for those concerned with mercury content it will be an advantage. If dimming is desired and proper systems are selected that could be an energy and personal comfort benefit.
  2. With dimming and Kelvin changing LED troffers and task lights, which is great for human centric lighting, which can improve circadian rhythms, mood, visual acuity, etc, the non-energy benefits are tremendous.
  3. There is potential for maintenance cost savings. The control options have high potential.
  4. Dimmable? Higher productivity?
  5. I believe this is where LED's can shine and could offset some of the higher costs of implementing this technology, especially with variable CCT control and proper dimming. Human Centric Lighting benefits, as briefly described in the presentation, may add greater value in increased worker productivity, comfort, visual acuity, and effects on circadian rhythms that will begin to play greater roles in the adoption of LED office lighting. I am hoping to see more studies on this topic in the future to add some method of quantifying these advantages, but I do believe that providing multi-faceted user control of the lighting environment will create significant non-energy cost and health benefits.
  6. The human centric lighting movement is in its infancy but the science behind it is very real and the potential beneficial impact on commercial lighting customers is likely far more financially significant than the energy cost savings. LED technology shows the most promise for future human centric lighting systems; however, the Philips SchoolVisions and HealWell products demonstrate the fluorescent products may be a more cost effective technology today.
  7. Life, dimming, CRI, bragging rights
  8. Again, maintenance savings will depend on incumbent and the duty cycle--great compared to older fluorescent technology; not so great (or even negative for some LED products) when compared to T8 with program start ballast. Potential for other benefits as well, but not yet well-documented. eg the color changing properties that Stan mentioned and the associated potential benefits for healing in hospitals, learning in schools, and productivity in offices.
  9. 1. The promise of long life is mitigated by the expense of replacing LED circuit boards and drivers. 2. CCT changing and dimming capabilities will be aventageous to the end user.
  10. Better for controllability and Kelvin changing opportunities especially in specific applications such as hospitals, assisted living facilities, schools, even offices.

How ready are product and provider to scale up for widespread use in the Pacific Northwest?
Technology Readiness Score: 3.3
Comments:

  1. Some products will currently meet paramenters discussed and in this rapidly developing area, more are on the way. By the time this measure is enacted there should be a selection of products to choose from.
  2. By 4Q12 or early 2013, it could be a 5-Best.
  3. It seems that the major manufacturers all have these products in their suite of products. As to scaling up for large volumes, I am not sure about that.
  4. I think this technology is improving quickly and from what I am seeing, if there is a demand for these products, manufacturers are gearing up for high volume availability.
  5. There are plenty of product choices currently available; however, the quality and performance of those choices vary considerably. The key issue at this point, is the need for a minimum quality and performance standard. The DLC will be releasing a new standard for troffer retrofit products sometime this summer, but it will take some time for the manufacturers to develop new products that achieve or exceed those standards. Also, UL and the other product listing agencies have been slow to establish categories and classification standards for many of the SSL products, particularly the retrofit products. At LightFair, I heard rumblings about CSA having established its own criteria and standards for LED retrofit products, particularly LED T8 replacement lamp products, but I have not been able to verify this.
  6. Sounds like the main players can supply in quantity. But also sounds like 2 to 4 quarters from now there will be a lot more options/players and price competition and efficacy improvements.
  7. Based on today's conversation, sounds like troffers are in good shape but retrofit kits not there yet.
  8. More high quality products are hitting the market daily. Many other products need to be vetted and Mfgs. put on notice that only high quality products will be allowed in utility funded applications.
  9. Good now. Better in 1Q 2013

How easy is it to change to the proposed technology?
Ease of Adoption Score: 2.9
Comments:

  1. Most end-users are likely not aware of the choices or factors that need to be identified in selecting a high performance product. Technically one the challenge would be getting compatible controls.
  2. With proper education, training, hand-holding, adoption should not be a problem.
  3. Most of these products have similar form factor and light output as incumbent technologies, so adopting, is only a matter of cost.
  4. Needs to evaluate to install a new fixture.
  5. Typically the lighting quality is increased, but glare and dimming are still issues with some products. Also, early adopters may have had to decrease light levels to get desired savings, but as efficacy increases with LED, this should be less of an issue.
  6. It should be fairly easy to install new LED fixtures or retrofit kits for existing fixtures. The question is what retrofit products are allowed by the listing agencies and for which particular applications? The future rates of adoption likely depends on the success of these early projects. Accordingly, ensuring quality high profile LED office projects should be a major component of any initial LED office lighting program.
  7. Answer to this depends on whether full troffer or if kits. I'd give full fixture replecement a 4 to 5. There is a range of styles and technologies and ease of install/use with kits. I'd rate Kits 2-OK to 3-Good.
  8. Same form factor, which makes it easy, but the challenge is getting the right light distribution.
  9. Initial cost is still the big hold-up here.
  10. Many are one for one. Some can even reduce the number of fixtures.

Considering all costs and all benefits, how good a purchase is this technology for the owner?
Value Score: 2.5
Comments:

  1. Will depend on what is valued, real life performance over time of the product, and term of ownership.As energy rates increase energy savings would be even more valuable.
  2. By 4Q12 or early 2013, especially with dimming and Kelvin changing for personal preferences and human centric lighting and with some products having a 10 year warranty, this should be very cost effective. But if just payback and ROI, just based on electrical savings is used, this technology will not be considered that cost effective for many applications.
  3. Given the high efficiency and high performance of new, modern T8 products, the steep incremental costs of LED fixtures in this category makes it difficult to justify.
  4. Compared to other things an owner can invest in this is at the bottom of the heap, as far as I am concerned.
  5. If only used as a one-for-one replacement, I believe it is only "ok". The initial cost is still too high in most situations to be cost effective over other solutions, but may have some increased non-energy benefits, depending on specific product design. I am rating this as "good"-"better", only if the proper strategy is used and all lighting in the space is addressed.(task-ambient strategy)
  6. While there are many products on the market that demonstrate low lifetime costs, the initial costs of most quality LED products are significantly higher than more mature alternative technologies. That being said, quality LED lighting products are improving in both efficacy and value at a very rapid pace. Within the next two years, we should see significant quantities of LED lighting products that exceed established lighting technologies in both performance and shorter-term simple payback periods. However, today, very few LED lighting products, if any, offer a better short-term return than established lighting technologies.
  7. Again, depends on the incumbent technology T12's or T8's. If T12's then 2-OK. If T8's then 1-Poor. Stiff competition, price drops and performance improvements will improve this picture over the next one to two years.
  8. Some very good products now out there, but in going up against high performance T8s the benefits may be marginal. Better value may come in the future as costs come down and as some of the "soft" benefits related to color changing are documented/quantified.
  9. This is a mixed bag. Long life of the LED product will avoid some short term maintenance costs, but long term lumen depreciation, LED array and driver replacement costs will minimize the dollar savings associated with LEDs over the long term. Dimming and CCT changing technology may help improve worker productivity, but that will need to be researched further to determine the exact savings potential.
  10. Good for saving energy. Better for those who are told to go "green" with utility incentives



Completed:
6/12/2012 3:56:10 PM
Last Edited:
6/12/2012 3:56:10 PM

Market Potential

LED Commercial Office Lighting (2 ft x 2 ft troffer)

Last Edited:

12/6/2012 3:30:26 PM by AngelaP

Market Segment:

LED linear commercial office luminaires can be used in all segments of the commercial market to provide general lighting of offices, conference rooms, hallways, classrooms, and many other building spaces.

Regional Fit:

Office and general area lighting is ubiquitous in commercial buildings throughout the Pacific Northwest. LED linear commercial office lighting, including troffers and pendants, will be an efficient lighting option in this region.

Zones:

Heating Zone 1, Heating Zone 2, Heating Zone 3, Cooling Zone 1, Cooling Zone 2, Cooling Zone 3

Load Shape:

Because this technology is considered to be cost-effective only over the next few years in new construction and major remodels, the load shapes chosen are new facilities.

  • Commercial Lighting - New Large Office, Unspecified Heating Fuel
  • Commercial Lighting - New Health Care Facility, Unspecified Heating Fuel
  • Commercial Lighting - New School, Unspecified Heating Fuel
  • Commercial Lighting - New Small Office, Unspecified Heating Fuel
  • Commercial Lighting - New Small Retail, Unspecified Heating Fuel

Performance Trajectory:

The estimated performance trajectory for LED lighting sources is well documented by the DOE.1 Luminaire efficacy is predicted to double from 70 lm/watt in 2010 to 145 lm/watt in 2015. The LED Lighting Facts program has published a Product Snapshot2 that provides an analysis of the products listed in the LED Lighting Facts database. The Product Snapshot found that “the efficacies of the various types of listed indoor luminaires are improving at different rates: troffer efficacy is improving at approximately the rate predicted in the Multi-Year Program Plan (MYPP) (17 lm/watt per year), while the efficacy of downlights and under-cabinet lights is improving much more slowly.”

Cost Trajectory:

The estimated cost trajectory for LED lighting is well documented by the DOE.1 Prices are anticipated to drop by approximately 85% between 2010 and 2020, from $181/klm to $24/klm. This is the predicted cost trajectory for the LED luminaire.

Product Supply and Installation Risk:

LED linear commercial office lighting is available from a large number of manufacturers, including large, well-established lighting companies. The number and size of the suppliers are growing. In addition, DOE and the lighting industry are focused intensely on developing LED technology and manufacturing capability. No potential product shortages are anticipated.

Technical Dominance:

The efficacy of LED linear commercial office lighting can rival or exceed the efficacy of a high-efficiency fluorescent luminaire, with some luminaires exhibiting efficacy as high as 100 lumens/watt. However, their overall performance may not exceed the best fluorescent systems and the first cost continues to be high.

High-performance fluorescent lighting systems are the primary technology competing with LED linear commercial office lighting. These high-performance fluorescent systems offer good color quality, luminaire efficacy up to 90 lumens/watt and a relatively long life (up to 50,000 hours) at a cost that is currently lower than competing LED systems. In retrofit situations, replacing fluorescent lighting systems with new LED linear commercial luminaires is not likely to be cost effective compared to simple lamp/ballast replacement with high-performance products. In major remodels or new construction, where new fixtures are being installed anyway, the incremental cost of LED linear commercial luminaires compared to high-performance architectural fluorescents is small and declining. In these situations, LED options are likely to be cost-competitive.

Long-term performance data for LED luminaires do not exist, given the early stage of the technology’s development. Additionally, product quality is highly variable. It is important to carefully research and review available information to assess quality, performance, and overall value. Product qualifications for LED linear commercial office lighting available through organizations such as the DesignLights Consortium (DLC) can be useful in vetting product quality.

The DOE is encouraging research, development and market penetration of LED lighting and is providing resources for developing objective, updated information about the technology. Given predicted improvements in source efficacy and decline in price, LED lighting is expected to continue to gain market share, and that share could be significant within a few years.

Target Customer:

The primary end user for LED linear commercial office lighting is a commercial building owner. Others who are key to implementing this technology are lighting distributors, lighting contractors, electricians and lighting designers who specify and install the lighting.

Market Channels:

Traditionally, specification-grade lighting products for the commercial market have sold products using a system employing manufacturer’s representatives and distributors. Manufacturers’ representatives provide technical support to lighting designers, architects and other specifiers as they select products. Distributors execute the sale with contractors and commercial customers and handle shipping and distribution. LED lighting products that are offered by established lighting companies are using these market channels.

In addition, a significant number of LED lighting products are available directly from manufacturers through Internet sales and other direct methods. These companies are often startup in nature and the owners frequently have a background in electronics rather than lighting. However, as the industry has grown, some of these “LED-only” lighting companies, such as CREE, have become significant players in the lighting market.

Regulatory Issues:

The DesignLights Consortium (DLC) develops specifications and qualifies products for commercial LED lighting, including linear commercial office lighting. The DLC lists the products that qualify on their Qualified Products List (QPL: http://www.designlights.org/solidstate.about.QualifiedProductsList_Publicv2.php . Many utilities require that products included in incentive programs have DLC qualification. Some utilities accept only the top-performing products on the list.

The Lighting Design Lab maintains a list of qualified LED lighting products on behalf of several utilities in the Northwest, including Puget Sound Energy, Seattle City Light, Snohomish PUD, Tacoma Power, the Energy Trust of Oregon, Bonneville Power Administration, Idaho Power, and the Eugene Water and Electric Board. This is an interim qualifying process that lists products for 12 months while they are being reviewed by ENERGY STAR or DLC.

A number of building energy codes set regulations that address interior lighting for commercial facilities. Nationally, the International Energy Conservation Code® (IECC) and ASHRAE 90.1-2010 Energy Standard for Buildings except Low-Rise Residential Buildings are commonly used to set commercial building energy standards. Many state and local governments have established their own building energy standards that are often more strict than ASHRAE 0.1-2010. In the Northwest, Oregon and Washington have developed state-specific building energy codes. Utilities typically use the applicable code to establish baseline energy use, used to calculate savings from efficient lighting technologies. As energy codes become more stringent, demand for more efficient products will increase.

The DOE issued new efficacy standards for general service fluorescent lamps that raised the minimum efficacy (lm/watt) for these products, effective July 2012. These new standards effectively eliminate T12 lamps and magnetic ballasts from the market and raise the baseline efficiency for fluorescent lighting products.

Citations:

  1. “Energy Savings Potential of Solid-State Lighting in General Illumination Applications.” By Navigant Consulting Inc. for the Solid-State Lighting Program, Building Technologies Program Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy, January 2012: http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/ssl_energy-savings-report_jan-2012.pdf 
  2. “LED Lighting Facts Product Snapshot: LED Luminaires,” DOE, December 2011: http://www.lightingfacts.com/default.aspx?cp=productsnapshot

 

Completed:
12/6/2012 3:30:26 PM by AngelaP
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