The July/August 2013 issue of LEDs Magazine featured a good
friend of GET, LLC. Independence LED
Lighting CEO Charlie Szoradi contributed to the recent issue of the Tulsa,
Oklahoma-based industry publication and wrote that it's only a question of when the time is right
to install LED tubes in place of fluorescents and not if it's the right
retrofit path. The article is spot on:
"Fluorescent tubes have dominated commercial
illumination in American ceilings for more than 50 years — more than 2.3
billion tubes are installed, according to the US Department of Energy (DOE).
That huge potential retrofit market has drawn the interest of many in the
solid-state lighting (SSL) space and resulted in a lot of myths related to LED
tube technology. Let's bust some of those myths, considering that LED tubes
save 50% or more energy over fluorescent tubes.
To date, the hurdles for adoption of LED tube technology fall
into three categories: trust, technology, and cost. Let's explore them, in that
order.
Many believe that the LED tube industry has not matured to a
trustworthy level, but manufacturers have improved thermal management, and
installations now range from Fortune 100 companies to leading health care
institutions to leading higher-education institutions. Organizations such as
the DesignLights Consortium have qualified LED tubes, and warranties have increased
to as long as 10 years on some LED tubes
Meanwhile, some worry that imported LED tubes lack UL or CE
marks or other trusted output testing. Simply ask for source documentation and
third-party testing data, and look into LED tubes that are made domestically or
that meet the International Class A-10 LED Tube Standards.
And then there are those concerned that new LED manufacturers
won't be around to support the warranty. An easy way to protect your business
is to look for performance-based programs such as savings shares, lighting
service contracts, or LED rental center opportunities. This way you don't fully
pay for the technology and aren't chasing the seller if failure occurs.
Let's turn to technology, and the worry that a typical LED
tube doesn't give off as much light as its fluorescent counterparts.
Fluorescent tubes may have more lumens, but 35% percent of the output is often
wasted going up into the fixture. Make sure to look at fixture output
side-by-side in foot-candles after a sample LED tube retrofit.
Others worry that an LED tube does not have the same color
consistency as a fluorescent tube. Yet the thermal management of many LED tubes
has improved to protect the phosphor coating that dictates color temperature.
Still others question the quality assurance for LED tubes. The answer is to
look for LED tube manufacturers that are ISO 9001:2008 certified.
Then there are those who say LED tubes with external drivers
are more difficult to install than internal driver LED tubes. Not so: Installers
need to open the cover to the fluorescent ballast in order to install either
type of driver system, so the time is roughly identical.
Finally, some contend that the diodes get so hot that they burn out the LED tubes. To combat this, seek out LED tubes with deep-fin, aircraft-grade thermal management and external drivers.
Now let's turn to cost where some argue that specifiers wait to invest in LEDs because of dramatically falling prices. But the cost of waiting, in terms of energy and maintenance, is most likely higher than the price drop, particularly for 24/7 illumination areas. At the least, consider a rolling retrofit where you replace fluorescent tubes and ballasts as they fail with new LED tube technology.
There are other cost-related issues that are top of mind for
some specifiers. Those who replaced T12 fluorescent tubes with the better T8
tubes and don't want to upgrade again should still calculate ROI, especially
for 24/7 areas. Payback is three to five years, and some worry about warranties
in that same range; however, as we mentioned, longer warranties are becoming
commonplace.
American-made products are more expensive than imports. Property owners and managers should not focus on the race to the bottom of pricing but instead consider the race to the top of performance. All tubes are not created equal, so look at the equipment and operating cost of a total fixture versus a tube.
It can't be stressed enough that specifiers should find a
qualified LED manufacturer and start changing out old fluorescent tube
technology in 24/7 areas as soon as possible. Switch to LEDs as fluorescent
tubes fail and make a three-year plan to purge your outdated "glass and
gas" tubes for toxic-free SSL."
Charlie has the Last Word in this issue. Our last word- to
learn more about the Independence LED Lighting products and other related
electrical products that GET, LLC provides, please check out our website at
www.get-guam.com or call us to discuss solutions for your important lighting
needs.