We all aim to have a doable
market power efficiency that translates into energy saving and cost saving for
everyone who is a consumer. With the
rising cost of fuel energy that powers utility companies, every consumer wants
to harness products use that will make their monthly electric bill a manageable
expense to say the least. The market has always been on the lookout for the
best product that delivers highly tangible usage, low wattage and most energy
saving functions.
Fortunately, in recent years,
LEDs have become the most popular energy efficiency measure on the market, the
rate of adoption has not been easy. It
doesn’t matter whether the existing lighting is incandescent, fluorescent,
metal halide or sodium. When improving lighting energy performance LED sources
have become the number one efficiency recommendation. LED lighting has been high on the wider
energy efficiency agenda for several years, but right now no other technology
change offers the same level of power reduction, whilst maintaining or
improving on operational performance.
LED lighting has fast become one
of the top sustainability measures taken by businesses and the public sector.
Heavily-incentivized renewables may be attracting the attention from policy
makers, investors and those keen to make a ‘green’ statement. But in terms of
carbon abatement the deployment of LED solutions provides some of the best
ratios available when it comes the amount invested per tonne of carbon reduced.
The step-change in more recent
years has been the deployment of LED technology to illuminate wide areas and
from mounting heights previously thought to be beyond the range of the
technology. Today all sectors, from
logistics companies with large warehouses and external spaces to light, through
to small offices and retailers, can take advantage of the LED revolution. The commercial case for investment is
strengthening as performance improves, product costs decrease and the
relentless rise of energy costs continues.
The best commercial cases are
present where operating hours are highest.
Where continuous operation is required payback periods are often close
to one year. However even in office
applications where annual hours of operation are 3,000 or more the return on
investment can be less than five years - especially where effective controls
are deployed.
Lack of awareness is a major
factor why aren’t we seeing ubiquitous uptake of this game-changing technology?
The inertia around replacing systems which may be providing an adequate
function is another - many businesses have the attitude that ‘if it ain’t broke
don’t fix it.’ But we find that a key
barrier to action is the difficulty end users often with limited technical
expertise face when seeking a supplier or partner to provide a solution.
The standard of product provided
is important here: not all LEDs are equal in terms of lamp life or lamp
quality. Warranty periods matter as well
– but fundamentally you do not want to deal with product failure.
LED performance and reliability
has made it indisputably the leading energy efficiency technology on the
market. With energy costs constantly rising, alongside the pressure to reduce
carbon emissions, we expect the adoption of the technology to continue at a rapid
pace. But while many organizations have woken up to the potential with LEDs, a
greater awareness of the opportunity, along with improved focus on quality and
confidence will help to drive up the rate of implementation and continue
driving down carbon emissions.
