The 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics was recently awarded to three scientists (Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura) for inventing the blue light-emitting diode (LED) roughly 20 years ago. Prior to the advent of blue LEDs, white light from an LED source could not be created making commercial LED lighting unattainable. The invention of the blue LED has paved the way for a global lighting revolution.
The importance of this scientific breakthrough cannot be overstated. Lighting energy accounts for approximately one-fifth of electricity consumption in the world. LED sources are more energy efficient than traditional sources such as incandescent and fluorescent and last considerably longer. In the U.S. alone, LED lighting has the potential to save over $13 billion annually on electricity bills. That’s enough electricity each year to power all the homes in the state of Texas.
But alas, now comes a new problem. While first generation LED lighting fixtures were basically your standard incandescent or fluorescent housing retrofitted with LED light boards, manufacturers have now begun designing fixtures around the LEDs. The result is an integrated fixture where lamps are not serviceable or replaceable. This is a fundamental shift in how we think about lighting. No longer will facility maintenance staff be required to make the rounds replacing lamps. As the LEDs diminish in output over time, the entire fixture is simply removed (hopefully recycled) and replaced with a new one. This means building owners will need to completely replace their lighting fixtures at the fixture end of useful life, whenever that may be.
I’ve worked on several projects now where this exact topic has come up and owners have varying opinions.Some owners are comfortable with accepting this risk whereas others want only serviceable LED fixtures. The situation is also a mixed bag among the manufacturing community, where some fixtures are constructed with serviceable parts and others are completely throwaway (again, hopefully recycled).
This issue is one that architects and engineers need to be aware of as commercial LED lighting becomes more widespread. The perceived cost savings could literally be wiped away as owners will be required to completely overhaul their lighting system in 10 or 20 years.
So, the question becomes, should we be specifying replaceable or disposable fixtures? What do you think?
Related Stories
Mechanical Systems | Jun 16, 2023
Cogeneration: An efficient, reliable, sustainable alternative to traditional power generation
Cogeneration is more efficient than traditional power generation, reduces carbon emissions, has high returns on the initial investment, improves reliability, and offers a platform for additional renewable resources and energy storage for a facility. But what is cogeneration? And is it suitable for all facilities?
Multifamily Housing | Jun 15, 2023
Alliance of Pittsburgh building owners slashes carbon emissions by 45%
The Pittsburgh 2030 District, an alliance of property owners in the Pittsburgh area, says that it has reduced carbon emissions by 44.8% below baseline. Begun in 2012 under the guidance of the Green Building Alliance (GBA), the Pittsburgh 2030 District encompasses more than 86 million sf of space within 556 buildings.
Resiliency | Jun 14, 2023
HUD offers $4.8 billion in funding for green and resilient building retrofit projects
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently released guidelines for its Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP) that has $4.8 billion for funding green projects.
Steel Buildings | May 19, 2023
New manufacturing processes can make steel construction a greener option and add U.S. jobs
“Green steel” that is manufactured using hydrogen generated with renewable energy makes its use as a building material more feasible for environmentally conscious designers and clients. Sustainable manufacturing processes, which are economically viable in the U.S., could also revive steelmaking in the country as the metal becomes more attractive for green building.
Office Buildings | May 15, 2023
Sixteen-story office tower will use 40% less energy than an average NYC office building
This month marks the completion of a new 16-story office tower that is being promoted as New York City’s most sustainable office structure. That boast is backed by an innovative HVAC system that features geothermal wells, dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) units, radiant heating and cooling, and a sophisticated control system to ensure that the elements work optimally together.
Headquarters | May 9, 2023
New Wells Fargo development in Texas will be bank’s first net-positive campus
A new Wells Fargo development in the Dallas metroplex will be the national bank’s first net-positive campus, expected to generate more energy than it uses. The 850,000-sf project on 22 acres will generate power from solar panels and provide electric vehicle charging stations.
Senior Living Design | May 8, 2023
Seattle senior living community aims to be world’s first to achieve Living Building Challenge designation
Aegis Living Lake Union in Seattle is the world’s first assisted living community designed to meet the rigorous Living Building Challenge certification. Completed in 2022, the Ankrom Moisan-designed, 70,000 sf-building is fully electrified. All commercial dryers, domestic hot water, and kitchen equipment are powered by electricity in lieu of gas, which reduces the facility’s carbon footprint.
Mass Timber | May 1, 2023
SOM designs mass timber climate solutions center on Governors Island, anchored by Stony Brook University
Governors Island in New York Harbor will be home to a new climate-solutions center called The New York Climate Exchange. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), The Exchange will develop and deploy solutions to the global climate crisis while also acting as a regional hub for the green economy. New York’s Stony Brook University will serve as the center’s anchor institution.
Concrete Technology | Apr 24, 2023
A housing complex outside Paris is touted as the world’s first fully recycled concrete building
Outside Paris, Holcim, a Swiss-based provider of innovative and sustainable building solutions, and Seqens, a social housing provider in France, are partnering to build Recygénie—a 220-unit housing complex, including 70 social housing units. Holcim is calling the project the world’s first fully recycled concrete building.
Green | Apr 21, 2023
Boston to adopt stringent climate-friendly building code
Boston will soon adopt a new stringent green state building code that aims to significantly reduce carbon emissions in new construction and major renovations.
