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LED Revolution 2.0 By CRAIG DILOUIE, LC, CLCP Craig DiLouie, LC, CLCP serves as education director for the Lighting Controls Association (www.LightingControlsAssociation.org), a council of NEMA dedicated to educating the public about lighting controls.
Everywhere, we see signs the LED revolution has won. An argument can be made, however, that this mature lighting technology is simply entering its next phase of market opportunity. Call it the LED Revolution 2.0. Over 20 years, this technology utterly transformed lighting and control and the industry at large. It dominated new product development, first matching the performance of traditional luminaires and then exploring entirely new designs and capabilities to add value. Energy was always the main driver, however, resulting in a race for efficacy that has been largely realized. Utility lighting rebate programs embraced the technology. The latest energy codes assume heavy, if not exclusive, use of it. In the residential market, the Biden Administration’s decision to eliminate the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007’s exemptions and enforce its backstop provision is eliminating the large majority of remaining incandescent (halogen) general-service lamps. In the nonresidential market, a movement to ban mercury has resulted in seven states targeting fluorescent mercury-containing lamps. Due to its advantages, LED has been widely adopted in both new and existing construction. The latest Department of Energy (DOE) solid-state lighting energysavings forecast in December 2019 estimated 72 percent
LED penetration in the installed U.S. commercial building lighting stock by 2025 (93 percent for outdoor). In regions of the country where energy costs are higher, there are signs this has already been reached or even exceeded. For example, rebate program evaluation reports by utility consulting firm DNV projected LED share of the linear ambient lighting market to be 83 to 94 percent in 2023 in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. This is of course great news for the United States and its economy. Lighting once consumed 40 percent of the average commercial building’s energy budget; today, it is closer to 10 percent. Overall, the DOE estimates that LED lighting has reduced overall electricity demand in the country by about 5 percent. It’s also great news for new buildings. Lighting is no longer a costly utility but instead a potential building asset. Today’s LED lighting systems are highly precise, controllable, and flexible, providing a menu of capabilities and fresh benefits that 20 years ago would have been highly costly, complex, or unachievable. For lighting practitioners doing projects in the existing buildings market, however, it may feel like the party’s coming to an end. Rebate providers are re-evaluating lighting, generally the largest part of their programs.
"Lighting is no longer a costly utility but instead a potential building asset." 58
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