As the global take-up of energy-efficient LED luminaires gains pace, agencies are recognising the need to safeguard the market with minimum performance level recommendations.
A current review of performance tiers for LEDs has recommended “ambitious” best-practice energy efficiency standards, which experts say should positively impact market performance and result in greater consumer confidence.
The Efficient Electrical End-Use Equipment (4E) International Energy Agency (IEA) Solid State Lighting (SSL) Annex maintains voluntary performance tiers to address product attributes such as colour, lifetime, power, and efficacy for common SSL applications.
The 13 countries involved in the IEA 4E agreement recognise that LED technologies have the potential to cut global lighting electricity consumption by 30%.
The Annex released its Solid State Lighting Annex: Product Quality and Performance Tiers draft for public comment in December. Twenty technical experts from the SSL Annex’s eight member countries, including Australia, collaborated to deliver the draft recommendations, which aim to help voluntary standards keep pace with the rapid developments in LED technology.
As an industry-leading supporter of efficient LED luminaires, IPWEA submitted comment on the recommended tiers for outdoor lighting via the Australian Government. Strategic Lighting Partners (SLP) Director Bryan King compiled the submission on behalf of IPWEA.
King explains that the recommendations, if endorsed, will inform standards and provide reliable guidelines for lighting procurers.
“The IEA 4E SSL Annex Outdoor Lighting (Street Lighting) draft is an internationally formulated reference document that can assist national standards committees (such as AS as AS/NZS) to establish appropriate metrics and performance levels for local use,” he says. “Additionally, consultants and procurement agencies for street lighting luminaires – such as electricity distribution utilities and councils – can use the IEA technical criteria to compile performance specifications for inclusion in tender documents for their regions.
“International standards generally cover safety and operational matters but performance attributes often need to be tailored to the specific needs of the purchasing and operating organisation.”
Ambitious efficacy performance tiers
King says defining required or recommended luminaire efficacy levels is the most influential – and potentially controversial – part of this document.
The draft defines efficacy as the ratio of the total light output of the luminaire compared to power consumed (lm/watt). The higher the efficacy value, the more energy-efficient the luminaire.
For world-class performing luminaries (Tier 3), the draft recommends a minimum downward fixture luminous efficacy of greater than120 lm/W. Comparatively, the draft recommends a minimal acceptable performance level (Tier 1) of 85 lm/W.
“Set the bar too low and the document is ineffectual as a tool to positively influence market performance, set it too high and the document is meaningless as products may not be available that can economically meet the criteria,” King explains.
“The top tier of greater than 120 lm/W is a reasonably ambitious figure today but with the march of technology this will soon be a commonly available level. The last IEA update was in 2013 so if a two year document validity is sought then the levels must have a degree of room to ‘grow into’.
King says there are already several street light luminaires in the Australian and New Zealand markets outperforming the 120 lm/W figure.
Learning from old mistakes
King says the efficient lighting sector learnt some hard lessons during the compact fluorescent lights (CFL) rollout a decade ago, which saw some shoddy products erode consumer confidence in the new technology.
The rollout proved there can be widely varying performances from products of different sources that are nominally "the same”.
“The market spoilage that occurred 8-10 years ago from poor and variable quality CFL products damaged consumer confidence in the technology and set back the rate of large scale uptake,” King says.
“Another factor in the CFL experience was the occurrence of over-fulsome advertising claims by a small group of vendors whose claims were not matched by actual product performance. This issue also undermines the believability of valid and appropriately conservative claims from responsible suppliers.”
Cause for contention
Although the performance tiers are largely welcomed by lighting procurers, King says they can create divide within the manufacturing industry and suppliers – particularly those with lower-performing products.
“Progressive suppliers with strong product performance will likely embrace the approach as an effective means of third-party benchmarking for higher performance solutions,” he explains. “Suppliers of products with more modest performance levels will likely not welcome the more intense scrutiny that the IEA document will encourage. The wide circulation of IEA-endorsed credible technical information on a full suite of lighting quality parameters – that support luminous efficacy – will help buyers and users to better understand the important nuances that underpin a high performing outcome.
“The existence of a more educated market with more astute buyers who can clearly discern the value proposition will be of great comfort to vendors who can meet such higher levels.”
IPWEA supportive of draft
Although the IPWEA submission suggests some minor caveats on the recommendations, it is largely supportive of the draft.
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“The draft is suitably progressive and should have the effect of identifying the terminology, metrics and performance levels of the wide mix of parameters that are needed to define a good public lighting outcome,” King explains. “The luminaire efficacy levels are well-judged and are economically attainable by a number of the better performing products on the market today.
“With LED lighting there are very many technical parameters that need to be carefully considered to ensure that luminaires are truly “fit for purpose” for street lighting. A singular focus on energy (ie luminous efficacy, lumens per Watt) is not sufficient to ensure delivery of a satisfactory outcome.
“With LED lighting there are a range of selectable lighting attributes (eg colour temperature, colour shift, glare etc) that need to be specified and toleranced to ensure a good user experience.”
IPWEA’s Street Lighting and Smart Controls (SLSC) program
The benefits of LEDs over traditional mercury vapour and high pressure sodium street lighting bulbs are well-known – LED luminaires use dramatically less energy, are more reliable, need less maintenance and create safer roads and public spaces by providing better illumination. They also provide opportunities to interface lighting with growing “smart city” technology, opening up a whole new world of smart controls with the ability to intuitively adjust lighting levels.
In spite of the overwhelming commercial, safety and environmental case for the wholesale renewal of street lighting infrastructure, less than 10% street lighting in Australia and New Zealand has been upgraded to LEDs, or is scheduled for upgrade.
Recognising the opportunities LED bulbs and smart controls present and the need for greater education around them, IPWEA is launching the SLSC program in the coming months.
The program will see IPWEA and service providers inform government at all levels about the application and benefits of street lighting and smart control technology – and where reforms are needed to realise the potential benefits.
King says the IEA draft will become part of a wide range of local and international SLSC inputs, such as product and design guides, standards and technical briefing documents that will assist the compilation of the SLSC program.
“The gravitas of the IEA organisation, Australia’s governmental involvement in the IEA 4E SSL development process and the currency of the IEA input indicates that this will be a document of significance.
“The IPWEA submission to the Commonwealth Department of Industry Innovation and Science (Energy Division) has been very well received and has contributed significantly to the Government’s submission to the IEA. International discussion and alignment of performance guidelines, will be useful for Australian public and private procurement organisations, and will assist in providing a fair and even market platform for local and international suppliers.”
You can view the Solid State Lighting Annex: Product Quality and Performance Tiers draft for public comment here.
For more information on the SLSC program, contact IPWEA’s Director Sustainability Dr Stephen Lees at stephen.lees@ipwea.org.
Images:
1,2: LED Street light luminaires showing top mounted smart control internet communication modules. Current – powered by GE.
3: Beachfront LED street light from Powertech Nelson.