We were deeply impressed by the ingenuity employed by manufacturers who were keen to integrate LED light sources into existing lamp solutions. It seems that, even though the technical challenges can be incredibly tough, there are still designers who are up to the task. Take for example the latest Pharox bulb from Lemnis, which actually does a great job of replacing a 40w incandescent bulb, but uses only 4w to do so – it is a triumph of engineering ingenuity, dealing with heat management, colour temperature, beam angle and physical form issues. Another example would be the tube lights from Ilumisys, which deal very elegantly with the need to work around existing ballast systems. Further examples can be found in elegantly heat managed MR16 replacements, where tiny miracles of craftsmanship and micro electronics have produced viable replacements for 35w halogen equivalents. We are also particularly big fans of the oil-filled bulbs from Liquidleds, which use the liquid to diffuse the light and to cool the LED. These are all brilliant developments.
But is it really worth the effort? These products all have on thing in common; they all have a very high initial purchase price. Financially, over time, they do make sense. But it does mean that the primary sales tool is the Return On Investment Calculator. And when shoppers head out to buy a bulb, they really don’t tend to think in terms of three year paybacks.
The answer, of course, is Yes. There are plenty of people who will buy LED replacements for various shapes and sizes of bulb and the innovation that we are currently seeing will be used in future generations of LED light. However, we are not convinced that all of these products will hit the mass market and replace existing technologies. So it seems that we may be looking at a slightly limited market for the time being.
That isn’t the whole story, though. There is another equally ingenious group of manufacturers who are working on integrating LED technology directly into replacement luminaires and fittings. There is a very convincing logic behind this. The primary reason for conventional bulbs to be replaceable is that they fail regularly and therefore need to be replaced quickly and conveniently. Solid state lighting lasts long enough for this to be irrelevant, with most manufacturers claiming over 30,000 hours of use. So the products which we saw at LFI ’09 simply ignored the concept of replacement bulbs and used built-in LED arrays.
Fixed LED luminaires are clearly a good solution from an engineering and commercial perspective. They are capable of producing more light than other technologies at equivalent power ratings, the optics are designed to suit and the packaging can be built to suit the required application. More importantly, people are prepared to pay rather more for an entire luminaire than they would cough up for a bulb.
There are some products which are clearly winners, such as the 2′ x 4′ recessed panel from Sander in Taiwan. This unit is a simple plug and play system, with all drivers and power management built in. There is a claimed 30% reduction in energy use when compared with a fluorescent tube-based equivalent with equal light output. In addition, the light distribution is more uniform and glare is reduced. The product is designed to fit and forget, with none of the maintenance requirements associated with fluorescent tubes, so it brings cost savings there as well. Add in the issues with the Mercury contained in fluorescent lights, which are bound to become more pressing as the technology proliferates and alternative LED products, such as the Sander unit, become very attractive solutions.
So which way will development go? Is there a future for replaceable LED bulbs, or will we see a move towards integrated luminaires? It is hard to tell – but right now, there is a market for both. It is only a guess, but we expect to see a two stage adoption process, where users work with replaceable LED bulbs while they become comfortable with the technology, then subsequently take the plunge with integrated products…. maybe by next LightFair next year, we will have a clearer picture.
