LED Lighting: Applying Lessons Learned from the CFL Experience

Jeff McCullough, T.L. Gilbride, L.J. Sandahl, K.L. Gordon, M.R. Ledbetter, and M.K. Ton, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

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Abstract

Light emitting diode (LED) technology has emerged as an exciting new lighting alternative with the potential for significant energy savings. There is concern, however, that white light LEDs for general illumination could take a long, bumpy course similar to another energy-efficient lighting technology - compact fluorescent lights (CFLs).

Recognizing the significant potential energy-efficient lighting has to reduce U.S. energy consumption, Congress mandated in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) develop Solid State Lighting (SSL) through a Next Generation Lighting Initiative. DOE's first step was to analyze the market introduction of compact fluorescent lighting to determine what lessons could be learned to smooth the introduction of SSL in the United States (Sandahl et al. 2006). This paper summarizes applicable lessons learned from the market introduction of CFLs and describe how DOE and others are applying those lessons to speed the development and market introduction of energy-efficient LED lighting for general illumination applications. A description of the current state of LED technology and compares LEDs to incandescent, fluorescent, and halogen lights is also provided.