Based on my growing interest in the seemingly very low profile of Induction
Lighting, Richard White, the VP for distribution at Fulham Company, offered
to fill me in on the lighting technology. White provided some interesting background
for any of us who are impressed with the excellent energy savings and unmatched
100,000 hour lamp life delivered by Induction Lighting.
I asked White if the U.S. market for Induction Lighting had grown over the
past three years.
White indicated that the Induction market has been growing, especially over
the last six months. “Since we introduced our family of retrofit Induction
kits at LightFair International last May, over 130 projects have surfaced and
are in various stages of design, retrofit, or installation,” he said.
“OEM’s are developing Induction luminaires and other companies are offering
retrofit kits. The ‘green’ movement, supplemented with utility and federal subsidies
as well as local, state, and federal legislation, has contributed greatly to
this re-emergence of induction.”
Then came White’s impressive proclamation. “Induction
Lighting will be seen as a cost-effective option to LED with, in many cases,
a longer life cycle. The momentum for improving lighting efficiencies and reducing
labor, lamp, ballast, and disposal costs will continue to provide Induction
with a ‘target-rich’ environment for at least the next five years,” stated White.
One powerful driver behind broader application
of Induction are the many rebates for converting to Induction now offered
by utilities (check out our previous blog posting for an information source
on over 1100 different energy efficiency incentive programs).
According to White, EPACT recognizes Induction
as a viable and cost-effective alternative to HID. “I believe we’ve heard
so little about Induction because of the huge interest in LED that has emerged
over the last several years, despite its documented performance and life issues.
The industry is gradually becoming aware of the benefits of Induction and this
trend will continue.”
Traditionally, high initial cost for the systems
and thermal issues have been impediments for the adoption of Induction. However,
White indicated that in comparison with LED, “Induction is not now seen so much
as cost prohibitive and the technology has come into greater play as a viable
lighting retrofit option. With the ongoing improvement in electronic technology,
heat issues, while still present, are becoming less of a factor in a retrofit
application,” said White.
The current industry market split between outdoor
and indoor applications for Induction Lighting systems is probably 70% outdoor
(parking lot, street lighting, parking garage), and 30% indoor (high bay industrial,
shopping malls). The most prevalent applications for Induction Lighting include:
- Street and Roadway Lighting
- Parking Lot
- High Bay
- Parking Garages
- Gas Station Canopies
- Tunnels
The biggest change that White has seen is the market’s greater acceptance of
Induction Lighting as an alternative to HID systems. When I pointed out that
the U.S. DOE has been pushing aggressively for standards acceptance for LED
Lighting products, I wondered if the DOE has also promoted the benefits of Induction
Lighting.
“I’m not aware of any federal undertaking that is promoting
migration to Induction Lighting, other than EPACT,” said White.
Induction Lighting deserves a closer look by anyone interested
in energy savings and reducing maintenance costs. And Induction technology would
certainly benefit from a greater push from our government agencies.