Part 1 - LED Lighting's Impact to Our Home

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, signed by President George Bush on December 18, 2007 was an energy policy intended to make better use of our resources and help the United States become energy independent.  Part of the law sets energy efficiency standards for light bulbs; the first phase went into effect January 2012. The incandescent light bulbs were phased out January 1, 2012 for 100 watts, January 1, 2013 for 75 watts and January 1, 2014 for 60 and 40 watts.  The following table shows the incandescent wattage and its equivalent lumen and LED-CFL wattages (Source: www.energystar.gov/la/products/lighting/cfls).

Incandescent Bulb (Watts)	Minimum Light Output (Lumens)	Common Energy Star Qualified Bulbs (Watts)
25	250	4 to 9
40	450	9 to 13
60	800	13 to 15
75	1100	18 to 25
100	1600	23 to 30
125	2000	22 to 40
150	2600	40 to 50

Efficiency is measured by the number of lumens per watt.  Brightness is measured by the number of lumens.  Watts is the amount of energy that a light bulb uses.

  

Below is a comparison of incandescent, CFL and LED bulbs

• A standard 60 watt incandescent light bulb provides 13 to 14 lumens per watt.
• An equivalent CFL provides between 55 and 70 lumens per watt.
• An equivalent LED provides between 60 and 100 lumens per watt.

Source: www.energystar.gov/la/products/lighting/cfls

My first foray into efficient lighting was CFL.  I purchased about a dozen of them and placed them in the bathrooms and entertainment room.  They worked fine in the bathrooms, but flickered in the entertainment room.  The lights were also a bit antiseptic, not the soft white of the incandescent bulb.  My second foray was purchasing two, first- or second-generation light bulbs and they were terrible – blue and ugly.  So, I waited another year.  Then, Xcel Energy and Cree offered 40-watt LED bulbs for $4.99.  I purchased 20 LED bulbs in August 2014.  Being an energy analyst, I set up a spreadsheet to measure the electricity use of my house over the past 17 months and included Xcel’s electricity usage by my neighbors and my most energy efficient neighbors.

I have included three graphs that I have generated from my electricity bills and Xcel Energy’s web based data tools.  The first graph illustrates my family’s (2 adults, 2 teenage sons) electrical usage.  As you can see the electricity spiked in August 2014 and then dropped off appreciably.

The second graph shows the above kWh used and is overlain with temperature data (provided by Xcel Energy).  You can see from the chart, that electricity usage is highly correlated to temperature in May, June, July, August, September, and October.  Then it switches to an inverse correlation during November, December, January, February, March and April.  During the summer months, the air conditioner kicks in during hot days.  We agreed to have an energy saver device installed to our A/C system.  When there is peak load demand during the hot days, the energy saver device is activated and reduces the flow of electricity into our home and allowing the A/C to shut off for longer time periods.  We receive a price discount for that energy savings.  During the winter, you can see energy usage peak, when temperatures are at their lowest.  The increase in energy usage is due to the furnace blower heating the house. 

 

More interesting is the sharp drop of electricity usage from August to September 2014.  The temperature dropped from an average of 70 degrees F for the period of July 17 to August 17 to an average of 65 degrees F for the period of August 17 to September 15.  The corresponding electrical usage dropped from 1721 kWh to 947 kWh.  Clearly some of that drop was due to reduced summer temperatures and some of that came in the form of the highly efficient LED bulbs. 

To see the contribution of LED lighting, it is better to compare the winter usage January 2014 to January 2015.  From December 16 to January 19, 2014, the average temperature was 12 degrees F and electricity usage was 1557 kWh.  For the corresponding period in 2015, the average temperature was 16 degrees F and electricity usage was 1253 kWh.  That is a drop in electricity usage of 19.5%.

During the month of August, when I installed the LED bulbs, my comparison to my neighbors and my energy efficient neighbors, our energy usage dropped below our average neighbors’ usage and just above the most energy efficient neighbors.  I then checked into Xcel’s database to see who I was being compared to - homes that were smaller and homes that were newer and therefore more energy efficient. 

Since August 2014, we have stayed within the band of the most energy efficient neighbors and the average neighbors electricity band.  That demonstrates that the LED bulbs have been a reasonable contribution to energy savings.

Product Review – Google Protect - 5 out of 5 Stars

I recently reviewed the Google Nest (rated 4 out of 5 stars, but would be upgraded should they deliver the software suggestions and lower the price).  This review is the Google Protect, a smoke detector, which integrates with the Nest thermostat.  As with the Google Nest, the Protect experience from start to finish was excellent.  The packaging is straight out of the Apple playbook of packaging.  It is clean, environmentally sensitive and protective.  Instead of being round like the Nest, it is square.  The parts were clearly labeled and well thought through.  And it comes in four languages – Dutch, English, French and Spanish.

 

There are two versions of the Protect – wired and battery.  The wired version will attach to your security system and report the information to your home security-monitoring firm.  The battery model, which I purchased, is not attached to my home security system.  Both versions are simple to install – 4 screws and a screwdriver.  For the wired version, simply plug your product into your home security system, after installing the mounting bracket.  For the battery model, just screw the mounting bracket into ceiling (drill holes first).  Make sure that you follow the installation suggestions as to where to place it in your home for optimal smoke detection.

As with the Nest, the Protect’s setup software and instructions were clear and easy.  I was able to connect to my Nest quickly. 

The Protect is equipped with a photoelectric smoke sensor, a carbon monoxide (CO) sensor, a heat sensor, three activity sensors, an ambient light sensor and a humidity sensor.  That makes it one very sophisticated smoke detector.

There are several cool features to the Protect:  1) The most important feature of this device is that it detects – smoke, heat and CO and warns you in English (my selection, or in Dutch, French, or Spanish) along with a pulsing yellow light.  2) The next most important feature is that if the device detects smoke, heat or CO, it will connect to the Nest and instruct the Nest to shut down the furnace.  This obviously turns off the fan within the furnace/AC, preventing the fanning of the flames.  When tripped, it pulses a red light and tells you what to do.  3) There are motion detectors in the device that will activate a solid white nightlight, which has brightness adjustment.  There is no annoying flashing red light.  4) The battery status of the device can be viewed on your iPhone or iPad (and Android) with a green ring.  5) The device will report the battery condition to the Nest and then to the software.  There is no beeping or chirping for battery replacement in the middle of the night.

Product review: Google Protect

Cost: $99 plus tax.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Pros:

Detects smoke, CO2 and CO.

Turns off the furnace/AC if the above is detected.

It speaks in English what to do.

A nightlight turns on when motion is detected.

The battery condition is posted to the Nest software.

Cons:

Cost is the biggest negative.  This device is roughly double or slightly more than that when compared to a conventional smoke detector.   But given all of the other features that it has – like shut your furnace/AC off, it is well worth the added expense.

Conclusions:

This product gets a 5 out of 5 stars as it goes far beyond the normal smoke detectors.  The Nest can handle a string of Protects, should you install them in all of your bedrooms and other rooms.  They will all show up in the Nest iPhone app.  Together the Nest and Protect are excellent products and companions, they look good and function like you would hope.

Product Review – Google Nest - 4 out of 5 Stars

I recently reviewed Belkin's WeMo Insight Switch (January 2, 2015) and LED Starting Kit and am continuing to review other products that I have purchased.  This review is about the Google Nest, a programmable and learning home thermostat. 

From start to finish, the experience was excellent.  The packaging is straight out of the Apple playbook of packaging.  It is clean, environmentally sensitive and protective (the Nest is really a small computer).  The parts were clearly labeled and well thought through.  Now, one might think that installing this may be a problem, complicated or scary.  But the Nest support team takes that all away.  The company has a sleek inquiry system.  If you are unsure of installing the Nest computer to your furnace (HVAC – heating, ventilation, and air condition system), you simply remove the existing thermostat (make sure that the system is off), take a picture of your thermostat wiring, and email the picture to their support site.  Within a few minutes, you will receive an email back with rewiring instructions.  The faceplate, wiring plate, screwdriver and screws are all included in the box.  It goes together in 5 minutes.  It’s that simple.

The setup software and instructions are equally simple.  They were clear and easy and the instructions come in English, French or Spanish (North and South American markets).  I was able to set it up to my furnace in no time.  The iPhone/iPad/Android Nest apps make it easy to build your on and off schedule for the whole week in an easy to view screen.

The Nest is equipped with a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a near-field sensor, a far-field sensor, and an ambient light sensor.  There are not RoHS (Restriction Of use of Hazardous Substances).  And it is arsenic free, mercury free, and PVC free.

There are several cool features to the Nest:  1) There is internet access through your Wi-Fi.  This allows it to retrieve the weather information from the point nearest to your Nest.  2) There is a motion detector, so that as you walk by it, it will illuminate to show the temperature setting.  The motion detector will also notice your absence and adjust the furnace settings that you programmed.  What I mean by that is, if you have programmed the Nest to have the heat set at 68 degrees F while at home, but you step out during that period, and the device detects no movement; it will automatically lower the temperature to its lowest default temp.  Hence, it achieves more energy savings.  3) It connects automatically to its companion product Protect, an integrated smoke alarm (reviewed in the next blog).  4) It is expandable.  This means, that numerous companies are adding new products that will integrate to the Nest.  For instance, there are programmable LED lights, door locks, garage door openers, etc.  There are several appliances that will connect to the Nest.  This learning computer eventually will be able to monitor and adjust your energy usage based on your presence or absence, thus saving more energy.

If you have ever been to a European hotel, the newer hotels use your key card as the on off switch for all of the electricity in the hotel room.  I think that this is where the Nest is headed.     

Product review: Google Nest

Cost: $249 plus tax (price may be lower, as some utilities will rebate a portion of the cost – my utility, CenterPoint Energy did not).

Rating: 4 out of 5, would be a 5 if cheaper.

Pros:

• The Google Nest is sleek looking – developed by a former Apple designer.
• The Nest is simple to install.
• It is simple to program.
• The iPhone/iPad software is clean, straightforward and easy to use.
• The Nest is expandable – they have opened up their software so that it may be integrated with other energy savings devices.

Cons:

• Cost is the biggest con, though because it is a computer from which other devices will eventually be attached, it can, in part, be forgiven.
• Google Nest sends each user a monthly statement of the customer’s energy usage.  I find it not as useful as it could be.  I would like to see line graphs depicting the outside temperature versus the energy usage over time.
• I hope that the software that is on my iPhone will include the expandable devices.  What I don’t want to see is software from each expandable device manufacturer.  I want to it inside of the Nest software, so that I can access all of the devices at the same time, in and from the same screen.

Conclusions:

I love this device – its simple looks, its solid feel, its simplicity of use, its programmability and its expandability.