by Shane Henson — July 4, 2012—Facilities managers searching for energy-efficient lighting that has as little impact on the environment as possible should opt for light-emitting diode (LED) lamps, according to the results of a study undertaken by the U.S. Department of Energy.
The 78-page report, LED Manufacturing and Performance, compares LED lamps, incandescent lighting, and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) from the beginning to the end of their life cycles—including manufacturing, operation, and disposal.
The study found that the energy these three lighting products consume during operation makes up the majority of their environmental impact, compared to the energy consumed in manufacturing and transportation. Because of their high efficiency—consuming only 12.5 watts of electricity to produce about the same amount of light as CFLs (15 watts) and incandescents (60 watts)—LED lamps were found to be the most environmentally friendly of the three lamp types over the lifetime of the products, across 14 of the 15 impact measures examined in the study.
Other key findings:
- CFLs were found to have a slightly higher environmental impact than today’s LED lamps on all measures except their contribution to landfills. The aluminum contained in an LED lamp’s large aluminum heat sink causes a greater impact on landfills because of the energy and resources consumed in manufacturing.
- The report projects that in five years, the environmental impacts of LEDs will be significantly lower than today’s LED products, based on expected near-term improvements in LED technology.
- As the market transitions from incandescent sources to energy-saving light sources that save consumers and business money, LEDs and CFLs are expected to achieve substantial reductions in environmental impacts—on the order of three to 10 times current levels.
- The report projects that in five years, the environmental impacts of LEDs will be significantly lower than today’s LED products, based on expected near-term improvements in LED technology.
