AFSCME 3357-HOF'S BLOG

Another CAFE increase is shot down: Is LED (Solid State) Lighting our best hope for achievable energy-consumption reduction?

Last week, the Senate rejected an increase in CAFE fuel efficiency requirements for light trucks. Newsweek ran a story discussing why the US lacks an energy policy due to powerful special interests, including autoworkers.

Here's an energy initiative that everyone can get behind - changing our lightbulbs. Almost no lightbulbs are made in the United States. We have the opportunity to grow a new industry, LED lighting, that can save 10% or more of our energy consumption.

More than 10% of our energy consumption comes from lighting. More than 90% of the energy consumed by a standard incandescent bulb is dissipated as heat. New LED lighting technologies are 90% efficient at producing light, not heat. This means that you don't have to pay to chill the heat out of the air with air-conditioning.

What's the catch? The technology is still low on the experience curve. There is little mass production in place. (Although Honda does use LED lighting in its 2003 Accord.)

If the progressive consumer lobby would press for stong government backing of new lighting technologies, including having the GSA purchase large quantities for government buildings, we can get this technology up to speed faster - this would be a good face saving measure as a consulation when the lawmakers reject the next CAFE increase proposal.

For a Sandia National Laboratories report on LED lighting click the link below.
(I wish Blogger.com had a spellchecker.)