Home  5  Books  5  GBEzine  5  News  5  HelpDesk  5  Register  5  GreenBuilding.co.uk
Not signed in (Sign In)

Categories



Green Building Bible, Fourth Edition
Green Building Bible, fourth edition (both books)
These two books are the perfect starting place to help you get to grips with one of the most vitally important aspects of our society - our homes and living environment.

PLEASE NOTE: A download link for Volume 1 will be sent to you by email and Volume 2 will be sent to you by post as a book.

Buy individually or both books together. Delivery is free!


powered by Surfing Waves




Vanilla 1.0.3 is a product of Lussumo. More Information: Documentation, Community Support.

Welcome to new Forum Visitors
Join the forum now and benefit from discussions with thousands of other green building fans and discounts on Green Building Press publications: Apply now.

The AECB accepts no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of this site. Views given in posts are not necessarily the views of the AECB.



  1.  
    hi to all,
    newbie,
    we are starting our downsize timber frame renovation and i'm researching low energy lighting for the lounge and kitchen have come across so many different forms and claims for lighting but not sure which way to go, was wondering if anyone had any experience of these babies http://www.creells.com/residential.htm...
    should be avliable in 230v now , ready for the euro market..
    cheers steve:bigsmile::bigsmile:
  2.  
    I have spent alot of time messing around with LED bulbs and for any new build or major refurb i can strongly vouch for the following which I have put into a few bedrooms - the quality and intensity of the light is hard to beat.
    responda light - (it is also a Northampton based hi-tech company)
  3.  
    Energy, environment wise are these better than just a CFL ? If not surely a bit costly...?

    J
    • CommentAuthorbevs
    • CommentTimeNov 11th 2008
     
    Hi, I am also looking into LED for my summer house the one's I have come across don't seem to be bright enough to light a room, any ideas tried CREELLS web site but they are US based, who are responda light? thanks bevs.
    • CommentAuthorCWatters
    • CommentTimeNov 11th 2008 edited
     
    Could we have a URL for Responda Light please?

    I could only find what looks like a distributor in the UK. Who actually makes them?

    http://www.mgc-lamps.com/documents/Respondalight%20Product%20Guide%20MGC.pdf
    (but couldn't see brightness data)

    http://www.mgc-lamps.com/leds.htm
  4.  
    The units are 7w each and they produce a light far in excess of a standard downlight, they are also dimmable (with the right set up)

    I have put into a hotel room, 7 of these as downlights provides heaps of light - so its very practical.

    url: www.realworlddesigns.co.uk

    but I bought mine through the electric centre in Northampton.
    • CommentAuthorTerry
    • CommentTimeNov 11th 2008
     
    hotelRefurber
    Are you saying that they have finally overcome the issues with LED's (poor light quality etc as discussed on previous threads) and that these units are competing with CFL's/halogens etc???? seems almost to good to be true, or are there still compromises to accept with them.
  5.  
    hi, i have purchased the system without PIR/sound activation, although I plan on putting it in certain applications with PIR - eg hallways and store rooms

    I can confirm that this is a "proper" solution. The light quality is powerful, instant and low energy - and the colour quality is excellent - basically there are only two possible disadvantages -

    1. cost - its much higher - but obviously it will pay back quickly
    2. lifetime - supposedly 30k hours or 50k hours or whatever - who knows - we can only know how good these things are once they have been in for years. (but I do have a manufacturors 5 year guarantee)

    I am not affiliated with the company - although I did tell them I would be interested in buying shares in them!
    • CommentAuthorTerry
    • CommentTimeNov 11th 2008
     
    Been a lot of talk over the last year or two that LED's were the future, but not there yet - give them a year or two.
    Good to hear that products are starting to appear. Have made enquiries and am interested to see costs as well :confused: No doubt will require a sharp intake of breath
  6.  
    Terry,

    I'm not sure what you mean by not quite there, as far as I am concerned this product is "there", but the cost is around £35+vat for the light and transformer, which is equivalent to probably 1.5 or 2 regular 35/50w halogens, so if you consider the cost of the electrician, then it may actually be a saving on installation (for new build). For slightly more expensive transformers they are dimmable too (with quality dimmers )
    • CommentAuthorCWatters
    • CommentTimeNov 12th 2008 edited
     
    Might help you find local store...
    http://www.electric-center.co.uk/home

    Shame they come under part P or do they?

    They use RJ45 connectors to deliver power to the fitting - so presumably it's low voltage? On the other hand pre-wired units with plugs and sockets escape Part P. Looks like you can DIY instally these (except in kitchens) if you use pre-made RJ45 cables.

    It seems RJ45 connectors can handle more power than I thought..
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_over_Ethernet
    ..says 15W.

    Nice one.
  7.  
    i just realised my post before was not clear, each bulb puts out alot more light than a regular GU10 halogen - i dont have a light meter but you could safely assume you could replace say 3 halogens with 2 of these products, so thats what I meant by making savings with a sparky. also as cwatters mentioned you can actually DIY these if you have a plug in power source- (another saving)
    so even though it seems expensive at first glance, it actually isnt.
    • CommentAuthorTerry
    • CommentTimeNov 12th 2008
     
    HR - thanks for that. Am awaiting some info from nearest distributer
    regarding LED's being' not quite there' was refering to previous threads on here and elsewhere, rather than these units.
  8.  
    Can see these as a downlighter replacement, but still not sure why much better than a CFL on a central pendant?

    J
  9.  
    James, I see your point, in the old days that how it was done, but a CFL has distinct disadvantages - e.g. mercury, poor light quality, shorter life span (and thus cost/embodied energy issues)

    I wonder whether soon an LED version will come out of a straight bulb
    • CommentAuthorwookey
    • CommentTimeNov 13th 2008
     
    James - in short they are not.

    LEDs are great - I love them, but only the best current LEDs compete with CFLs on efficiency, and nothing outside the lab competes with flourescent tubes. I have recently found that actual CFLs, especially the lower-power ones, are less efficient than I had previously understood so CFLs are 40-100 lumens/watt, with average being say 55. LEDs are 10-80, and I have no idea what you actually get out of typical units currently on sale after allowing for PSU losses.

    So so long as you are getting 'latest' LEDs then they may well be as good as CFLs, and might even be a bit better. They do have other advantages too, like instant start, perfect dimability and closer-to-daylight colour temps, but then they are currently much more expensive, and some don't like the colours.

    So yes, much better than halogens, but worse than tubes and 'similar' to CFLs (between 5 times worse and nearly twice as good depending).

    Sadly very few suppliers tell you how many lumens/watt you are actually getting so it's very hard to choose stuff at the moment.
    • CommentAuthorwookey
    • CommentTimeNov 13th 2008
     
    There are now mains LEDs available. Acriche from Seoul Semiconductor: http://www.seoulsemicon.com/en/product/prd/acriche.asp

    Looks like you can actually buy them now: http://www.leds.de/index.php?cat=c2465&cPath=21_2465&language=en for 16 euro.
    • CommentAuthorwookey
    • CommentTimeNov 13th 2008
     
    I found some efficiency data. these are 44 Lumens/watt, so about the same as a 7 or 9W CFL.
    • CommentAuthorCWatters
    • CommentTimeNov 13th 2008
     
    Posted By: wookeyThere are now mains LEDs available. Acriche from Seoul Semiconductor:http://www.seoulsemicon.com/en/product/prd/acriche.asp" rel="nofollow" >http://www.seoulsemicon.com/en/product/prd/acriche.asp

    Looks like you can actually buy them now:http://www.leds.de/index.php?cat=c2465&cPath=21_2465&language=en" rel="nofollow" >http://www.leds.de/index.php?cat=c2465&cPath=21_2465&language=enfor 16 euro.


    Althought LEDs don't burn much power compared to a halogen it's still a lot for a semiconductor. You might need one of these as well...

    http://www.leds.de/p604/High_power_LEDs/High-Power_LED_accessories/Star_Cooler_swing-style.html
    • CommentAuthorCWatters
    • CommentTimeNov 13th 2008 edited
     
    More data on the Responalight series found here..

    http://www.led-lightbulbs.co.uk/images/pdf/EX-7WW-36_datasheet.pdf
    and
    http://www.mgc-lamps.com/documents/Respondalight.pdf


    Anyway the above says "Up to 500 lumen output" which I contrast with a typical 35W halogen downlight (around 600L) and a 50W halogen (900L). I know there are issues with quoting light output in Lumens but it's hard finding any tech data. The Respondalight web site has a beam intensity profile drawing but I couldn't find a similar drawing for a halogen downlight. The Philips website in particulare seems free of technical data these days.

    So not too bad.
  10.  
    CWatters, thats interesting. i dont know if that data is up to date or not as I know they recently have improved their light output by a change in the lamp setting. To put things into perspective in terms of actual performance, I have put 5 into a small double bedroom, plus 2 in the entrance approach, and 3 in the bathroom. The rooms are extremely well lit (best in the entire hotel), you wouldnt want it lit anymore (by any standard) - that is unless you only like direct sunlight!

    Put it this way I have tried a variety of other products that look good on paper but have totally underperformed in situ. Possibly this product is doing well for me also because we paid close attention to the fittings not wasting light, which has made some bulbs underperform.

    As I dont own shares in this company I dont intend to defend their products any further! But I can tell you that having tried out over 10 different brands etc of low energy downlights,this is by far the best product and I am going to roll out to any area that I can within my hotel.
    • CommentAuthorjules
    • CommentTimeNov 19th 2008
     
    hotelRefurber
    I am looking for lighting for my kitchen (c4m x 4m), and had planned to use 7 or 8 spotlights such as halogens. Do you think these Respondalights would be an adequate replacement? I have been keen to use LEDs if possible, but until now I have not found anything which I could guarantee would be suitable. (Also not keen to invest in something without having seen it in action somewhere!).
    • CommentAuthorTerry
    • CommentTimeNov 21st 2008
     
    We are in the process of getting hold of a sample from the local distributors to play with as they dont have a show room, so we can test it in situ. Why dont you try the same?
    • CommentAuthorDavipon
    • CommentTimeNov 21st 2008
     
    Are these a suitable light to link to some sort of pv set up,?am trying to understand how pv could be used.
    • CommentAuthorCWatters
    • CommentTimeNov 22nd 2008
     
    You would probably have to set it up as follows...

    PV -> regulator/charger -> battery -> Inverter -> mains voltage -> LED transformer/dimmer -> LED

    and live with the loss of efficiency.

    I can't see companies making LEDs designed for direct connection to a solar charged battery until there is wide scale introduction of a standard DC wiring systems.

    LEDs themselves can't be directly connected to a voltage source - the current through them has to be controlled/limited somehow. Any LED bulb designed for 240v AC light fittings (or for that matter 12V AC or 12V DC) has something built into them to do that. However the best place for that bit of electronics is not in the bulb but in the LED transformer/dimmer. That box of trick will be designed to suit the most popular markets first (eg 240V AC mains).
  11.  
    Ive used standard fittings with 2W cfl from megaman - take a bit to warm up but good output per watt.
    • CommentAuthordave45
    • CommentTimeDec 4th 2008
     
    >I can't see companies making LEDs designed for direct connection to a solar charged battery until there is wide scale introduction of a standard DC wiring systems.

    Think caravans and RVs - there are already 12V DC systems, plugs and sockets with plenty of 12V lighting devices on the market. For 12V use, all you need is a couple of LEDs in series with the correct resistor innit? So that should suit a 12V PV system no problems. I have a warm-white 6-LED array (off ebay) that plugs into a "standard" 12v halogen desk light. Next project is to swap the transformer for a PV-charged NP7-12 battery.
    • CommentAuthorBrianR
    • CommentTimeDec 4th 2008
     
    The LED bulbs are almost good enough.

    I have used 4 of the GU10 variety in a kitchen for about 6 months. They run off mains 240V. The brightness is not quite there yet - my Missus is not happy. Where they win on price compared to halogens is on lifetime. 30000 hours compared to 2000 hours. So they are already cheaper when you include reduced elec consumption and longevity.

    The other LED variety run off 12V. They easily include the 12V to current converter to regulate them. The electronic solution for this is mass market already as it is used in cell phones etc. There would be an excellent market for 12V lighting circuits, it already exists in caravans. However my understanding is the UK government has already moved to screw this up by including low voltage lighting in with the electrical regulations.

    Government is living proof of entrapy.
  12.  
    Jules, yes I do think it will do the job.

    Brian, you are right LEDS aren't good if you use the wrong ones.

    Pic attached is with responda lights:
      webHMS2.JPG
    • CommentAuthorhowdytom
    • CommentTimeDec 5th 2008
     
    Hotelrefurber,
    how many units are on in the above picture
    tom
   
The Ecobuilding Buzz
Site Map    |   Home    |   View Cart    |   Pressroom   |   Business   |   Links   
Logout    

© Green Building Press