Energy Savings Forecast of Solid State Lighting: Part 3 Decorative Lamps

Of course, most lamps exist to provide a purpose, bringing illumination to darkened areas at work, home and in public. But they can also support an aesthetic vision, bringing color and beauty to a drab location. Since not all lighting is designed to be practical and utilitarian, there is also plenty of room in the market for decorative lamps.

There is in fact a great demand for decorative lighting in this country and decorative lamps come in a wide range of shapes, sizes and colors. Efficiency may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you consider decorative lamps. But the United States government is mandating changes in how the country consumes electricity. Part of that effort involves encouraging people to use solid state lamps made with light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

Accordingly, the Department of Energy has issued its “Energy Savings Forecast of Solid-State Lighting in General Illumination Applications” report. This is part three of our series on the report. Please click here to read the introduction.

Decorative Lamp Types

You will run across a wide range of decorative lamp types. They are not as standardized as practical lights and may be used throughout the year or only on special occasions, such as during a holiday season.

Examples include:

* Candle shape

* Bullet shape

* Flame shape

* Globe shape

Forecasting Solid State Developments for Decorative Lamps

The majority of decorative lamps are used in the residential sector, noted the DOE report. Decorative lighting can be found in lanterns, nightlights, pendants, sconces and chandeliers. Mood lighting in such cases is usually about color selection and not on how powerful or consistent the illumination is.

Decorative lamps are usually set up for their look and not for the purpose of illuminating the environment, so they typically do not emit a lot of light. But more of these lights are incandescent since fluorescent bulbs are not made for the decorative market. What’s more, decorative lamps are prized for their appearance even when not lit up, making them an integral part of the aesthetic look of the space.

With limited LED alternatives available in the market, the DOE forecasts that the non-LED market composition it envisions will largely stay the same from 2013 levels of 95% incandescent use for decorative lamps.

However, LED lights are currently being manufactured in all the typical shapes prized by decorative light makers. As more LEDs are produced for all industries, the DOE anticipates a further decrease in price. The solid state lighting forecast indicates that LEDs will account for the majority of display lamp sales by 2020. Market penetration of 94% is expected by 2030.

The incandescent decorative lamps that you buy, install and service for your business today will eventually be replaced with higher efficiency LED versions in the near future. It makes sense to get on board with energy efficiency and start planning a transition to solid state lights for decorative lamps as soon as possible.

If your organization deals with decorative lamps, now is the time to consider upgrading from wasteful, energy-burning bulbs to more efficient, solid state lighting. Remember to check back for our next blog post on the DOE’s “Energy Savings Forecast of Solid-State Lighting in General Illumination Applications” report. 

Figure 3.5 Residential Lighting Energy Consumption Forecast, 2013 to 2030