LED lighting has completely changed the way we look at our home's illumination. We have become conscious of our carbon footprint and the effect it has on the environment. Previously there was little we could do about it other than to turn the lights off or use smaller Watt globes. LED has changed the game, delivering us globes that last much longer and require less electricity, cutting not only our carbon footprint but our expenses.
In most older homes, lighting has been seen mainly as a necessity rather than a creative atmospheric expression. There have been many new designs and advances over the years such as dimmer switches and down lights, but they pale in comparison to the flexibility of the many styles of strip lights, spotlights, down lights, ambient lights, colours and wonders of modern LED lighting.
LED light bulbs will eventually replace incandescent bulbs, halogens and CFLs (Compact Flourescent Lights). In most cases incandescent lights have already been replaced by halogen light bulbs, which are much more efficient, but still way behind the LED curve. Initially LEDs had a narrow focus and high purchase price that rendered them as a less effective solution than CFLs in the home.
LEDs are now clustered to provide more light and are mounted with diffuser lenses to spread the light across wider areas. Along with this, advancements in manufacturing technology have driven the prices down to a level where LED bulbs are now more viable than CFLs or incandescent bulbs.
However, when considering a LED conversion option it is very easy to focus on the short-term aspects and lose sight of the true value of their long term application. As can be expected, the initial purchase price of new LEDs remains an obstacle to their widespread usage in residential properties. Interstingly, this is the very thing that is keeping the LED light prices elevated, as a larger market will increase competition and production forcing prices down.
To have a true understanding of the effectiveness of LEDs we have provided the following comparison chart below. This will illustrate the value of LED bulbs when compared with CFLs and halogens for efficiency as well as cost-effectiveness.
| LED | CFL | HAL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light bulb lifespan / hours | 50,000 | 10,000 | 2,700 |
| Watts per bulb (equiv. 60 watts) | 10 | 14 | 60 |
| Cost per bulb | $17.50 | $8.50 | $2.50 |
| KWh electricity used in 50,000 hrs | 500 | 700 | 3,000 |
| Electricity cost (@ 23¢ / KWh) | $115 | $161 | $690 |
| Bulbs needed for 50k hrs | 1 | 5 | 18.5 |
| Equivalent 50k hrs bulb expense | $17.50 | $42.50 | $46.25 |
| Total cost for 50,000 hrs | $132.50 | $203.50 | $736.25 |
This comparison can be further expanded to include the amount of lights in your home. We understand that each home's requirements will differ greatly, but for arguement sake we will assume that the average home has a total of 25 lights.
| LED | CFL | HAL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total cost for 25 lights | $3,312.50 | $5,087.50 | $18,406.25 |
| Total savings | $15,093.75 | $13,318.75 | $0 |
Please note: When calculating the specific number for your home remember to include all table and floor lamps as well as outdoor lights.
Purchasing replacement globes these days can be quite a challenge. It is almost impossible to understand the light quality based solely on the wattage. Not only has the power consumption changed considerably (and will most likely continue to do so) making Watts completely unreliable as a guide, we now have to contend with the temperature of the light being produced. Some prefer a warmer light in the home, as flourescent lighting can seem quite harsh, and for other applications this is exactly what is needed.
We have put together an easy guide for you to understand not only the brightness, but the colour temperatures of the replacement globes you are likely to find in the supermarket.
Kelvins are a very accurate way to measure the colour of light, or to put it simply, the higher the temperature, the cooler the light will appear and the lower the temperature, the warmer the light will appear.
| Kelvin | Colour Temp |
|---|---|
| 10,000 | Twilight |
| 9,000 | Dark shade |
| 8,000 | Shade |
| 7,000 | Overcast |
| 6,000 | Electronic flash / mid-day sunlight |
| 5,000 | Flourescent lamps |
| 4,000 | Incandescent light bulb |
| 3,000 | Early sunrise |
| 2,000 | Tungsten light |
| 1,000 | Candle light |
Lumens are a measurement of brightness and measures the total quantity of visible light emitted by a source. In the past we have been taught the correlation between wattage and brightness as these were the standard for many years, until recently. With the influx of low consumption lighting in all its various refinements there are simply too many forms and wattages to keep converting back to the old wattage system. The guide below will acquaint you with measurements in lumens vs. the old and new wattages of different types of light bulbs. If you are out and about and want to quickly figure it out, you could use a very rough figure of around 10-12 Lumens to the old style Watt. 10 being for numbers below 500 lumens and 12 for numbers over.
Please note: This will be an approximate figure only, derived to determine the correlation between the brightness on the package and the old scale of wattage used with incandescent lighting.
| Lumens | 220 | 400 | 700 | 900 | 1300 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 25W | 40W | 60W | 75W | 100W |
| Halogen | 18W | 28W | 42W | 53W | 70W |
| CFL | 6W | 9W | 12W | 15W | 20W |
| LED | 4W | 6W | 10W | 13W | 18W |
We service our local area throughout Sydney's Northern suburbs. As locals ourselves we know how important it is to find quality service that is reliable and handy. Here is a list of the areas we service:
M: 0410 617 126
Binya Cl, Hornsby Heights.
NSW 2077
E-mail
admin@ajelectric.com.au
0410 617 126
