LED COMPARISON
How Do LED Lights Stack Up Against The Old Standards ?
LIGHT-EMITTING diode ( LED ) lighting is a relative newcomer to the lighting industry . Since originally developed around 1960 , these devices have come in a slew of colors and types . White LEDs , used primarily for lighting purposes , are a more recent development . Similar to Moore ’ s Law , describing the increase in computer processing power , LED lighting has been able to double light output every thirty-six months since 1960 when it was first developed . Even so , businesses and individuals trying to find the right type of lighting to suit their needs often overlook LEDs or simply don ’ t understand what benefits they can provide .
The first , and perhaps most striking , difference between LEDs and their primary competitors — incandescent bulbs and compact fluorescent lamp ( CFL ) bulbs — is in the effective lifespan of each type of bulb . Traditional incandescent bulbs can be expected to last for around 1,000 hours of use on average . CFL bulbs can be expected to last double that , coming in at around 2,000 hours of use . LED bulbs , however , have an average lifespan of up to 50,000 hours or more . When looking for a simple and cost effective lighting solution , the fact that LEDs last 25 – 50 times longer than the average lifespan of other lighting options is astounding .
The wattage of the electricity used to power lighting systems is another concern . LEDs use fewer watts per bulb by large margins . Watts are a measure of the power used per unit of light generated . In comparison to a 60-watt incandescent bulb , CFLs use 13 – 26 watts to produce the same amount of light . By comparison , LED bulbs only use 6 – 8 watts of electricity to produce that same amount of light . Not only is this beneficial from a cost perspective , but it also helps the environment .
On a yearly basis , the energy and maintenance costs are dramatically reduced with the use of LED bulbs . Based on a comparison of using thirty incandescent bulbs for a year , LEDs are a clear winner , in comparison with the CFL bulbs which contain mercury and do not have the warm color selections of LEDs . At a cost of $ 328 .. 59 per year , thirty incandescent bulbs use around 3,285 kilowatt hours ( kWh ) per year . Compare this with the $ 76.65 that it costs to operate the same number of CFLs , using around 767 kWh . Finally , look at the cost of running
LEDs : $ 32.85 , using only 329 kWh per year . The difference is significant enough to be obvious , even at a quick glance .
LEDs are not only a cost effective way to light your property but also an excellent way to help the environment . With improvements coming year after year , making the switch is becoming more and more attractive to many business and property owners . Consider making the switch . The savings on utility bills and maintenance costs will literally pay for the installation and materials .
For more information or to find out what LED lighting could do for your business , contact Canterra at info @ CanterraLighting . com or 480-222-8300 .
SPRING 2017
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