LED Vs. Halogen at Sundown
To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, 'In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death, taxes and rising electricity rates.' Mr. Franklin didn't have an electricity bill to pay, but he was definitely a frugal man. In my quest for lower electrical bills and fewer burnt-out bulbs I found a replacement for outdoor halogen flood lights. As CFL's don't work with our motion-sensing security light I have been searching for and finally found a reasonably-priced, outdoor LED floodlight.
LED lamps are more and more available, with a growing variety of styles, but they are usually quite expensive compared to incandescents and CFL's. But I got lucky by carefully watching the clearance racks at a local hardware store. I found an outdoor-rated LED PAR38 equivalent floodlight marked down to a reasonable price. I had a good experience with warranty replacement of an indoor LED light from the same company, so I bought the larger floodlights.
LED Vs. Halogen - Operating Cost Comparison
LED PAR30 '75 Watt' PAR38 Equivalent Floodlight
- 728 Lumens
- 16 Watts {45.5 Lumens per Watt}
- 30,000 Hours Rated Life {2 year replacement warranty}
- 3000K Color Temp
- 38º Beam Spread
- $21.75 purchase price
- $21.75 + (.016 Kw * $.11/Kwhr * 30,000 hours)
- $21.75 + $52.80 = $74.55 Total Cost over 30,000 hours
Halogen 45 Watt, Par 38 Floodlight
- 510 Lumens
- 45 Watts {11.33 Lumens per Watt}
- 2500 Hours Rated Life
- 3000K Color Temp
- 25º Beam Spread
- ~$7 purchase price
- ($7 * 12) + (.045 Kw * $.11/Kwhr * 30,000 hours)
- $84 + $148.50 = $232.50 Total Cost over 30,000 hours
While the LED floodlights are 3 times the initial purchase price of the halogen bulbs they replace, these LED's use 1/3 as much electricity, have a lifespan 12 times as long and emit more light. Over the estimated 30,000 hour lifespan of the LED floodlights they will cost 68% LESS to use than a halogen floodlight with lower light output!
While it is difficult to stop rising utility rates, I'll keep whittling down our electricity bills and carbon footprint with more efficient lights and appliances at home.
More Info:
Wikiquote - Benjamin Franklin
PNM 9.2% Consumer Electricity Base Rate Increase
Wikipedia - Color temperature (Lighting)
Wikipedia - Lumen (Lighting)
New Energy Economy - Oppose PNM Rate Hike!
