While LED (light emitting diode) down lights are rapidly changing the shape of the global lighting industry, the benefits of these technologically superior lights may not initially be obvious to consumers who are used to the traditional Halogen globe, which is initially less expensive to purchase but is, in many ways, inferior to LED down lights and does not offer the long-term cost benefits.
LED lights last longer & cost less to run
However, as industry professionals know, the growth in popularity and use of LED down lights is due to their exceptional return on investment. While initial upfront costs of LED down lights are more expensive than traditional lighting, the money an LED down light will save its users over the course of its lifetime is unparalleled. Most LED down lights have the ability to run approximately 25 times longer than traditional Halogen lighting. Just consider the money that LED users will save by replacing their Halogen globes alone, in addition to the larger, long-term savings!
Martec, a LED lighting company based out of Sydney, has several LED down lights with expected lifetimes of 50,000 hours. If consumers were to switch to one of the many 50,000 hour LED down lights produced by Martec 24 hours a day, 365 days a year nonstop until the LED began to dim (LEDs don’t burn out, they just become dim), they would run for 5.7 years. Add to that the money consumers would save on energy bills with LED down lights, and the decision gets easier. The math is simple, running super-efficient LED down light for 8 hours a day, on average, would mean that the lifetime of the LED would last for a minimum of 15 years, in ideal conditions.
Running costs - LED vs Halogen
For example:
- Halogen - If homeowners had twelve 240V 50W Halogen globes with a cost per kilowatt hour (kWh) of $0.23, they would spend $400 per year just to operate home lighting for eight hours a day.
- LED - By comparison, the a 240V 16W Martec LED down light which is 30% more efficient with a greater lumen output and a larger beam angle means that homeowners not only save money from the efficiency, but will also only need eight LED down lights—compared to twelve Halogen—to produce the same amount of light in a household. Using eight 240V 16W LED down lights, homeowners would spend only $86 annually, a cost savings of $317 a year in electricity alone. Over an average lifetime of 10 years for the 8 LEDs, they would save $3000!
The technology behind LED lighting
State-of-the-art technology is behind the efficiency of Surface Mounted Device (SMD) technology. SMD LEDs give off very little heat, and require only 12V of electricity to operate at their fullest potential. Combined with the low voltage SMD technology, the LED design has an advanced heat sink diffuser and curved diffusion blades. Curved blades will create more surface area for the heat sink to diffuse into, which results in a 30% thermal performance increase compared to straight-fin heat sink LEDs.
LED light quality comparison
When compared to a standard 50W Halogen globe, LED down lights have an effective lumen output of up to 1120, which is not only 20% brighter than the Halogen, but is also 10% brighter than comparative 16W LED down lights currently available in the market. In addition, the minimum conversion of energy into light by LED down lights begins at 30% more efficient than Halogens and can go up to 80% more efficient, depending on the type, design and heat sink of the LED down light installed.
The result? More lighting, less cost, less energy used. Consumers, and the environment, win.