LED (Light Emitting Diode) technology has accelerated at such a pace that it has now overtaken CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamps) as the preferred low energy alternative to halogen.

LED vs. Halogen: The Benefits

Longer Lifespan and Greater Energy Savings

As well as lasting thirty to forty times longer than halogen and three to four times longer than CFL, LED light bulbs offer far greater energy savings. In terms of light output, LED bulbs now provide the same quality and intensity of halogen.

The Evolution of LED Technology

Earlier generations of LED bulbs gave LED lighting a bad name within the lighting industry as they provided very low levels of light and produced poor color reproduction. Older generations can generally be identified by having a bubbly front lens with multiple LEDs, whereas new power LEDs are flat and contain three or four power LEDs behind a glass lens, similar to a halogen. More advanced LED chips are now used by manufacturers such as CREE, which produce the same clear white light often associated with halogen. Older, inferior LEDs should only be used for decorative purposes, not ambient lighting. High-power LEDs now offer a true, low-energy lighting solution.

Cost of LED Bulbs: Is the Investment Worth It?

Initial Costs vs. Long-Term Savings

The main problem with LED bulbs is the price; they cost around ten times more than halogen and three times more than CFL. However, this price can be justified when you consider savings that can be made.

Life Expectancy and Value for Money

The first saving relates to the life expectancy of the bulb, and in reality, you’re actually getting better value for money if you choose LED. For example, a fifty-watt halogen bulb will last for two thousand hours. Compare this with a seven-watt Philips Master LED bulb, which will last for forty thousand hours. This means that over the same time period of forty thousand hours, you would be paying for twenty halogen bulbs when just one LED bulb would do. This would make a saving of around ten pounds as buying one seven-watt Philips Master LED is cheaper than buying twenty fifty-watt halogens. Admittedly, it will take a while for you to realize the saving, but you will quickly save the time and effort it takes to change a bulb on twenty separate occasions.

Environmental Benefits of LED Bulbs

Reducing Your Carbon Footprint

Another benefit of using LED bulbs is the environmental impact. LED bulbs are energy efficient and reduce your carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. Changing one halogen bulb to an LED will save around one hundred kilograms of CO₂ per year. This will reduce your carbon footprint and help the planet.

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Comparison

Cost Breakdown of LED vs. Halogen

The cost of ownership for a seven-watt Philips Master LED would be approximately £65 – this includes the price of the LED bulb and the total running costs. No additional maintenance costs would need to be calculated as the LED bulb wouldn’t need replacing.

Maintenance and Running Costs for Halogen Bulbs

The cost of ownership for twenty fifty-watt halogens would be approximately £332; this includes the price of twenty halogen bulbs and the total running costs over the same time period of 40,000 hours. For commercial use, the maintenance costs would also have to be considered as twenty bulbs would need to be replaced by a paid member of staff or by a third party on a contract basis. The total saving based on TCO would be £260. Again, this is just for one bulb.

Choosing the Right LED Bulb for Your Needs

Considerations for LED Bulb Selection

Now the financial and environmental benefits have been made abundantly clear, you just need to decide which LED bulb is the most suitable for your lighting needs. The most important and obvious consideration is the physical size of the bulb. The Philips seven-watt Master LED is physically deeper than a halogen and won’t fit in most enclosed fire-rated downlights. Other factors include the wattage and type of bulb you are replacing. If the LED needs to be dimmable, then this opens up more potential problems as not all LED bulbs are dimmable, and dimmable LEDs are more expensive and won’t work with all dimmer switches. Also, the minimum and maximum dimmer switch loads for LEDs are different as de-rating factors must be calculated. Downlights Direct can help you find the perfect match.

Low Voltage vs. Mains Voltage LED Bulbs

Advantages of Low Voltage LEDs

Mains voltage LED bulbs are easier to replace than low voltage bulbs as the compatibility of the low voltage transformer does not have to be considered. The advantage of using low voltage MR16 bulbs over mains voltage GU10s is that they are brighter by around thirty percent. Some low voltage LED bulbs, such as the Kosnic ones, must be used with a special LED driver. This is because they operate on DC (direct current) voltages; using a standard low voltage transformer would drastically reduce the life expectancy of the bulb and most likely cause flickering. This adds to the setup costs and requires additional wiring, which should be done by a qualified electrician. Philips low voltage LEDs operate on AC (alternating current) voltages and are compatible with most existing low voltage transformers, making them the ideal retrofit solution.

LED: The Future of Lighting

LED has completely transformed the lighting industry and could soon make all other types of lighting obsolete, leaving LED as the one and only choice for both residential and commercial lighting solutions.

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