flexiblefullpage - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
Currently Reading

More About LED Light Bulbs: Shapes and Operating Costs

Advertisement
billboard -
Lighting

More About LED Light Bulbs: Shapes and Operating Costs

A look at the most common bulb shapes available and a cost comparison of bulb types over time


By By Doug Walter, AIA June 30, 2015
A sketch of some of the most common LED bulb shapes available.
This article first appeared in the PR June 2015 issue of Pro Remodeler.

There are literally dozens of bulb shapes; these are just the most common ones we deal with. Although you can buy recessed cans that are optimized for A lamps, the light still blasts out in every direction instead of mostly down, which is where you need it. The solution: “reflector” lamps, which decrease in beam width from BR to R to PAR to better direct the light. Only a PAR bulb will avoid glare in a recessed fixture, which is why you should avoid recessed cans for ambient lighting. This is also the advantage of a dedicated LED fixture or screw-in retrofit LED kit: The homeowner can’t mess it up by replacing a carefully chosen but burned out PAR lamp with a spiral CFL that has none of the characteristics you planned.

What's the Payback?

The table below compares initial cost and operating expense for a single LED PAR 30 bulb with the equivalent CFL, halogen, and incandescent bulbs. Given that many of the numbers used here are more conservative than those in the government-mandated “Lighting Facts” table found on lamp packaging, this table represents a “worst case” scenario.

For example, bulb life for LEDs is typically based on 3 hours of use daily; I believe that 5 hours is a more realistic number. The cost of electricity also varies widely geographically. I’ve used current cost in Denver, where I live, but the national average is about 12 cents per kWh. Idaho is lowest at 8 cents; Hawaii, highest at 33 cents, with many states, such as New York, at around 18 cents. Obviously, the higher the rate per kWh, the quicker the payoff for LEDs.

Keep in mind that the costs shown here apply to just one bulb of each type. But the average new home or whole-house remodel uses nearly 100 surface or recessed fixtures. When I do that math, the savings over halogen or incandescent bulbs is about $16,000 over the 15,000-hour (13.7-year) estimated life of the LED. The savings over CFLs—which are second only to LEDs in efficiency and bulb life—is about $4,000. 

But remember, that the 15,000-hour LED bulb life estimate is itself conservative. In a fixture specifically designed for LEDs, bulbs can last two or three times longer (40,000 to 50,000 hours). 

 

Get the skinny on LED bulbs here—lots more info about color temperature, dimming, and name brands vs. off brands.

A look at the most common bulb shapes available a cost comparison of bulb types over time

Tags



Add new comment

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
leaderboard2 - default

Related Stories

Innovative Products: A Whole-Home Energy Monitoring System

Homeowners can control their lighting, load control, and EV charging through one app

Top 100 Products 2022

The industry's best, determined by our audience

Top 100 Products 2022: Lighting

Products from LIFX, Nora Lighting, Lutron Electronics, Kichler, and Lodes

Eye-Catching Products from IBS & KBIS 2022

Missed IBS 2022? Hit the show floor with Pro Remodeler

Better Kitchen Lighting in 3 Steps

A simple lighting makeover in one kitchen dramatically improved the space. Here’s how it was done.

Pro's Pick: GM Lighting LED Channel Lights

This Pro's Pick turns anyone into a lighting designer.

Top 100 Products for 2021: Lighting

Products from Lodes/Diesel, LIFX, Lutron Electronics, Nora Lighting, Kichler, and Leviton. 

Top 100 Products for 2020: Lighting

Products from Bruck Lighting, Kichler, Atlantis Rail, Modular LIghting Instruments, Nora Lighting, and Sun Valley Lighting. 

Top 100 Products for 2020

The year's top 100 products as decided by you, our readers

The Future of Future-Proofing

A conversation with The New American Remodel’s technology integrator

Advertisement
boombox2 -
Advertisement
halfpage2 -
Advertisement
native1 -

More in Category




Advertisement
native2 -
Advertisement
halfpage1 -
Advertisement
leaderboard1 -