LED Lights - Energy saving Incandescent Replacements Cost Dropping
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Energy Saving LED Lights Are Getting Affordable
LED lights - the bulbs that last up to 100,000 hours are becoming more affordable! Find out what the differences are, where you can replace incandescent or CFL bulbs and the down sides of these solid state devices.
WIth prices dropping below $20/bulb, LED lighting is fast becoming a "no brainer", especially in the hard to reach areas of your home.Price Watch
Update December 23, 2011 - The Dimmable 50W equivalent 6 Watt Warm White 1012w LED bulb
has dropped to $10.99!!Update October 18, 2011 - The Dimmable 50W equivalent 6 Watt Warm White 1012w LED bulb
has dropped to $11.99!!Update September 17, 2011 - Amazon.com now has the EarthLED ZetaLux 2 - PRO 7 Watt LED Light Bulb
has dropped to $14.99! For just a couple of dollars more than the Dimmable E26 A60 50 Watt Equivalent LED bulb Model 1012ww
, and one watt more electricity, you can get a 60W equivalent bulb that's an excellent alternative to the Philips Ambient LED
. The only down side is that it is not dimmable.Update July 7, 2011: Update - Home Depot has the Philips Ambient LED Dimmable 60W
(at least in Greenfield, MA) at 19.99 - I could have saved $5.00 if I went with the 1012ww bulb, but my curiosity got the better of me! Want to see how the Philips LED bulb is made? Go to 'dabblings.net for a partial takeapart!Update July 1, 2011: The 1012ww is now $14.99!
Update June 17 2011: 50W dimmable now below $16!!! The 1012ww is now $15.50!
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Which LED for You?
(opinion poll 2012)
Okay - there's a company that is selling LED bulbs with a lifetime warranty. These are drop in replacement bulbs for the most popular wattage available. G7 sells a 9W (65W equivalent) bulb with a lifetime warranty for $19.63. The other bulb is the 12.5W Philips 409904 which puts out 60W equivalent and is currently selling for $18.35.
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Update December 2011 60W Dimmable Spotlights for less than $40
Dimmable LED spot lights comparable to 60 watt bulbs for less than $40 are available on Amazon.com! The "magic" numbers for replacement bulbs are 60W, 75W and 100W equivalent. While they have been available, they have also been cost prohibitive. The ecoBrites Dimmable 7x1w Hi-Performance PAR30 LED light 
deliver 78% more Energy Savings than Incandescent Bulbs, or 47% more than Fluorescent Bulbs
Another spotlight, looking more like the outdoor variety is the PAR38 42 Warm White SMD LED Flood Light Bulb, 1313WW-CV Downside: not dimmable Oopside: no stated lifespan
LED Incandescent replacements have reached 50W equivalent for under $25 and ARE dimmable: the E26 A60 Standard Household Base fit in a standard socket, cast a good amount of light and save you more money by only using 5.6W. Downside= 20,000 life.
LED Lights - The 100,000 hour light bulb!
LED Lights - Home LED replacement bulbs are getting more reasonable as well as finding their way into big box stores. While many are esoteric in design, from under cabinet lights to closet lights that are battery powered, there are many on the internet that can be had for what CFL's were a few years ago. They use up to 1/10 the electricity of an incandescent, and last 10 times as long. Comparisons to Incandescents
Hot Bulbs, Cool Bulbs
Compared to an incandescent bulb, an LED will last up to 100 times as long - up to 100,000 hours of use. comparing the electricity used, you'll be saving a lot - over a twenty year period. At Eight hours a day you'll spend:40W Incandescent Light $59 in replacementbulbs (59 bulbs)
$467 in electricity (0.2/KWh)
total: $526
CFL 40W Equivalent Bulb$15 in replacement bulbs (5 bulbs)
$105 in electricity (0.2/KWh)
total: $120
LED 40W Equivalent Bulb$0 in replacement bulb (still working)
$51 in electricity (0.2/KWh)
Total: $51
A difference of $475 from an incandescent, and a difference of $69 from a CFL. CFL's still have some advantage at first cash outlay, but the LED will pay for itself (considering approximately $20 for a bulb) in four years, and keep on going. It'll pay for itself as a replacement of an incandescent in less than a year!
In the Big Box Stores
finally!
As mentioned on NPR's all tech considered (http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2010/10/13/130540526/), LED bulbs are reaching the big box stores, and the prices are dropping. But you have to realize you need to do a little calculating before you put down your hard earned cash. In my dabblings.net site, I compare a recently bought LED bulb vs a CFL and an incandescent. The 9W was from Home Depot:
Compared to a 4.4W LED, a CFL, and an incandescent over five years:
4.4W LED--9WLED ----11W CFL ----------40W incandescent
$12.85 -----$26.28 -----$32.12 -------------$116.80 <---------$ of Electricity
$19.95 -----$19.95 -----$15.00(3 bulbs) --$ 21.00(15 bulbs) <-------Repl. bulbs over 5 yrs
$32.80 -----$46.23 -----$44.12 --------------$139.30
Here, the CFL wins by $2+ over 5 years. See dabblings.net for a clearer explanation.
Compared to a 4.4W LED, a CFL, and an incandescent over five years:
4.4W LED--9WLED ----11W CFL ----------40W incandescent
$12.85 -----$26.28 -----$32.12 -------------$116.80 <---------$ of Electricity
$19.95 -----$19.95 -----$15.00(3 bulbs) --$ 21.00(15 bulbs) <-------Repl. bulbs over 5 yrs
$32.80 -----$46.23 -----$44.12 --------------$139.30
Here, the CFL wins by $2+ over 5 years. See dabblings.net for a clearer explanation.
LED Direct Replacements - Different Bulbs for Different Needs
There are two types of "Edison Base" screw in LED bulbs available currently: Spot/Flood, and Globe.
The Spot/Flood type are directional: they only send light out in a flashlight-like pattern. These are great for recessed lighting, for floodlights, or for lighting up a specific area.
If you're replacing a bulb in a room lamp like a torchier, you'll want the "globe" variety. These LED fixtures shine their light more like a convetional bulb in every direction, and are better suited for floor lamps and overhead lights, especially the overhead lights where they don't screw in vertically, but screw in at an angle and take advantage of a reflector.
The Spot/Flood type are directional: they only send light out in a flashlight-like pattern. These are great for recessed lighting, for floodlights, or for lighting up a specific area.
If you're replacing a bulb in a room lamp like a torchier, you'll want the "globe" variety. These LED fixtures shine their light more like a convetional bulb in every direction, and are better suited for floor lamps and overhead lights, especially the overhead lights where they don't screw in vertically, but screw in at an angle and take advantage of a reflector.
LED Bulb Configurations
Benefits and Drawbacks
There are two different configurations of LED bulbs available too, and they've both got their advantages and disadvantages:Large Cluster LED Bulbs - these have more than ten LED's within the unit, and look like some of the UFO's in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, except the light is all white. The advantage here is cost: they're much easier to manufacture inexpensively. The disadvantage is that every LED is a possible point of failure: for each LED, there are two solder joints that can go bad, along with the conversion circuitry inside.
Single or Small Cluster LED Bulbs - these bulbs use more expensive LEDs that deliver more lumens per LED (more light). Their main advantage is that there are less points of failure: a five LED cluster only has ten points of possible failure outside of the driver circuits, where a comparable bulb will have 120 points of failure for a 60 LED cluster or more! The disadvantage is that they're more expensive to manufacuture due to the cost of the individual LED's, and the circuitry inside has to be more precise.
Best Buy for Non-Dimmable LED Bulb - EarthLED Zetalux 2
for $14.99. One watt more and non-dimmable, this bulb's output is noticeably brighter than the 1012ww, but only if you put them side by side. It's also instant-on: no delay from when you flip the switch. An excellent choice for out of the way bulbs as well as frequently on lights in the house, it has become my new favorite in the non-dimmable line of LED lights. 60W equivalent (marked as 50W equivalent) that ROCKS!
New Review as of 3/15/2011
I just purchased the Dimmable E26 A60 6 Watt LED, Warm White, 1012ww
. It may seem a little pricey at first, but if you do the math, you'll find it will "pay for itself" compared to a 60W incandescent bulb in less than one year, including the cost of the electricity.
It will "pay for itself" compared to a 13W CFL in three years (has anyone else noticed that CFL wattages are creeping up? Used to get 60W equivalent CFLs at 11W, now they're 13W - 15W.
I put it into a table lamp and took a picture, then replaced it with a 60W incandescent, and there was virtually no difference - surprising with the heat sink. After leaving it on all night, the top glass was warm to the touch, but not hot. The heatsink was almost too hot to touch, meaning that it was doing it's job.
My sister and her husband use track lights in "StromHaus" - a nice ski lodge in VT that has a dimmer, and the bulbs are 16 feet away. Think of replacing three 60W bulbs ($95 in electricity at full blast, at $0.20/KWh, plus $4.50 for the bulbs) with three of these ($9.50 in electricity with the same KWh rating. + $66 for the bulbs): $24 savings the first year, 85.50 the second year, etc. If they last for 30,000 hrs, you would save over $600. My kind of light.
Add the dimming factor, as well as one trip every 10-15 years up the ladder to replace them, and your savings and peace of mind are even better.
Great Stuff on Amazon
What To Buy
You have to weigh out the cost vs. the possibility of failure, and where the bulb going to do you the most good. Night time outdoor floods make the most sense and are worth the cost, especially if they're on all the time. Indoors, the light that's always left on in the hallway is the one you'll most likely want to replace. Also, you have to be sure it fits! Just like CFL's, the LED replacement bulbs may not fit in the fixture you'd like. Be sure you can compare the shape and size of the bulb so you know it'll fit: otherwise you'll have several costly LED Edison base bulbs lighting up your cellar, or other places that they're hardly used, just because they fit!
Another factor to consider is the light output - if it' equivalent to a 15 watt bulb, you're not going to use it in a hallway. Get at least a 40W equivalent for these areas, preferably more.
Another factor to consider is the light output - if it' equivalent to a 15 watt bulb, you're not going to use it in a hallway. Get at least a 40W equivalent for these areas, preferably more.
LED Lights - The Bottom Line
Replacing one 40W incandescent bulb with an LED equivelant will pay for itself in less than one year, and you've got up to 19 more years to reap the rewards! Think of replacing five bulbs: the first year costs you about $100. The second year you've saved $100, in five years you've saved $500, in ten you've saved $1000, etc. And the price just keeps dropping!
Every cost cutting action you take adds up to a total savings in the long term, as long as you're not buying everything on credit or taking out loans. Replacing one bulb every month is easy, effective and you'll probably run out of bulbs before two years. Consider other low-cost saving strategies as well, like insulation, an energy audit for your home, cold water washing, line drying, etc. Every dollar you save adds up when you add them all up!
Every cost cutting action you take adds up to a total savings in the long term, as long as you're not buying everything on credit or taking out loans. Replacing one bulb every month is easy, effective and you'll probably run out of bulbs before two years. Consider other low-cost saving strategies as well, like insulation, an energy audit for your home, cold water washing, line drying, etc. Every dollar you save adds up when you add them all up! Was this helpful?
Clicking Like will help me learn what has been useful, so I can focus on these topics. Thanks in advance!
LED Bulbs
Looking at all the factors, which would you buy?
Pharox 300 Dimmable LED Bulb - 60 Watt Incandescent Replacement Bulb
An energy efficient lighting breakthrough! This Pharox more...1 point
Miracle LED MAX Spot- Larger High Efficiency Light Bulb (60 W Equivalent)
Miracle LED MAX Spot- Larger High Efficiency Light more...0 points
A19 E27/E26 Standard Base 6w White LED Round Light Bulbs 480lm - replaces 50watt incandescent
New find as of 2011/04/04, with shipping it tips t more...0 points
Dimmable E26 A60 Standard Household Base 50 Watt Incandescent Light Bulb Replacement with a 6 Watt LED, Warm White, 1012ww
So many of our customers have been asking for a fu more...0 points
Best prices for LED direct replacement bulbs
Updated semi-regularly
One of the better prices on a multi-LED bulb: 600 Lumen White Note: Made for "bare bulb" applications, you'd have trouble fitting this into an enclosed fixture.
Low Priced, can at least get you started:Globe Shaped
Higher priced higher quality, spotlight despite the shape:stainless steel spotlight
Low Priced, can at least get you started:Globe Shaped
Higher priced higher quality, spotlight despite the shape:stainless steel spotlight
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