LED Lighting Blog

The Hidden Costs of Incandescent Lights vs. LED Lighting

Posted by Electro-Matic on Jun 25, 2014 6:00:00 AM

Often times people are hesitant to switch to LED lighting because of the higher initial price tag associated with it. Although the dollar amount can be somewhat intimidating at first, what’s not talked about as much are the unseen benefits and cost savings. Here are some of the hidden benefits of LED lighting.

Life Span

The first hidden cost of incandescent lights compared to LED is seen when taking a look at normal, household LED lighting. An average incandescent light bulb usually lasts about 1,200 hours total, but a simple household LED (light emitting diode) light’s average life span is around 50,000 hours. When you multiply each of these to match industrial sized lighting, the numbers are off the charts.

Energy Use

Because of the design of incandescent bulbs and the fact that electrical energy must pass through the filament within a bulb to be converted and turned into light, more heat is produced in the process than actual light. This can send your energy usage up, too. LED lights use less power, meaning lower electricity bills and reduced greenhouse gas emissions which can mean big things in terms of your return on investment when you switch to LED.

Durability

We’ve all had those moments when we are changing a light or accidentally bump into a light and it breaks, leaving a jagged, broken bulb left in a live socket. Chances are good that this is because we had an incandescent bulb screwed in. One of the biggest weakness of these bulbs is the mere fact that they have a weak, fragile structure. Any sudden movement or disturbance can cause these bulbs to break into pieces. Simply regulary slamming of doors could be cause enough to create a change reaction of broken light bulbs.

On the other hand, LED lights are designed to withstand jolting and bumping and maintain safety and efficiency in a variety of conditions.

Sensitivity (temperature and humidity)

Depending on the brand of lights bulb used, some incandescent bulbs are highly sensitive to temperature and humidity. In extreme temperatures or weather conditions, these light bulbs can fail or be damaged beyond repair. The industrial grade design of LED light bulbs allow them to function in even the more humid, high temperature conditions without any issue.

Heat Emission

While people spend a lot of money and energy trying to cool their offices and homes, often times they don’t realize that their lighting is working against them, skyrocketing their energy usage and bills. Incandescent bulbs can reach an upwards of 335.4 degrees Fahrenheit in just a single 100 watt bulb, increasing the potential for fires and burns. Whereas, because of the way that LED bulbs produce light, they are able to maintain an average temperature of 87.2 degree Fahrenheit reducing an fear of danger.

Cost Savings

Although the more well-known advantage of LED lighting, we can’t overlook the cost savings associated with “going green.” For an average household with 30 operating light bulbs, annual costs usually reach around $360 per year. That is just the amount required for operating these lights alone, not to mention other appliances and machines in operation daily. LED lighting, on the other hand, presents a annual cost of about only $85 per year, saving you your paychecks and piece of mind.

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Topics: LED Technology, LED Lighting