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Normally you would expect an article like this to begin with some anodyne waffle by way of introduction before eventually getting round to presenting a vaguely plausible argument in support of the title. However, I don't have the time right now and frankly don't see the need either. The facts speak for themselves, so let's start by assaulting you with a load of numbers.
Normally you would expect an article like this to begin with some anodyne waffle by way of introduction before eventually getting round to presenting a vaguely plausible argument in support of the title. However, I don't have the time right now and frankly don't see the need either. The facts speak for themselves, so let's start by assaulting you with a load of numbers. A regular mains voltage halogen light of the type ubiquitously installed in ceilings requires 50W input power, costs about 2 to buy, will last maybe 2,000 hours and over that same period will use 12 worth of electricity; this is calculated by assuming very modest annual usage of 1,000 hours (about 3 hours each day) and the currently accepted average electricity price of 0.12 per kWh. A GU10 LED replacement (i.e. an LED with near identical performance characteristics, such as the Sharp Zenigata) consumes 4 watts, costs at present 24 to buy, has an effective lifespan of over 40,000 hours and will cost 0.96 to run over the same time period. Looks like the LED has priced itself out due to the much higher purchase cost, doesn't it? But let's add a bit more "real world" perspective into this picture. To begin with, to compete against the lifespan of a single LED requires replacing the halogen 20 times, which brings the true purchase price up to 40 (20 x 2) which is nearly double the LED's 24 price tag. Second, if we view things over the lifespan of the LED rather than the feeble lifetime of the halogen then we incur running costs of 240 for the halogen compared to 19.20 for the LED. As a final step, let's now add together the running costs over 40,000 hours with the "real" purchase prices, and immediately it's clear that the total bill for the LED will be 43.20 as compared to 280 for the halogen lamp (and its many replacements). If you thought this would be an exercise in scraping out 10% or even 50% savings, think again - the numbers do not deceive, halogen lamps cost 1000% more than LED equivalents. Even allowing for the initial purchase costs, halogen lighting is comfortably in excess of 700% more expensive. People tend to attach weight to upfront costs and are reluctant to spend 12 times as much to purchase an LED, yet as the above illustration shows the halogen's combined repeat-purchase costs are double those of the LED and for operating costs it's a monster. LED lighting is a different ball game altogether - notice for example that in this scenario the LED's purchase price exceeds its lifetime electricity costs. Needless to say, this illustration is somewhat low-scale and examines just one very lightly used light bulb. However, I noticed en-route from my North facing (hence gloomy) kitchen that 10 down lights stay on in there from early till late, then passing through the hall I spotted 4 more and here in my office 6 more are switched on for a good 6 hours daily. Totting this lot up we can see that even these 3 rooms use more than 100,000 hours worth of electricity each year (that's ((6*6hrs)+(10*17hrs)+(4*17hrs))*365 days = 100,010 hours) which works out at (100,000 * 50W * (0.12/1000)) 600 just in electricity costs for halogen lighting, compared to a rather more reasonable 48 for LED lighting. Let's examine some slightly more real world examples where artificial light operates almost constantly (hospitals, hotels, shops, offices, airports etc). Stir in some currency symbols and presto, simple mathematics is transformed into economics and all of a sudden we're talking really big bucks. We have demonstrated that, despite initial appearances, the purchase price of an LED is about half that of an equivalent halogen lamp when you account for the repeat-purchases as it wears out. We have also calculated that overall electric lighting using halogen lamps is 12 times more costly than replacing them with LEDs. So the one question remaining then is this: why would anyone stick with halogen lamps? DISCLAIMER: This article is provided as information only and is not to be taken as financial advice. To find out more about this subject, check out this hot recommendation from Louisa Kennicot that examines the topic of low energy light bulbs. |