LED versus conventional light

LED light may be the right choice today.

What is LED Lighting?
LED lighting uses Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)
 instead of a filament like in an incandescent bulb. 
LEDs are solid state devices; there is no moving 
parts, chemicals or gases. In built   circuit 
chips are very safe, reliable and efficient.

 Benefits of LED Lighting?

• LEDs operate at a much higher efficiency than conventional lighting, and also higher than energy saver bulbs. This means that LED lighting will save power and will therefore save our more money than any other bulb.
• Unlike incandescent or halogen lighting, LED lighting runs cool, so there is no risk of burning or fire hazards.
• LEDs have a much longer lifetime, where a typical LED bulb lasts up to 50,000 hours compared to typically 30,000 for fluorescent and only 2000 for halogen or incandescent bulbs.
• LED bulbs turn on instantly unlike the energy saver bulbs which take a while to "warm up".
• There is no glass to break in most LED bulbs, which makes them safer.
• LEDs are ideal for use in applications that are subject to frequent on-off cycling, unlike fluorescent lamps that burn out more quickly when cycled frequently.
• The manufacturer has full control over the colour of light output from LEDs.
• LEDs do not contain mercury, unlike fluorescent lamps.

How does the Lifespan of an LED Bulb Compare?
LED bulbs last for much MUCH longer than standard bulbs, so although they are more expensive, they pay for themselves many times over their lifetime. Imagine not having to replace your bulbs for 10 years! The following diagram shows how much longer an LED bulb runs for compared to those short living halogens:

How does the Power Consumption of an LED Bulb Compare?
LED bulbs draw much less energy than standard bulbs, The following diagram shows the power consumption of a LED bulb with the equivalent light output of other bulbs. LED bulbs run on about 8-15% of the power.

Operation cost

Energy Efficiency && Energy Costs	Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)	Light Bulbs	Compact  Fluorescents (CFLs)
Life Span (average)	50,000 hours	1,200 hours	8,000hours
Watts of electricity used LEDs use less power (watts) per unit of light generated (lumens). LEDs help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and lower electric bills	6 - 8 watts	60W	13-15W
Kilo-watts of Electricity used    (30 Incandescent Bulbs per year equivalent)	329 KWh/yr.	3285 KWh/yr.	767 KWh/yr.
Annual Operating Cost   (30 Incandescent Bulbs per year equivalent)	Rs.1974 @Rs6/- per unit	Rs.19710	Rs.4602

Environmental Impact

Environmental impact	Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)	Light Bulbs	Compact  Fluorescents (CFLs)
Contains the TOXIC Mercury	No	No	Yes - Mercury is very toxic to your health and the environment
RoHS Compliant	yes	Yes	No - contains 1mg-5mg of Mercury and is a major risk to the environment
Carbon Dioxide Emissions  (30 bulbs per year), Lower energy consumption decreases: CO2 emissions, sulphur oxide, and high-level nuclear waste.	204 KG/year	2041 KG/year	476.5 KG/year

Important Fact

	Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)	Light Bulbs	Compact  Fluorescents (CFLs)
Sensitivity to low temperatures	None	Some	Yes - may not work under negative 10 degrees Fahrenheit or over 120 degrees Fahrenheit
Sensitive to humidity	No	Some	Yes
On/off Cycling Switching a CFL on/off quickly, in a closet for instance may decrease the lifespan of the bulb.	No Effect		Yes  - can reduce lifespan drastically
Turns on instantly	Yes	Yes	No - takes time to warm up
Durability	Very Durable - LEDs can handle jarring and bumping	Not Very Durable - glass or filament can break easily	Not Very Durable - glass can break easily
Heat Emitted	3.4 btu's/hour	85 btu's/hour	30 btu's/hour
Failure Modes	Not typical	Some	Yes - may catch on fire, smoke, or omit an odor

Light output

	Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)	Light Bulbs	Compact  Fluorescents (CFLs)
Lumens	watts	watts	watts
450	4-5	40	9-13
800	6-8	60	13-15
1100	9-13	75	18-25
1600	16-20	100	23-30
2600	25-28	150	30-55

Mercury in CFLs

We are pushing more mercury into environment by using Tube light and CFL. Some of our electricity is produced by coal-fuelled power plants that release mercury into the environment. Using CFLs uses less electricity and results in fewer mercury emissions, as compared to incandescent lamp:

Conclusion:

LEDs are competitive, Eco friendly, and likely to go better. LEDs lighting technology is still growing and improving drastically.