The picture below is for reference only and shows the wide spectrum of color in LED lighting:
The picture below is for reference only and shows the conversion between lumens and wattage:
LEDs
Average cost: $3 to $20
Average wattage: 4W to 22W
Average life expectancy: 20,000 hours
Light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, are the new rock stars of the bulb world. When an LED is switched on, electrons and electron holes come together (and don’t worry, I’m not completely sure I fully understand what a “hole” is in this context, either). At any rate, the result of this process is a release of energy in the form of photons — or light, to you and me.
This process uses a fraction of the wattage required to power an old-fashioned incandescent bulb, and this makes LEDs dramatically more cost-effective over the long run.
“LEDs are dramatically more cost-efficient over the long run.”
For instance, a single 10-watt LED that puts out 800 lumens of light (lumens are units of brightness for a light source — more on that in just a bit) will add about $1.20 per year to your power bill if used for 3 hours a day at an average energy rate of 11 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh). Under those same parameters, a traditional 60-watt incandescent bulb that puts out the same 800 lumens will cost about $7.20 per year. That’s more than the cost of replacing it with a basic LED like the one described above. Multiply that by the total number of bulbs in your home, and you’re looking at the potential for some pretty significant long-term savings, especially if you live in area with above-average energy rates.
LEDs are also rated to last for tens of thousands of hours, which can translate to decades of use. Compare that with the year or so you typically get out of an incandescent, and you can begin to see why so many people find these bulbs appealing. With some options now as cheap as $3 per bulb, that 10W LED would pay for itself in energy savings within a few months, then keep on saving you money for years if not decades to come.
Different Types of Ratings
LifeLux™ Products are rated to provide the LED fixture owner, an understanding of the longevity and expected performance of USA LED products. Products are classified as follows:
PRO – Highest Performance Rating, 7-10 years warranty, 70,000 – 130,000 hrs expected usage life, designed with the highest performance heat dissipation technology providing LED junction temperatures that are lower than LED supplier recommended acceptable operating conditions, best LED diode fabricator selection, and best LED driver suppliers with highest quality long life 105 Deg or better capacitors. All material component selections comply with international patent recognition.
STD – Standard Performance Ratings, 5-7 years warranty, 50,000 – 70,000 hrs expected usage life, Designed with industry standard heat dissipation technology, LED diodes, and LED drivers. All material component selections comply with international patent recognition.
ECO – Economical Performance Ratings, 3-5 year, 30,000 – 50,000 hrs expected usage life, Designed with the industries best cost/value performance for heat dissipation, LED Diodes, and LED drivers. All material component selections comply with international patent recognition.