![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Lightbulb Comparisons
May. 14th, 2010 09:20 pmI have been comparing light bulb technology (incandescent vs. Compact Fluorescent vs. Light Emitting Diode) and prices recently, and the results are intriguing to me, so I thought I would share. ( my findings )
As you can see, the LED lights are still more expensive than the other options, and CFL's are still your most cost effective solution. It is only when you include the energy savings between using 8.6W per hour and 40W per hour that the LED fixtures beat the incandescent bulbs, and come closer to the CFLs.
When you look at the complete life cycle of the bulbs, the materials and energy used to create the bulbs, and the waste generated over the 50,000 hours of use, however, the LED wins hands down. It uses less packaging, it doesn't contain mercury, and it uses less resources to make than either the CFL's or the incandescents.
The LED fixtures for home use are still a new technology, and as such the economies of scale have not kicked in to drive costs down, however the technology is definitely the wave of the future. Stay Tuned!
As you can see, the LED lights are still more expensive than the other options, and CFL's are still your most cost effective solution. It is only when you include the energy savings between using 8.6W per hour and 40W per hour that the LED fixtures beat the incandescent bulbs, and come closer to the CFLs.
When you look at the complete life cycle of the bulbs, the materials and energy used to create the bulbs, and the waste generated over the 50,000 hours of use, however, the LED wins hands down. It uses less packaging, it doesn't contain mercury, and it uses less resources to make than either the CFL's or the incandescents.
The LED fixtures for home use are still a new technology, and as such the economies of scale have not kicked in to drive costs down, however the technology is definitely the wave of the future. Stay Tuned!
