Kill a Watt ~ LED vs CFL...
LED vs CFL's.... currently CFL's are cheaper but do not last as long, plus CFL's have minute traces of murcury. LED's cost more but last up to 10 times longer. The one catch is that LED's are heavy and some ceiling fixtures are not strong enough to hold them. Make sure you read all the directions before installation in old fixtures or buy the new fixtures. good luck
Kill a Watt ~ LED vs CFL...
Being a conservative independent, I have long been mindful of our ecology and finite resources. As the global population expands, so does our need for power to fuel the wheels of commerce. Because the power bills from NES here in the Nashville, TN area continue to spiral higher, one consumer is making every attempt to lower their consumption and spread the word.One of the threads on my post last week "Kill a Watt ~ A Tale of Two Power Bills", Lenn Harley, a member of the ActiveRain real estate network, asked about LED bulbs. Quite frankly, that is one area that I had not considered in my quest for lower power consumption, that is until her comment.
After some research, I found them to be very energy efficient and well worth the cost. Here's why:
LED's will consume 8 Watts as compared to CFL's 14 for a 60 watt bulb.
LED's do not contain mercury. CFL's do. Because they contain a hazardous material, mercury, they should be disposed of in an environmentally safe site, but no one does.
LED's last longer - 50,000 hours vs 10,000 for CFL's.
LED's are dimmable. Something that not all CFL can do.
Most, but not all LED's can be used out doors in a UL approved receptacle. << Check the manufacturer's specifications >>
Downside. The initial cost. When one compares the initial cost of CFL's to incandescents,sticker shock shies most folks away. The same hold true for LED's. This link to a Energy Savings Calculator shows where you save money with CFL's.
Now how do LED's save you money? 1 longevity and 2 less power consumption. Sure, 8 watts vs 14 watts seems negligible but over the life span of the bulb this can really add up. Like how about 300,000 watts. Not to mention that you will have to replace the CFL bulb 5 times at about 8 bucks a pop.
I have seen these in the "big box" stores and they are reasonably priced considering all the factors. I purchased two to replace the halogens in my range hood. I also found a good selection of LED's on TheLEDlight.com website.
I hope you have found this article to be enlightening...
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