CLCBulbs 813-514-1266 Are efficient LED bulbs worth the price? Continued... How youll be using the bulb Before you get too lost in the numbers, consider what youre using your lighting for. A good application for long-lasting LEDS is a tough-to-reach space or one where you need to leave the light on for a long time, for example. Often, CFLs are not always dimmable and LEDs typically are. Also, consider that LEDs are best at directional light, which is why there are so many spotlight and downlight LEDs that fit into cans. Reviews for the Home Depot downlight from Cree--a 65-watt replacement that uses 10 watts--are generally positive and there are signs that pricing is going to be aggressive. They are listed at $49.97 online but they were available for $20, at least in some Massachusetts stores due to state incentives for efficient products. Another good use is a goose-neck desk lamp, which is designed for directed light. These latest general-use LED bulbs do a better job dispersing light, but there are limits. Last night I put two LED bulbs from Lighting Sciences Group into sconces that are at about at eye level on either side of a mirror. The amount of light was fine, but because most of the light was projected down, it didnt provide the light where I wanted it to use the mirror. That same bulb in a ceiling light works just fine. Paying $20 or $40 for a bulb is obviously a lot compared to the $2 bulbs already available, but there are other reasons to switch bulbs besides yearly energy savings, as commenters at CNET and the Home Depot Web site made clear. Many people get impatient waiting for CFLs to warm up, particularly outside, or they dont want to worry about mercury in CLFs (which should be recycled through waste collection agencies or retailers). The inefficiency of incandescent bulbs manifests itself as heat. Using cooler LEDs can be significant when you consider the cost of cooling. Im about to buy some LEDs for my own home and one feature Im considering is color temperature. In some areas, I think that a warmer yellow light--rated at 2,700 Kelvin--would work well. But some LEDs have a cooler white at 3,000 Kelvin, which Ill put in other spots. Ill also be paying more attention to color rendering index, which is a measure of color accuracy. To be continued... Ref: CNET Commercial Lighting Tampa 8135141266
Posted on: Thu, 07 Nov 2013 21:32:57 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015