LED light bulbs hit stores

[Fred Zed]

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20121112/DA2GMN280.html
NEW YORK (AP) - Sorry to see 100-watt bulbs disappear from stores because they were energy hogs? You can now get LED bulbs that roughly match the 100-watters for size and brightness, but use far less energy.
Until recently, your only alternative was a compact fluorescent bulb, which has several drawbacks compared with light-emitting diodes. Most people see the light quality as less pleasing, and the bulbs contain a small amount of mercury that's released if the glass breaks. LEDs, by contrast, don't contain any volatile, hazardous substances and are durable. They also last longer.

 

[onthebottom]

$50 for a lightbulb... yikes

 

[IM469]

$50 for a lightbulb... yikes

They have been in the stores for a while now. I use florescent on almost everything - the energy savings is significant. I can't justify the LED costs yet - they need to drop by ~60% before I'll consider them.

 

[WoodPeckr]

.....they need to drop by ~60% before I'll consider them.

Same here.

Switched over to CFLs a few years ago and did notice a nice savings on electric bills.
However they only last ~2years, not the 7-11 years advertised! Thought this may happen so I saved my receipts and so far had about a dozen replaced for free under warranty. This makes me skeptical about LED bulbs claims that they will last >20 years.....:eyebrows:

 

[Tangwhich]

Same here.

Switched over to CFLs a few years ago and did notice a nice savings on electric bills.
However they only last ~2years, not the 7-11 years advertised! Thought this may happen so I saved my receipts and so far had about a dozen replaced for free under warranty. This makes me skeptical about LED bulbs claims that they will last >20 years.....:eyebrows:

For what it's worth, Mythbusters were comparing light bulbs for electricity usage by turning them off and on repeatedly. The LED bulbs lasted a long, long time after everything had failed.
But you're right about CFLs though, they don't last anywhere near as long as advertised.

 

[rafterman]

Yeah I have one LED bulb in my house in my bedside lamp, rest are CFL. Cost of the bulb is definitely holding back demand.

 

[onthebottom]

Has anyone seen the math on these three technologies? I've found that CF light is annoying - clearly an analog conclusion.

OTB

 

[blackrock13]

$50 for a lightbulb... yikes

As you rates go up, presently at 6/9/12¢ on TO, and the bulb price comes down, popularity might be sooner than you think. What kind of rates exist in your area?

 

[onthebottom]

As you rates go up, presently at 6/9/12¢ on TO, and the bulb price comes down, popularity might be sooner than you think. What kind of rates exist in your area?

I don't know to tell you the truth but I think the math is a bit more involved than saying if rates go up then so will demand....

I'd like to see how long a CF and LED bulb have to last to break even with an incandescent bulb.

Here is a chart I found with a single google search:

http://www.designrecycleinc.com/led comp chart.html


Here is the "math" from a 2009 article that seems a bit dated:

Comparing Costs

The best way to compare the three types of bulbs is to calculate their costs over 30,000 hours of usage – the lifespan of a single LED bulb.

Standard incandescent bulbs The CFL used here has a lifetime of 1,300 hours, so we would need 23 bulbs over the period of this study. I was able to purchase a single incandescent of this type for $0.34, so our total cost for bulbs over 30,000 hours would be $7.82.

As it uses 60 watts, over a period of 30,000 hours, an incandescent bulb would use 1,800,000 watt hours, or 1,800 kilowatt hours. At the current approximate price of $0.10 per kilowatt hour, you would have to pay $180.00 to run an incandescent bulb over this period.

Thus, the total cost of a 60 watt incandescent bulb over a 30,000 hour lifespan is $187.82.

CFL bulbs The CFL used here has a lifetime of 8,000 hours, so we would need 3.75 bulbs over the period of this study. I was able to purchase a single CFL for $1.24, so our total cost for bulbs over 30,000 hours would be $4.65.

As it uses 13 watts, over a period of 30,000 hours, a CFL bulb would use 390,000 watt hours, or 390 kilowatt hours. At the current approximate price of $0.10 per kilowatt hour, you would have to pay $39.00 to run a CFL bulb over this period.

Thus, the total cost of a CFL bulb over a 30,000 hour lifespan is $43.65.

LED bulbs The LED bulb used here has a lifetime of 30,000 hours, so we would need only one bulb over the period of this study. Unfortunately, that single bulb has a cost of $119.99.

As it uses 7.5 watts, over a period of 30,000 hours, an LED bulb would use 245,000 watt hours, or 245 kilowatt hours. At the current approximate price of $0.10 per kilowatt hour, you would have to pay $24.50 to run an LED bulb over this period.

Thus, the total cost of an LED bulb over a 30,000 hour lifespan is $144.49.

http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009...bs-whats-the-best-deal-now-and-in-the-future/

 

[WoodPeckr]

I've found that CF light is annoying ....

There are two CFL types. One gives off soft light and the other a very annoying harsh light.
I avoid the harsh ones and have no problems with the soft light style.....

 

[Anynym]

Canadian Tire has had LED bulbs for ages now, in the price range of about $25 to $40.

 

[OddSox]

Livermore, California - light bulb is over 110 years old and still burning!

 

[checks]

The nice thing about incandescent bulbs that I miss is that they actually emit some heat. Sure, the CFL and LED bulbs save quite a bit of electricity, but by removing all the incandescents from your house, you have taken out a rather substantial heat source. Good for the summer, not so good in the winter, as you will have to run the furnace more to compensate. Is the increased amount of gas or electric heat the same as the amount you save from different bulbs? It would be nice to use incandescent in the winter and led in the summer.

 

[blackrock13]

Exactly - there is no free lunch, espeicially when it comes to energy.

as for this



What a pile of shit lie.These things are made usiing processes that are very toxic. 2ndly the light is very poor and if the rectifiers go woozy the light essentially strobes which is even worse. Incandescent still gives some of the best light.

Never seen LEDS strobe, except on purpose, but then all lights strobe, just very quickly. As for the process, that's not what was claimed. The light themselves don't contain hazardous substances.