Lets talk low voltage globes!
Watts, lumens, lux, LED, CFL, incandescent, all gets a bit confusing doesn’t it? Well, here is the facts and figures:
In the old days, we used incandescent bulbs (and in a lot of cases, still do). For an average size room a 100 watt globe will give a reasonable amount of light. They are not very efficient, as a lot of the power is turned into heat
These single fittings have largely been replaced by halogen down lights, especially in new houses. Generally though, a room that may have had only one central fitting will now sport 4 downlights, usually 50 watts each (and in some cases more). As they are a reflector globe, most of the light is directed where it should be. Into the room and not up at the ceiling.
So, how much does it cost to run a 50 watt halogen down light? At a tariff of 28c per kilowatt hour, a single 50w halogen downlight, run for one hour per day will cost a bit over $5 per year to run. If there’s four in the kitchen and they are on for 2 hours a night, that’s $40 a year. And that’s only one room. Starts to add up doesn’t it?
Solution? One solution is to change the 50w globes to 35w globes, but of course the room will get a bit dimmer.
But now, we can get LED. This stands for Light Emitting Diode. It uses an electronic component rather than a wire filament glowing white hot. They cost more initially, but this is offset by their lifespan. A good quality globe (non LED) can last up to 2000 hours (less if they are switched on and off frequently). An LED will last 25,000 hours. So while they may cost up to ten times more it is balanced out, and you actually save not having to change the globe as often.
More on lumens and light output coming soon!