This is going to be a controversial blog with the greenies, but, before hyper-ventilating, I’m one myself in a way. The problem that I have with the LED hype is that the lights are soooo expensive and the effect soooo little. So at the moment there is not much bang for your buck. Why is this. Well, it is all about lux, illumance and reading by candle light.

I’m all for using less energy, or being more efficient, but I need to work and read the TV guide (unless the remote is lying next to me).  In the past LED’s had an output of about 0.1Watt per bulb. That is not a lot so manufacturers cram between 10 and 30 into one composite light. That means you get between 1Watt and 3Watts of light from the lower range LED’s.  Technology is improving and the latest LED’s have an output of 8.5 Watts with 320 lumen. Now lets put this into perspective and see if you can read your TV manual.  A 100 Watt bulb provides an output of about 1750 Lumens (A lumen describes how much light is contained in a certain area, if that does not make sense just imagine one lumen equals one torch light. It is the relative scale that matters not absolute amounts). Now, a 13 Watt energy saver provides about 730 lumens of light. Slightly more than four times more effective or energy efficient (it’s luminous efficiency is higher). LED’s output is 370 Lumen for a 8.5 Watt bulb, that is less efficient than energy savers and more expensive to buy.

I must say that the output of LED’s has increased in the last 2 years from meagre 1-3 Watt to 8.5 Watt.  I expect in the next 2 years that must double.  So in the meantime I will stick to my energy savers and wait.

It has been six years since I wrote this article and I am still not impressed with the effectiveness of LED’s although I have installed them in numerous places throughout my house.