Recommendations on Energy Saving light bulbs

[JimmiG]

get LEDs , they are awesome
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...0003-_-Product

My bedside reading lamp uses LEDs, and I tried using a small (1 or 2W) LED bulb in a decoration lamp. I generally find them very harsh and bright when you're looking directly at them, but the light doesn't spread out.

 

[edro]

What advantage does LED have over Metal Halide HID lamps which have a higher efficiency, and are fraction of the cost, and size.

Longer life, no need to replace the lamp, instant-on, less lumen depreciation, lower temperature, to name a few.

Also, 400W Metal Halide lamp surfaces get over 400°C and if the lamp ruptures the plasma is around 1100°C.
LEDs don't explode or catch things on fire.

Still, HID has a ton of benefits over LED... it's just that those benefits will be gone in a few years.

 

[Jeff7]

You are quite behind the times. 1300 lumens has been done a long time ago. Here is one with up to 5500 lumens in just 0.22 in^2 of space. Mouser claims to have them in stock by June 10th.

Tell Philips to get up to date then - they just released the Luxeon S.

I think its thing is that it can be used without any solder. They've got some funky hold-down clamp thing that bolts right to a heatsink. Wires go in, and when you engage the spring-clamp, it slices into the insulation, and also touches to contacts on the LED module. Light turns on, no soldering.

But yes, that one there does definitely do much better in terms of lumens per OH GOD MY EYES ARE BURNING!!!

 

[dullard]

5500 Lumens at 90watts is significantly less efficient than todays fluorescents and HID lamps which today are doing that at less than half the wattage. That is the problem too with LED as efficient as they are they are still behind fluorescents and HID lamps. The point of using energy efficient bulbs is NOT to save money in the long run but to SAVE THE PLANET from our over use electricity.

That particular post wasn't about the most energy efficient LED, just the most impressive LED. Yes, many fluorescent bulbs reach 5500 lumens at 90 W (many don't put out that light either). But, often half of that flourescent light is directed away from the intended use due to their shape. Reflectors help, but they aren't that efficient. The end result of usable lumens is about the same. It is even better with colored LEDs where most of the lumens are of the color you desire rather than wasted on other wavelengths.

The reason I posted that was more based on the size. That outputs the same light as an 8' fluorescent tube in about the size of a pensil eraser. At least I was impressed with that. 5 W LEDs are difficult enough to look at for very long. I haven't used the 90 W one yet. But, Jeff's post of "Oh god my eyes are burning" probably sums it up nicely.

 

[Jeff7]

That particular post wasn't about the most energy efficient LED, just the most impressive LED. Yes, many fluorescent bulbs reach 5500 lumens at 90 W (many don't put out that light either). But, often half of that flourescent light is directed away from the intended use due to their shape. Reflectors help, but they aren't that efficient. The end result of usable lumens is about the same. It is even better with colored LEDs where most of the lumens are of the color you desire rather than wasted on other wavelengths.

I wonder how it'd go if they'd manage to create light sources that almost precisely matched the color response of the human eye - and what would happen if you had monochromatic red, green, and blue emitters, tuned to the wavelength peaks of human vision. In particular, what would it do to color rendering? I need some money, and a lot of human test subjects.

The reason I posted that was more based on the size. That outputs the same light as an 8' fluorescent tube in about the size of a pensil eraser. At least I was impressed with that. 5 W LEDs are difficult enough to look at for very long. I haven't used the 90 W one yet. But, Jeff's post of "Oh god my eyes are burning" probably sums it up nicely.

Some day I'd like to get one of those 5000+ lumen things, just to see what it's like. I've worked with Luxeon Rebel LEDs at work, up to around 120 lumens each, and that's already damn bright. (Working with monochrome sources is nice though - filtered goggles allow through plenty of usable light, but get rid of the particular color being worked with. Unfortunately I don't have the cool looking ones. )

 

[DCal430]

Longer life, no need to replace the lamp, instant-on, less lumen depreciation, lower temperature, to name a few.

Also, 400W Metal Halide lamp surfaces get over 400°C and if the lamp ruptures the plasma is around 1100°C.
LEDs don't explode or catch things on fire.

Still, HID has a ton of benefits over LED... it's just that those benefits will be gone in a few years.

Why do MH lamps get so hot when they are currently more efficient than LED and Florescent. I would think more light means less heat.

 

[TridenT]

Longer life, no need to replace the lamp, instant-on, less lumen depreciation, lower temperature, to name a few.

Also, 400W Metal Halide lamp surfaces get over 400°C and if the lamp ruptures the plasma is around 1100°C.
LEDs don't explode or catch things on fire.

Still, HID has a ton of benefits over LED... it's just that those benefits will be gone in a few years.

Been hearing that line for years...

 

[0roo0roo]

My bedside reading lamp uses LEDs, and I tried using a small (1 or 2W) LED bulb in a decoration lamp. I generally find them very harsh and bright when you're looking directly at them, but the light doesn't spread out.

those cheap lamps tend to use old emitters and well if it is harsh it is probably cheap. the things are sorted by color output and you can guess what commands the lower price, i think consumers are being turned off by the low end crap.