LED conversion - how much will I save
Author: Martin James
Published: July 5, 2012
Lighting accounts for an incredible 20 per cent of the world's energy consumption, so anything that can reduce your energy footprint is likely to have significant impact not only on the environment but also your overall lighting costs.
Converting to LED lighting may involve spending a bit more up front, but ultimately you'll end up saving your business money and enjoying all kinds of benefits into the bargain. There really has never been a better time for converting to LED, so let's take a closer look at what's involved.
LED – the advantages
LED (light emitting diode) lighting products have been around for a while, and while the high initial cost compared with conventional lighting has traditionally been a sticking point for businesses and electricians, the benefits of LED for any business are well established:
– LED light bulbs can last up to 30 times longer than the equivalent traditional light bulb, so you spend far less time changing them, and can reduce your stock of spare light bulbs.
– LED technology is dramatically more efficient, using up to 90 per cent less energy than your current lighting setup. Traditional lighting sees a massive amount of energy lost to heat, rather than being used to produce light.
Given the lower overall temperature, converting to LED reduces the risk of fire and can also lead to a reduction in air conditioning costs and easier handling of bulbs
The time to convert to LED is now
As we've already mentioned, LED lighting is nothing new, so why is now the right time for businesses to convert to LED? For starters, while LED technology itself is well established, constant improvements are being made to its efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
More importantly, government initiatives to reduce carbon emissions have already seen traditional tungsten filament light bulbs used by consumers being phased out and replaced with low-energy alternatives, and incentives for businesses to switch to more efficient lighting solutions are also being stepped up. The government has promised that companies that don't take measures to reduce their energy consumption will face ever-increasing costs, and businesses with a large energy footprint are likely to be the first to be targeted.
The good news, though, is that because of the ever-increasing LED lighting user base, the variety of products and colour temperatures available is growing all the time, so you're increasingly spoilt for choice.
How much can you save by converting to LED?
The combination of longer life and lower energy consumption means LED conversion will lead to a guaranteed reduction in energy costs whether you're talking one bulb or a thousand, but just how much are we talking about?
Looking for example at a large conference room containing a total of say 92 light bulbs running at 35W and which are switched on 24 hours a day, converting to LED will see lighting costs for the year drop from £1,919 to just £467.
So while the initial £1,840 price tag to convert to LED is a big one-off commitment, it'll take you little more than a year to make your money back, and with your LED lamps still good for years more of use after that, from that point on you're saving.
LED lighting conclusion
The up-front cost of LED conversion remains the biggest reason most businesses are reluctant to consider making the switch. But with dramatic improvements to energy efficiency, running costs, maintenance requirements and safety, the benefits to your business if you do are obvious. Throw in government initiatives that will increasingly penalise high energy consumers in the future, and the decision is practically a no-brainer.
Converting to LED can be done with very little disruption to your business, and flexible payment options can help spread that high initial cost burden. Lyco Direct have helped some of the UK’s biggest companies convert to LED, so if you want free expert advice on converting your business to LED feel free to give us a call on 0843 3177820 and we’ll be happy to help.
Looking for more information on Lighting? Try Lighting Advice.
This article was tagged with Light bulbs, LED, Conversion