The Longevity of LED Bulbs

LED Outdoor Lighting

The revolution continues! Cities across the country are switching to LED roadway lighting, and many Bay Area homeowners are taking the cue to make the transition and discovering that LED bulbs save them money. Although LED bulbs often cost more than other lighting options – at least at the installation stage – their longevity makes them extremely economical in the long run, especially when you amortize the costs.

There are three types of lightbulbs on the market: Incandescent, Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs) and Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). The projected lifespans of these bulbs are:

1,200 hours – Incandescent

8,000 to 10,000 hours – CFL

25,000 to 50,000 hours – LED

LED bulbs last longer, but they are more expensive. A common household LED bulbs cost between $8 and $30 each compared to $1 to $2 each for the other types of bulb. Multiply this by the number of bulbs that go into LED light poles for the historic Golden Gate Bridge and that’s a sizeable investment!  However, despite this higher purchase price LEDs provide significant savings through:

• Reduced maintenance. Cities and businesses have found that installing outdoor LED lighting drastically decreases their maintenance costs, since the bulbs don’t need to be replaced as often.
• Reduced utility bills. LED lights use 1/16th the watts needed by incandescent bulbs and 2/3 the watts required by CFL lights, resulting in significantly lower electric bills.
• Reduced replacement requirements. LED bulbs are the most durable of the three bulbs surveyed above. They produce the least amount of heat, and they are not affected by heat, cold, current fluctuations and other conditions that damage the other bulb types.

For example, for each incandescent light bulb replaced with an LED, homeowners can expect to save $150 over a 23 year period. If 20 light bulbs are replaced, these savings will increase to over $3,200 for that same timeframe. Once again, the savings increase exponentially for an LED decorative street lighting project like Minden, NV. if we  As actor Adam Sandler might say: not too shabby!

California Outdoor Lighting Design

Great Basin Lighting is California’s and Nevada’s LED lighting expert. We help cities, towns, neighborhoods and businesses convert their outdoor lighting to cost-effective LED frameworks. Visit our website to view the gallery of our work, and explore the many stylish options we offer.

Contact us today and see how we can design and service your outdoor LED lighting needs. In California, please call (925) 240-1566. In Nevada, please call (775) 333-0900.