Comments on: Are LED Fluorescent Tubes Ready for Prime Time?

By: bystander

bystander — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 13:03:00 +0000

I don’t see the energy savings listed. LED light require muchless electricity!

By: Greg Seaman

Greg Seaman — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 02:00:52 +0000

Your estimate serves to illustrate why most LED tubes are sold in case lots only. They effect costs savings in large installations, where replacement costs are factored in. Smaller businesses with fewer tubes, in more accessible installations, will see reduced savings.

Our warehouse uses a cherry picker to change fluorescents. The cost is high. Spaces which have ladder accessible fixtures will have one person on the ladder with one or two below to steady it. $50 to replace 40 tubes is a pretty low estimate.

The cost of LEDs is on a downward trend. A 60 watt incandescant equivalent, for example, costs about 1/2 of the price listed three years ago. In 16 years, the cost of LEDs will be significantly lower again. Using today's LED costs for a comparison in 2027 is unrealistic. There is fierce competition among manufacturers today which is driving the LED price steadily downwards.

By: Joe

Joe — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 15:31:02 +0000

But even if you assume you have a maintenance guy paid $25/hr to replace the tubes, it shouldn't take more than 2 hours to replace 40 tubes so $50 the first time and $50 the second time adds only $100 to the total for the fluorescent side and $50 for the one time the LED's need replacing resulting a cost of $9551 for LED and $8016 for the fluorescents. You don't save enough on labor to make up the difference in the replacement cost.

By: Greg Seaman

Greg Seaman — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:45:31 +0000

Joe, your point is a good one. But one considerable factor which underscores the relative cost benefit of the LED tubes is cost of replacement. not just for the tubes but for the labor cost in replacing the fluorescents after the 8 year period.

The main reason our customers give us for buying the LEDs is the savings on labor cost of replacing the tubes. Fluorescent or LED tube fixtures are usually installed overhead, at heights of 8' – 12', requiring a ladder and maintenance person for the replacement. The article also assumes the comparative cost of the two bulb types will remain the same over 16 years. In the past ten years, the cost of fluorescents has remained stable, while the costs of LEDs have gone down considerably. It is reasonable to assume the cost of LED tubes will be much lower in 16 years than the cost today, since so much research is being put into getting the cost down on LEDs.

By: Joe

Joe — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 17:31:03 +0000

You're forgetting that in the 16th year both sets of tubes will have to be replaced, The LED's for the first time and the fluorescents for the second. Factor in the cost of buying 40 LED tubes and 40 fluorescent tubes again in the 16th year and see how the cost analysis tips back in favor of the fluorescents.

Not taking price inflation into account, adding an additional $3069 to the LED column gives a total of $9501 while adding an additional $1070 to the fluorescent side gives a total of $7916 so you actually SAVE $1585 over 16 years with the fluorescents.

By: Greg Seaman

Greg Seaman — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 22:48:36 +0000

Good points.
We see businesses installing the new LED tubes once the old flourescents need replacing. There is no added cost since the replacement had to be made anyway. Additional cost savings of the LED come with the extended life, meaning no future replacement for years. Replacement costs are high for tube lights, since a ladder is usually needed, and a maintenance person's time.
I agree that a 30% price drop would add to the cost viability of these tubes. LED prices are going down as technology advances and demand grows – it's realistic to expect a 30% drop in the not too distant future.

By: Alan T

Alan T — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 19:13:19 +0000

In theory the cost savings over 16yrs is a plus but you failed to include the cost of change over. First you have to remove the fixture for a new one or you have to remove the balast connections in the fixture. Either way it adds an additional cost that would obviously be in excess of the $460 savings over 16 (cough cough) years. I also doubt the disposal cost of mecury filled florescent bulbs would negate the cost to switch to LED bulbs. The only real savings could come by the future cost of the LED tubes, and that would have to be atleast a 30% cost reduction. *30% is a rough guess

By: Greg Seaman

Greg Seaman — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 19:52:48 +0000

Good point Chris. The first commercial LEDs came out long ago in the form of traffic lights. The initial cost was high but when you factored in the cost or replacing a traffic light, the LED option was by far the least expensive.
Many warehouses with high ceilings have to pay a worker to get on a ladder and climb up to these fixtures. Again, replacing these bulbs with LEDs has lowered the overall cost of lighting.
There are many commercial applications where LEDs are viable because they save costs associated with replacing bulbs.

By: Chris Jones

Chris Jones — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 21:55:41 +0000

Very good article–but for long term cost, you could add a line for the cost of replacing a failed light. It isn’t a big deal when the light can be reached on a ladder. It becomes a big deal when a special lift has to be used to replace it. One major hotel firm says it costs them $100 to $150 in labor and special equipment to change a single bulb in their atrium areas. They would gladly pay quite a bit more for lights that last a lot longer.

I have posted about half the material I have on hand about LED versus fluorescent versus incandescent / halogen light, but not just about energy efficiency and brightness. I think we complement each other and would like to cross-link to your blog if you don’t mind.

By: monitors

monitors — Sat, 15 May 2010 07:25:32 +0000

Organic LEDs are far more efficient than normal LEDs and offer a beautifully natural white light. I think LED lighting is a good idea but I think it is OLEDs that you should really be getting excited about (not just for lighting of course).

By: stayingcalm

stayingcalm — Sun, 09 May 2010 05:54:50 +0000

That's fantastic news. I've been waiting for an LED option that syncs with current hardware. Here it is!