comparing leds and cfls

March 2014

Comparing LEDs to CFLs

HISTORY OF CFLs

• CFL = Compact Fluorescent Light

• Invented by Ed Hammer in 1976 (but shelved by General Electric)

• First real challenger to the incandescent bulb (~1995)

• Popular lighting choice to replace 100-year old incandescent technology as a result of:

• energy efficiency/cost savings (uses 1/5 to 1/3 of electric power) • superior lifetime (last 8-15x longer)

CFL light bulb

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Are they still the best lighting technology choice today?

While CFLs do outperform a 100-year old technology, how do they compare against newer lighting technologies, such as the Light Emitting Diode (LED)?

This presentation examines both CFLs and LEDs to see how they stack up against one another.

Note: For all performance-related categories, the output of a standard 75-watt incandescent bulb is used as a basis of comparison.

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EFFICACY

March 2014

Comparing lumens per Watt (lm/W)

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LAMP WATTS LUMENS EFFICACY

LED 12.5 1000 80 lm/Watt

CFL 20 1150 57.5 lm/W

Benefits • Lower electricity bills • Less greenhouse gases

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LIFETIME

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LAMP LIFETIME (HOURS) REPLACEMENT FREQUENCY (40,000 HOURS)

LED 40,000 1

CFL 10,000 4

Benefits

• Fewer bulb replacements • Less landfill • Lifetime not shortened by power usage patterns (see “On/off cycling effects”) • Lifetime not shortened as a result of installation method (for example, when a CFL is inserted upside down in a hanging, enclosed fixture, the power supply heats up. As a result of inadequate heat sinking capabilities, CFLs tend to bake and die much faster than their published lifetime).

March 2014

ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN HEALTH

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IMPACT LED CFL

Contains Mercury (toxic to both environment and health)?

No Yes (~5mg)

RoHS-compliant (Restriction of Hazardous Substances – directive in controlling the use of six hazardous materials)?

Yes No

Carbon Dioxide Emissions (CO2 is the main greenhouse gas)?*

4.4 kg/yr (1300lm @ 2 hrs/day)

7.3 kg/yr (1300lm @ 2 hrs/day)

Infrared or ultraviolet radiation emissions? Extremely low IR Yes

*source: http://www.green2light.com

Benefits • Less environmental contamination • Less personal exposure to hazardous material • No degradation of artwork, furniture, carpets, etc.

March 2014

ROBUSTNESS

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IMPACT LED CFL

Turns on instantly? Yes Delay

Light flicker? No Yes

Heat emitted? Very low (3btu’s/hr) Medium (30btu’s/hr)

Temperature sensitivity? Slight Sensitive where unable to vent excess heat, but much less sensitive than CFLs

Yes -Low/no in freezing temps -Lifespan significantly shortened depending on how bulb is installed (ie. Upside down or within enclosure traps heat)

Durable? Yes Fragile

On/Off cycling effects? No Yes

March 2014

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Benefits • Immediate light (no wait period) • No risk of triggering migraines or epilepsy attacks (no light flicker). NOTE: The relationship has been contended, even though cases have been reported (see http://bit.ly/PTUA23 for more information). • Minimal risk of fire • Superior lamp performance in all weather conditions • Less risk of breakage • More dependable – lifetime unaffected by frequent use

March 2014

ENERGY CONSUMPTION

Benefits • Reduced electricity bill

Comparing lumens per Watt (lm/W)

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LAMP WATTS KWh/yr (@24 hours/day) COST/yr (@0.119/KWh)

LED 12.5 109.58 $13.04

CFL 20 175.32 $20.86

March 2014

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The math is pretty simple: Less energy used greater electricity savings

Return on investment is recovered quickly (from a few months to a couple of years, depending on usage).

Note: While dimmable LEDs do cost slightly more than non-dimmable LEDs of similar wattage, you can scale back the light to ~10% of its full output, thereby reducing the amount of energy required.

There’s also a hidden savings: that which is achieved through cost avoidance. A longer lamp lifespan means you don’t need to spend valuable time performing maintenance tasks (for example, buying new bulbs or replacing dead bulbs).

WHO IS LEAPFROG LIGHTING?

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Leapfrog Lighting provides specification-grade LED products for industrial, retail, and commercial applications. We’ve created an innovative LED lighting solution that uses Intelligent Optics to provide architectural quality illumination unrivalled in the industry. Additionally, all our lamps are top performers in virtually all major efficiency-performance categories.

March 2014

“Our clients remark on how

beautiful the gallery is now…”

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Mr. John Newman, Associate Director at Kinsman Robinson Galleries in Toronto, ON

WHERE TO BUY?

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Leapfrog Lighting Web Store The Leapfrog Lighting Web Store, shop.leapfroglighting.com, provides all product specifications required to select the right product for your application. Ordering is easy! And if you have any questions, one of our live customer service agents is available to chat live.

March 2014

Leapfrog Lighting 400 March Road Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2K 3H4 T: 1-800-396-9109 www.leapfroglighting.com info@leapfroglighting.com

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ANY QUESTIONS?

March 2014

Sarah Bailey Sarah Bailey is the Manager of Marketing at Leapfrog Lighting. She has an interest in all things solid state lighting (SSL), the environment, and being a Canadian, hockey. She is an active participant in several LED lighting groups on LinkedIn, where many of Leapfrog’s blogs are discussed.

Stephen Naor Stephen Naor is the President of Leapfrog Lighting. In 2003, Stephen set out to improve the affordability of energy-efficient lighting and his innovations earned him two patents and an award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Stephen is married, has two kids and a dog, and is an avid nature photographer.

March 2014