MR 16 COMPARISONS (Case Study)

Halogen vs LED Spotlights Comparison

Six Major Advantages of LED Spotlights over Halogen Spotlights

Ø       Lower Heat – Halogen spotlight generates excessive heat (>250°C) that could potentially damage objects illuminated by these sources.  Obviously, these temperatures can be dangerous if the lamp comes in contact with skin or flammable materials (Rea 2000).  The heat produced by halogen lamps should be accounted for when considering using them in heat-sensitive applications such as in museums or art galleries.  LED based MR 16 average reflector temperature is only 70°C.  it is safe to touch and it will not burn your fingers.  Lower heat released to the room also means lesser air conditioning is needed to cool down a room installed with LED spotlights.  Thus, LED saving extra energy.

Ø       Higher Energy Efficacy – Halogen spotlights are not as energy efficient as LED spot lamps.  For example, the 4W LED MR16 can produce a directional light (in this case, beam degree is 38℃) equivalent to a 20W halogen MR16.  Halogen lamps also produce IR radiations where most of the energy is wasted as heat.  Simply because, LED based MR16 can produces mono-chromatic light and uses collimator lens to project the light in a precise direction, thus no energy is wasted as heat.  LED spotlights can save up to 80% of your lighting cost!

Ø       No UV Radiation – Quartz filament in halogen MR16 emits high UV radiation, thus require additional glass cover in luminaries to provide the required safety protection.  LED based MR16 does not produce any UV radiation, therefore, no additional safety precaution is need and the light is safe for skin.

Ø       Longer Life Expectancy – According to major halogen manufacturers’ catalog, the average rated life of the halogen MR16 is between 2000 hours and 5000 hours.  The average life expectancy of LED based MR16 is 50,000 hours (that is 5 years and 8 months!).  Therefore, lower maintenance cost.

Ø       Wide Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) and Color Selection – Halogen spotlights only have a CCT of between 2800k and 3200k depending on the manufacturer and type of lamp.  Some manufacturers managed to obtain CCT of up to 4700k.  LED based MR16 offers many color selections, such as warm white (2800k~3800k), cool white (4000k~7000k), red, blue, green, amber and even RGB color mixing.

Ø       No Non-Passive Failures – The filament capsule of a halogen lamp is pressurized and it is very fragile.  The quartz capsule should not be touched with bare hands because the oil and salts from the fingers can corrode the quartz and weaken it.  At the end of life, the broken filament coil within the capsule may touch the quartz and melt into it while it is still hot.  This event will create defects on the quartz envelope, and defects of this sort can make the capsule shatter.  Failure can also occur if the lamp is accidentally struck.  Thanks to the feature of solid state technology, LED based MR16 does not have any fragile or moving parts, therefore making the lamp robust, shockproof, and safe to touch.

Case Study

Example

Project name: Major ABC Retail Group Showcase Lighting

Number of chain stores: 50

Number of lamps used: 100pcs per store

Proposed initial lighting investment per store:

If using halogen MR16 bulbs:

(a)     20W Halogen bulbs: 100pcs x $3.00 = $300.00

(b)     300W 120V/12V AC/AC Transformer: 10pcs x $75.00 = $750.00

Total initial investment (a + b) = $1,050.00

If using LED MR16 bulbs:

(a)     4W LED bulbs: 100pcs x $30.00 = $3,000.00

(b)     300W 120V/12V AC/AC Transformer: 2pcs x $75.00 = $150.00

Total initial investment (a + b) = $3,150.00

Initial investment cost difference = $3,150.00-$1,050.00 = $2,100.00 extra (for choosing LED spotlight)

Electricity Bill Calculator Formula

Monthly Bill = number of lamps used X (watt/1000) X (monthly usage hours) X (cost per KWH)

Bill Calculation Factors (Assumed for the sake of easy calculations)

Monthly usage hours: 30 days X number of hours (12 hours per day)

Electricity cost per KWH: US$0.12

LED MR16 wattage: 4W

Halogen MR16 wattage: 20W

Remark: The electrical bill savings will pay for the initial LED bulb investments itself in less than 6 months. 

Accumulated Cost Savings for LED Spotlight System (Possible cost savings for installation period of 5 years)

NOTES:

ü  Above illustration does not take into account the additional savings from lower air conditioning bill.

ü  The above illustration is for the reference only.  Manufacturer does not guarantee the actual amount of savings nor the actual results.

ü  Actual savings may vary depending on factors, such as location and temperature where the lamp is installed, and conditions of the local electricity.

CONCLUSION:

The outstanding feature of the innovative power LED technology is the increased luminous efficiency – example: the same amount of light is produced using less power, therefore saving energy.  Power LED spotlights also cut down on air conditioning costs, because the lower power consumption (for the same amount of light produced) generates less heat, and therefore reduces the cooling requirement.  That means cash in your pocket – without having to do without brilliant light.  All power LED spotlights provide many color selection and also a high level of light intensity and color consistency over their entire life of up to 50,000 hours!