CFL vs LED

The analysis shows that CFLs and LEDs have pretty much the same running cost per year. However, there are many reasons why LED bulbs are much better than CFL, so are perhaps worth the extra cost.

• Since they consume half the energy, they put less of a drain on the electricity grid. In India we have a tremendous shortage of electricity so whatever one can do to reduce consumption is good.
• Nowadays, many people in Bangalore have an inverter. Typically, one can run 4 or 5 incandescent bulbs for a couple of hours. With the same inverter, one can run LED lights for the lights will run for much longer on it - in this case, around 20 hours!
• CFL bulbs are not very environmentally friendly - they contain mercury and have to be disposed off carefully. They are quite delicate and break easily. They are supposed to last three years or so but quite often do not last so long. LED lights are supposed to last 20 years without substantial degradation, so the environmental impact is much less.
• Over time CFLs degrade substantially. Often, one of the filaments burns out and this results in a reduction of intensity of light.
• Another issue with CFLs is the quality of light. It does not have all the frequencies that the light from an incandescent bulb has - so some things look different. This might be a problem with LEDs as well but is more easily addressed.
• CFL bulbs can not be dimmed so you cannot regulate the light very well.
• LED lights, on the other hand, are very versatile. Pretty much anything is possible with LEDs. Since the bulbs themselves are very small, they can be made in all kinds of shapes and colours. There now exist LEDs whose colour can be varied and adjusted by a smartphone app. So one can have different colours of lights for different times or moods. You can also program them to turn on or off at certain times of the day.

Light can promote peace!

One cannot underestimate the importance of light. Apart from the obvious practical benefits of being able to function in the dark light has tremendous influence on our psychological state. High intensity light exposure is the treatment for people who suffer from Seasonal Affect Disorder - depression caused by lack of exposure to sunlight. Jet Lag can be treated by regulating light exposure.

So the lights you put in your house can have a significant influence on your life. In fact, in Los Angeles, some Sodium vapour streetlights were replaced by LED lights. Apart from a tremendous reduction in maintenance costs and energy savings an unexpected side benefit was a significant drop in crime in that area!

While I am advocating running out and replacing all your incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs I am not quite suggesting running out and replacing all your CFL bulbs with LEDs since that would not be environmentally friendly. However, every time a bulb goes bust in your house, I recommend that you replace it with an LED equivalent. You will save yourself a lot of money in the long run and do your bit for saving the planet.

The cost of an LED bulb may seem to be high - but as the analysis shows, it is still a better deal in the long run. However, there is even better news. The cost-per-lumen of LED bulbs is supposed to follow Haitz's Law, which asserts that the cost per lumen will drop by a factor of 10 in a decade. So if you wait a bit, unlike most other things, the price will come down! And, like in the case of computers, you will get a better product.

So, go LED, as soon as possible!