You've probably heard of LED bulbs and their reduction in electricity consumption. The technology is developing more and more and we have to learn how to save both in energy consumption and in the emissions we generate in the atmosphere by using this energy. It is normal to be a little disoriented at first when we decide to modify the bulbs in our home by LEDs. Both the incandescent bulb and the low energy bulb do not generate savings and we must know well the equivalence of LED bulbs to optimize the cost.
In this article, we will explain in detail the equivalence of LED bulbs with respect to other bulbs and we will give you some tips to save more on the bill.
Replace old bulbs with LEDs
When we see the electricity bill in the months of greatest consumption, we put our hands on our heads. And it is that only in the illumination of the house we go a big pinch. Simply by changing the light bulbs in the house, we will be saving a lot. It's true that, in the beginning, they tend to cost more than incandescent or low consumption bulbs. But that's where the difference in quality lies.
While a conventional incandescent bulb spends most of its energy on heat, LEDs are capable of working at low temperatures. Try touching a working bulb and you'll see how cold it is, while conventional bulbs burn. It is necessary to modify the lighting environment of the house if we want to optimize energy expenditure. Buying all the bulbs we have from the house directly to the LEDs can be expensive at first. Since conventional light bulbs have a shorter lifespan, we can simply wait for them to melt and change them one by one.
LED bulbs have better quality and generate significant savings in electricity consumption. This is of great benefit to us as we will be able to use this energy saving in other things. However, when it comes to changing light bulbs we are faced with the dilemma of watts. We need to know what the equivalence of LED bulbs is with respect to the others.
The power of one type of bulb to another has changed and now we need to know which is equivalent to which so that our consumption is lower. It would be useless to change an LED bulb to save if we buy more power than necessary.
Equivalence of LED bulbs with conventional ones
The first and foremost thing you should know is that the light output of these new bulbs is not measured in watts. This is a new measure called Lumens or lumens. This measure tries to tell us how much light the bulb emits for practical purposes. The more lumens the bulb has, the more light it will give us. This makes a big difference with the power of conventional bulbs of all life.
LED bulbs, because they need less power, end up needing less energy to illuminate the same amount of space. They are the most efficient and ecological bulbs that exist today. In addition, it has the advantage of not containing pollutants in its manufactures, such as mercury, or other materials that are toxic and radioactive.
The savings are produced thanks to the fact that there is no need to generate plasma bridges or heat the mercury as in the case of neon. It simply lights up immediately and does not cause unnecessary energy costs.
The equivalence of light bulbs should not be taken lightly. Even if you know the watt measurement system, it is important to keep in mind that the unit of measurement is not the same. Each manufacturer has a series of characteristics that gives the product and that will differ in the quantity and quality of light emission. Keep in mind that not all conventional 40W bulbs emit the same actual amount or intensity of light.
In the case of LEDs, the watts only indicate the state of consumption in the operation of the bulb, but not the amount of light they are emitting.
Efficiency in lighting
The unit of measurement of lumens is related to the amount of light emitted by the focus and the electrical power consumed, which is what is measured in watts. Another parameter that is taken into account when establishing equivalences with other bulbs is luminance. These are the lumens per square meter emitted by the bulb in question. Normally it will vary depending on the height at which it is installed and the size of the area we want to illuminate.
With an LED bulb that has about 5W, we can get the same amount of lighting as a conventional bulb of about 35-40 W. Therefore, the electrical power used and, after all, the cost we generate is up to 85% less than conventional bulbs.