Mallah Aluminum

To choose between which lamp type to use the follwoing criteria should be consid

To choose between which lamp type to use the following criteria should be considered :

1. Illumination capacity (Lumens )
2.  Life span.
3.  Power consumption (watts ) .
4.  Cost ( $ ) and Payback periods .

To compare lamps , lamps of similar lumen capacity should be chosen . The comparison will be made between LED , CFL and Incandescent lamps .

1.  LED : 1600 Lumen , 20 Watts , 50,000 hour life span
2. CFL : 1600 Lumen , 30watts , 8000 hours life span .
3.  Incandescent : 1600Lumen ,100 Watts , 1200 hours life span .

The average cost of power in the US is 0.12 $ / kWH , assuming a lamp is used for 20 hours / day the annual cost of power consumption for each lamp is as follows :

1.  LED : 0.02 KWx20 h/day x 365 days/year x 0.12 $ / kwh = 17.52 $ /Year
2.  CFL :0.03 KWx20 h/day x 365 days/year x 0.12 $ / kwh = 26.28 $ /Year
3.  Incandescent : 0.1 KWx20 h/day x 365 days/year x 0.12 $ / kwh = 87.6 $ /Year

As for the replacement period the LED lives for 6.8 years , the CFL lives for 1.1 years while the incandescent lives for only 0.1666 years ( 2months ) if used for 20 hours / day .

The comparison shall be made over 6.8 years the longest replacement period of the LED lamp and the operation cost of each lamp is as follows :

1.  LED : 6.8 years x 17.52 $/year +1lamps x 11 $/lamp = 130$ for 6.8 years (19$/year )
2.  CFL : 6.8 years x 26.28 $/year + ( 6 lamps x 10$/lamp ) = 239 $ for 6.8 years (35 $/year )
3.  Incandescent : 6.8 years x 87.6 $/year + (40 lamps x 2$/lamp ) = 676 $ for 6.8 years (99.4 $/year )

The payback period of switching from Incandescent to LED is almost two months and the saving is 6.6 $ / lamp / month or 79 $ / lamp / Year

The payback period of switching from CFL to LED is almost 8 months and the savings are 1.34 $/lamp/month or 16 $ /lamp /year .

Assuming an average household containing more than 20 lamps the investment is encouraging and has short payback period .

Many factors can also be considered including the impact on cooling cost and the other safety factors that favor LED over all other lamp types .Many new trends in using the LED technology are found on new trends page .

In areas where temperatures rise or decrease dramatically home insulation has a large impact on your energy bill . Your home insulation keeps cold or warm air inside your house thus your heating and cooling system will work less often . According to Energy star , proper insulation and weather stripping can reduce your energy bill up to 20% per month . If your insulation is older than 10 years most highly rated home insulators say that it needs work . When shopping for new insulation ask about the R value of the insulating material used . The R value is the measure of the thermal resistance and the higher the R value the better . Insulation sheets with higher R value cost more but are more effective in reducing your energy bill and shorter payback periods .

Old leaking windows cause higher heating and cooling costs and sometimes higher lighting needs . If you have old windows it is important to check them for air leakages especially when heating and cooling are in i use . In some cases your windows can be fixed by caulking and weather stripping . Yet when windows are old it is recommended that you replace your windows with more energy efficient models . A professional can give you details on brands and models you can use . Energy saving windows can pay for themselves during their lifetime .

You can find interesting data about this subject in http /energy.gov/energysaver/articles/energy-efficient-windows