We informed the client there were four options for recessed can lights. Halogen, Incandescent, Fluorescent and LED. To understand the differences between each one, we need to first cover some terminology.
Lumens - term for measuring the flow of light from a source
CRI (Color Rendition Index) - quantitative measure of the ability of a light source to reproduce the colors of various objects faithfully in comparison with an ideal or natural light source.
Kelvin - used to convey the warmth of the color of light, the hue of the color which you see.
From a Client's perspective, they want lighting which is close to natural or sunlight, low maintenance (especially in a vaulted ceiling application) and low energy consumption. What's the point of having lights if you cannot keep them turned on for a extended period of time? We decided to compare the attributes of each type of lighting to see how they measure up. Here are the results based upon four recessed can lights on display at Wright Lighting, San Jose, CA. Every can except for the Halogen was a 6" recessed can light. The Halogen was a 4" light.
Halogen Lighting
*50 Watts are equal to 950 Lumens
*3000 Kelvin (warm color)
*CRI 100
*4,000 hour life (as advertised)
*Contains no toxic Mercury. No disposal issues (ok to throw in the trash)
*Fully dimmable
*Not California Title 24 compliant
*Closest to Natural Sunlight
Incandescent Lighting
*65 Watts are equal to 600 initial Lumens*2700 Kelvin
*CRI 80
*1,500 hour life (as advertised)
*Contains no toxic Mercury. No disposal issues (ok to throw in the trash)
*Dimmable
*Not California Title 24 compliant
*CRI 80
*1,500 hour life (as advertised)
*Contains no toxic Mercury. No disposal issues (ok to throw in the trash)
*Dimmable
*Not California Title 24 compliant
*Least efficient of all lighting sources
Fluorescent Lighting
*18 Watts equal to 700 initial Lumens
*4000 Kelvin (considered a cooler color)*CRI 70
*10,000 hour life (as advertised)
*Does contain toxic Mercury. Proper disposal is required (cannot be thrown into the trash)
*Not dimmable
*California Title 24 compliant
*10,000 hour life (as advertised)
*Does contain toxic Mercury. Proper disposal is required (cannot be thrown into the trash)
*Not dimmable
*California Title 24 compliant
LED Lighting
*12 Watts are equal to 650 Lumens*2700 Kelvin
*CRI 92
*50,000 hour life (as advertised)
*Contains no toxic Mercury. No disposal issues (ok to throw in the trash)
*Dimmable
*California Title 24 compliant
*Exterior structure (housing) made of 100% recycled aluminum
The choice for the Client? LED lighting. Even though LED lighting is double the cost of Incandescent lighting, the amount of energy consumed is so much less. Also, think about the maintenance on the Incandescent bulbs. I have seen quite a few that don't reach their advertised life expectancy. Having to replace those bulbs in a vaulted ceiling is a challenge. With the LED cans, much longer life expectancy and less maintenance.
Also, LED can lights do a great job of dispersing the light much more evenly than Halogen or Incandescent. You won't see as many shadows in the room. Plus, the colors of surrounding materials (countertops, woodwork, walls, etc) show much better with LED lighting.
And you cannot ignore the cost savings on your electric bill. We installed 8 recessed cans in the living room. The LED cans consume 96 watts per hour in that room, while Incandescent lights would be sucking down 520 watts of electricity. A difference of 424 watts per hour can add up in one month.
If you are truly conscientious about lowering your carbon footprint, polluting less, saving the environment, etc, this is an option you must explore. Yes its great to do solar panels or wind turbines, but just checking your electrical consumption is a big part of it. In addition, good insulation and new, energy efficient windows help quite a bit.
For more, check out our web site at www.jrgidesign.com
