WHAT ARE LED LIGHTS, HOW DO I GET THEM, AND WHAT DO THEY COST ?

We used to import selected bulbs LED bulbs suited to Australian conditions, however recently they have become much more available on EBay at better prices than we could buy them for, so we have now changed this to an educational page to help you select the right bulb for your needs.

WHY LED LIGHT BULBS? They are currently the leading lighting technology available commercially. They generate much less heat than other bulbs available, and use far less power. Savings are generally estimated to be around 90%, although we prefer to use a 80% savings target as a more conservative estimate in our calculations.

WHY NOT COMPACT FLUORESCENT ALTERNATIVES? - CFL's work well, but they just don't produce the crisp light that LED's produce, and the fluorescent heat range produces a "White" light that makes living rooms look like dentists surgeries. LED lights have the option of a "Warm White" bulb that closely resembles sunlight. A "Cool White" bulb is also available if a very white light is required. There is a small but real risk of broken Compact fluorescent lights allowing high levels of mercury vapour to escape into poorly ventilated rooms. With good ventilation,that risk is insignificant. You should Google the "Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb Chemical Risk" for more information on that subject.

Why would you convert your bulbs to LED:

• An immediate savings in electricity of over 80% for lighting. This should make a difference of about $150 per quarter for most households, so the savings do matter. Actually I am getting a saving of over $200 per quarter, and in a relatives house where we installed them recently, they achieved a saving of $150 in about 7 weeks, so they anticipate a saving of between $200 and $250 every three months on an outlay of just $400 for almost the whole house.
• LED bulbs last around 10 to 30 times longer than traditional bulbs, so the higher cost of purchase is more than offset by the increased lifespan.
• The high life expectancy of LED bulbs means less landfill.
• LED bulbs produce far less heat, in fact you can touch the bulbs when they are operating without being burnt. The chance of a fire being started by these bulbs is therefore almost nil compared with the rash of house fires experienced since the governments home insulation scheme was introduced. LED downlights would in all probability have saved those houses. Refer a government report on this subject HERE. I would go so far as to say that all downlights should have LED bulbs for fire safety.
• Government bans on the future sale of conventional bulbs known as "incandescant bulbs" and "halogen bulbs" means that all householders now need to source a replacement bulb that does not require the costly updating all of the existing light fittings.The USA has introduced similar legislation that is yet to take effect, but as energy costs rise, then conversion to LED lights will be a sensible option regardless of the legislation changes. A "Corn Cob" style light is ideally suited for general use. It is a simple matter to replace the old bulbs with these new low energy high output substitutes. You can buy both bayonet (B22) and edison screw (E27) fitted bulbs on EBay, don't forget to check that base type before ordering. You must get that right.

I often get asked - Do LED downlights need covers? - The lights produce much less heat than incandescent bulbs, and also have the advantage of a very good finned heat sink, so as a general rule I would say "NO, they do not need a cover" however always use commonsense and ensure that light bulbs are kept well away from flammable material, and that includes timber house framing, in particular soft woods like pine. Ensure that all glass fibre or other insulation material is kept away to prevent heat build up. I consider that 75 mm clearance (3 inches) would be sufficient depending on the material in consideration.

TIPS - In a perfect world we would replace all of our household bulbs with LED bulbs, but that cost may be high for you at the moment. We suggest that you start by replacing the bulbs most used in your home, and then replace the others when you are able to. Your savings will pay for the remainder of the lights. Always replace the most used bulbs first.

You should also identify the areas in your home where lighting can be divided into two categories.

1. Reading/Workspace lighting where intense light is required, and
2. Hallway lighting, where intense light is not required.

Higher powered LED bulbs are much more useful than the low powered ones available from some stores. We prefer lights with a draw of at least 4 Watts or more. The conversion is roughly:-

• 4 Watts is about the same as a 30 Watt bulb.
• 6 Watts is about the same as a 50 Watt bulb, and
• 9 Watts is about the same as a 60 Watt bulb.

Note for USA readers - in Australia we have 240 volt power, where you have 110 Volts. More Volts equals more power in electrical terms, so bulbs that produce a lot of light here will produce slightly less wit a lower voltage.

Many bulbs are designed to cater for a range of voltages, often from 85V to 250V. With those bulbs you will get less light than we do in Australia. You may need to experiment with that to get the right light output. UK voltage is 230V, South Africa is 220V, and Canada is 120V.

Getting more powerful bulbs will use a little more power, but the savings are still so huge it is of little consequence, and it will make your house or office space much more liveable. The higher the Wattage the higher the price of the bulbs, so it is important to identify what is your best replacement bulb.

Our suggested replacement bulbs are: -

240 Volt Corn Cob replacement bulbs available in both "Bayonet" and "Edison screw in" connectors. This bulb should have a power draw of 4W to 9W and produces 300 to 600 Lumins of light in cool white or warm white. A 4 Watt bulb is ideal for hallway and background lighting. It works well in multi bulb situations such as chandeliers, where they will produce a combined high light intensity and yet only draw a portion of what regular bulbs would.

In reading or work areas, a higher wattage is needed, at least 6 watts, preferably 9 watts.

Corn Bob lights in both edison screw fittings and bayonet fittings. Available in White and Warm White. These bulbs have 60 to 110 LED lights giving excellent 360 degree light coverage. See picture below.

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The Popular 240V downlight bulb GU10 is also available. Available in White and Warm White. I use 4 Watt bulbs in some situations, but not less than 6 watts usually, and in kitchens you will need 9 watts. If you are replacing downlight bulbs, then you will need to ensure that they have a diameter of 50mm and no more. See picture below.

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MR16 12 Volt Downlight bulbs. Available in White and Warm White. This is a 12V DC light, not all accpet an AC current. You should also replace the transformers as most don't suit an LED bulb. I simply converted all of my 12V downlights to GU10 lights. It was less hassle, but you don't have to. Consult an electrician if you are unsure. See picture below.

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20Watt 240V Spotlights. Note these are complete units and not just replacement bulbs. An electrician should be used to replace your existing light fitting. 110V lights are also available.

INSTALLATION OF SOLAR POWER:

We have recently had a 5KW solar system installed on our roof. The Brisbane installers were "Freesolar" and there were no problems, the price was right, and quality components were used. Freesolar are a Southern Qld installer, but apart from our own experience, I have had no other feedback on that company.

Take due care when choosing an installer, it is a new industry, and that attracts some less than honest traders. Try to get a reference from a local householder who can give you an account of their experience with that installer.

At the moment (middle of winter July 2011) our system produces an average of 20KW of power per day, which is about two thirds of our daily useage. When we get our first electricity account with full rebates, I will add to this so that our experience may help others understand this issue.

I will also try to explain the complex issue of rebates on excess power generated. It is possible to receive a cheque every quarter instead of a bill.

UPDATE October 2011

The system has been increasing production as the weather warms, and on a good day it now reaches about 4.5KW per hour with a total daily output bordering on 30 KW. From the most recent account received from Origin (Electricity Suppliers) it is apparent that our next account due in December 2011 should either be zero or close to it, and a small cheque is even possible. The 5KW system seems to completely negate our electricity useage, with some overproduction. This is largely assisted by the use of LED lighting which has reduced consumption for lighting greatly.

So it does appear to be possible to go green cost effectively for householders (yes I admit that we use government subsidies to achieve that) We do not have to radically change our lifestyle, to make a difference. Our total outlay was about $13,000 for the solar system, and $500 would easily cover the LED lights, so lets use a total cost figure of $14,000, against which we receive a cost reduction of about $4000 per annum.

Not a bad return on investment actually. That is something that I hadn't expected.

POSITION OF THE SUN: This varies depending on exactly where you are on the globe. You can get a precise reading of your lattitude and longtitude from a GPS device, or from HERE. Find your actual house block, and the co-ordinates will be shown.

Using those co-ordinates, you can then use this website to see exactly where the sun will be at anytime of the day, on any day of the year. This will appeal to the tech heads and architects who need to know what influence the sun will have on a building, and where you should locate your solar panels for all year round efficiency.

Note that we have no financial interest in Solar Installers or panel suppliers. This page is simply to pass on our experience so that others may gain some insight into what is an important and expensive choice for many people.

I hope that this help you make the right choices...