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Environment & Energy

longship

(40,416 posts)

6. Lifetime, energy use and recycle factors

Reply to Sherman A1 (Reply #3)

Sun Apr 22, 2012, 07:25 AM

Apr 2012

LED bulbs have huge lifetimes. AFAIK, the limit isn't the LED's themselves but the circuitry to interface with 120 volt AC power, that's also part of their expense since LEDs only need a few volts DC.

LEDs only need a trickle of power even compared to CFLs. Again, some power is lost to convert 120 VAC to operating DC voltage of the LEDs. Even that can be made fairy efficient, I suppose. Maybe it would be better to separate this step down voltage and conversion to DC centrally in a house so that all lighting would have a separate DC source. Sure would bring the cost down.

AFAIK, LED lights have no recycle issues.

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US introduces $60 LED light bulb (BBC) [View all] eppur_se_muova Apr 2012 OP

$20 and I'd buy it XemaSab Apr 2012 #1

You'll be able to get them for that price txlibdem Apr 2012 #8

For now, I'll stick with CFLs and recycle them at Big Box hardware stores free Kennah Apr 2012 #2

Agreed Sherman A1 Apr 2012 #3

Lifetime, energy use and recycle factors longship Apr 2012 #6

This brings up something I've wondered... caraher Apr 2012 #9

Standards would help here longship Apr 2012 #11

I have my house wired where I could do that madokie Apr 2012 #10

With a value like that, you'd have people unscrewing and taking those light bulbs no_hypocrisy Apr 2012 #4

People already do that now madokie Apr 2012 #5

Hell, the last person in my my house did that... Dead_Parrot Apr 2012 #14

It'll pay for itself in just a few years txlibdem Apr 2012 #7

So far I've got 2 LED can lights, both "scratch & dent" rejects from high-end construction projects. hunter Apr 2012 #12

I don't know where they're getting their figures from. OnlinePoker Apr 2012 #13

I guess those are "list" prices caraher Apr 2012 #15

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