Report: Linear LEDs More Cost-Effective

Linear LED lamps are likely a better investment than fluorescents in the long term, according to a new government-commissioned report.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Commercially Available LED Product Evaluation and Reporting program (CALiPER) found that, despite their higher up-front cost, T8 LEDs tend to be more cost-effective when electric utility rates are higher than average and hours of operation are long, and if their installation time is shorter.

The report details a set of life-cycle cost simulations that compared a two-lamp troffer using LED lamps (38 W total power draw) or fluorescent lamps (51 W total power draw) over a 10-year period.

The LED lamps were assumed to produce similar light output and distribution when mounted inside the troffers. CALiPER said that is true for less than a third of the products tested in its reports, but that it should be more widely achievable in the near future as solid-state lighting products advance.

The report focuses on the initial investment, energy use, system lifetime and replacement needs of LEDs.

To read the full report, visit www.energy.gov.