In our local church hall the Fluo fittings, consisting of 2 4ft tubes in a fitting resting in the ceiling grid, have recently been replaced with LED panels.
replacements are much brighter to look at and cool white, however they are 90W vs 72W so 25% increase and some regulars, mostly elderly, are commenting they are not as bright and also complaining of headaches.
View attachment 287362
Similar to these but 2 tubes
So... I was using this hall last night for the annual quiz, 28 months after the 18 twin 36W fluo fitting were replaced with 90W LED equivalents and the conflicting opinions on which is better or worse, I found 4 panels not working and speaking with the person letting us in/locking up (Despite knowing I have a key) says they have already replaced at least that many.
Yeah 8 out of 18 in 28 months sure seems like a reliable and cheaper system to me. We used to do a tube replacement every 6 months (March and September) and more if required of failed and blackened tubes (as a significant hall user I assisted as younger than most of the 'officials' involved) I checked the record on the box of 25 still on the top of the cupboard in the store room starting March 2016: 3,1,2,3,1,3,1,1,none for 2020,4,1,2 =20 per 7 years and there are 3 left in the box so adrift by 2. Current price for a box of 25 tubes ~£70 cost of Vtac panel ~£35, at current failure rate of 8 per 28 months = 24 per 7 years = £840 so 12 times the cost of the 'expensive option' on top of the 25% increase of energy consumption from 1296W to 1620W = 324W and assuming the hall is in use for 6 hours every day of the year for 7 years = an increse of 4967KWh and assuming 20p per unit = £993 added to the £840 = £1833 or £261 additional cost per year
Our council replaced most of the town street lighting with LED alternatives, our street was done 4 years ago. The reduction from 70W of discharge to 38W (Measured with a current clamp in the standard by our home) shows ~50% reduction for a lovely (albeit flickering and multipoint source so multi shadow) for around 10m each side and fading to hardly at all by 20m. The public pavement by our home is hardly illuminated despite being ~10m from the standard directly across the road, of the 5 standards visible from there 3 have been replaced following 3 to 6 months of failure, the latest costing £1395 according to council figures excluding admin costs, the significant rise in such costs overiding the enerysaving has been discussed numerous times at county level.
The record of increased injuries attributed to poor light tells a tale too.
Sorry but I really do not understand where all of these savings and improvements are.