Tag Archives: Multifaceted reflector

High-Rise Condos and LEDs

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LED lighting technology is advancing rapidly, which can make it hard for the general consumer to keep up. It is the responsibility of the property management firm to keep your property maintained and operating within a budget.  It is also their responsibility to keep the property up-to-date with the latest and greatest in energy-saving technology.

There are many choices when choosing LED technology. Usually the first step a Property Manager will take is to work in phases and retrofit their existing light fixtures with an LED lamp.

There is an LED lamp for virtually every traditional lamp out there. Two of the most popular and cost-effective lamps that are typically the first to be replaced, which are the A19 incandescent lamp and the MR16 halogen lamp.

The A19 lamp is the most widely used lamp overall and they are usually between 60 and 100 Watts and can last up to 1300 hours.  These lamps are used in everything from tabletop lamps and chandeliers, to bathroom vanities.  As you can imagine, the energy consumption can add up when using a 100 Watt light source with most applications using 3-6 bulbs at a time.

The LED alternative to the A19 lamp consumes between 8-12 watts and last for 50,000 hours.  The math is simple. Reducing the wattage used by 75-80%, the Property Manager is saving energy and therefore saving money. Because the lamp can last for 50,000 hours rather than 1300 hours, there comes a point during the life of the lamp that it will end up paying for itself.  This is referred to as Return on Investment or ROI.


The MR16 LED retrofit has rapidly become popular due to advancements in heat dissipation and the brightness of the white LED.

MR16 halogen lamps typically consume 20-50 watts per lamp and only last 3000 – 4500 hours. They also usually run on a 12-volt transformer system for each lamp.

These lamps are used to accent artwork, recessed in the ceiling or are sometimes used in landscape lighting.

The LED alternative to the MR16 halogen only consumes 4-10 watts and is rated to last up to 50,000 hours.  Once again, the math is simple. Saving energy equals saving money.  The ROI on these lamps typically happens quicker than on most, due to the fact that they usually operate 24/7 in most applications.

As stated before, there are numerous other lamp styles on the market that can be retrofitted with money-saving LED technology.

In a high-rise condo the property management firm is responsible for operating the building on a budget, and saving money is at the top of their list of priorities.  Money saved from the use of LEDs can go a long way to meeting the budget goals.

Stay tuned for future blogs where I will be discussing the replacement of fixtures and the rapid Return On Investment.

For more information please contact the LED lighting experts at LED Source. 866.900.4533.

Are LED Lamps As Expensive As You Think?

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Let’s face it; LED lamps are much more expensive than traditional incandescent lamps.  There is no denying that fact.  When you look at what you’ll save during the life of the light however, I think you’ll find that they’re actually quite a bargain and a very smart investment.

For example, a typical 50W, 12V Halogen MR16 that can be found in your track lighting, uses more than seven times the energy of its replacement: a Toshiba MR 16 Generation 2 LED lamp. 

What does that mean in real dollars?

Over the lifetime of the LED lamp, you’ll save over $119 in lamp and energy costs.  That, compared the expense of the initial investment, is a no brainer.  Aside from the cost benefits, you also won’t have to hop up on a ladder to change that light for the next 11 years (if you use it 6 hours a day).  Now multiply that times the number of lamps you have in your house.

Another example is to consider the high hats you have in your ceiling.  They draw a ton of power and since they’re used for general illumination, they’re on for many hours in the day.  Let’s replace them with LED and see what happens.   Many high hat lights use Par 38, 80W lamps, so if we replace them again with the Toshiba Generation 2 equivalent Par 38 LED, the savings over the life of the lamp is $306.68.  And that’s PER light.  If you have a kitchen with six of these, you’re looking at nearly $2,000 dollars in your pocket over the course of the lamp’s life. If you use them 8 hours a day, the Toshiba Generation 2 LED Par 38 will last almost 14 years.  If you have tall ceilings in your home, you know how difficult these can be to change as well.  You can kiss that problem goodbye for a long time.  The savings on this light will pay for itself within the first few years of use, and the rest is all yours.

The bottom line is that the initial cost of LED lighting may seem scary, but if you look at the big picture, the savings are astronomical.  Imagine if everyone in the United States swapped out just one incandescent bulb in their home for an LED.  The effect on greenhouse gas emissions is the equivalent of removing 1.3 million cars from the road.  It reduces our energy consumption so much that we can power 1.5 million more homes on the same electricity we produce today.  Small changes can lead to BIG results if we all pitch in.  To look at it in another way, small changes in your house can lead to huge savings on your home electric bill.

For more information about LED lighting in your home, please visit www.LEDSource.com or call us at 866.900.4LED [4533].