Watts Up? How to Convert Watts to Lumens
With the proliferation of LED lamps, how do you equate your existing incandescent 60W lamp to an appropriate LED screw-in replacement lamp?
First look at the language to assist in getting to an “apples-to-apples” comparison.
Watts measure the amount of energy required to light products or how much power a bulb uses, whereas lumens measure the amount of light produced and a more accurate measure of how much light the bulb will produce. The more lumens in a light bulb, the brighter the light.
Energy Star is another common term that is used to identify and explain the change to energy-efficient light bulbs. Energy Star means that the bulb’s manufacturer has met strict criteria set by the EPA for both energy efficiency and quality control. You should always gravitate to the Energy Star product when possible.
Here is a simple chart that will help understand the reason you can substitute a 13-watt, 450-lumen LED replacement lamp for a 40-watt incandescent bulb.
Energy Star bulbs come in a wide range of “colors” that match a temperature on the Kelvin scale. The lower the temperature (about 2700K), the warmer, more yellow the light reminiscent of incandescent bulbs. The higher the Kelvin scale a bulb is (up to 6,500K) the brighter and whiter or even bluish the light is, similar to daylight.
Energy Star compact fluorescents bulbs save more than $40 in electric costs over lifetime by using about 75 percent less energy than incandescent lamps and lasting 10 times longer. They also produce 75 percent less heat, which leads to lower costs associated with cooling.
Energy Star LED bulbs use at least 75 percent less energy and last at least 15 times longer than incandescent bulbs with efficiency equal to or better than compact fluorescents, are instant on with directional light. LEDs also produce far less heat than incandescent and compact fluorescents and are highly durable, performing well indoors and outdoors.
See our Toyota Dealership case study with real world data on costs and savings of retrofitting florescent to LED fixtures.
For all your lighting questions, please call Paramont EO at (708) 345-0000 or [email protected].
