Changing Lights to Save Money

A school system in GA (Ware County) has a plan to save 11.2 million dollars over a 9 year period, with the LED light bulbs they are planning to spend about 3 million dollars on, by replacing their 24,000 existing lights with these LED fixtures. It’s an investment and the system administrators think they will break even on it in about 20 months. Since I am always interested in saving money and conserving energy this article caught my eye. Save 11.2 million dollars kept jumping out at me. I figured I was doing pretty well using CFL type light bulbs, compact fluorescent, and only one in each fixture that normally holds four at that. The only place I have a low light issue is doing Sudoku at the breakfast table. Even with my glasses on it is sometimes hard to see the small print. Anyway, reading about the use of LEDs in the Ware County Schools was enough to send me to Google to research if it would be in my best interests to change the CFLs here in my home to LEDs even though after 3 years of use, the CFLs usual lifespan, they are still going strong for the most part here. Fully anticipating the probability of having to change out every light bulb in this house I began to read and this is what I found. LEDs and CFLs are pretty close to equal in the amount of energy they require and the amount of light they give off. There are two big differences (besides the makeup and technological

 ramifications of each bulb) and the first is all about longevity. The CFL’s lifespan is about three years and the LED’s lifespan is 20! Sounds good so far, even to a person of my age, with LEDs I wouldn't have to change the light bulbs until I was into my 80s. Difference number two, the significant one for me because it’s all about the money, is the cost of LEDs vs. CFLs. In 2011 LED bulbs cost upwards of $45, but now they are closer to the $10 range. Still a far cry from the average 80 cents I’d spend on CFLs. I do think that in places where you need a bucket truck to change the light bulbs (the school gym or cafeteria) or in places where the lights are on 24/7 (like some stores that stay open all night) LEDs could bring big savings, but I figure I will be sticking with my CFLs. After all, my electric bill was only $40.63 this month, so I’ll stick with the old adage if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.