How bright are LEDs? If I upgrade my lights to LED will they be darker, the same or brighter than the globes I have now? We answer this question.
Please note: As of 1st February 2023, FREE Lighting upgrades are no longer available for Victorian homes. This is in accordance with the Victorian Energy Upgrades program (VEU).
If you’re thinking about upgrading the lights in your property or business with the help of the Victorian Energy Upgrades program you might have some questions. We have answered many of these questions on our blog including:
Which lamps are brighter: fluorescent or LED?
Do LEDs really save money?
Why are LEDs so expensive to buy?
What don’t LEDs get warm?
What are the advantages of LEDs over other lights?
Or you might have questions specific to the regulations of the subsidy program. Such as:
Should I install warm white or cool white LEDs?
Can I upgrade my lights myself and still get them free?
Can we upgrade light fittings with no globes in them?
Can we upgrade lights in lamp fittings?
Is it necessary for the electrician to take photos of my light fittings?
We have listened to all of your questions and provided answers on those most commonly asked questions to help you understand what’s involved in an LED upgrade and why.
So here’s another one for you:
If you’re upgrading your lights and taking advantage of this free LED upgrade offer you don’t want to take up the offer and realise that your lights are worse than the globes you had installed previously, right? I mean, sure you’re saving money on energy-efficient lighting, but at what cost? Well, the good news is that your lighting is very likely to be brighter than it was before!
The lighting spectrum is measured in lumens. The higher the number of lumens, the brighter the globe is and the brighter your room will be.
If I do a quick Google now and check the lumens on an MR16 halogen downlight from a nationwide chain – it has 300 lumens. If you upgrade to our LED downlight (for free) our MR16 LED downlights have 520 lumens. This means they’re brighter than a standard, cheap halogen MR16 downlight. Not only that but halogen downlights dim over time. If you have had your downlights in place for a while you may not even have noticed, but when you upgrade to LEDs your lights will be visibly brighter straight away. Plus, LEDs don’t need to warm up to be bright, unlike halogens so your lights will be brighter faster.
Downlight summary:
300 lm for a halogen downlights vs 520 lm for an LED downlight
Another example is a candle Edison screw globe. If I check the same store for their standard candle Edison screw globe it supplies 240 lumens of light. Our LED upgrade has 420 lumens.
Candle summary:
240 lm for an Edison screw 25w candle vs 420 lm for an LED candle globe
Our outdoor LEDs even win – a standard PAR38 reflector outdoor floodlight has 270 lumens, but our LED has 1,200lumens.
Outdoor example
270 lm for a PAR38 60w outdoor floodlight vs 1,200 lm for our LED PAR38 floodlight.
These are two examples of how much brighter LED globes can be than the inefficient globes they’re replacing. So, not only are you saving as much as 85% on your lighting costs by upgrading to LED, but you’re potentially making your living or working spaces even brighter than they were before.
What’s not to love?
Please note: As of 1st February 2023, FREE Lighting upgrades are no longer available for Victorian homes. This is in accordance with the Victorian Energy Upgrades program (VEU).
It depends on the LED. Brightness is measured in lumens, so you can choose an LED that matches the lumens you wish to upgrade to.
Halogen lights dull over time, so if you upgrade a fitting to LED it can appear much brighter because you have become used to the dull light.
Should you make the step and upgrade to LED? Are LEDs more energy efficient than other globes and if so, why? Find out here.
We answer the question - are LEDs more efficient that CFLs and is it worth your time upgrading your property from CFL to LED?
What is the difference between a standard downlight and an integrated modular (IC Rated) downlight? And, are they free to upgrade?
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