Bulb Lifespan Comparison

Lifetime Hours

As you can see in the bulb longevity chart above, LED light bulbs last a lot longer than traditional and other energy saving bulbs.

(1) 12W LED Lightbulb =

• (25) traditional 60W incandescent bulbs; or
• (25) traditional 60W halogen bulbs; or
• (15) energy saving 43W halogen bulbs; or
• (2.5) 15W CFL bulbs

LED light bulbs are not limited to 25,000 lifetime hours. Depending on which bulb type you select, Sunco LED bulbs and light fixtures can provide up to 50,000 lifetime hours. This means that a single LED can provide low wattage power for a longer time than traditional bulbs and all that savings goes in your pocket in the form of a lower power bill.

Potential Energy Savings

LED light bulbs run on less power. Watts measure energy usage or how much energy is consumed. The above chart reveals the potential energy savings that will reduce your monthly power consumption and your electric bill. The 12W LED shown in the chart is a 60W equivalent. You save 48W using this bulb.

Let’s examine our popular BR30 LED Bulb, which consumes 11W and is a 65W equivalent due to its 850 lumen count. At $0.11 per kWh, this 11W LED uses about $30.00 of electricity over its 25,000 hour lifespan. That gives you about $149.00 in savings, when compared to the $179.00 required to run an equivalent 65W halogen.*

That $179.00 in savings is across the life of the bulb and would appear as reduced energy consumption on your electricity bill.

Want to compare the savings and sustainability available to you with LEDs? Check the wattage equivalency details in Sunco product specification sheets or examine the “Energy Used” portion of any Lighting Facts label to compare bulb types.

The purchase of one LED light bulb also provides you with lower wattage along with reducing your maintenance costs due to a long bulb lifespan.

Reducing Maintenance Costs with Fewer Bulb Replacements

Although maintenance costs are often thought of as routine and necessary, when you reduce the amount of personnel time required to maintain lighting you also reduce your bottom line expenses. Not only will you buy fewer light bulbs (that last a lot longer) you are also reducing the amount of personnel time spent on each light. That includes both the purchasing process and the maintenance required to replace a single, burned out light bulb or linear tube.

Lighting maintenance involves safety, since light bulb changes tend to involve a person on a ladder. If you look again at the bulb longevity chart, you will see that a single 12W LED light bulb is equal to (25) 60W incandescent light bulbs. That comparison shows the 25 times your employee needs to climb a ladder vs. 1 time with an LED light bulb.

Falls account for a large percentage of injuries. The CDC states that approximately 20% of fall injuries involve ladders. By purchasing long life LEDs, you reduce the number of times you or your employees climb a ladder for routine maintenance, thereby also reducing your safety risks.

In addition, LED light bulbs provide advantages the light bulb types listed in the chart above do not have.

Additional LED Advantages

There are additional advantages provided by an LED light bulb, when compared to CFLs, halogens, and incandescent light bulbs.

No harmful vapors – LED light bulbs do not contain harmful chemical vapors like traditional light bulbs.

Recyclable bulbs – Sunco LED light bulbs are recyclable and do not require special disposal procedures.

No fading – LED light bulbs do not fade over time like a compact fluorescent bulb or an incandescent would do at the end of its lifespan. There are no chemicals that dim the bulb over time with (1) deposits on the bulb housing or (2) reduction over time of chemicals that provide incandescent light. LEDs don’t fade, which results in continuous, bright light during their longer lifetime.

Instant on – LED light bulbs turn on instantly; there is no waiting for a chemical inside to heat up and turn on the light.

Functions in cold temperatures – LEDs perform well in cold temperatures. Sunco bulbs operate best in 4°F-104°F so you can use them safely in refrigerators and freezers. Our wet rated bulbs also work well outdoors in inclement weather when other bulbs would be affected by adverse conditions.

Durability – Many of our LED bulbs are damp or wet rated so you can use them in exterior applications or in kitchens and bathrooms. Also, incandescent bulbs are fragile due to delicate filament whereas LED bulbs have less fragile components.

What if there were a way to compare the benefits of LED light bulbs vs. other light bulb styles?

Easy Way to Compare Light Bulbs

You can easily compare traditional bulbs to Sunco LEDs. Every light bulb manufacturer is required to add a Lighting Facts label to specific lighting products. This helps consumers and commercial buyers compare different light bulb styles, even across multiple manufacturers and product lines.

The Lighting Facts label required by the FTC and DOE compares multiple factors:

• Brightness (Lumens)
• Energy used (watts)
• Lifespan (in years based on a 3 hour average per day)
• Light appearance (warm to cool range and color temperature)
• Estimated yearly energy cost (based on $0.11 per kWh with an average use of 3 hours per day, per the FTC and DOE’s selected standard of comparison)

Locate the Lighting Facts label on product packaging and on our website within the Support tab of each Sunco LED product.

By comparing these labels on multiple products, you can make informed decisions about what works best for your lighting needs.

Find more LED advantages in our Top 10 Advantages of LED Lighting blog.

NOTE: Most of the data from the lifetime hours chart in this blog was pulled from the energy.gov website.

* Lifetime hours are determined by using a 3-hour day, 7 days a week use like in the standard Lighting Facts label.