Gallery/Station LED lighting

Evan · **Posted:** Sat Mar 22, 2014 8:54 pm

In our visitors center, 90% of the light bulbs illuminating the gallery and exhibits have been Halogen 75 Watt PAR30 40 degree floods in track light fixtures. A few bigger fixtures have PAR38 Halogen floods or CFL floods.

Considering the price of Halogen bulbs going up and LEDs going down, has anyone recently done a complete or partial replacement of their Halogens with LEDs? If so, are you happy with the results? What specific LED bulbs did you use? I haven't tested that many LEDs yet, but so far I haven't found an LED light that really matches the combination of spread and warm light of the Halogen floods.

Dave · **Posted:** Sat Mar 22, 2014 9:41 pm

In the building I am responsible for, we have been replacing halogen lamps with LED retrofits ongoing for the past 2 years. It has lowered the cooling load as well as the lighting operating and lamp replacement cost. We have also used R style CFL retrofits in some of the downcans that formerly used incandescent R lamps. My sense is that the LEDs are going to prove better and have lower life cost in the long term, but the LED market has not yet completely matured and some options are not yet available or cost effective.

dave

Bobharbison · **Joined:** Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm **Posts:** 3011

This article is a few years old now, but it's a great primer on LEDS and the information should mostly still be pertinent. The technology has advanced of course.

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/08/ff_lightbulbs/

robertmacdowell · **Posted:** Sun Mar 23, 2014 3:34 am

Evan wrote:

In our visitors center, 90% of the light bulbs illuminating the gallery and exhibits have been Halogen 75 Watt PAR30 40 degree floods in track light fixtures. Considering the price of Halogen bulbs going up and LEDs going down, has anyone recently done a complete or partial replacement of their Halogens with LEDs?

Nevermind the cost of bulbs or the man to change them... you're wasting 60 watts a bulb, or $1 per 150 hours.

And LEDs are not bulbs. That light emitter will outlive both of us. What kills LED "bulb" products is eventually after 5-20 years the power supply fails, usually the capacitors. Here is where quality matters.

Don't use CFLs for floods. They are fussy about operating angle and fixtures are not rated for them. Also they cannot be focused. LEDs can be focused very well. http://youtu.be/Ac44ZY4WUj0

Quote:

I haven't tested that many LEDs yet, but so far I haven't found an LED light that really matches the combination of spread and warm light of the Halogen floods.

The field is moving so fast that forget anything you "know" that's a year old. Also don't go by the junk sold at Costco, Home Depot, Walmart etc. Go online for better selection. Be really particular about color temperature, color rendering index, lumens, lensing.

I'm fond of http://www.1000bulbs.com, http://www.SuperBrightLEDs.com, Amazon and eBay (brand names can often be found there). But even the generic junk on eBay beats halogens.

By the way, unlike 400W shop lights, PAR30s are market ready. They were the first to come on, since they are directional and so are LEDs.