Cost of Lighting Infographic (Guess Who Wins)

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Sister site sustainablog shared what looks like a great little “True Cost of Lighting” infographic yesterday. I would have done a few things a little differently if I created it, but I still think it’s worth a big share, so here’s a repost from sustainablog:



What’s the Real Cost of Your Lighting Choices? [Infographic] (via sustainablog)

Gotten into an argument about lighting recently? Since the passage of the 2007 energy bill, it’s become an increasingly ideological issue: that law set efficiency standards which current 100 watt incandescent bulbs couldn’t meet. There phase-out has been put on hold by Congress, but it’s coming…

–> Also recommended for you: Energy-efficient Lighting Market in Europe to 2020 – LEDs Emerge as Key Growth Sector due to Price Discounting and Phosphor Shortages Restricting CFL Production

Zachary Shahan (2302 Posts)

I'm the director of CleanTechnica, the most popular clean energy website in the world, and Planetsave, a leading green and science news site. I've been covering green news of various sorts since 2008, and I've been especially focused on solar energy, electric vehicles, bicycling, and wind energy for the past few years. You can also find my work on Scientific American, Reuters, Think Progress, GE's ecomagination site, several sites in the Important Media network, & many other places. To connect on some of your favorite social networks, go to zacharyshahan.com or click on some of the links below.


  • Dcard88

    Just checked HD price. 75w Incan – $1.25, 16w CFL – $2, 13w LED $25
    all are ~ 800 lumens.
    LED last 25K hours, CFL last 6K hours, Incan last .75K hours.

    at 5 hours per day, CFL pays for itself in 10 months, LED in 8 years —-

    NOT COUNTING electricity usage savings !!!!!

    In CA we pay around 20 cents / kW (or more) which suggest $.20 per day and/or $70 per year for the incandescent elec hog.

    Any argument against replacing incandescent bulbs is ludicrous.

  • Vince

    That diagram is a joke. Its a nice advertisement to sell expensive bulbs. At $22 I would spend over $625 to put these in my ceiling cans. If I spend $6 on a CFL, I would spend $120. Now say I had to replace the CLF 3 times over the next 30 years. At $8 in energy savings using the LEDs, it would take me 33 YEARS TO BREAK EVEN ON COST against the CFL.

    I work in an industry (hi-tech) where companies don’t buy new technology unless it returns on its investment in 3 years or less, and many want to see it breakeven in 12 months. If the rest of the country ran by the metrics in the diagram, commerce would slow to a crawl.

    • Bob_Wallace

      I wouldn’t suggest you put CFLs in ceiling cans. The trapped heat seems to significantly shorten their life.

      Aside from that, I sort of agree. LEDs still priced significantly higher than CFLs. If you’re picking a bulb for a place where it will be allowed to “breath” you’re ahead, financially, with CFLs. I’m sticking with CFSs for now. When I can purchase a LED for a lot better price I’ll start to shift.

      As for the diagram. The joke is on you. There’s enough information to allow one to pick between incandescents, CFLs, and LEDs.

  • Jim

    There seems to be this myth of ultra expensive LED. I picked up a full set of warm white LEDs from Loewe’s for about $11 a bulb. That was about 9 months ago, and they’re still running and the price has since dropped to about $8.

    Phillips’ $50 bulb is not the only LED on the market.

  • jb

    Philips is spelled with 1 L

    • http://cleantechnica.com/ Zachary Shahan

      it certainly is. where are you seeing it with 2?