by Shane Henson — October 19, 2011—Facilities managers unsure of whether LED or fluorescent lighting will be more suitable for their buildings in reducing energy use and costs can learn more about both technologies and their advantages in specific applications through a comparison study conducted by Precision-Parragon [P2], a manufacturer of both fluorescent and LED-based fixtures.
In the comparison, [P2] examines the unique benefits of each technology, concluding that there is no “one size fits all” solution. The company’s technology comparison shows that there are some situations where fluorescent lighting can be a more energy-efficient and affordable lighting option, while other situations can use the unique qualities of LED lighting to make it the better option.
The comparison includes an examination on higher wattage lighting, the type of lighting often found in commercial and industrial spaces. For this application, the comparison looked at energy-efficient replacement options for a 250W metal-halide fixture in a parking garage.
Two closely-matched fixtures manufactured by Precision-Parragon are compared; the QPD LED-based fixture and the SIH fluorescent-based fixture. In terms of cost, the LED-based QPD is currently approximately six times more expensive than the fluorescent-based SIH—pricing that reflects averages across the industry. In terms of pure efficiency, the fluorescent-based fixture is the winner in this comparison. It produces 90 lumens of light per watt of electricity, compared to the LED-based fixture’s 79 lumens per watt.
The comparison goes on to note some specific advantages of LED-based fixtures. One such advantage is the ability of LED-based fixtures to distribute light more evenly than other lighting technologies.
In situations like a parking garage that requires a specific minimum light-level distributed evenly through the entire structure, that light level could be achieved with lower-wattage LED fixtures than an equivalent fluorescent lighting system, since fluorescent lights tend to “puddle” light.
The comparison also notes that LED lighting technology has unique benefits in cold environments that can increase a fixture’s efficiency by operating with occupancy sensors—something that fluorescent-fixtures are ill-suited to.
The comparison concludes that in some situations, the features of LED-based fixtures might add enough efficiency to a system to overcome the disadvantage created by their initial cost. In other situations, fluorescent fixtures will still be the more affordable, more efficient choice.
