All You Need to Know About Domestic LED Downlights

Incandescent lights are a thing of the past, and if you are still using an incandescent light globe you may be one of the last in Australia to do so.

In 2009 Australia introduced banning the sale of incandescent light bulbs through the introduction of the minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) for lighting products. These are the minimum efficiency standards that must be met in order for the products to be sold in the Australian market.

The Bulb of the New Generation

It is said that 2 out of 3 consumers aren’t aware that incandescent lights are already phased out. Sure, sometime in the past, we were all obsessed by it. Why not? They’re cheap and they emit a warm glow that lightens up every home. It’s been a favorite of many, which is why; it’s only understandable that many people can’t seem to move on from it. But like all good things incandescent have reached the end of their journey.

Today, LED (Light Emitting Diode) bulbs are the new best thing. They’re highly efficient. The average efficacy of LEDs is 78lm/w (lumens/watt).

How Much Does it Cost?

The demand for LED lights has increased over the years and manufacturing of these bulbs have become more streamlined. From $30 a bulb, they are now sold at $10 and below. It’s a big leap from what incandescent lights cost, but they do last for up to 25 times longer. At the end of the day, it is still much cheaper.

Does it Have That Familiar Warm Glow?

Put it this way, the higher the bulb’s color temperature is, the cooler the glow it emits. LED bulbs have a color temperature range from 3000k Warm White to 6500k Cool Daylight. Another thing to note is the bulb’s Color Rendering Index (CRI). The higher the CRI is, the more realistic the color it emits. Most LED only have 80s compared to incandescent lightbulbs that have a CRI of at least 100. This is not to say though the LED does not give a decent warm glow. It still does, but not as warm as incandescent. It may be worth mentioning that the old incandescent lamps had a color temperature of “2700k incandescent warm white”.

Can They Be Used at Home?

They most certainly can. Domestic LED downlights are fast becoming the choice of many Australian families. Most of the work we do with downlights are for LED installations. There are many benefits to LED’s including

• energy savings even when compared to Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL)
• extra long life – up to 50,000 hours
• instant light up – no waiting for the lamp to warm up
• highly reduced heat emissions – cut down cooling costs
• dimmable options available at affordable prices

With these and many other benefits it’s no wonder LEDs are the new go to option when considering upgrading your lighting.

If you need assistance in choosing the best LED downlights for your home or business, talk to us and we’ll gladly lay out some good options for you.