|
 |
Induction Lamps Vs. LED Lamps |
| |
While induction lamp technology has matured in the last few years, is often overlooked or underutilized in lighting applications since none of the major manufacturers promote induction lamps in any significant way. LED lighting seems to get the most “buzz” in the market as LEDs are promoted as the best alternative to conventional lighting due to their longevity. Induction lamps have a lifespan of 80,000 to 100,000 hours (depending on type and model), which is essentially the same as LED lamp lifespans. The major difference between the technologies is in conversion efficiency (energy utilization) and costs.
Most presently available commercial LED lighting fixtures have conversion efficiencies in the 35 to 55 Lumens/Watt (L/W) range. LED elements with a conversion efficiency of 70 L/W are available, but still quite expensive. There are reports of LEDs with conversion efficiencies of up to 100 L/W operating in research labs, but they are not yet commercially available.
Induction lamps have a conversion efficiency ranging from 65 L/W in low wattage (8 ~ 20 W internal inductor types) to 82 L/W in the high wattage (250 ~ 400 W external inductor models) range. Ongoing research will see some small improvements in these numbers. When considering commercial/industrial lighting and using a 200 W fixture as an example, the induction lamp version will produce 16,000 Lumens while an LED version would only produce 11,000 Lumens (about 31% less light) with the same energy input.
Since the most powerful single element LEDs available at this time are in the 20 ~ 25W range, to make a 200W fixture, an array of LED elements must be used. This adds to the expense of the fixture since the cost of these more powerful LEDs is presently quite high and they require custom heat-sinks for thermal management. Since induction lamps use well established and mature glass molding and coating technology with electronic ballasts (similar to fluorescent lamp technology), manufacturing costs are lower and yields higher than LEDs at this time. Typically an induction lamps fixture will cost 50% to 75% less than a similar output LED based fixture. This cost gap will be erased over time as LED production ramps up since sold-state devices are more amenable to cost reduction through mass manufacturing techniques.
The one area in which LED technology offers a significant advantage over induction lamps is ruggedness. Since the LEDs are solid-state devices, they are more resistant to vibration and impact compared to the induction lamps which are made of glass. LED lamps are therefore more suitable for applications where there is high vibration such as in transportation and industrial machinery applications.
|
| |
|
