LED Bulbs

[trbasso]

I've not seen any recent threads on LEDs, so I'd like to pose a few questions please.

1) Any preferences for integrated bulbs or non-integrated?
2) I've been reading and Cree was the chip of choice at one time. Is that still the case? What about the Epistar chip? Any LED brand preferences for lamps?
3) I've been looking and not finding any specific information about when a retrofit bulb can be used. Can these be used for all non-LED fixtures? Or just certain kinds (e.g. MR16, G4, etc)?

Thank you!

[Voltage]

There is not a black and white answer.

1. Integrated LEDs have some advantages. The driver can be mounted farther away from the chips and mounted directly to the fixture enabling the fixture to be used as a heat sink. Both of these mean that the chip will not get as hot. That means longer LED life. More importantly it means the integrated LED Landscape Lights (http://www.landscapelightingworld.com/LED-Landscape-Lights-p/103-led.htm) fixtures can be designed with more powerful drivers and LED chips which means more lumen's (aka brighter illumination). Therefor you can achieve true 35w halogen and 50w halogen equivalents in light output with integrated LED's-- something that cannot be done well with a retrofit MR16 mounted inside a sealed landscape light fixture. So if you NEED 35w or 50w equivalent light output integrated is the only way to go at this time (6/2011).

The down side is they cost a lot more and if something goes wrong you generally have to replace the whole fixture.

2. Retrofit led bulbs are much less expensive, much less risk should they fail. They also enable you to use existing fixtures (aka upgrade a halogen system to LED), or use proven fixtures whose design you like. Therefor LED landscape light bulbs (http://www.landscapelightingworld.com/LED-Landscape-Light-Bulbs-MR16-3w-p/8-led-mr16-3w.htm) are very flexible, lower risk, and you have many more options (both for fixtures, for LED bulbs, and even beam spreads, manufacturers, etc.). The downside is its pretty hard to even get a solid 20w equivalent in light output. There are some mr16's that putout 300+ lumens like a 35w but what they don't tell you is they put out heat. Even if those LED manu's "claim" they will last 20,000-40,000+ hours that is based on operating in an OPEN fixture where the heat can dissipate off the bulb fins and cool the bulb. However in landscape lighting applications that LED bulb is INSIDE A SEALED fixture which TRAPS the heat negating the purpose of the heat dissipating fins.

I would be skeptical of any LED mr16 retrofit lamp that puts out more than a 20w equivalent in light output.

Summary: IF you are going to go with LED, I would use retro for their lower risk IF you needs are 20w equivalent and less. I would go with integrated hands down if you need anything more than a 20w equivalent. Disclaimer, we sell both LED lamps and integrated LED fixtures-- they each have their place. In the future I believe it will move more and more towards integrated (one LED's become mainstream and the defacto choice).

Regarding chip choice, as long as it is one of the quality mchip manufacturers like the names you mentioned, you can be confident of the quality. We use Cree chips in our LED retrofit lamps and Epistar in our integrated fixtures (both are USA made LED chips). I would stay away with teh top quality names, as you mentioned. There are enough variables to be concerned with without introducing the actually chip quality into the mix by going with cheaper chips.

Sincerely,

Alan
President
Volt, LLC
www.LandscapeLightingWorld.com

[Lightguy]

LED is definatly the future.
IMO we are just not there yet.

David Knapp
Artisan Outdoor Lighting