Cheap Lights Aren't Cheap

There is a knee-jerk reaction that we all have to find a lower price for anything that we buy.  With lighting, there is a huge pitfall with this logic… the cost of the light is a fraction of the cost of the energy that it will consume for the next 20 years!

Choose the Best Value among these four available options:

Option 1:  A replacement light fixture costs $175, delivers 15 foot-candles (amount of light), consumes 221 watts, and costs $290/yr every year in energy costs.

Option 2: A replacement light fixture costs $200, delivers 15 foot-candles, consumes 147 watts, and costs $193/yr every year in energy costs.

Option 3:  A replacement light fixture costs $100, delivers 15 foot-candles, consumes 221 watts, and costs $290/yr every year in energy costs.

Option 4:  A replacement light fixture costs $250, delivers 15 foot-candles, consumes 221 watts, and costs $290/yr every year in energy costs.

The knee-jerk reaction is to choose Option 3 as it is the “cheapest” option by $75 per fixture.  If you choose Option 3, you might be terminated for mismanagement of company funds!

The intelligent way to determine the best option is to establish the amount of light needed (assume 15 foot-candles), then find the light fixture that can deliver 15 foot-candles for the least amount of annual energy costs.  So, Option 2 is the best option.  Option 2 will save $97/fixture/yr every year in energy savings over the other options that also provide 15 foot-candles.  Even if there was a FREE option available, it would be a foolish choice and the pain of an extra $97/fixture/yr every year in energy costs is just too expensive!

Don’t fall in to the other pitfall in evaluating lighting by assuming that if the type and number of lamps is the same, the light fixtures are the same.  For example, by assuming that all T8, 6 Lamp fixtures are the same.  There are many differences from brand to brand including materials used, reflector material and design, quality & warranty of lamps and ballasts, ease of installation and maintenance, etc.

Cheap lights today, cost BIG forever!

 

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