How to calculate the energy savings of switching to LED Christmas lights
We frequently help our customers analyze the cost savings that can be achieved by using LED lights instead of incandescents. The calculations to determine the cost savings are not very complicated but it is a lot easier with a good conversion calculator handy. Our Energy Scrooge Calculator provides some interesting information about the benefits of LED lights but we’ve ever written about how to calculate the exact savings one can expect by replacing their old incandescent Christmas lights with LED lights. Here’s the data you will need to perform this calculation:
1. Total # of bulbs;
2. Wattage of the individual individual incandescent bulbs to be replaced. (C9s are generally about 8-9 watts; C7s are generally about 6-7 watts; and mini lights are usually between .50 and 1 watt;
3. Amount of time bulbs will be illuminated; and
4. The average cost of a kilowatt hour of electricity in your area. ($.10 is typically a safe number.)
Step 1: Calculate total watts
Multiple the total number of bulbs by the wattage of 1 bulb. This equals the total watts of the display
Step 2: Enter data into conversion calculator
Enter the product of the formula in Step 1 into the “Watts” field in this calculator. Next, enter the total amount of time the lights will be illuminated in the “Time” section of the calculator. (Note that the time can be in seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, or years.)
This calculator will calculate the total kilowatt hours consumed by this lighting display.
Step 3: Determine cost of electricity
Multiple the total kilowatt hours the display will consume (as determined by the calculator in Step 2) and multiple it by the average cost of a kilowatt hour of electricity in your area. The Department of Energy website has statistics on the average cost of electricity.
Step 4: Determine to cost to operate Christmas lights using LEDs
Repeat steps 1-3. The average LED holiday style light is between .05 and .07 watts.
Step 5: Calculate the savings
Subtract the cost of operating the LED lights from the cost of operating the incandescent lights. This is the total cost savings you can expect by switching to LEDs.
Tags: Christmas lights, LED Christmas lights
July 26th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
This is just great! I thought I would share a funny story. We only use one string of lights on our tree inside and none outside or anywhere else. We explained to our 4-year-old daughter the reason for this (that energy can contribute to global warming, etc.) We have talked to her about it quite a bit, both last Christmastime and year-round.
One day when we were driving at night on the way somewhere (We avoid the tradition of driving around to view the lights! The combined impact of the gas and feeding the tradition of excessive electricity to dazzle the neighbors is just not worth it to us!), our daughter pointed out one home that was fully decked out with lots of lights. Look at that. They don’t care about global warming. They just want to get flooded out!
I don’t want to be the Grinch or anything and just kill the whole holiday, but is all of that really necessary?!?! And what’s with the big Thanksgiving/Halloween/Easter/etc. blow-up lighted things?!?!? I can’t stand those either! It all feeds into the consumerism as well as the energy consumption.
October 6th, 2008 at 11:56 am
Which the higher cost of switching to LED Christmas lights?
October 22nd, 2008 at 4:37 am
LED Christmas lights do cost more but the energy savings makes up the difference over time not to mention the fact that they will last up to 10 times longer than incandescent lights.