Here are some reasons to switch to LED holiday lights from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI):
A Bright Idea: Energy Efficient Holiday Lighting
LED (light-emitting diode) holiday lights are a shining example of the fruits of research and development efforts to increase electrical energy efficiency. Consider the advantages LEDs have over traditional incandescent lights:
- Efficient – LEDs save up to 98% of the electricity that is needed to power conventional painted or ceramic coated bulbs
- Environmentally friendly – The low electricity use of LEDs means less carbon emissions, and manufacturing LEDs is more environmentally friendly as well – They require no glass or tungsten, since LEDs do not have a filament like incandescent bulbs; electron movement in semiconductor chips is what causes illumination
- Durable – LEDs are encased in hard-to-break plastic versus the more fragile glass of incandescent lights – Because the LED is electronic, its lifetime is up to 10 years
- Practical – LEDs come in standard packaging of 25- to 100-bulb strands that can be connected together to provide a seamless string – The long life of LEDs means that replacing bulbs will be rare, reducing maintenance
- Safe – LEDs generate much less heat when they operate so they are cool to the touch, and are less likely to overload a circuit
- Attractive features and colors – LEDs come in traditional shapes, sizes, and colors – LED strings with desired features such as blinking and flickering are also available
Is it worth paying up to 100 times more for power for incandescent holiday lights? The lights shown on the left in each photo are efficient LEDs and those on the right are conventional incandescent lights.
LED holiday lights are typically a little more expensive to buy than their incandescent counterparts, but they virtually pay for themselves in the first year’s electricity savings, and thereafter they are the gift that keeps on giving.
- Remember the “Christmas Vacation” movie character Clark Griswold, who lit his house with 25,000 bulbs? His electricity bill would drop from $2,400 to $50 if he used energy-efficient C9 LED bulbs.
- Everyone can save by using LEDs. The electricity cost to light a holiday tree with LEDs is 13 to 17 cents per season, compared to $6 to $10 for incandescent lights. Those who put up seasonal outdoor lighting displays realize even greater savings.
Green Holidays
The potential savings is all the seasonal minilights were to be switched to LEDs:
- Electricity costs savings would exceed $250,000,000 – that’s a lot of toys, turkeys and ties.
- Carbon emissions would be reduced by 400,000 tons per year – that makes for a cleaner, greener holiday.