bluesmoke...oops
Senior Member
- Location
- Tri-Cities, Washington
Thoughts on where you would recommend installing them?
I'd like to see them perform for 10 years.Plus we're taking the life expectancy on faith, lets see how well they perform in 10 years.
I've never seen LED headlights, but I've seen plenty of LED taillights.II hate driving at night with oncoming cars with LED headlights.
I've never seen LED headlights, but I've seen plenty of LED taillights.
Are you sure you're not talking about xenon or HID headlights?
I would think xenons would have similar color as xenon undercabinet and other low voltage luminaires I have seen, they definately are not that color. Was not aware of HID being used in autos.
When the cost comes down, then you'll see more adoptance. Right now what I see are specialized applications where initial cost is secondary to power reduction. Though I do agree that over time they "pencil" out.
Plus we're taking the life expectancy on faith, lets see how well they perform in 10 years.
You can check with the manufacturer if they have performed thermal aging test. That will be a safe assurance, together with quelity control in manufacturing that it will lasts. Mind you that in most cases the critical part, the LED is NOT manufactured by the fixture - luminaire - fabricator. Even Dialight, who claims to have 80% of the US market, sources their LED. China is the source of the majority of the LED elements that is on the market and the manufacturing control over there is spotty at best.
SMD LED elements have proven to be the technology that provides the longest life, but thermal management - removing the heat generated by the diode - is the key when mounting the elements. You will see an unusual amount of cooling fins virtually making up the entire fixture in outdoor applications. One problem is that a large percentage of these fins face upward, so with time they are packed with dirt, loosing their cooling effect. So they work well in clean, laboratory test, but in the field they got packed. Dialight claims to be addresing this issue in their next generation of outdoor units, but I yet have to see it.
The light output is expected to double in the next three years. I wonder what the trade-off will be.
If what's to be believed about the bulb life, you have to remember that the end use client not only sees an energy savings but also a reduction in maintenance costs.