If you run an office with fluorescent tubes, this is probably something that you have thought about. There seem to be three main questions that people ask themselves:
Is it worth doing when the cost of LED lights is higher than fluorescent tubes?
Should I change the florescent tubes all at once, or just once they fail?
What are my replacement options? Should I use LED tubes or LED panels?
Is it worth doing when the cost of LED lights is higher than fluorescent tubes?
In most situations an LED will pay for itself in about one year if running 24 hours a day comparable to a traditional fluorescent tube. Within 2 years an LED lighting solution will typically pay for itself in typical 11 hour a day office environment.
Actually amounts saved and payback periods need to be adjusted based on factors such as electricity price, level of illumination required and labour installation costs of both the LED and fluorescent tubes. One significant factor that, in almost all cases, makes LEDs the hands down winners is the cost of replacing the fluorescent tubes over and over again as the LEDs survive.
Depond's LED tubes and panels will typically last between 2 - 4 times as long as a fluorescent tube, meaning few costly replacment cycles. Over the lifetime of our products, we typically see savings of over 50% for most of our customers.
Should I change the florescent tubes all at once, or just once they fail?
We normally recommend changing all your lights at once. The savings that you would achieve on installataion costs alone justify it, regardless of how new your fluorscent tubes are. To do a one off installation, most customers see an extra 50% on their labour costs per tube. The economies of scale generated by changing over all the tubes at once are undeniable.
Changing over sooner rather than later also makes sense for companies that already replace their fluorscent lights in batches. Sad as it may be, if your fluorescent lights are newer, you only have a slow drain financial loss to look forward to. If they are older, they will be starting to consume more energy The to produce less light and the case for replacing them immediately is evident.
What are my replacement options? Should I use LED tubes or LED panels?
The two most common and practical replacement options for fluorescent tubes are LED tubes and LED panels.
LED tubes have the advantage of conveniently slotting directly into the same fittings as the fluorescent tube it replaces. This generally means that the installation cost is lower than panel lights. LED tubes measurably improve the quality of light produced compared with fluorescent tubes by reducing flickering and maintaining their colour (CCT) throughout their life.
LED panels are the prefered option for fluorescent tube replacement. LED panels sit flat on or within the ceiling and eminate light from every part of the panel. This reduces hard edges on shadows in the office and makes working more comfortable. Not being able to see the indiviual tubes in the light fitting is aesthetically much more pleaseing and the evenly distributed light improves the look of an environment.
If you would like to find out more or get an obligation free quote for your business, fill out the contact form below or call us on 027 9521259.