The Cost of Not Converting to LED Lights

Converting to LED delivers quantifiable returns that most facility managers underestimate. After 17 years working with commercial lighting upgrades, we’ve documented energy savings between 60-80% and maintenance cost reductions exceeding 90%. The math becomes even more compelling as electricity rates climb nationwide. For operations running lights 12+ hours daily, payback periods typically fall under 18 months.

1. How Much Money Will You Save when You Convert to LED?

Consider a standard 400-Watt Metal Halide fixture common in parking lots and warehouses. While the bulb draws 400 watts, the ballast adds another 50-60 watts for total consumption of 455 watts per hour. We typically recommend LED replacements producing equivalent lumens at 100-150 watts depending on efficiency requirements.

For a practical comparison, examine a parking lot fixture operating 12 hours nightly. Most customers choose our 100-watt LED fixtures producing 15,500 lumens at 155 lumens per watt to replace 400-watt metal halide units.

Annual consumption breakdown:

• 400-Watt Metal Halide: 455 watts × 4,380 hours = 1,993 kilowatts yearly
• 100-Watt LED Replacement: 100 watts × 4,380 hours = 438 kilowatts yearly

At $0.12 per kilowatt-hour (national commercial average):

• Metal Halide annual cost: $239.14 per fixture
• LED annual cost: $52.56 per fixture
• Annual savings per fixture: $186.58

Scaling to a 100-fixture facility reveals dramatic impact:

• Metal Halide annual electricity: $23,914
• LED annual electricity: $5,256

Total annual savings: $18,658

2. How LED Can Reduce Your Maintenance Costs

Beyond electricity savings, LED conversions eliminate the maintenance burden plaguing traditional lighting systems. Maintenance cost reduction stems from three primary factors: replacement part costs, labor expenses, and equipment rental fees for high-bay installations.

LED longevity dramatically exceeds traditional sources, though understanding the difference between L70 ratings and actual lifespan proves crucial for accurate cost projections.

What is L70?

L70 measures lumen degradation, indicating when LED output drops to 70% of initial brightness. This metric doesn’t represent fixture failure. LEDs continue operating well beyond L70, making it unsuitable for maintenance scheduling. Most quality LEDs reach L70 between 80,000-120,000 hours while remaining fully functional.

What is Real LED Life?

Actual LED fixture lifespan depends on driver longevity rather than LED degradation. Quality drivers operate 50,000-65,000 hours before failure. Running lights 12 hours daily yields over 11 years of maintenance-free operation. When drivers eventually fail, replacement costs less than $50 compared to ongoing bulb changes.

Comparing LEDs to Metal Halide Bulbs

LED drivers outlasting multiple metal halide bulb cycles creates substantial maintenance savings. Metal Halide bulbs average 15,000-hour lifespans, with 50% lumen output halfway through their cycle. During a single LED driver’s lifetime, you’d replace metal halide bulbs four times plus one ballast replacement.

Real-World Maintenance Cost Comparison

Over 11 years of LED operation, metal halide systems require:

• Four bulb replacements at $45-75 each
• One ballast replacement at $85-120
• Labor costs multiplying with fixture height and accessibility
• Equipment rental for high-bay installations

We regularly see maintenance savings exceeding $200 per fixture over LED driver lifespan, not including productivity losses from lighting downtime.

3. The Intrinsic Value of Higher-Quality Light

LED quality extends beyond efficiency to Color Rendering Index (CRI), measuring how accurately colors appear under artificial lighting. CRI scales from 0-100, with sunlight scoring perfect 100.

High-quality lighting transforms environments noticeably. Colors appear vibrant and true rather than washed out or distorted. High Pressure Sodium fixtures dominating street lighting score terrible CRI ratings around 25, explaining their sickly yellow appearance that makes everything look brown.

Retail environments demand superior color rendering because attractive product presentation drives sales. Car dealerships exclusively use high-CRI lighting to showcase vehicle paint and interior details. Poor lighting literally costs sales.

Standard LEDs offer 70+ CRI, with premium options reaching 95+ CRI for critical applications. This flexibility makes LED ideal for diverse commercial lighting requirements from warehouses to showrooms.

4. High Quality LED Light Creates a Safe Environment

Well-lit environments directly impact customer behavior and safety perceptions. Bright, evenly distributed lighting in parking lots encourages evening foot traffic while deterring criminal activity. We’ve seen retail clients increase evening sales after parking lot LED upgrades.

LEDs maintain consistent brightness throughout their lifespan, unlike metal halide bulbs that dim significantly before failure. This brightness consistency ensures safety standards remain constant without premature bulb replacement.

Quality LED installations combine three critical elements:

• High lumen output matching or exceeding traditional fixtures
• Superior 70+ CRI color rendering
• Precise optical control eliminating dark spots

The cost of customers shopping elsewhere due to poor lighting far exceeds any LED conversion investment.

5. Cost of Recycling Old HID and Fluorescent Bulbs

Mercury content in fluorescent and HID bulbs creates ongoing disposal costs and environmental liability. Most jurisdictions prohibit disposing of mercury-containing bulbs in regular waste streams. Improper disposal contaminates groundwater and poses serious health risks.

EPA mercury exposure protocols demonstrate the severity:

• Immediately evacuate people and pets from the area
• Ventilate the space for several hours minimum
• Shut down HVAC systems to prevent contamination spread
• Carefully collect all debris using specific containment procedures
• Transport to certified hazardous waste facilities

Commercial recycling programs charge $0.50-2.00 per linear foot for fluorescent disposal, plus transportation costs. Large facilities generate substantial annual disposal expenses.

LED fixtures contain no mercury or hazardous materials, eliminating disposal costs and environmental liability. Standard electronic recycling handles end-of-life LED components at no additional charge.

Did you know? We were named a local expert on ApartmentGuide. Read the full article here: 10 Apartment Lighting Tips to Brighten Your Rental.

ApartmentGuide is a subsidiary of Redfin.com

Why LED Lighting Supply Delivers Superior Results for Your Commercial Project

Choosing the right LED fixtures requires technical expertise that most suppliers cannot provide. Our product specialists analyze your specific operating conditions—ambient temperatures, mounting heights, existing electrical infrastructure, and photometric requirements—to recommend optimal solutions. We create complimentary custom lighting plans with precise fixture placement and energy savings calculations tailored to your facility. This technical approach eliminates costly mistakes like insufficient light levels, poor uniformity, or driver failures from thermal stress. Our 17 years specializing exclusively in LED technology means you receive proven recommendations rather than generic product suggestions from general lighting distributors.