ROI
5 ROI Facts
Ballast Effects on ROI
Ballasts increase the cost of fluorescent light fixtures. They consume energy and require electricians to regularly replace them, increasing maintenance costs. Energy lost in ballasts can be significant, up to 10% of lamp input power, further increasing the cost of fluorescent fixtures. RCA LED lights are powered by drivers, which have a longer rated life, significantly reducing maintenance costs.
HVAC Interactions on ROI
Traditional lighting systems only convert a small fraction of their electrical input into useful light output. Much of the rest is released directly as heat, so any significant temperature drop or rise in the building affects efficiency and quality of traditional light. HVAC systems must work hard to regulate temperature for inefficient lighting systems. LEDs emit very little heat and require less heat to generate light, making them ideal for environments that require temperature control. This saves on long term HVAC costs.
Lifetime & Efficiency
LED lifetime is much longer than their fluorescent or halogen counterparts - up to 5 times longer than comparable fixtures, before light efficiency drops to 80%. One problem plaguing traditional lighting systems is ON/OFF cycles. Metal Halide and CFL lights require long warm-up times, and Fluorescent tubes rapidly degrade with ON/OFF schedules, decreasing light efficiency. LED lights are not affected by ON/OFF cycles and have instant ON/OFF abilities, even in extreme cold.
Recycling
Many traditional lighting fixtures contain
toxic mercury or phosphor, which require careful handling when uninstalling a burnt-out tube. Lights must also be wrapped and packed before transporting to a recycling center. These steps increase the overall cost of recycling, an often overlooked factor when calculating return on investment.
Long Term Energy Savings
The Department of Energy projects that energy savings from LED lighting will top 5 quadrillion Btus (quads) annually by 2035. Over half of the 5.1 quads of projected savings (2.65) will be attributed to two commercial lighting applications, linear and low/high-bay.
ROI Calculator
Use the following ROI calculator to input a few facts about your current light usage and see how much switching to LED lights will be worth to you.
EXISTING LIGHTING
Fixture Information
Fixture Category
*Quantity
Watts
*Quantity is total number of bulbs
TOTAL SYSTEM WATTAGE
Hours of Operation
Hours per week
ANNUAL OPERATING HOURS
Energy Cost
kWh Rate
RCA LED LIGHTING
Fixture Information
Fixture Category
Fixture
Quantity
Watts
TOTAL SYSTEM WATTAGE
Total System Cost
Price per RCA Unit
Total
As you adjust the fields above, your ROI Analysis below will automatically update.