What are Lumens? LED Lighting Explained

What are Lumens? LED Lighting Explained

When we’re looking at the amount of electrical power we can get out of an LED light bulb, we’re usually looking at the wattage. The wattage measures the rate of energy we get from the bulb. Just as an example, when a light bulb with a rating of 60W is turned on for one hour, its energy consumption is 60 watt hours. The wattage too, helps us to figure out how bright the light will be once it is turned on.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably someone who is conscientious about the amount of electricity you use. Unlike certain Republican presidential candidates who refute the very real scientific findings about global warming and the destruction it is causing to the planet, you understand that if we make a concerted effort to switch to energy-saving light bulbs, we can help save the natural world.

Making the Switch to Lumens
As the Office of Energy Efficiency describes, LED light bulbs are a more effective way to help reduce energy waste. LED lights with an Energy Star rating use 75 percent less energy than incandescent lighting while still producing the amount of light you need to do your activities comfortably. Not just this, but LED lights emit less heat and shine their light in a specific direction, better serving consumers in search of creating a space dedicated to particular tasks.

Instead of continuing to use light bulbs with energy measured in watts, some energy-saving individuals have begun to use light bulbs measured in lumens. Even if you have swapped out your 100W bulbs for 40W and have started reducing your energy use, lumens is still a better alternative, and here’s why.

The Office of Energy Efficiency estimates that if Americans make the switch from incandescent bulbs to LEDs, by the year 2027 we could save 348TWh of electricity. Put another way, this energy savings is equal to the energy output of 44 electric power plants! Can you imagine saving that much power? All it takes is knowing what bulbs produce what power and at what rate. Here’s where lumens come into play.

Many consumers base the brightness of the bulb on the wattage reading. We have learned that this is completely unnecessary, as lumens measure the brightness of the bulb. Thanks to the Federal Trade Commission, light bulb manufacturing companies are required to label the energy savings on their packages based on energy-saving measurements. These measurements include:

• Energy Cost
• Brightness
• Mercury Levels
• Life Expectancy of Light Bulb
• Wattage
• Light Appearance

Because wattage is no longer the measurement of the brightness of a light bulb, consumers can light their residences knowing they are saving energy and money.

Lighting Your Space and Saving Energy
We all want to do our part in saving the planet. As this article has detailed, it’s as easy as replacing a few light bulbs. Let’s look at a few examples provided by Energy Saver as to how wattage translates into lumens.

A 40W light bulb is equal to an LED bulb of 450 lumens.
A 60W light bulb is equal to an LED bulb of 800 lumens.
A 75W bulb is equal to an LED bulb of 1100 lumens.
A 100W bulb is equal to an LED bulb of 1600 lumens.

Because a lot of people make their lighting decisions based on the brightness of the bulb, they’re not realizing that they are using a lot of energy, even if the lamp isn’t on for more than half an hour. For a brighter space look for a reading of higher lumens, not higher wattage. To go full circle on lumens, Lumens is currently running a Warehouse Sale, so take advantage of energy-saving lighting for a discount while you can.

Do your part for the environment; make a change and help save energy today!