For a while now, I’ve been wondering where all the outdoor LED floodlights were. After all, wouldn’t that be the logical place for super high-power solid-state lighting technology? It turns out they’ve been around, but more and more vendors are starting to introduce new products to the market, and prices are continuing to drop, making them more accessible to consumers. New LED-based PAR 38 bulbs from Larson Electronics, for example, can produce 2200 lumens in an IP67 or even IP68 format. That means it produces roughly the same light as a 150-watt PAR38 outdoor flood bulb, but has a 50,000-hour lifespan and operates at just 20 Watts. That’s my kind of bulb.
Features and Ranges
Most of the new bulbs are designed to operate on voltages ranging from 100 Volts up to 277 Volts AC, as well as 12/24 volts DC, allowing for a wide range of applications in both residential and industrial use. Currently, you can find PAR38 indoor and outdoor bulbs from various brands, including Larson, Philips, EcoSmart, Utilitech, Sylvania, Samsung, and GE, for prices ranging from $30 to $70. We’ve tested indoor dimmable LED lighting and found it to be an exceptional improvement over both incandescent and fluorescent lighting.
Even though they’re more expensive, the power savings and longevity work out pretty well in terms of the overall cost of ownership. We’re looking forward, however, to when the solid-state LED-on-a-chip technology and associated electronics stop being issued at “novelty” pricing and hit the mainstream. That’s when retail consumer costs will drop dramatically and we’ll truly usher in the new age of LED lighting.
Finally, the stopgap of non-commercial fluorescent bulbs can be replaced by the “leaner, meaner” LED.
