LED lights for home lighting are appearing everywhere, but mostly packaged in arrays of smaller bulbs that look like an old Tandy science experiment kit.
Coming across a built from scratch, high output (single source) General Electric GU10 track light bulb in Walmart is a sign that the technology is evolving and going mainstream.
My halogen track light bulbs consume 50 watts each. A single GE LED bulb uses 4 watts. Of course, the LED bulb doesn't quite have the light output (it's close). The color temperature is great, almost matching a halogen track light.
An LED bulb is a highly efficient semiconductor as opposed to the simple heated wire in a halogen bulb, so the interaction with dimmers can be unpredictable. I'm surprised it even works at all with the Lutron dimmer.
Using a Lutron Maestro electronic dimmer, I was able to get the GE LED light to dim like a halogen bulb when combined with halogen bulbs. Alone, the LED bulb didn't function properly. It just stayed on during the whole dimming cycle. I would have to guess that the power demand of the bulb is so low that it is below the minimum load of the dimmer to make it function.
@paulkuehnel http://greenmesh.com/ LED bulb dimming experiment cycles interact w/ vid camera fon http://myvid.me/bzII@paulkuehnel http://greenmesh.com/ LED light falling on a moving fan will reveal the cycling of light http://myvid.me/bzVw
I sent email to GE asking about the ability of a dimmer circuit to handle the bulb and am still waiting for a reply. There isn't any information on the GE lighting website about this bulb, though they appear to refer to components used in the bulb.
The GE LED bulb also cost me $24, so large scale experimenting with LED bulbs and my Lutron dimmer is costly.
It's interesting to note that 12, 4 watt LED bulbs equal the load of one 50 watt halogen track light bulb.
It is also interesting to note that if I were to turn on all 20, 50 watt halogen bulbs in my downstairs track lights, I would be consuming 1000 watts, while 20 LED bulbs would consume only 80 watts.
It's easy to see how multiplying the energy savings power, plus a lifespan eight times the halogen bulb can add up.
It also made me conscious that of a good power spike could possible damage $480 worth of light bulbs. Maybe it's time for a whole house surge protector.
Sharp is introducing a variable color temperature and dimming LED bulb ( via a remote)
Leave a comment