Vannessa Gets Green Light on Crucitas
Darryl Kelley asked:
After a long wait of over 5 years, Vannessa Ventures (TSX.V:VVV) has received final confirmation from the Costa Rican Mining Ministry (MINAE) authorizing the exploitation of the Crucitas project by Vannessa. This clears the way for construction to begin immediately.
Industrias Infinito S.A. (“Infinito”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Vannessa Ventures Ltd. has received an official news release from MINAE dated April 23, 2008 that states the Government of the Republic of Costa Rica authorizes the exploitation of the Crucitas concession as environmental, social and economic feasibility has been demonstrated.
This follows the Company’s announcement of April 16, 2008 where it was reported that the minister in charge of MINAE had indicated to the local media that the Crucitas project would be approved soon. This authorization, together with the approval of the EIS, represents the final major approvals required by the Company in order to advance the development of the Crucitas gold project.
In a newspaper article in La Nacion, published on April 24, 2008, it was announced that MINAE had lifted the moratorium on open pit gold mining in the country which has been in place since 2002. The moratorium did not apply to the Crucitas exploitation concession but the removal is a positive action that will increase the potential of the more than 18,000 hectares of exploration concessions held by Infinito adjacent to the Crucitas project area.
Vannessa has an feasibility report by Micon International on the Crucitas project completed in February of 2007.
The feasibility study provides a description of the geology, mining and milling operations, tailings facilities, services and other facilities, together with the associated capital and operating costs, required to develop the Crucitas Project. The study includes description of the mining plan and mine operations, processing requirements, the tailings and water management systems, the necessary site infrastructure and presents the environmental, permitting and socio-economic considerations in undertaking the project.
The total Indicated Resources above the 0.5 g Au/t cut-off grade are estimated to contain
25.1 millions tonnes at 1.22 g Au/t (985 thousand gold ounces) and at 3.17 g Ag/t (2.56
million silver ounces) in both Fortuna and Botija in and out of the structures, as shown below.
Estimated Indicated Mineral Resources at Crucitas
Material/Zone Tonnes Gold (g/t) Silver (g/t) Gold oz Silver oz
Saprolite
Total Structure 3,528,630 1.6 1.91 181,22 217,052
Total Outvein 638,472 0.64 1.00 13,224 20,443
Total Saprolite 4,167,102 1.45 1.77 194,646 237,495
Rock
Total Structure 16,540,075 1.32 3.51 700,919 1,863,994
Total Outvein 4,378,546 0.63 3.25 89,376 457,617
Total Rock 20,918,621 1.18 3.45 790,295 2,321,611
Total 25,085,723 1.22 3.17 984,941 2,559,105
The total Inferred Resources above the 0.5 g Au/t cut-off grade are estimated to contain 12.6 millions tonnes at 1.23 g Au/t (496 thousand gold ounces) and at 3.14 g Ag/t (1.27 million silver ounces) in the Inferred category for Fortuna, Botija and Fuentes in and out of the structures, as shown in Table 1.2.
Estimated Inferred Resources
Material/Zone Tonnes Gold (g/t) Silver (g/t) Gold oz Silver oz
Saprolite
Total Structure 2,261,899 1.48 2.75 107,707 199,698
Total Outvein 721,185 0.69 1.02 16,065 23,566
Total Saprolite 2,983,084 1.29 2.33 123,722 223,265
Rock
Total Structure 7,081,264 1.42 3.52 322,579 801,190
Total Outvein 2,502,871 0.62 3.02 49,721 243,025
Total Rock 9,584,135 1.12 3.39 372,300 1,044,215
Total 12,567,219 1.23 3.14 496,072 1,267,479
Mining will be by the open pit method with conventional shovel and truck operations. The open-pit optimization for the Los Crucitas project was carried out using the Geostat mineral resource block model and Surpac Lerchs-Grossman pit optimization software.
The mining will be conducted on 5 metre benches, with a pre-strip totalling 440,000 cubic metres, planned to gain barren saprolite waste to be used in construction of the tailings dam. After ramping up to plant capacity, a nominal plant feed consisting of a blend of 75% saprolite and 25% hard rock, is planned to continue until the completion of the saprolite reserves.
The plant capacity is designed for 7,500 ore tonnes per day (2.50 Mtpa) within saprolite, whereas within hard rock the plant capacity is 5,000 tonnes per day (1.82 Mtpa).
Therefore an initial ore production rate from the mine of 6,875 tonnes per day was scheduled in order to provide the nominal feed of 75% saprolite and 25% hard rock. On completion of the saprolite reserves the plant feed rate will be reduced and so the ore production rate is dropped to 5,000 tonnes per day.
There is capacity for the stockpiling of 50,000 tonnes of hard rock ore, which can be stored on a pad adjacent to the plant. The planned strip ratio during mine production was 1.35, and is maintained as closely as possible throughout the mine life. At the earliest date possible, waste is planned to be back-filled into completed sections of the mine.
The production schedule is planned around a work regime of 350 days per annum and 20 hours per day. In order to minimize dilution and mining losses, ore excavations are scheduled for the day shifts.
The majority of metallurgical testing on Las Crucitas samples was conducted in four phases by Placer Dome International (PDI) during development of the previous feasibility study completed by Cambior in 1999. In 2005, additional testing by Process Research Associates was commissioned to confirm leaching characteristics and test the use of oxygen. CyPlus also carried out further work to determine cyanide destruction parameters, and a further review of all testing was conducted
The gold extraction testwork confirmed that the ore is readily amenable to agitated cyanidation, at an optimum grind size of 150 microns. The low levels of silver and its limited recovery through cyanidation, the absence of deleterious elements consuming cyanide, and robbing the pregnant solution of the dissolved gold favour a treatment scheme with a CIP process. Whole ore cyanidation provides comparable results to the optimum results obtained with a more complex gravity plus cyanidation process, and without requiring significantly more leaching residence time.
After a long wait of over 5 years, Vannessa Ventures (TSX.V:VVV) has received final confirmation from the Costa Rican Mining Ministry (MINAE) authorizing the exploitation of the Crucitas project by Vannessa. This clears the way for construction to begin immediately.
Industrias Infinito S.A. (“Infinito”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Vannessa Ventures Ltd. has received an official news release from MINAE dated April 23, 2008 that states the Government of the Republic of Costa Rica authorizes the exploitation of the Crucitas concession as environmental, social and economic feasibility has been demonstrated.
This follows the Company’s announcement of April 16, 2008 where it was reported that the minister in charge of MINAE had indicated to the local media that the Crucitas project would be approved soon. This authorization, together with the approval of the EIS, represents the final major approvals required by the Company in order to advance the development of the Crucitas gold project.
In a newspaper article in La Nacion, published on April 24, 2008, it was announced that MINAE had lifted the moratorium on open pit gold mining in the country which has been in place since 2002. The moratorium did not apply to the Crucitas exploitation concession but the removal is a positive action that will increase the potential of the more than 18,000 hectares of exploration concessions held by Infinito adjacent to the Crucitas project area.
Vannessa has an feasibility report by Micon International on the Crucitas project completed in February of 2007.
The feasibility study provides a description of the geology, mining and milling operations, tailings facilities, services and other facilities, together with the associated capital and operating costs, required to develop the Crucitas Project. The study includes description of the mining plan and mine operations, processing requirements, the tailings and water management systems, the necessary site infrastructure and presents the environmental, permitting and socio-economic considerations in undertaking the project.
The total Indicated Resources above the 0.5 g Au/t cut-off grade are estimated to contain
25.1 millions tonnes at 1.22 g Au/t (985 thousand gold ounces) and at 3.17 g Ag/t (2.56
million silver ounces) in both Fortuna and Botija in and out of the structures, as shown below.
Estimated Indicated Mineral Resources at Crucitas
Material/Zone Tonnes Gold (g/t) Silver (g/t) Gold oz Silver oz
Saprolite
Total Structure 3,528,630 1.6 1.91 181,22 217,052
Total Outvein 638,472 0.64 1.00 13,224 20,443
Total Saprolite 4,167,102 1.45 1.77 194,646 237,495
Rock
Total Structure 16,540,075 1.32 3.51 700,919 1,863,994
Total Outvein 4,378,546 0.63 3.25 89,376 457,617
Total Rock 20,918,621 1.18 3.45 790,295 2,321,611
Total 25,085,723 1.22 3.17 984,941 2,559,105
The total Inferred Resources above the 0.5 g Au/t cut-off grade are estimated to contain 12.6 millions tonnes at 1.23 g Au/t (496 thousand gold ounces) and at 3.14 g Ag/t (1.27 million silver ounces) in the Inferred category for Fortuna, Botija and Fuentes in and out of the structures, as shown in Table 1.2.
Estimated Inferred Resources
Material/Zone Tonnes Gold (g/t) Silver (g/t) Gold oz Silver oz
Saprolite
Total Structure 2,261,899 1.48 2.75 107,707 199,698
Total Outvein 721,185 0.69 1.02 16,065 23,566
Total Saprolite 2,983,084 1.29 2.33 123,722 223,265
Rock
Total Structure 7,081,264 1.42 3.52 322,579 801,190
Total Outvein 2,502,871 0.62 3.02 49,721 243,025
Total Rock 9,584,135 1.12 3.39 372,300 1,044,215
Total 12,567,219 1.23 3.14 496,072 1,267,479
Mining will be by the open pit method with conventional shovel and truck operations. The open-pit optimization for the Los Crucitas project was carried out using the Geostat mineral resource block model and Surpac Lerchs-Grossman pit optimization software.
The mining will be conducted on 5 metre benches, with a pre-strip totalling 440,000 cubic metres, planned to gain barren saprolite waste to be used in construction of the tailings dam. After ramping up to plant capacity, a nominal plant feed consisting of a blend of 75% saprolite and 25% hard rock, is planned to continue until the completion of the saprolite reserves.
The plant capacity is designed for 7,500 ore tonnes per day (2.50 Mtpa) within saprolite, whereas within hard rock the plant capacity is 5,000 tonnes per day (1.82 Mtpa).
Therefore an initial ore production rate from the mine of 6,875 tonnes per day was scheduled in order to provide the nominal feed of 75% saprolite and 25% hard rock. On completion of the saprolite reserves the plant feed rate will be reduced and so the ore production rate is dropped to 5,000 tonnes per day.
There is capacity for the stockpiling of 50,000 tonnes of hard rock ore, which can be stored on a pad adjacent to the plant. The planned strip ratio during mine production was 1.35, and is maintained as closely as possible throughout the mine life. At the earliest date possible, waste is planned to be back-filled into completed sections of the mine.
The production schedule is planned around a work regime of 350 days per annum and 20 hours per day. In order to minimize dilution and mining losses, ore excavations are scheduled for the day shifts.
The majority of metallurgical testing on Las Crucitas samples was conducted in four phases by Placer Dome International (PDI) during development of the previous feasibility study completed by Cambior in 1999. In 2005, additional testing by Process Research Associates was commissioned to confirm leaching characteristics and test the use of oxygen. CyPlus also carried out further work to determine cyanide destruction parameters, and a further review of all testing was conducted
The gold extraction testwork confirmed that the ore is readily amenable to agitated cyanidation, at an optimum grind size of 150 microns. The low levels of silver and its limited recovery through cyanidation, the absence of deleterious elements consuming cyanide, and robbing the pregnant solution of the dissolved gold favour a treatment scheme with a CIP process. Whole ore cyanidation provides comparable results to the optimum results obtained with a more complex gravity plus cyanidation process, and without requiring significantly more leaching residence time.
Questions About LED Lights
Joe Willmeth asked:
What Are LED Lights?
Light Emitting Diode is the actual words for the short term LED. An LED light is a solid-state object that controls electrical current without wire filaments. LEDs are not lamps or light bulbs as we are used to using today. An LED light is a semiconductor that allows a narrow-spectrum of light to flow through it. The new LED lights are very reliable and have a long life. It takes a lot of work to make an LED light ready for the store shelves. To produce a light color the LED needs to be placed on a circuit board that allows an exact amount of electrical current and voltage to pass through the structure.
The LED lights produce different colors when a specific voltage passes through it. The color of the light depends on the condition and composition of the semi conducting material used. The wavelength of the light emitted produces its true color. Only a true clear light has been difficult to produce. The early so called clear LED lights emitted a soft blue hue but recent advances in semiconductors have produced a true clear or no color light. LED lights usually have a constant illumination when an electrical current pass through them. The more advanced flashing LED bulbs are also available. When a small micro chip was placed inside the standard LED bulb it causes the bulb to flash. The most common type of LED bulbs comes in green, red or yellow. The most common flashing LED bulbs emit light in a single wavelength of light. Through advances in technology they can now produce multicolored flashing LED bulbs. Today’s semiconductor is so precise that they can produce light wavelengths with many hues of a single color thus creating an infinite number of beautiful pure colors.
How do LED lights work?
The positive electrical power is applied to one side of the LED semiconductor through a lead wire that enters the LED bulb. The lead wire attaches to a whisker that allows the electricity to flow into the semiconductor. A negative electrical wire also enters the LED bulb and is attached to the Anvil. The top of the anvil that is the negative power lead is attached to the other side of the semiconductor. This connection is want produces the light. It is the chemical makeup of the LED semiconductor that determines the color of the LED light.
The resin lens is designed to allow most of the light to escape from the semiconductor and it also protects the LED semiconductor from the elements. The resin lens can be clear or dyed in a verity of different translucent colors to create different effects. The entire LED unit is totally embedded in epoxy resin. This is what makes LEDs virtually indestructible. There are no loose or moving parts within the solid epoxy enclosure of an LED light. An LED light source is a very bright and may cause injury to your eyes. DO NOT look directly into the LED light source without certified dark protective eyewear.
How long will LED lights last?
The research and development of the LED lights are making it possible to conserve electricity now and in the future. The LED lights that we as consumers will buy are rated for 1,000 or more hours of run time. The more expensive commercial Cree and Luxeon LEDs are rated for 50,000 hours of run time. Even though the price of the LED bulbs is higher the overall operating cost is much lower. A new LED bulb uses 1/4 the electricity of a conventional tungsten light bulb. The overall savings is substantial over the life of the 1,000 hour LED bulb.
What Are LED Lights?
Light Emitting Diode is the actual words for the short term LED. An LED light is a solid-state object that controls electrical current without wire filaments. LEDs are not lamps or light bulbs as we are used to using today. An LED light is a semiconductor that allows a narrow-spectrum of light to flow through it. The new LED lights are very reliable and have a long life. It takes a lot of work to make an LED light ready for the store shelves. To produce a light color the LED needs to be placed on a circuit board that allows an exact amount of electrical current and voltage to pass through the structure.
The LED lights produce different colors when a specific voltage passes through it. The color of the light depends on the condition and composition of the semi conducting material used. The wavelength of the light emitted produces its true color. Only a true clear light has been difficult to produce. The early so called clear LED lights emitted a soft blue hue but recent advances in semiconductors have produced a true clear or no color light. LED lights usually have a constant illumination when an electrical current pass through them. The more advanced flashing LED bulbs are also available. When a small micro chip was placed inside the standard LED bulb it causes the bulb to flash. The most common type of LED bulbs comes in green, red or yellow. The most common flashing LED bulbs emit light in a single wavelength of light. Through advances in technology they can now produce multicolored flashing LED bulbs. Today’s semiconductor is so precise that they can produce light wavelengths with many hues of a single color thus creating an infinite number of beautiful pure colors.
How do LED lights work?
The positive electrical power is applied to one side of the LED semiconductor through a lead wire that enters the LED bulb. The lead wire attaches to a whisker that allows the electricity to flow into the semiconductor. A negative electrical wire also enters the LED bulb and is attached to the Anvil. The top of the anvil that is the negative power lead is attached to the other side of the semiconductor. This connection is want produces the light. It is the chemical makeup of the LED semiconductor that determines the color of the LED light.
The resin lens is designed to allow most of the light to escape from the semiconductor and it also protects the LED semiconductor from the elements. The resin lens can be clear or dyed in a verity of different translucent colors to create different effects. The entire LED unit is totally embedded in epoxy resin. This is what makes LEDs virtually indestructible. There are no loose or moving parts within the solid epoxy enclosure of an LED light. An LED light source is a very bright and may cause injury to your eyes. DO NOT look directly into the LED light source without certified dark protective eyewear.
How long will LED lights last?
The research and development of the LED lights are making it possible to conserve electricity now and in the future. The LED lights that we as consumers will buy are rated for 1,000 or more hours of run time. The more expensive commercial Cree and Luxeon LEDs are rated for 50,000 hours of run time. Even though the price of the LED bulbs is higher the overall operating cost is much lower. A new LED bulb uses 1/4 the electricity of a conventional tungsten light bulb. The overall savings is substantial over the life of the 1,000 hour LED bulb.
The LED Home Lighting Revolution
Jim Hirschman asked:
The Las Vegas Strip may not be converting to them just yet, but LED lights have quickly become a popular home lighting method. These energy efficient light fixtures have been used for decades in a variety of applications, from alarm clock displays to Christmas tree ornaments; technology advances in recent years have enabled them to be used as regular light bulbs for domestic use, instead of incandescent or fluorescent lights. Home owners using LED lights can reduce their power consumption considerably, save big on electricity bills, and help protect natural resources.
The technology for LED, which stands for light emitting diode, was developed in the 1920s by the Russian scientist Oleg Vladimirovich Losev, and largely ignored for the next 30 years. American scientists began reporting on the technology in the mid 1950s, and by the 1960s LED lights were being refined for consumer electronics. This method of lighting was modified over the next few decades, and saw its biggest breakthrough in recent years with the development of white LED, which enabled the technology to be used in home lighting.
LEDs work by carrying a charge across semi conducting material that has been impregnated with impurities. The impurities cause the charge to fall to a lower energy level as it travels, and emit light in the process. The color of LED light can be controlled by the materials used as impurities in the semi conducting material. The most common LED colors are red, blue, white, and yellow.
Beyond home use, LEDs have many applications, including exit signs, railroad and traffic lights, sensor lights, machine vision light sources, flashlights, and photo therapy for skin conditions. LED is so versatile partially because its spectrum of light can be controlled more accurately than other types of light.
The main disadvantage of LED lighting compared to other light sources is that it is hard to direct. While high directivity isn’t usually required for home use, it’s often needed for industrial or commercial applications like laser technology.
The advantages of LED technology far outweigh the drawbacks, especially when energy efficiency is considered. For home owners, LED is too good an option to ignore.
The Las Vegas Strip may not be converting to them just yet, but LED lights have quickly become a popular home lighting method. These energy efficient light fixtures have been used for decades in a variety of applications, from alarm clock displays to Christmas tree ornaments; technology advances in recent years have enabled them to be used as regular light bulbs for domestic use, instead of incandescent or fluorescent lights. Home owners using LED lights can reduce their power consumption considerably, save big on electricity bills, and help protect natural resources.
The technology for LED, which stands for light emitting diode, was developed in the 1920s by the Russian scientist Oleg Vladimirovich Losev, and largely ignored for the next 30 years. American scientists began reporting on the technology in the mid 1950s, and by the 1960s LED lights were being refined for consumer electronics. This method of lighting was modified over the next few decades, and saw its biggest breakthrough in recent years with the development of white LED, which enabled the technology to be used in home lighting.
LEDs work by carrying a charge across semi conducting material that has been impregnated with impurities. The impurities cause the charge to fall to a lower energy level as it travels, and emit light in the process. The color of LED light can be controlled by the materials used as impurities in the semi conducting material. The most common LED colors are red, blue, white, and yellow.
Beyond home use, LEDs have many applications, including exit signs, railroad and traffic lights, sensor lights, machine vision light sources, flashlights, and photo therapy for skin conditions. LED is so versatile partially because its spectrum of light can be controlled more accurately than other types of light.
The main disadvantage of LED lighting compared to other light sources is that it is hard to direct. While high directivity isn’t usually required for home use, it’s often needed for industrial or commercial applications like laser technology.
The advantages of LED technology far outweigh the drawbacks, especially when energy efficiency is considered. For home owners, LED is too good an option to ignore.
Lighting Up Your Home With Leds: is it Time to Upgrade?
Robin Green asked:
Increasingly consumers are turning their eyes towards LED house lights as a way to conserve electricity. But will you really achieve the greatest savings by buying this still expensive lighting now? Or would you be better off to save your money for the time being, or to buy other energy-efficient light bulbs, and use the money you save in electricity to buy LED house lights down the road?
You have most likely seen LEDs before: camping headlamps, LED Christmas tree lights, wind-up emergency torches. How about LED house lights? If LEDs are so efficient, why aren’t manufacturers lining up to sell LED lights for the home, and why aren’t we lining up to buy them?
I wouldn’t try to sell you on LED lights as a solution to high utility bills or as the most ecologically beneficial lighting solution around. Frankly, I think LEDs have a ways to go yet, in terms of function, durability, and economy. There are some LED products you should consider over the next year, such as LED Christmas lights. And you might enjoy trying out a couple of LED light bulbs, if you’re the energy-saving type. But you are going to save more money by keeping with your current lighting, and migrating to fluorescent lights in the next year or so. Compact fluorescent lights, or CFLs, have a payback so short that they’ll pay for themselves before LEDs have matured enough to make CFLs out of date.
LED light bulbs are more efficient than incandescent or fluorescent lighting. The problem is that LEDs have very directed light. An incandescent light shines over a wide area fairly evenly, while LED lights are very focused, so that the area they directly illuminate is very bright, while the further you go from the direct beam, the less light there is. For LED Christmas lights, that isn’t a problem; you just want some shining points of light, which LEDs do very efficiently. But an incandescent or CFL will do a much better job of brightening up your living room than an LED bulb in the same application. The light will be more evenly and broadly spread, and with a warmer color.
When you see LED packaging claims of LED light output, you should be doubtful. A number in Lumens, which indicates light brightness, is misleading for LEDs, because of their focused beam. Lumens levels are read from a sensor placed right underneath the light source. A household LED light bulb at 2 watts may have the same lumens rating as a 50 watt halogen bulb, or as a 15 watt CFL, but the LED lamp may only send a focused light directly under it to the photo sensor, while the incandescent light and CFL will light up a much broader area, and still give that same lumens rating for the area immediately beneath the bulb. This may be the source of a frequent negative comment among LED owners, such as: “The packaging claims this 2-watt LED bulb has the same light output as a 50-watt incandescent bulb but it feels more like a 25-watt incandescent if you ask me.”
When it comes to halogen lights, they are only as efficient as incandescent lights, so the same efficiency considerations apply here. But since halogen lights are typically much more direct than incandescent bulbs, LED lights that are designed to replace halogen lights are both more efficient than the halogens they replace, and work well for the direct light that halogen bulbs provide. You can find LED replacement bulbs for the most common halogen fixtures such as GU10 and MR13, and this may be a good place to start the switchover.
LED house light designers work around the issue of the narrow beam of a single LED, by building household LED light bulbs that are a collection of individual LEDs, with each diode aimed at a different angle, so that a wider area is highly illuminated. This increases the area of full light coverage of an LED light. However very few such bulbs provide the breadth of area coverage of existing incandescent bulbs or CFLs and at the same time are bright enough.
Where LED lights outshine existing bulbs is as replacements for lighting that is (or should be) highly directed. For example, a light in a narrow hallway, where the chief point of the light is to show people their way down the hall, would be a good application for LEDs.
Task lighting is another example of an application where LEDs shine. Why light up your entire work room if all you need to see is the tools on the work bench right before your eyes? A couple of LED bulbs hanging above the work area will do the trick nicely. But you can only cost-justify this in energy savings if you live half your life in the workroom.
LED light bulbs are, in theory at least, very durable, when compared to incandescent bulbs and compact fluorescent bulbs. LED bulb life ranges from 35,000 to 200,000 hours, compared to 1,000 hours for a good incandescent light, and 8,000 hours for a CFL. But I have seen many consumer ratings of LED bulbs that report burn-out within a few days of being switched on. Clearly there are some quality problems still to be worked on – yet another good reason for holding off a couple of years before switching wholesale to LEDs.
Whether LEDs will really live up to their long lasting billing remains to be seen – even the 35,000 hour ones would need to be on 24×7 for 4 years before they come close to reaching their advertised range. And LED lights do dim with age – so while a bulb might have a lifetime of 35,000 hours, it won’t emit its starting light level for the full 35,000 hours – the older it gets, the less light it will emit. LED lights do decline progressively in light intensity and therefore in efficiency, although they will still be more efficient than either CFLs or incandescent bulbs throughout their life.
The “color temperature” of a light bulb, measured in ‘degrees Kelvin’, determines human visual response to its light. You are probably comfortable with the yellowish glow of incandescents at around 2800 Kelvin (2800K), even though fluorescent lighting is closer to the natural daylight temperature of 6000K. Any LED with a temperature of 6000K or higher will seem bluish, and any LED with a color temperature above 4000K will appear whiter than an incandescent bulb.
While homeowners are typically worried about how fluorescent or LED lights can make their rooms look blinding white instead of the comforting yellow glow provided by incandescent bulbs, you should remember that a little sacrifice in color temperature will put a big dent in your electricity bill. Be a trend-setter, not a trend-follower – start converting your home lighting to true daylight colors, whether with CFL lights or LED light bulbs. You will be helping your family and friends to switch over, when they find out they won’t be the only ones with a slightly bluer light hue in their homes.
Whether you switch a few of your lights to LED lights now, or let the technology and reliability improve, you can count on the fact that LEDs will play an increasing role in lighting our houses in the years ahead. I personally think it makes sense to wait, except in certain special lighting situations where the direct, high-color-temperature light of LEDs is what you’re after, and where money is no object. If you just want to save money – or to cut your energy use for environmental reasons – an equal amount of money spent on CFLs, or most other energy efficiency upgrades, will cut your energy bills and carbon footprint more than buying the LED lights now available.
Increasingly consumers are turning their eyes towards LED house lights as a way to conserve electricity. But will you really achieve the greatest savings by buying this still expensive lighting now? Or would you be better off to save your money for the time being, or to buy other energy-efficient light bulbs, and use the money you save in electricity to buy LED house lights down the road?
You have most likely seen LEDs before: camping headlamps, LED Christmas tree lights, wind-up emergency torches. How about LED house lights? If LEDs are so efficient, why aren’t manufacturers lining up to sell LED lights for the home, and why aren’t we lining up to buy them?
I wouldn’t try to sell you on LED lights as a solution to high utility bills or as the most ecologically beneficial lighting solution around. Frankly, I think LEDs have a ways to go yet, in terms of function, durability, and economy. There are some LED products you should consider over the next year, such as LED Christmas lights. And you might enjoy trying out a couple of LED light bulbs, if you’re the energy-saving type. But you are going to save more money by keeping with your current lighting, and migrating to fluorescent lights in the next year or so. Compact fluorescent lights, or CFLs, have a payback so short that they’ll pay for themselves before LEDs have matured enough to make CFLs out of date.
LED light bulbs are more efficient than incandescent or fluorescent lighting. The problem is that LEDs have very directed light. An incandescent light shines over a wide area fairly evenly, while LED lights are very focused, so that the area they directly illuminate is very bright, while the further you go from the direct beam, the less light there is. For LED Christmas lights, that isn’t a problem; you just want some shining points of light, which LEDs do very efficiently. But an incandescent or CFL will do a much better job of brightening up your living room than an LED bulb in the same application. The light will be more evenly and broadly spread, and with a warmer color.
When you see LED packaging claims of LED light output, you should be doubtful. A number in Lumens, which indicates light brightness, is misleading for LEDs, because of their focused beam. Lumens levels are read from a sensor placed right underneath the light source. A household LED light bulb at 2 watts may have the same lumens rating as a 50 watt halogen bulb, or as a 15 watt CFL, but the LED lamp may only send a focused light directly under it to the photo sensor, while the incandescent light and CFL will light up a much broader area, and still give that same lumens rating for the area immediately beneath the bulb. This may be the source of a frequent negative comment among LED owners, such as: “The packaging claims this 2-watt LED bulb has the same light output as a 50-watt incandescent bulb but it feels more like a 25-watt incandescent if you ask me.”
When it comes to halogen lights, they are only as efficient as incandescent lights, so the same efficiency considerations apply here. But since halogen lights are typically much more direct than incandescent bulbs, LED lights that are designed to replace halogen lights are both more efficient than the halogens they replace, and work well for the direct light that halogen bulbs provide. You can find LED replacement bulbs for the most common halogen fixtures such as GU10 and MR13, and this may be a good place to start the switchover.
LED house light designers work around the issue of the narrow beam of a single LED, by building household LED light bulbs that are a collection of individual LEDs, with each diode aimed at a different angle, so that a wider area is highly illuminated. This increases the area of full light coverage of an LED light. However very few such bulbs provide the breadth of area coverage of existing incandescent bulbs or CFLs and at the same time are bright enough.
Where LED lights outshine existing bulbs is as replacements for lighting that is (or should be) highly directed. For example, a light in a narrow hallway, where the chief point of the light is to show people their way down the hall, would be a good application for LEDs.
Task lighting is another example of an application where LEDs shine. Why light up your entire work room if all you need to see is the tools on the work bench right before your eyes? A couple of LED bulbs hanging above the work area will do the trick nicely. But you can only cost-justify this in energy savings if you live half your life in the workroom.
LED light bulbs are, in theory at least, very durable, when compared to incandescent bulbs and compact fluorescent bulbs. LED bulb life ranges from 35,000 to 200,000 hours, compared to 1,000 hours for a good incandescent light, and 8,000 hours for a CFL. But I have seen many consumer ratings of LED bulbs that report burn-out within a few days of being switched on. Clearly there are some quality problems still to be worked on – yet another good reason for holding off a couple of years before switching wholesale to LEDs.
Whether LEDs will really live up to their long lasting billing remains to be seen – even the 35,000 hour ones would need to be on 24×7 for 4 years before they come close to reaching their advertised range. And LED lights do dim with age – so while a bulb might have a lifetime of 35,000 hours, it won’t emit its starting light level for the full 35,000 hours – the older it gets, the less light it will emit. LED lights do decline progressively in light intensity and therefore in efficiency, although they will still be more efficient than either CFLs or incandescent bulbs throughout their life.
The “color temperature” of a light bulb, measured in ‘degrees Kelvin’, determines human visual response to its light. You are probably comfortable with the yellowish glow of incandescents at around 2800 Kelvin (2800K), even though fluorescent lighting is closer to the natural daylight temperature of 6000K. Any LED with a temperature of 6000K or higher will seem bluish, and any LED with a color temperature above 4000K will appear whiter than an incandescent bulb.
While homeowners are typically worried about how fluorescent or LED lights can make their rooms look blinding white instead of the comforting yellow glow provided by incandescent bulbs, you should remember that a little sacrifice in color temperature will put a big dent in your electricity bill. Be a trend-setter, not a trend-follower – start converting your home lighting to true daylight colors, whether with CFL lights or LED light bulbs. You will be helping your family and friends to switch over, when they find out they won’t be the only ones with a slightly bluer light hue in their homes.
Whether you switch a few of your lights to LED lights now, or let the technology and reliability improve, you can count on the fact that LEDs will play an increasing role in lighting our houses in the years ahead. I personally think it makes sense to wait, except in certain special lighting situations where the direct, high-color-temperature light of LEDs is what you’re after, and where money is no object. If you just want to save money – or to cut your energy use for environmental reasons – an equal amount of money spent on CFLs, or most other energy efficiency upgrades, will cut your energy bills and carbon footprint more than buying the LED lights now available.