LEDs... Have they arrived?

[BeanAnimal]

And lets not get confused about efficiency and effiacy... The 100% theoretical maximum being refered to is not 1W of input becoming 1W of light. It is 100% of the theoretical maximum efficacy which is somewhere a bit above the 50% electrical efficiency. That is there is not much further to go with regard to efficiency in context to the bleeding edge emitters being worked on now. The new advances will be spectral and thermal management (lifespan) related.

 

[nyquist]

And lets not get confused about efficiency and effiacy... The 100% theoretical maximum being refered to is not 1W of input becoming 1W of light. It is 100% of the theoretical maximum efficacy which is somewhere a bit above the 50% electrical efficiency.

earlier I was talking about the chart, which was about power conversion or electrical efficiency not luminous efficiency; and I know luminous efficacy is limited to 300 or so lm/W, but electrical efficiency isn't theoretically limited to 50%, is it?

The new advances will be spectral and thermal management (lifespan) related.

This sounds about right, heat is still a big problem especially with high brightness LED systems or extremely dense LED systems

 

[DaveMorris]

I'm glad that I am not the only reefer out there that compares LED lighting vs MH lighting to vinyl and CDs. To me, it is a perfect analogy. LED's are very specific in their wavelengths and from what I have seen are very narrow in the bands of those wavelengths. Tungsten or MH light sources tend to have more of a curve and smoother wavelengths with some associated peaks. To me, LED lighting just plain looks fake. In my 300g build I am doing now, I will probably be using LED's and building my own fixture, but I have my doubts about how much I will like the looks of it. I just can't have $450 electric bills anymore from running my four 250w MH fixtures eight hours a day.

 

[Seagals]

I just can't have $450 electric bills anymore from running my fokiur 250w MH fixtures eight hours a day.[/QUOTE]

Well said, I thought part of this hobby was sustainability and burning mucho bucco on electric that runs onfossil fuel and pollutes the oceans (i.e. Corals) is not very sustainable. Leds have a ways to go but have started off very well.

 

[James77]

double

 

[James77]

Unless your electric rates, even at the highest tier, are around $1.50 per kwH, then there is no way the halides are costing you $450. Last I heard the highest electric tier in California was about 35 cents per kwh. Are the halides contributing to about 1/5 t0 1/4 that? Sure.

Running 1000 watts of halides 8 hours a day would cost me $28/month at $.12/kwh.

Well said, I thought part of this hobby was sustainability and burning mucho bucco on electric that runs onfossil fuel and pollutes the oceans (i.e. Corals) is not very sustainable. Leds have a ways to go but have started off very well.

This entire hobby is a burden on enviromental sustainability. From dredging out live rock or even shipping extremely heavy dry base rock across the country. Shipping heavy aquariums and the salt in them. All forms of lighting use electric, as do pumps and heaters. Nevermind the fish and coral that we airship all over the country after ripping them out of the ocean, which alone kills countless animals. A tankful of captive raised fish and local frags with "used" live rock would be about as ideal as you can get. But this hobby is not exactly kind to the enviroment, even with things like LEDs.

 

[jerpa]

I just can't have $450 electric bills anymore from running my fokiur 250w MH fixtures eight hours a day.

Well said, I thought part of this hobby was sustainability and burning mucho bucco on electric that runs onfossil fuel and pollutes the oceans (i.e. Corals) is not very sustainable. Leds have a ways to go but have started off very well.

I have a feeling that was said more out of concern for his wallet. From a purely environmental standpoint it would be best if you didn't have a tank at all

 

[sirreal63]

We do our part, hydro electric here but I drive. 4400 pound luxury car. Of course this is never the place to discuss these things.
Being more realistic, I doubt your tank is using $450 in electricity or you live in the give it away state and your high electricity bill is subsidizing someone else's free electricity.

 

[DaveMorris]

Unless your electric rates, even at the highest tier, are around $1.50 per kwH, then there is no way the halides are costing you $450. Last I heard the highest electric tier in California was about 35 cents per kwh. Are the halides contributing to about 1/5 t0 1/4 that? Sure.

Running 1000 watts of halides 8 hours a day would cost me $28/month at $.12/kwh.

Obviously my 1000w of lighting doesn't cost me $450/month. I was simply pointing out (in this thread about LEDs) that switching from MH to LED would be a step in the right direction toward not having those high bills. And for the record, we are paying much more than $0.35/kwH here in So. Cal depending on the time of day. SDG&E has placed smart meters on most homes and they allow them to change rates during the peak demand times of the day.

Hopefully I will be able to find a combination of LEDs that produces a color spectrum that is pleasing to my overly picky eye as well as keeping my coral happy.

 

[sirreal63]

Dave I agree that places with crazy electrical rates are a perfect fit for LEDs, it does make sense since fixing the issues that issues that are causing those crazy electrical rates will be next to impossible. I would wait just a little for the tech to improve, there are a few really nice led fixtures coming out that give a much better color and have greater capabilities than the Radion or AI.