Poultry Lighting- Advantages of LED Bulbs

1. Incandescent bulbs are being phased out by numerous countries (US included) making it now illegal to manufacture many incandescent bulbs leaving only those bulbs still in supply to sell. Usually the higher the wattage the more expensive and more difficult the bulb is to find now with the new laws in effect. LED bulbs do not face this issue and benefit from newer technology that is developing each year.

2. Incandescent bulbs are not efficient at all in terms of converting energy for just light production. Most of the energy is released as heat and not as light thus making them very inefficient. In contrast, LED bulbs convert nearly all their energy to light production and are very efficient. For example a 40 watt incandescent produces roughly 400 Lumens which is a little less than the average 8 watt LED bulb that produces about 450 Lumens. This fact alone makes it easy to see how LED bulbs can pay you back in energy savings over time, by giving you the same Lumens (light output) for much less electrical usage.

3. Incandescent bulbs have a typical lifespan of about 2,000 hours or less, CFL and Cold Cathode bulbs around 10,000 hours, and LED’s can have a lifespan over 25,000 hours. This means less time and labor required to change bulbs by switching to LED bulbs.

4. LED bulbs don’t lose their intensity like Cold Cathode does. Some research shows that after time Cold Cathode bulbs lose light intensity the older they get.

5. Our LED bulbs are fully dimmable and can be dimmed as low as 1%. They do not have issues like CFL bulbs do when dimming at lower levels and work on nearly all dimmers.

6. LED bulb warranties are longer. Most agricultural rated LED’s have a minimum of a 3 year warranty and some go as high as 5. Incandescent bulbs do not have a warranty and CFL and Cold Cathode bulbs usually only have a 1 year warranty.

7. Not all LED bulbs are alike. Do not confuse Agricultural rated LED bulbs and residential LED bulbs. They are not the same, and do not dim the same and thus do not perform the same. They may be more attractive due to their lower price, but they will not hold up in your poultry house like the agricultural rated LED’s will.

8. Some electrical companies, co-ops, and federal grants offer rebates or cost share programs that may be available in your area. Contact your local USDA Rural Development office to inquire about the REAP program or ask your electricity supplier for any rebates they may offer

9. By changing out incandescent bulbs to LED bulbs some have shown a payback as quickly as a few flocks, and if you are changing from CFL or Cold Cathode bulbs the payback can be around 1 to 2 years depending on your lighting program and setup. Regardless, know that by changing to LED you are cutting your energy usage, putting money back in your pocket, having a more durable and longer lasting bulb, and a bulb with a better warranty. Take the next step and invest in LED bulbs today!