LED Equivalences
LED Equivalences (Outdoor Lighting)
LED vs MH Equivalent
| LED (Wattage) | LED Lumens | HID/MH Equivalent (Wattage) |
|---|---|---|
| 13W | 1200 Lumens | 100W |
| 30W | 3200 Lumens | 175W |
| 50W | 6200 Lumens | 250W |
| 80W | 10000 Lumens | 300W |
| 120W | 15000 Lumens | 400W |
| 200W | 25000 Lumens | 750W |
| 350W | 46000 Lumens | 1000W |
| 450W | 56000 Lumens | 1500W |
Notes:
- These are just a guideline to get you started. Majority of the lumen package indicated in the table above is based on a conservative 125 Lumens/Watt value. The reality is that a lot of manufacturers offer more efficient fixtures 150+Lumens/Watt, which would mean a typical 400W MH fixture could easily be replaced with an equivalent LED fixture that is closer to 100W.
- When comparing equivalences between LED and MH fixtures its not always as simple as comparing lumens to lumens. The reality with MH bulbs is that they are Omni-directional, meaning the light is distributed in all directions and relies on the reflector to bounce light downwards. Studies have shown that reflective losses can be as high as 30%. Another important point to remember is that the lumen depreciation factor is significantly higher than LED. Lets look at this example to illustrate this point:
400W Metal Halide:
Initial/Advertised Rating: 32,000 Lumens (15,000 Life Hours)
After first 6 Months:
32,000 Lumens – 20% (Initial Loss) – 30% (Reflector Loss) = 16,000 Lumens
The original bulb lumens are halved without accounting for other losses. Additionally, this figure diminishes as the fixture ages. In contrast, a comparable 120W LED will maintain the same output for much longer periods (with some LEDs boasting an L70 rating of 100,000 hours). Even at this stage, it retains 70% of its initially rated output. Moreover, LED lights outlast MH lamps by up to 5-6 times.