Longest Life Expectancy Light Sources

One of the most important factors in selecting a light source for your lighting system is the life expectancy. The life expectancy of lighting in almost every application has improved massively in the last few decades, with some LED luminaires boasting lifetimes dozens of times longer than the old fashioned tungsten “lightbulbs” of old.

Here is a rough guide as to the lifespan of different light sources. These figures give an indication, though the quality of components and temperature management in some cheaper LED luminaires can mean significantly lower life expectancy than shown below.

• Traditional Tungsten ‘lightbulb’ 2,000 hours
• Halogen lamp (i.e. 35W, 50W) 3,000 – 6,000 hours
• Fluorescent T8 lamp 15,000 hours
• Fluorescent T5 lamp 25,000 hours
• LED up to 100,000 hours