# LED Floodlights?



## Zup (Jul 10, 2011)

I have three 500W HID floodlights right now (dimmable). Would love to replace them with LEDs.

I see some 100W LEDs online, including on Ebay, but they all look to be the same product (albeit at different prices). Has anyone used these, how do they compare to the HIDs and do the warm versions exhibit the ghostly green some warm light bulbs do?

Also, I see some with multiple LEDs, but most have a single or double ceramic LED. What is the practical difference?


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## deadrx7conv (Jul 13, 2011)

LED quality is hit or miss. So, whether its ghostly green or not is trial/error with your supplier.

I find that my 50w LED floodlights are excellent. And, if/when the LED or driver quits, I'll simple replace them. 

The LED floodlights are very similar but I do find that different manufacturers use different LEDs and driver/power supply sources. 

Not sure what you mean by single or double ceramic LED. Examples?


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## Zup (Jul 16, 2011)

Oh, I meant that some have two ceramic LEDs, some have only one (presumably more powerful one) and some use multiple (30+ small LEDs).

As to the HIDs, I like the light, but I have four of the (not three, as I stated initially) and that's 2000W when they are all on. I was hoping that I can get similar coverage with about 1/5th of the wattage.


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## Lynx_Arc (Jul 16, 2011)

Zup said:


> Oh, I meant that some have two ceramic LEDs, some have only one (presumably more powerful one) and some use multiple (30+ small LEDs).
> 
> As to the HIDs, I like the light, but I have four of the (not three, as I stated initially) and that's 2000W when they are all on. I was hoping that I can get similar coverage with about 1/5th of the wattage.


 
I believe HIDs are about 60-100 lumens/watt which means you would have to have an LED with 300-500 lumens/watt to get the same light output at 1/5 the wattage which even wanting 300 lumens per watt makes it impossible as the best LEDs sold are about 160 or so lumens/watt. In other words you either will have to drop the light output and use XPG or XML bin LEDs around 150+ lumens per watt and a bunch of them to match your HIDs.


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## Zup (Jul 24, 2011)

Lynx_Arc said:


> I believe HIDs are about 60-100 lumens/watt which means you would have to have an LED with 300-500 lumens/watt to get the same light output at 1/5 the wattage which even wanting 300 lumens per watt makes it impossible as the best LEDs sold are about 160 or so lumens/watt. In other words you either will have to drop the light output and use XPG or XML bin LEDs around 150+ lumens per watt and a bunch of them to match your HIDs.


 
Thanks! This is very informative. I may have gotten a bit too enthusiastic about LEDs 

So, it seems like LEDs are currently about twice as efficient as HIDs.

I may just replace the HID bulbs with 300W ones for now (3 have burned out, that's why I was looking for alternatives).


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## Lynx_Arc (Jul 24, 2011)

Zup said:


> Thanks! This is very informative. I may have gotten a bit too enthusiastic about LEDs
> 
> So, it seems like LEDs are currently about twice as efficient as HIDs.
> 
> I may just replace the HID bulbs with 300W ones for now (3 have burned out, that's why I was looking for alternatives).


 
I would just replace the bulbs for now and in a few years things could change more. Right now unless you make your own the best you would expect to find in LEDs would be 100-120 lumens/watt when in two years we could see 150-180 lumens/watt LEDs mainstream meaning 1/3 less LEDs needed to accomplish the same output.. less spent on power supplies and heatsinking also. Most likely around the time you consider LED lights replacing those you could see LEDs being used instead of HIDs commercially as they do the math when it comes to new construction the more efficient come first followed later by upgrading replacing older technology.


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## brickbat (Jul 24, 2011)

Do you really mean "HID"? My guess is your 500w flood lights use tungsten halogen lamps. Much different from HID...

They are more like 20 lumens/Watt. But with the nasty reflector they are typically fitted with in the low-cost specimens commonly available, I'd guestimate their output at about 15 usable lumens/Watt.


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## easy2led (Jul 29, 2011)

Based on the fact that those 500W fixtures are dimmable, they are not HID, but halogen, thus delivering 20 lm/W. I think that they can be replaced by 50-80W LED floodlights. Should however add that I haven't seen dimmable LED floodlights so far.


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## ElectronGuru (Dec 26, 2011)

Another plus with LEDs in this application is bugs. Less attracive wavelengths/heat should equal less of a swarm in summer.


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## brightlux-led (Dec 26, 2011)

Zup said:


> I have three 500W HID floodlights right now (dimmable). Would love to replace them with LEDs.
> 
> I see some 100W LEDs online, including on Ebay, but they all look to be the same product (albeit at different prices). Has anyone used these, how do they compare to the HIDs and do the warm versions exhibit the ghostly green some warm light bulbs do?
> 
> ...


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