Post by lankidden on Jun 1, 2015 16:20:37 GMT
I have posted previously about our 'van's electrical set-up, which was designed so that we could for nine months out of twelve be completely independent of onsite hook-ups and mains re-charging. Our system consists of two 115AH Banner batteries, continuously recharged by an eighty watt roof mounted solar panel, which is used for all our twelve volt needs, and includes a three kilowatt mains power inverter for our 240 volt mains appliances. We try to be reasonably careful in our usage, but not slavishly so, only watching such TV as we REALLY want to watch, and only vacuuming the carpets once the dog hair and grass more or less obliterates the colour, plus of course, Mrs Neil's hairdryer and kitchen microwave ! !
Our lighting is/was entirely twelve volt halogen, with a mix of ten and twenty watt bulbs. But being as Mrs Neil demands good evening lighting for her reading and knitting, and in the interests of both power efficiency and marital harmony, I decided that the time might have come to change over to LED lighting. So after an experimental changeover of our two main reading lights, I decided to bite the bullet, and the majority of the remainder have now also been replaced by LED lighting. Colour me impressed ! ! !
It certainly isn't a particularly cost effective exercise, LED lighting is still fairly expensive, but the saving in power consumption and improvement on brightness almost has to be calculated and seen to be believed. Here is how it has worked out. Reading lights in the lounge - 2x40 watt halogen replaced by 2x3.7 watt LED. Overhead skylight fittings - 60 watt halogen replaced by 6 watt LED. Kitchen fitting - 30 watt halogen replaced by 3 watt LED. Washbasin lighting - 40 watt halogen replaced by 3 watt LED. All these replacement LEDs being 6100 Kelvin "Cool White" bulbs. Bedroom reading lights - 2x40 watt halogen replaced by 2x3.7 watt LED. These replacement LEDs being 4200 Kelvin "Warm White" bulbs.
So overall, around a 90% saving in lighting power usage, plus a much brighter lighting effect, a definite win-win result. There are a couple of relatively unused reading lights still to be changed, and I'm seriously thinking of upgrading the under unit so called "mood lighting" which is so moody as to be almost unlit.
If this was a WebSite review, I would definitely award a 5***** rating, with all our power requirements being even more effectively taken care of, and still being topped up by limitless supplies of God's free sunlight power solar energy. What's not to like?
Neil C
Our lighting is/was entirely twelve volt halogen, with a mix of ten and twenty watt bulbs. But being as Mrs Neil demands good evening lighting for her reading and knitting, and in the interests of both power efficiency and marital harmony, I decided that the time might have come to change over to LED lighting. So after an experimental changeover of our two main reading lights, I decided to bite the bullet, and the majority of the remainder have now also been replaced by LED lighting. Colour me impressed ! ! !
It certainly isn't a particularly cost effective exercise, LED lighting is still fairly expensive, but the saving in power consumption and improvement on brightness almost has to be calculated and seen to be believed. Here is how it has worked out. Reading lights in the lounge - 2x40 watt halogen replaced by 2x3.7 watt LED. Overhead skylight fittings - 60 watt halogen replaced by 6 watt LED. Kitchen fitting - 30 watt halogen replaced by 3 watt LED. Washbasin lighting - 40 watt halogen replaced by 3 watt LED. All these replacement LEDs being 6100 Kelvin "Cool White" bulbs. Bedroom reading lights - 2x40 watt halogen replaced by 2x3.7 watt LED. These replacement LEDs being 4200 Kelvin "Warm White" bulbs.
So overall, around a 90% saving in lighting power usage, plus a much brighter lighting effect, a definite win-win result. There are a couple of relatively unused reading lights still to be changed, and I'm seriously thinking of upgrading the under unit so called "mood lighting" which is so moody as to be almost unlit.
If this was a WebSite review, I would definitely award a 5***** rating, with all our power requirements being even more effectively taken care of, and still being topped up by limitless supplies of God's free sunlight power solar energy. What's not to like?
Neil C