Do you think that the overwhelming base-cost of "green" inventions keeps people from buying them?

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Couple of notes:

1. You really need to do a present value analysis of the electricity cost. You also need to consider how often the light is on and determine projected lifetime and bring that cost to present value compared with the old edisons. (although LEDs would still win, but not by as much).

2. I haven't experiment with LEDs as a prime source of lighting. (Although, I have been following their progress for years and have some small ones that have work just great). But I know that CFLs never lived up to their claim of longevity. I put two in the bath two years ago and both blew out. I went through several in the garage. In the first case, I think the humidity fried the circuits and in the second, I think the vibrations fried them. Would a LED be able to handle harsh conditions? If not, they may not be a great value.

3. If someone is planning to move in the near future, they are not as good of a value.

4. My electric bill last month was $28 -- most of which went to feed the refrigerator. I use a power strip for both my computer and my TV. I only use lights as needed, and most of those lights are CFLs. LEDs are not going to save me much over the short term. Wait 'til a light goes out, then replace.

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LittleRobberGirl -- If your "old" CFL is black or dark near the base, it may need to be replaced. The luminosity of CFLs goes down with use. And if you see that dark band near the base, it is not putting out enough lums per watt to make it worth keeping.

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First, my comment on lums was related to old CFLs not LEDs. LEDs generally have a pretty good reputation for maintaining their lums.

Also, the failure mode for a LED is not necessarily the LED itself, but more likely the fixture, i.e., everything that supports the LED. See: http://www.colorkinetics.com/support/whitepapers/LEDLifetime.pdf

Engineering Economics 101:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering_economics

Assume:

60 W bulb life 1000 hours
Cost $1.00
(Even if the bulbs only cost $0.56 the annoyance cost of having to change a bulb is at least worth $0.44!)
LED 10W fixture service life 10,000 hours use or 10 years service
(I'm being conservative)
Cost $30

Average yearly use 1000 hours (2.74 hours/day reasonable household use)

Discount Rate: 5% (this is low, but so is the economy; normally you use a higher rate) to get present value.

The calculation to reach present value for a 10 year stream of constant costs is the one year cost x (1 - .95^10)/(1-.95)

Edison bulb cost
Bulbs = $1 * (1 - .95^10)/(1-.95) = $8.03
Electricity = $.10/kWhr * 60W * 1000 hr/year * (1 - .95^10)/(1-.95) = $48.15
Present value total costs: $56.17

LED
Bulb = $30
Electricity $0.10 /kwhr * 10 W * 1000 hr/year * (1 - .95^10)/(1-.95) = $8.03
Total = $38.03

The difference is not that great. If you have a high use area >5hrs/day. Change now.

Most other household uses, you would probably be best off waiting 2-3 years until the price is down to $10 per LED.

[And, yes I know, you can play around with lifetime, discount rate, future cost of electricity, etcetera. But I decided to take standard, simple and conservative assumptions.

As an aside, I want to be an early adopter. I wanted to get an LED yellow post light for the front walkway last year, but all I could find were CFLs. Next time I have an appropriate application, I'll look again.]...Show more

A lot of people are narrow minded and only see the upfront cost of something, while some (particularly those that are trying to live green currently) are able to look past the upfront cost and see the ongoing cost included. While a 60 dollar LED bulb may seem expensive, it's not that bad when you consider, a person wouldn't need to replace it very often at all, plus their electricity bill would be lower than if they used a conventional incandescent....Show more

Yes, it is. Most people go green to save money, which means they are in a mode where they feel they do not have sufficient cash to begin with (even if they do). Therefore they are not only trying to economize over the long run, they are trying to go lean at the get-go.

This puts the green movement at a disadvantage before we even start.

But then again, tell me who would easily plop a chunk of change on big ticket things like repairs or replacements, green or not? Do we replace working, but old vacuums just because the newer models are more powerful or clean better? If things are in working order, we're not too apt to spend money, no matter how much better the new stuff is.

Here we will need to rely on acts of God or the Govt to change our collective thinking. But change it needs to be. Rebates seem to have some impact as consumers start to educate themselves on these issues due to costs.

Good luck!...Show more

Go Green Inventions...Show more

Absolutely, I myself waiting for the cost of adding solar energy to my home, there are several ways to do it. GreenDIY has a way, but all of the "KITS" I have seen needs to be more simplified, and we need to work together so that everyone can afford to put it in there homes. Those light bulbs, i would like to have them in my home, but the cost is outrageous. Your electric bill, especially during heat waves, through the roof, we need to make things more affordable, then people are more willing to go green. Personally i am sick of the price of electric, what planet is the electric companies from? Very Good Open Question....Show more