Complete B2B comparison: wattage, lifespan, CRI, energy cost, and 5-year total cost of ownership across 5 lighting technologies.
All values benchmarked for an 8,000 lumen output target. Annual energy cost and 5-year TCO calculated at 50 units, 12 hours/day, $0.12/kWh. CO2 uses US grid average of 0.707 kg/kWh.
| Parameter | Incandescent | Halogen | Fluorescent (T8) | Metal Halide (MH) | LED |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wattage (for 8,000lm) | 400W | 300W | 80W | 100W | 50W |
| Luminous Efficacy (lm/W) | 20 | 27 | 90 | 80 | 160 |
| Lifespan (hours) | 1,000 | 2,000 | 15,000 | 10,000 | 50,000 |
| Lifespan (years at 12hr/day) | 0.2 | 0.5 | 3.4 | 2.3 | 11.4 |
| CRI | 100 | 100 | 80 | 65 | 90+ |
| Color Temperature | 2700K | 3000K | 4000K | 4000K | 2700K–6500K |
| Warm-up Time | Instant | Instant | 30–60s | 5–10min | Instant |
| Flicker | No | No | Yes | No | No (quality driver) |
| UV Emission | High | Medium | Low | Medium | None |
| Mercury Content | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Dimming | Yes | Yes | Limited | No | Yes (with driver) |
| Annual Energy Cost (50 units) | $10,512 | $7,884 | $2,103 | $2,629 | $1,314 |
| 5-Year TCO (50 units) | $54,560 | $41,420 | $15,515 | $18,145 | $11,570 |
| CO2/year (50 units) | 62,334 kg | 46,750 kg | 12,454 kg | 15,568 kg | 7,784 kg |
TCO includes energy cost + replacement lamp cost + maintenance labor over 5 years. LED unit price assumed at $120/fixture. Actual results vary by region, utility rate, and fixture quality.
Understand the strengths, weaknesses, and ideal use cases for each lighting technology before making your retrofit decision.
20 lm/W · 1,000 hrs
Replace with: 50W LED Bulb (87% energy savings)
27 lm/W · 2,000 hrs
Replace with: 30W LED Flood (90% energy savings)
90 lm/W · 15,000 hrs
Replace with: 18W LED Tube (50% energy savings)
80 lm/W · 10,000 hrs
Replace with: 150W LED High Bay (62% energy savings)
160 lm/W · 50,000 hrs
Recommended: The clear winner for new installs and retrofits.
Select your current fixture type and enter your project parameters. See instant annual savings and payback period for an LED upgrade.
A structured approach to retrofitting your existing lighting infrastructure with LED technology.
Assess your existing fixtures: count quantities, record wattages, note operating hours, and map fixture locations. Document ceiling heights and beam angle requirements for each zone.
Deliverable: Fixture inventory spreadsheet with zone mapping
Select the right LED replacement for each fixture. Match lumen output, verify CRI requirements (90+ for retail, 80+ for office), and confirm color temperature per application zone.
Deliverable: LED spec sheet with replacement cross-reference
Validate savings and payback using the industrial lighting ROI calculator. Confirm energy reduction targets, verify rebates, and finalize the procurement budget with factory-direct pricing.
Deliverable: ROI report with payback period and rebate eligibility
Quick lookup table for the most common traditional-to-LED fixture replacements in B2B projects.
| Traditional Fixture | LED Replacement | Energy Savings |
|---|---|---|
| 400W Metal Halide High Bay | → 150W LED High Bay | 62% savings |
| 250W HPS Street Light | → 100W LED Street Light | 60% savings |
| T8 36W Fluorescent Tube (4ft) | → 18W LED Tube | 50% savings |
| 400W Incandescent Bulb | → 50W LED Bulb | 87% savings |
| 300W Halogen Flood Light | → 30W LED Flood | 90% savings |
Energy savings based on wattage reduction at equivalent lumen output. Actual savings vary by fixture quality, driver efficiency, and operating conditions.
Send us your current fixture specs. We'll match the right LED replacement with a factory-direct quote.
LED saves 60-70% energy compared to metal halide. A typical 400W metal halide fixture can be replaced by a 150W LED high bay light, delivering equivalent or better illuminance while cutting power consumption by over 62%. Over a year at 12 hours per day, that is roughly $1,315 in savings per 50 fixtures.
Yes, LED T8 tubes can directly replace fluorescent T8 tubes, but you must confirm ballast compatibility. Type A LED tubes work with existing electronic ballasts for plug-and-play installation. For best performance and longevity, use Type B (ballast bypass) or Type C (external driver) LED tube retrofit kits, which eliminate ballast failure points entirely.
Metal halide typically has a CRI of around 65, while quality LED fixtures achieve CRI 90 or higher. This is a significant upgrade for retail showrooms, art galleries, and precision manufacturing where accurate color rendering directly affects product appearance, visual inspection quality, and customer perception.
Industrial LED fixtures last approximately 50,000 hours. At 12 hours per day operation, that equals about 11.4 years of service, far exceeding metal halide at 2.3 years and fluorescent T8 at 3.4 years. This extended lifespan dramatically reduces maintenance labor, replacement costs, and downtime in hard-to-reach installations like high-bay warehouses.
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