LEDs save a lot of electricity. But are they really as sustainable as previously thought? Eco-checker Katharina finds out how environmentally friendly the alternative to the light bulb really is. 00:00 ONLY LEDS – HOW SUSTAINABLE ARE THEY REALLY? 00:36 LED FACT CHECK 01:21 ADVANTAGES OF LEDS 02:29 WATTS, LUMENS AND KELVINS IN COMPARISON 04:16 REPAIRING LEDS 09:53 HOW SUSTAINABLE ARE LEDS? 14:12 CONCLUSION ADVANTAGES OF LEDS LEDs use up to 90 percent less electricity than conventional light bulbs for the same power. A lot – and that is precisely why light bulbs have been banned by an EU regulation since 2009. Another advantage of LEDs is that, unlike energy-saving bulbs, they do not contain any toxic pollutants. Instead, electronic chips in LEDs generate the light. The brightness of LEDs is given in lumens. Confused about the conversion from watts to lumens? To help you, here's a rule of thumb: a conventional 60 watt light bulb corresponds to 810 lumens. In addition to the brightness value lumens, the color temperature is given using the unit Kelvin. The lower the value, the warmer the light. And LEDs can also score points when it comes to saving money: after about a year, the higher price of an LED lamp is offset by the lower power consumption. DISADVANTAGES OF LEDs LEDs are often advertised as having a very long lifespan of up to 50,000 hours. However, this lifespan does not apply to the ballast of an LED. The ballast is permanently installed. Its job is to convert the alternating current from the socket into direct current, thus reducing the voltage. The LED cannot be operated without the ballast. Repairing a ballast is usually complicated because it is permanently installed and individual spare parts are rarely available. Repairs are therefore not always possible. WHAT'S THE STATUS OF SUSTAINABILITY? In principle, it is worthwhile to switch to LEDs, as their energy efficiency is significantly lower than that of energy-saving lamps, incandescent lamps and halogen lamps. However, the efficiency of LEDs varies between manufacturers. This is where the so-called energy label is helpful. The label shows different levels of how efficient the respective LED is: from the most efficient class A to the most wasteful class G. When disposing of LEDs, you can do something good for the environment by taking them to a recycling center or to a retailer. When it comes to sustainability, production also plays an important role: LEDs are more complex to produce than conventional light bulbs, but they use much less electricity to use. It always makes sense to turn off the light when you leave the room, even if it is only for a short period of time, and to only install as much light in the house or apartment as you really need. When buying LEDs, you should definitely make sure that they are replaceable. This saves you high repair costs and avoids waste and the consumption of resources. Further links • Conversion tool: https://www.energiewechsel.de/KAENEF/... • Stiftung Warentest (2021): LED lamps in the test. The best light for you. https://www.test.de/Lampen-im-Test-44... • Ökotest (2022): Changing light bulbs: How to save up to 90 percent of energy on your lights. https://www.oekotest.de/bauen-wohnen/... • NDR (2019): Ten years of the ban on light bulbs: What has it achieved?. https://www.ndr.de/ratgeber/verbrauch... Author: Hanna Meßmann Moderation: Katharina Röben Editor (solisTV): Kathrin Gatzemeier / Sarah Weihsweiler Editor (SWR): Katharina Voigt Image source: SWR Imprint, Netiquette and Co. ► Subscribe to the Marktcheck channel http://x.swr.de/s/13x1 ► Instagram @oekochecker: / oekochecker Ökochecker are produced by SWR ►https://www.swr.de/impressum ► Comments are welcome - but please observe our netiquette: http://www.swr.de/netiquette #Oekochecker #Sustainability #LED