LED vs. Incandescent: Which is the Better Choice for Outdoor Lighting?

When it comes to choosing the best outdoor lighting option, businesses, municipalities, and homeowners often face a key decision: LED outdoor lighting or incandescent outdoor lighting. Both have their history and use cases, but as energy costs rise and sustainability becomes a priority, the difference in performance and efficiency has become more significant than ever.

In this blog, we’ll compare LED vs incandescent outdoor lights, focusing on energy consumption, efficiency, and long-term savings. We’ll also introduce a practical tool—the outdoor LED light calculator from Infralumin—that can help you measure and optimize your outdoor lighting energy usage.

Understanding Incandescent Outdoor Lighting

Incandescent outdoor lighting has been around for over a century. These lights are known for their warm glow and relatively low upfront cost. However, they are far from efficient. A typical incandescent bulb converts only about 10% of its energy into light, with the remaining 90% lost as heat.

• Average lifespan: 1,000 hours
• Wattage: Often 60W–100W for a single outdoor bulb
• Energy efficiency: Low

For outdoor applications where lights often stay on for long hours—such as street lighting, garden paths, or commercial spaces—the inefficiency of incandescent lights leads to significantly higher electricity bills.

Why LED Outdoor Lighting is More Efficient

LED outdoor lighting represents a leap forward in technology. LEDs (light-emitting diodes) are designed to provide bright, reliable light while consuming a fraction of the energy of incandescent bulbs.

• Average lifespan: 25,000–50,000 hours
• Wattage: Typically 8W–15W to match a 60W incandescent bulb
• Energy efficiency: High

In terms of outdoor LED light energy savings, LEDs consume up to 80% less electricity than incandescent bulbs. That means a facility that replaces 100 incandescent bulbs with LEDs could save thousands of kilowatt-hours each year.

Comparing Electricity Consumption

Let’s break down the numbers with a simple example:

• Incandescent outdoor lighting: A 100W bulb running for 8 hours per night consumes 292 kWh annually.
• LED outdoor lights: A 15W LED with equivalent brightness consumes only 44 kWh annually.

The difference is striking. Over a year, just one bulb can save 248 kWh. Multiply this across dozens or even hundreds of outdoor fixtures, and the savings become substantial—both in terms of energy efficiency and operating costs.

Outdoor Lighting Energy Efficiency in Practice

Switching to energy-efficient outdoor lighting solutions is not just about cutting costs. It also reduces maintenance needs, improves reliability, and supports sustainability goals.

For municipalities, choosing LED outdoor lights can reduce the strain on city budgets. For businesses, it lowers operational expenses while improving the safety and visibility of outdoor spaces. Even residential users benefit from fewer bulb replacements and reduced monthly bills.

Use the Outdoor LED Light Calculator to Optimize Your Setup

Understanding the potential savings is one thing—calculating them for your specific project is another. This is where the Infralumin outdoor LED light calculator becomes essential.

With this tool, you can:

• Compare the electricity consumption of LED vs incandescent outdoor lights
• Estimate your annual energy savings
• Plan the most energy-efficient outdoor lighting solutions for your property or project

Whether you are planning a large-scale street lighting upgrade or evaluating options for a commercial facility, the outdoor LED light calculator gives you data-driven insights to make the right decision.

Making the Switch to Smarter Outdoor Lighting

Choosing between LED vs incandescent outdoor lights doesn’t have to be complicated. If long-term savings, energy efficiency, and sustainability are your priorities, LED outdoor lighting is the clear winner.

And with tools like Infralumin outdoor LED light calculator, you don’t have to guess the impact—your savings can be calculated, planned, and optimized from the start.

So before your next outdoor lighting project, take a moment to compare the numbers. You may be surprised at just how much you can save by making the switch to LEDs.