Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I'm at a loss as to how using LEDs instead of incandescents would have any noticeable effect on our "carbon footprint". The would simply reduce the amount of electricity used, but not sufficiently to eliminate the supplying generating facility that may be using fossil fuels. The generators will run the same amount, using the same amount of fuel. Only a small bit of the overall usage will be reduced. For example, the total usage for a generating station may go from 500 megawatts to 498.

A generating station has the capability to generate X amount of power, potential power when it is running.
The station will run the same, basically consuming the same amount of fuel whether 80% of its capacity is used or 20% of it's capacity is used. The generators have to run at the same speed regardless of how much electricity is used from them. Consuming less electricity will not reduce the fuel required (consumed) to generate the potential capability of a generating station.

StanMac Loc: Tennessee

Refrigerators replaced ice boxes, automobiles replaced the horse and carriage, shellac platters were replaced by vinyl, which were replaced by CDs, which were replaced by digital files, and the cycle continues with our technology.

Stan

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

And some have great innovations in energy efficiency, like the LEDs.

JayRay Loc: Missouri

This is not true! The more power that a generator delivers, the more energy that must be input to the generator. To better explain, it is perhaps easier to discuss this by using an electric motor as the example. A motor spins at a certain designed speed when driven by a 60 (or 50) hertz alternating current power source. The motor will draw a certain amount of current when there is no load on the motor, which typically can be as low as 40% of the nameplate full load current. For example: a 1 horsepower motor with no load will draw less (typically as low as 40% of the) current than the full load (1HP) current listed on the motor nameplate. As the load on the motor is increased from no load to full load the current drawn by the motor will increase until the load reaches the 1 horsepower rating of the motor, when the motor will then be drawing the full load current listed on the motor nameplate. The more work that a motor does, the more energy must be input to the motor. The same is true of a generator: the more power a generator provides, the more energy is required to be input to the generator. (Energy input to generator) x (efficiency of the generator) = Energy output from generator.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

So relate this to fuel being burned to create steam for the generators,
Not the other end regarding consumption.
More steam?
The effect of LED vs. incandescent load difference on a generator will be negligible compared to the other devices we use.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Currently, about 5% of the total US electrical energy is used for lighting, or 213 Billion KWH/year, and that number includes LEDs and CFLs, so it was probably substantially higher several years ago when most residential lighting was incandescent.

In NC, which has relatively cheap electricL power (~10 cents/KWH), the average user saves about $4,000 over 20 years (the average life of an LED) by converting to LEDs according to Duke energy.

One issue I have with the majority of LEDs is that the color gets cooler (more blue) as they’re dimmed. We use dimmers on most lights in our home and really prefer the “candlelight” look of incandescents, which get warmer when they’re dimmed. Phillips to the rescue. They make a series of “Warm Glo” LEDs that actually mimic incandescents and get warmer when dimmed, and I’ve been replacing all the lightning in my house with them. Having spent a couple of years as a lighting designer, I’m sensitive to the effect that color and CRI of lighting has on the mood of the inhabitants.

raylang Loc: Elk Grove,CA

I have LED bulbs through out my house except for my hallway that has my Hologram collection which has to use halogen lamps to get the 3D affect. Don't think they make a LED version that will do the same. Hope they continue to make halogen for a while.

therwol Loc: USA

If you may need to have replacements for your halogen bulbs at any time in the future, start looking for them NOW. They will be going away soon. In fact, some bulbs can no longer be shipped to California. The energy versus light output requirement in this state is already law. I got some incandescent bulbs just a couple of weeks ago from LightBulbs.com . I don't know if they would have what you need. You can do a Google search and some options may come up, but I found that prices are being jacked up on incandescent bulbs. Home Depot is rapidly running out of any of them.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Bulbs.com is an excellent source for all types of bulbs - they have a HUGE assortment, but charge for shipping on orders less than $100.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

"the sale of most incandescent light bulbs will be banned by July 2023."

Better hurry and stock up.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

One only has to save 5% about 45 times to get down to 10% of the original usage.
So we have only 44 more things to invent/improve.

JayRay Loc: Missouri

As the load comes up on a generator it requires more torque which requires:
1. In a coal fired power plant: More coal per hour to provide a higher pressure of steam to the turbine to provide more torque to the generator.
2. In a natural gas, gasoline, or diesel fueled engine power plant: More fuel per hour to provide more torque to the generator.

A better explanation can be given by looking a residential gasoline fueled generator (the same principle applies to all generators because more load requires more fuel). If you look at the specifications for a gasoline fueled engine generator the run time for the generator (with its integral fuel tank) significantly increases when the load decreases from the rated full load maximum output of the generator. Less load on the generator requires less fuel (energy) input to the device driving the generator.

Because lighting only represents about 5% of the total electric consumption in the US, I totally agree with you that by switching from incandescent lights to LED (while saving an individual homeowner some money) will only save about 1% to 2% at the generating station. Totally agree with you on that fact!

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

There are very few other electrical loads tht we can increase in effeciency now that microwaves, LED lights and higher efficiency appliances & HVAC systems have been introduced. We can continue to make small improvements on the demand side, but that will increase dramatically if we actually convert a substantial portion of our automobiles in service to electric power. We need to concentrate on the supply side and eliminate coal, oil and gas fired plants, and whether you like it or not, that means we better be building more nuclear ASAP. No other viable answer to supply the base demand unless fusion becomes viable (in yet another decade).

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

So as the device efficiency increases and consumption goes down, they'll be able to retire the coal and gas generating plants, right? Compensated by a population increase, which will increase users.
I would definitely not hold my breath for that to happen.......
They'll just run at, lets say, 75% capacity instead of 90% capacity, and their fuel consumption will go down a skosh.
Don't forget the increased demand from all those electric cars we'll be buying.

Any new nuclear plants in the mill?
Years ago there was a coal/gas fired plant in the town I grew up in, it closed I suppose when they built the nuclear plant a couple of towns over in 1984.

Point being for this <primary> discussion, savings from LEDs are minimal compared to everything else.
Like an old 7W incandescent night light being replaced by a .5W LED.
100W (≈25¢  for 10 hours) incandescent replaced by a 15W LED (≈38¢ for 100 hours). (Yes, I know, rates are different in different parts of the country.)
But it does add up.