How many years will it take to recoup the cost of replacing all incandescent traffic light bulbs in Lansing with LED traffic light bulbs?
It will take approximately 8.845 years to recoup the cost of replacing all incandescent traffic light bulbs in Lansing with LED traffic light bulbs.
Energy Consumption Comparison
Incandescent traffic lights in Lansing consist of 2,500 units, each with one red, one yellow, and one green 100 W incandescent light bulb. The energy consumption of incandescent bulbs is significantly higher compared to LED bulbs.
Calculating Incandescent Bulb Energy Consumption:
Each incandescent bulb consumes 100 W of power. As there are three bulbs per traffic light, the total energy consumption per year for one traffic light is 2628 kWh.
Calculating LED Bulb Energy Consumption:
Each LED bulb contains 62 LEDs, consuming 10 V and 20 mA. With three LED bulbs per traffic light, the total energy consumption per year for one traffic light is 5.256 kWh.
Cost Analysis
The cost of electricity in Lansing is 9.2 cents (0.092 dollars) per kWh. By comparing the annual cost for incandescent and LED bulbs, we can determine the cost savings.
Calculating Total Replacement Cost:
Assuming each LED bulb costs $40, the total cost of replacing 2,500 traffic lights is calculated.
Calculating Time to Recoup Cost:
By dividing the total replacement cost by the annual cost savings, we find that it will take approximately 8.845 years to recover the initial cost of replacing all incandescent traffic light bulbs with LED bulbs in Lansing.