Archidrafting Building Design

Hungry Halogen Down Lights 12 Volt
General Opinion
- Today a significant amount of our lighting comes from downlights – in particular halogen downlights. Halogens are 12v MR16 lighting that is installed in roofs. Halogens generally use 50 watts plus a transformer (to convert the electricity from mains 240v to the 12v) which also uses between 10 – 15 watts. Halogens are low voltage lighting, but this does not mean that they are efficient’ in fact they are the opposite.
- In the past a 100 watt incandescent globe was used to provide light for a standard room, now we are using at least 4 halogen downlights which equates to 220 watts to light a room instead of 100 watts. Halogen downlights are the epitome of modern interior design but not only are they extremely in-efficient but they are a fire risk.
- Imagine a toaster in your roof – that’s exactly what a halogen is. Halogens create heat and as a by-product create light. Halogens can get up to 370 degrees Celsius and pose a significant fire risk especially if there is insulation on top of them. Halogens are a common cause of household fires.
- Lighting can contribute over 30% to your electricity bill, especially if your house if full of halogens. Simply replacing your halogens can reduce your electricity bill and reduce your carbon footprint.
- There are plenty of easy to do solutions to replace halogens and save money, reduce your household emissions and reduce the risk of fire