Using less electricity with a rechargeable LED lamp

Can we really use less electricity with a the rechargeable lamp LED? To answer this question, there's no better way than to make a comparison with a classic lamp that mains connection. Consequently, as far as possible, they should both have equivalent lighting properties. To do this, we're going to test our GoldenTower rechargeable table lamp. We will then compare it to a electric lamp table, which must be continuously connected by its cord power supply to a electrical socket. At the end of the test, we'll look at the results and explain how a rechargeable LED lamp can be used to manage power consumption by lighting up differently. 

The rechargeable lamp chosen for the consumption test

To begin with, we have chosen to use our GoldenTower rechargeable table lamp for this consumption test. It uses LED bulbs who consume 3 W from power. It also has a lithium battery from 1200 mAh for its power supply. According to the manufacturer, its full charge is achieved by 4 hours. We will then have to derive a maximum autonomy capable of reaching 10 a.m.. 

The GoldenTower lamp can vary its luminous intensity whatever the colour temperature selected. All you have to do is press and hold thetouch switch of its lampshade for each lighting mode. Whatever the case, we will use its most high brightness. What you need to know is that it has exactly, 3 colour temperatures A cold 6,000 K close to the daylightone temperate at 4,500 K, and one warmer at 3,000 K.

So it's hard to know which of these operating modesIt's the one that will make it consume the most and drain its battery the quickest. But fortunately, there's a simple way of finding out. The lamp uses 10 ampoules. Five of them produce the LED light 6,000 K, and five others produce LED light at 3,000 K. So, when you go to switch on the lamp for these two modes of operation, it will only use 5 of its LED bulbs. Whereas to produce its temperate lightit will simply use all its lights. Its 10 bulbs will therefore be used to get the most out of it. high level of brightness. And because you can adjust the intensity of the sound beam with its touch-sensitive switchthe lamp will need to call on its maximum power for a powerful light.

Who will be his opponent?

To compare our GoldenTower lamp, we simply chose a desk lamp that can be plugged into the mains and also uses LED bulbs. In fact, it only has 6, and its manufacturer's data indicates a power rating of 1,9W. There is therefore a unit of light output less than the rechargeable LED lamp in our test. On the other hand, this plug-in lamp has onlya single lighting mode. We can therefore consider that it works systematically at high power.

Consumption test conditions and indicators.

Comparative unit of measurement

During our test, we were able to establish all our measurements thanks to a very precise multimeter. It works simply like a intermediate socketbetween a electrical applianceand a domestic mains socket.

To avoid getting bogged down in all the electrical gobbledygook, we'll mainly be talking about a consumption expressed in watts per hour. In fact, when you receive your electricity bill, it's expressed in kilowatts per hour. So let's do a simple comparison to find out exactly how many watts per hour a lamp consumes. Of course, a rechargeable LED lamp won't consume electricity directly from your domestic electricity network, except when it's being recharged.

Test breakdown

What needs to be understood during the operation of the rechargeable cordless lampis that the energy stored in theaccumulator at lithiumwill fuel its light source. We can therefore assume that the consumption electricity will no during this useful life. It will therefore be interesting to see whether this is higher than the loading time. There will therefore be two test phases. In the first, we need to determine the charging time of the rechargeable LED lamp. In the second, we need to determine its operating time at full power. For each phase, you will then need to run the mains lamp for the total of these times. As a result, the total consumption of the LED rechargeable lamp will be based solely on its recharging.

A little clarification before we start

It might not seem fair to take the power consumption of the rechargeable cordless lamp, both for the time it takes to recharge and the time it takes to operate. But the explanation is simple. When recharging, the lamp is plugged in so that its batteries fill up with energy. It therefore consumes electricity, even if it is not in use. not lit. As for the moment when the lamp is working well and its bulbs are producing their luminous fluxIn other words, it does not directly consume the current from a socket, but rather that which has been stored during the recharging time. It will therefore be purely and simply a release of this energy, rather than a consumption as such. The aim is to really determine energy consumption of both devices from a conventional electricity grid.

The next thing to understand is that, if the useful life is less than or equal to at charging timeFor example, a rechargeable lamp will not consume less energy than a conventional lamp of the same wattage. However, it will retain its ability to postpone over time the use of energy that has already been consumed when recharging.

Now it's time for the power consumption test between the rechargeable lamp and the plug-in lamp.

For our test, we used a mains charger fitted with a USB port. This is a camera charger. Its recharging capacity is perfectly suited to the recommendations of our rechargeable lamp. In fact, this should be done using a input current not exceeding a voltage of 5 volts and an intensity of 1 ampere.

Phase 1: Determine consumption during charging time

First, we need to determine the charging time for our Goldentower lamp. According to its specifications, this is given as 4 hours. This is the time required for a full charge. Before we started, we took care to unload the appliance. In fact, we repeated this discharge and recharge cycle 2 times to be fair. In addition, the multimeter used has a stopwatch. This is activated only when there is electrical activity. As a result, it stops automatically when the recharge is completed.

This resulted in a recharge of 1 h 30 instead of the 4 hours specified by the manufacturer. During this period, the lamp consumed 6 watts to recharge your 1,200 mAh. To compare this result with the conventional LED lampWe left it plugged in and switched on for the same period. It only consumed 3 watts for 1 hour 30 minutes, i.e. 2 times less than our GoldenTower lamp when recharging. So we can already conclude that the GoldenTower consumes twice as much as its competitor when recharged. plugged in while recharging.

Phase 2: Determine consumption during operating time

Now that we've determined the charging time and energy consumption of our two lamps, we need to do the same for the duration of use at full power. According to the manufacturer, the GoldenTower rechargeable lamp should have an autonomy of 3 hours minimum. So we switched it on, set it to the right operating mode, and timed it until its battery ran out and it switched itself off. 

The results are conclusive, with a very close match to theoperating autonomy given by the manufacturer. We're really talking about an autonomy of practically 3 hours after a full recharge. As the energy it has accumulated has been restored during its operation, this means that our GoldenTower lamp has had to be recharged. consume during this period of operation, 3 watts of power.

On the other hand, if we assume that the conventional lamp consumed 3 watts of power for 1 hour 30 minutes, this means that it would have consumed twice as much, i.e. 6 watts for 3 hours.

 ❖ Our table lamps to discover

Rechargeable lamp consumption result

In the end, after testing, we can already conclude that a rechargeable lamp does not necessarily consume less than a conventional plug-in lamp for the same wattage. In fact, on useful lifethe two devices have exactly the same same consumption. So all the rechargeable lamp here did was reuse of the energy required to recharge the battery. But it is important to bear in mind that the operating time has doubled compared to the recharge time. Now, if we consider that the classic lamp worked, both on the recharging timethan on operating time of the rechargeable lamp (i.e. a total of 4 h 30), it therefore consumes more than the rechargeable lamp. In fact, as it has to be plugged in for an extra 1.5 hours, it inevitably consumes more because it is plugged in without interruption.

A rechargeable lamp changes the way we light up our homes

LED lighting consumes less energy, whatever the lamp

In terms of lighting alone, the rechargeable LED light doesn't consume much less electricity than an LED lamp that you plug in, as this little experiment shows. a way to light up. Indeed, the rechargeable batteriesWhatever their composition, they enable lamps above all to postpone use of the energy consumed during a recharge.

Lighting with defined and deferred consumption thanks to the rechargeable battery

This is an excellent advantage for several reasons. Firstly, with a rechargeable lamp, you know that you're going to be using a rechargeable lamp. defined amount of energy. Once the rechargeable batteries are empty, the lamp switches itself off. Whereas a lamp that is plugged in continuously will operate continuously, and will therefore consume continuously. And this consumption can really be spread over a period of time. long term if you're not careful. It goes without saying that if you plug in a rechargeable lamp and leave it switched on, it will consume just as much energy as a conventional lamp, as well as damaging it. In fact, it will be powered by the energy from its battery, which in turn will be powered by the energy from its battery.supplies domestic current. The batteries are therefore subject to double work. It is therefore preferable to do one or the other separately.

A single rechargeable lamp can have several functions and replace other lamps

Secondly, you can use less electricity with a cordless rechargeable lamp, when you have a rechargeable lamp. alone is enough for several uses. In the most extreme case, it can be used as a emergency lighting in the event of power failure. But in more everyday use for the homeIt can be used as a night lightof bedside lampetc. It's a real walking lamp multifunction and portable which you simply put back and move again if necessary. As a result, you won't necessarily need several lamps if just one can provide you with the right light.lighting required for different needs.

To conclude our consumption test

Will a rechargeable LED lamp use less energy than a conventional lamp? Yes and no. Yes, because it will use energy-saving components such as a LED bulb à low consumption. It can also vary its luminous intensity. We know very well that a LED lighting will inevitably have a lower consumption than a light bulb halogen classic or incandescent. If a luminaire has such a bulb, it will automatically consume a lot of energy. On the other hand, as we were able to see in this little experiment, the fact that a lamp is powered by a battery reloadedHowever, it will enable you to do so by lighting up in a different, more controlled way. On the other hand, it will make it possible to do so by lighting in a different and more controlled way. A rechargeable LED lamp could be considered as a lighting budget. Finally, it can be sufficiently flexible to respond to several luminous desires and meet everyone's needs.

➽ We hope you have enjoyed this article, and that it has helped to ensure that thebuying your future rechargeable lamp 👍