Originally posted by: mindless1
Originally posted by: Kwint Sommer
I'm saying that a 60 Watt LED will produce around twice as much heat as a traditional 60 Watt light bulb.
... and you'd be wrong. LEDs produce more usable light than incandescent per unit power, and even if we concede that all light is eventually heat, 60W = 60W ! Infrared has to be considered heat too, because it does end up with no useful purpose in typical uses, ends up heating what it strikes.
LEDs are more efficient than any small incandescents, especially the smallest in devices like flashlights. They're more efficient than small fluorescents too, although diffusing the light into a more uniform pattern may make the small fluorescents as effective, usable light per watt. Large fluorescents are more efficient than LEDs. This can only be a generalization since even two identical looking LEDs may have different lumen ratings, and some of the low cost devices only citing (n)W LEDs may be using what are essentially low grade, low output LEDs that don't produce as much light per mW.
Due to the inherant shape of the light output, LEDs are best suited to small area lighting, or if underdriven enough, long-term maintenance free lighting (IF the rest of the supporting product and fixture is also built to last that many years).
Just because an LED produces heat doesn't mean anything. Everything that consumes power does, entrophy turns all power into heat one way or another excepting some rare endothermic reactions.