Comparison of Energy Consumption of Fluorescent Vs LED Lighting System of an Academic Building

This paper presents a comparison of energy consumption and average lighting level between two different lighting systems of an Academic Building, firstly, the existing lighting system using T8 tube fluorescent lamps, and secondly, a proposed lighting system with T8 tube LED lamps. The main objective of this comparison is to find the power consumption and lighting level difference between fluorescent and LED tube lamps used in the same space, as in this case, a classroom. A second objective is to measure the lighting level inside the classroom to make sure that the existing lighting standard in Mexico is been satisfied. The measurements were performed using a power analyzer and a light meter to evaluate the actual power consumption and lighting levels using T8 tube fluorescent lamps, and the proposed retrofitted T8 tube LED lamp system. Lighting is the most important load in offices and classrooms buildings, for that reason, this kind of load has been studied by a lot of researchers. This comparison will provide information about the energy consumption and lighting level of a classroom, helping to know if the classroom accomplishes with the legal Mexican lighting standard. Additionally, will generate information about the energy savings obtained by the LED lighting system over the existing fluorescent lighting system.