Re:That 60W-equivalent LED: What no one will tell you
by pwg on Friday November 22, 2013 @11:43AM
(#6781844)
> i'm confused. how can they be efficient if they get hot?
The reason is due to the balance between heat generated and heat dissipated into the environment.
The bulb could convert 99% of the input electrical energy into light, and only 1% into heat. So for a 100W bulb, that would be only 1 watt of heat.
But if the heat dissipation system (i.e., the cooling system) can only dissipate 1/2 watt of heat into the environment over the same time span that the bulb is creating 1 watt of heat, the excess 1/2 watt of undissipated heat will build up over time, making the housing hot to the touch.
The reason is due to the balance between heat generated and heat dissipated into the environment.
The bulb could convert 99% of the input electrical energy into light, and only 1% into heat. So for a 100W bulb, that would be only 1 watt of heat.
But if the heat dissipation system (i.e., the cooling system) can only dissipate 1/2 watt of heat into the environment over the same time span that the bulb is creating 1 watt of heat, the excess 1/2 watt of undissipated heat will build up over time, making the housing hot to the touch.