Greenlite BR30 LED One Dollar Each

I found a large pile of these as check-out candy at my hardware store yesterday. $1 each. Not the bad stuff found at most stores. So, I bought one. These Greenlite BR30 cost $5.99 plus shipping, if purchased directly from the manufacturer . I think big-box stores still sell only 2700°K and 4000°K LED floods.

I have a higher purpose in acting as a reporter, weighed where I have no can lights.. I'm still waiting to serve a customer with a house-full of can lights loaded with dim and ugly 65 watt incandescent flood bulbs. The cans don't readily accept retrofit kits. Some cans are in the attic floor, and I must tolerate them. I have a reserve of Maxlite BR30 850 lumens, 3000°K for the job. They cost $4 each, thought a bargain. Will I use them?


Here I have the Greenlite BR30 at stage right on my comparison stand. At stage left, 4" Glimpse 450 lumens 3000°K. Dimmed maximum, where the Greenlight is not a good night light. There is one room light on overhead, Nicor DLS10.




There is nothing surprising in this comparison, dimmer set to full power. Greenlite brighter by ratio 670/450, 49%. Same color temperature.

Replace the Glimpse LED, with an old 65 watt incandescent flood bulb.

The incandescent flood at LHS is quite crummy compared to the Greenlite LED. Perhaps the same brightness.

Now place Maxlite BR30 at stand LHS. Place Greenlite BR30 at stand RHS.

This is another not-surprising comparison, the Maxlite brighter by ratio 850/670, 27%. Which should one choose? Go with the cheaper Greenlite where replacing 65 watt incandescent floods, if you don't want greater room illumination. Perhaps find less savings than expected if going-dimmer. My Kill-A-Watt meter shows 11 watt draw for the Greenlite 670 lumens. It shows 13 watt draw for the 850 lumens Maxlite. The power draw ratio is 13/11, difference 18%.

At LHS, Philips EcoVantage "100 Watt Bulb", 72 watts, 1490 lumens, Made In Mexico. At RHS, Greenlite 8 watt BR30 LED, 670 lumens, 3000°K. The Greenlite in a can gives about 50% better directional-downward room illumination, than a crummy old 100 watt bulb.

Reset my comparison stand with 9 watt 4" Glimpse 3000°K at LHS. Set the old 65 watt incandescent at RHS.  See that where the 4" Glimpse and a 100 watt incandescent have equal task illumination, Glimpse is equal too, to the 65 watt incandescent flood, though with  much better color rendition.

We must do more to celebrate the insight that point source lighting is stupid; good only as decor. And the greatest stupidity is where we replace a point-source incandescent  bulb, with a directional flood aimed perpendicular to a task. LED bulbs don't always replace incandescent bulbs with best gain of efficiency. LED bulbs are built over-powered by about 50%, to work OK when pointed upward in a table lamp or when placed horizontal in a ceiling bulb-holder, wasting 30% to 50% of the consumed power.

I hope my customer/ friend with all the badly-loaded cans, will accept the $4 Maxlites. He won't regret it. If you can get a dollar-deal, go for it.