I've found TP-Link bulbs decent too, but in my experience, their color accuracy isn't quite on par with Hue. Still, for general lighting, they're solid enough. Curious if anyone has noticed a significant difference in energy consumption between smart bulbs and traditional LEDs? I've been considering recommending smart bulbs more often in green building projects, but I'm cautious about the standby power draw...
"Curious if anyone has noticed a significant difference in energy consumption between smart bulbs and traditional LEDs?"
Funny you mention that—I was just chatting with a friend who's big into sustainable building, and he brought up the same concern. He did some informal testing at his place, comparing regular LEDs to smart bulbs (I think he used Hue), and found the standby draw was pretty minimal overall. Like, noticeable on paper maybe, but not enough to really impact his monthly bill.
That said, I get your caution. When you're scaling up to an entire building or development, even tiny differences can add up over time. I'd be curious if anyone's done more rigorous testing or seen actual data from larger installations. Anecdotally though, it seems like the convenience and control you gain might outweigh the slight bump in standby usage... especially if you're pairing them with sensors or scheduling to cut down on unnecessary lighting hours.
I've been wondering about this too, actually. Even though the standby draw per bulb might seem minimal, once you factor in multiple bulbs across different rooms, it could add up more than you'd think. Plus, smart bulbs often rely on Wi-Fi or hubs that also consume power continuously. Not saying it's a deal-breaker, but it's worth considering if you're really focused on energy efficiency... maybe traditional LEDs with separate smart switches could be a better balance?
"maybe traditional LEDs with separate smart switches could be a better balance?"
I get where you're coming from, but honestly, I've found smart bulbs to be pretty negligible in terms of extra energy draw. A couple years back, I did a little experiment at home—swapped out all my regular LEDs for smart bulbs and tracked my electricity bill closely for about six months. The difference was barely noticeable, definitely not enough to offset the convenience factor for me.
Also, smart switches aren't always the perfect solution either. I installed some in my kitchen thinking they'd be more efficient, but turns out the switches themselves can draw power too, especially if they're Wi-Fi enabled. Plus, installation was a bit of a hassle—had to mess around with wiring and junction boxes. Not everyone's comfortable with that.
I think if you're already mindful about energy usage elsewhere (like unplugging devices or using energy-efficient appliances), the tiny standby draw from smart bulbs isn't something I'd stress over too much. Just my two cents based on personal experience.
Yeah, totally agree with your point about the wiring hassle—I went the smart switch route initially and spent way too much time troubleshooting connections. Smart bulbs were just plug-and-play, and honestly, the standby draw hasn't bothered me either. Glad they're working out for you!
