There are many factors to take into

There are many factors to take into account in determining whether an LED system is cost-effective for a given site. This report focused only on the initial investment, energy use, and system lifetime/replacement needs. In general, while their initial cost premium remains high, linear LED lamps are more likely to be cost-effective when electric utility rates are higher than average and hours of operation are long, and if their installation time is shorter. Linear LED lamps may also be more cost-effective if maintenance costs are high, such as occurs when the luminaires are difficult to access, but this was not a variable in this analysis. Other factors could also affect the calculation of value and payback, such as embedded energy cost or the cost of increased waste. At this point, these factors are difficult to quantify and vary according to location, so most were not included in this analysis.