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Back in 2010 Lithgow Lights explained how we managed to reduce the power drawn from 9000 watts in 2008, to 7000 watts in 2009, down to an impressive 6100 watts in 2010, all while increasing the total light count by almost 22,000 lights in the same time.
2011 saw a further decrease in both light count and power by replacing multiple strings of incandescent lights with a single set of RGB pixels or LED Strings. 2012 sees a continuation of this reduction in power usage by replacing the last 3100 incandescent lights with LED's at a cost of close to $2000 this year, and this should also reduce power consumption by about 1200 watts.
Ropelight Items
The current 2011 240V incandescent ropelight items were the angel, holly, Santa on a harley and the moving deer. These totalled some 945 Watts, and will be replaced with LED Ropelight that I expect to draw about 200 watts. They will be plain white, but then be painted in sections to give similar colors to the existing items.
Expected Cost: $400-$600, not yet started.
Window Silhouettes
The 20 windows in the house were 240V silhouettes. The upgrades on these items have begun, replacing the fifty globes with an equal number of RGB LED's and a LOT of cable ties (100 to 150 per light frame, depending on the type). The 670 Watts worth of 240V items will be replaced with about 160 watts worth of RGB LED's, with the side effect of allowing us to alter the color of the silhouette items to whatever is required at the time to suit the rest of the display.
So far 8 of the 20 have been upgraded, with lights and plugs to be ordered to continue the upgrade of the additional 12 silhouettes in the coming months.
Expected Cost: $400, 40% completed.
Icicles
Back in 2010 we used 3 seperate color icicles, 4680 lights drawing 378 watts, around the house to give an effect I liked. Because of their age, and also the fact that they were extremely dull when compared to our new LED's they were not used in 2011. 2012 will hopefully see the return of icicles, but in a totally redesigned manner, which I have nicknamed pixicles because they are a combination Pixel and Icicle.
I have a few strings of test pixels that I will be trying in a few projects, and the icicle replacement is one which should get a test very soon, maybe even by the end of January. The idea may use 1050 or more pixels, and draw some 315 watts at 5v (Thats 63 amps!), and be 3,150 more channels to program.... Fun.
Expected Cost: $900 for pixels, $300 for controllers and power supplies. Not yet started.
Candy Canes
The 55 watts worth of Candy Canes will be looked at to see if they can be easily upgraded to LED, and also if some sort of RGB LED can be easily utilised to allow color changes on these items as well. At a guess this may actually increase the power requirements as I'll be going from 20 very dull incandescent lights to some sort of higher density strip. More to come later when I get time to experiment.
Expected Cost: As yet unknown.
