Do HID Bulbs Save Energy?

In general HID bulbs are quite energy efficient for those applications that require huge amounts of light. However, we have found that while they technically emit large amounts of light when measured with an electronic light meter there is a lot of light lost due to fixture design and the way the human eye itself perceives light. 

Much of the light from HID bulbs is trapped within the fixture and even more of the light is of a spectrum that humans cannot see. So while technically there might be a lot of light in a space it may not be useful light. 

In many applications HID fixtures are the best way to go; in other areas LED or even fluorescent technologies might be better because of their directional nature and excellent color. 

The lumens per watt for the 3 primary categories of HID bulbs are as follows: