Lighting in Torrevieja and the Costa Blanca

LED vs halogen: why the switch is inevitable

Old halogens, the home standard for decades, drew 35-50 watts to produce the same light a modern LED produces from 5-7. The difference shows directly on the bill. An average home with twelve halogens on six hours a day used about 90 kWh a month on lighting alone. With equivalent LED, consumption drops to 12 kWh. The annual difference is significant.

The second reason is heat. Halogens run hot. In summer in places like Torrevieja where the AC is already maxed out, that extra heat raises AC consumption to compensate. Switching to LED noticeably lowers room temperature and reduces AC load. It’s a benefit few calculate but it’s real.

Types of lighting we install

Recessed downlights in plasterboard ceilings, both for swapping old halogens for LED of the same shape and for new installations. For apartments with solid concrete ceilings, the option is surface-mount fittings with decorative bases, fitted in 20-30 minutes per point with no building work.

LED strips for indirect lighting, very popular in modern renovations. Stuck into aluminium profile recessed in wall or ceiling, giving soft continuous light perfect for living rooms and bedrooms. We use quality strips with high colour-rendering index, not the cheap Chinese ones that throw harsh cold light.

Outdoor lighting for terraces, courtyards and gardens. Here the critical factor is resistance to salt air and humidity. IP65 or better is mandatory in coastal zones. Standard non-IP fittings last 1-2 years on the seafront before corrosion finishes them.

Lumen calculation by room

Light quantity is measured in lumens, not watts. A 20 m² living room needs roughly 3,500-5,000 lumens total. A kitchen, 6,000-8,000 because it needs strong light for safe work. A bedroom, 2,000-3,000 with preference for warm light that helps sleep. A bathroom, 4,000-5,000 split between ceiling and mirror.

Colour temperature matters too. For rest areas (bedroom, living room) we recommend 2,700-3,000 Kelvin, warm yellowish light similar to traditional halogen. For work areas (kitchen, bathroom, office) 4,000-4,500 Kelvin, neutral white. For outdoors and security zones 5,000-6,500 Kelvin, daylight cool.

Smart lighting

Bulbs from Philips Hue, Yeelight, Wiz and equivalents let you control light from your phone, schedule scenes, sync with music and change colour and intensity by activity. Install is direct: screw in the bulb, configure over WiFi. No special wiring.

For a whole home with smart scenes, integration with Google Home or Alexa adds voice control. We configure on-site. It’s one of the highest-impact quality-of-life upgrades for relatively small investment.