While the article does a good job of debunking some of the myths around green lighting, it admits that it is not a definitive guide for all venues. The relative contribution of
stage lighting to the electricity cost is going to vary significantly between venues. Geographic location plays a major
role too.
The article also fails to consider the rising costs of electricity. In the past decade, electricity costs in my jurisdiction have risen 65% from 2000 to 2010 and are projected to increase an additional 42% by 2015. The situation is worse for theatres since the bulk of that 42% comes from increases in off-peak billing, the time when
stage lighting is most likely to be in use.
Neglecting the reduced usage, my facility
shed 40 kW of potential peak
power by switching to
LED. This brings us under a significant
threshold for demand billing. Avoiding that charge alone pays for half a
fixture for every month we stay under the billing
threshold.
I think the most important advice in the article is to justify the new technology for artistic reasons.