2% efficient
Equivalent to a traditional filament light bulb, the majority of input energy for this type of laser is lost as heat.
More electricity is needed to attain required output power, necessitating powerful chillers to dissipate the significant heat which is effectively lost energy.
CO2 Laser
7% to 8% efficient
While these types of lasers are 3-5x more efficient than Nd:YAG laser, more than 90% of CO2 input energy is lost as heat, much like a CFL bulb.
Significant cooling is also required for most industrial applications, further increasing the energy usage of CO2 lasers.
IPG Fiber Laser
40% to 57% efficient
IPG fiber lasers deliver the highest energy efficiencies up to 57%, dramatically reducing the input power needed to operate.
Also, fiber’s high surface area to volume ratio combined with its efficiency greatly reduces heat output and corresponding cooling cost of a chiller.