5 Reasons Why You Should Upgrade to LED Lights
Introduction
LED stands for light-emitting diode and it is a solid-state lighting device that creates light using a semiconductor to produce light. In other words, it is a type of light that produces light output using electroluminescence (a material that emits light when electricity is passed through it). LED lights are much more efficient at turning electricity into light, provide you a large selection of color choices, are more reliable, easy to replace, and of course, saves you energy costs due to their amazing efficiency.
1. Brightness
LED lights are very efficient at converting electricity into visible light output; more efficient than standard fluorescent and incandescent halogen lights. When compared to incandescent lights where less than 5% of the energy used is converted to visible light and most of it is turned into thermal radiation (heat), LED lights are much more efficient. A typical incandescent bulb has a efficacy of 16 lumen per watt of energy consumed and a typical fluorescent bulb has a efficacy of 60 lumen per watt of energy consumed; typical LED bulbs have a high efficacy of over 90 lumen per watt of energy consumed.
2. Color Selection
LED lighting products are not limited to just one single shade of color like incandescent lamps are, they are able to produce light in a fairly wide color spectrum. By changing the semiconductor material used, different colors can be easily achieved. By most standards, automotive and commercial/industiral/residential alike, color is measured by Kelvin temperature; this does not directly relate to the physical temperature of the light, but rather the color emitted at that specific temperature range.
Color Temperature
| Usage
|
---|---|
Warm White (3000K)
| This is very close to the standard incandescent glow that most people are used to. This ideal for intimate locations such as restaurants, living rooms, lounges, and any relaxed environment.
|
Natural White (4200K)
| A cooler shade of warm white, there is more white than yellow in the light and is ideal for most commercial applications such as business offices.
|
Daylight White (5000K)
| A shade of light very close to daylight when the sun is out and shining, this is ideal for large rooms and applications that require higher productivity such as meeting rooms, classrooms, and retail stores. Business offices would also be a suitable location for this color temperature as well.
|
Cool White (6000K)
| This is ideal for applications that require a high contrast and an intense light; places like a museum, jewelry store, art galleries, and show case displays come into mind.
|
How often are you having to replace fluorescent or incandescent lights?
3. Reliability
LED lamps are very reliable and requires virtually no maintenance. The average expected life expectancy of an LED lamp is over 40,000 operating hours. This benefit is highly desirable for any consumer whether residential or commercial/industrial because this means less time changing out faulty lights. Commercial and industrial applications such as warehouses and properties where the lights are on 24/7, 365 days a year will greatly benefit from the reliable nature of LED lighting.
4. Energy Savings
LED lighting is an excellent choice for anyone who wants to save money on energy costs. If you were to drive into the downtown area of any major city and look at the building skyline at night, you'll notice that majority of the buildings have their lights on, but nobody inside them. For safety and security reasons, lights are constantly kept on at places like this and the costs of electricity can become staggeringly high if they are using incandescent or even fluorescent lights.
The initial costs of the LED lamp and installation can be expensive, but the ROI (return on investment) can be typically seen within 18 months of the upgrade for most applications; shorter return times are possible for downtown buildings with the lights constantly on.
5. Ease of Replacement
LED lamps are not difficult to replace at all, thanks to the simple design, LED lights can be easily designed and manufactured to resemble the original bulb dimensions. For example, there are PAR series LED lamps and other medium base (E26) LED lamps available that directly replace the original bulb.
However, not all replacement LED lamps are a direct replacement; for example LED T8 tubes do require some slight modification when replacing fluorescent T8 lamps. This modification is very slight and is required as typical fluorescent tubes use ballasts to provide power; LED lights have internal (and sometimes external) drivers that are not compatible with the existing ballast. This is an installation that can be easily done by any electrician or experienced professional.
Thanks to the easy retrofit and upgrade of LED lamps, many businesses are turning towards this innovative and efficient form of lighting to save money and improve the look of the environment it is used in.