The introduction of LED (Light Emitting Diodes) lights was revolutionary in the way it reinvented the light bulb to become more energy efficient and power saving. It is a proven lighting solution which has a wide range of applications. From commercial lighting systems to the production of computer displays. LED technology has also found its way into smartphone displays, providing better contrast and higher quality imaging. The next generation of televisions and computer monitors will also incorporate LED for higher resolution displays that support features like HDR.
When it comes to lighting LED do not dissipate as much energy, thus the reason they are more efficient. Less energy is lost to heat when producing light compared to incandescent bulbs. An incandescent bulb produces only about 10% light while the rest is wasted heat. This makes LED ideal for commercial and industrial lighting use. This also makes LED more environmentally friendly by reducing emissions from energy consumption.
The following are the main advantages LED lights have over other lighting systems.
Energy Efficient — The primary reason is efficiency. LED consume less power which can save not only in energy consumption, but also reduce costs of lighting. This is due to its luminous efficacy which is the amount of light emitted per unit of power consumed by a light bulb measured in Watts (W). LED with ENERGY STAR ratings use at 75% less energy and last 25 times longer than incandescent lights. This results in significant savings on energy costs.
Improved Safety — Since LEDs consume less power they can operate much better on low-voltage electrical systems. These are generally much safer, preventing the risk of fires from short circuits or faulty connections. Overloads in lighting systems can cause the circuit to burnout and in some instances fires if there is a short.
Longer Lifespan — On the average an LED light bulb lasts 50,000 -100,000 operating hours. That is 2 to 4 times as long as most fluorescent, metal halide, and even sodium vapor lights and 40 times as long as the average incandescent bulb. Since they last longer, it also requires less maintenance.
Operate Well In Extreme Conditions — LEDs operate well in cold or hot environments. LEDs can operate from -40 F to 180 F. LED also have no delay or required “warm-up” time to function.
Directional Light — While most light sources are omni-directional, LED are directional. That means LED emit light which is much more concentrated and ideal for directed lighting. Examples of this include floodlights, spotlights and downlights. The floodlights output a much wider beam of light, up to 160 degrees. This spreads out over a much larger area with better illumination than other light sources. LED spotlights are also used for more directed lighting with a narrower beam of light. Downlights, which illuminate areas downward from a pole or ceiling, tend to have a wider beam angle to cover a larger area than spotlights.
More Luminance — LED give the perception of more luminance due to the property of beam spread and directional lighting. This is the measure of the angle in which light is directed at an object. The wider the angle, the better the lighting. A 120 degree beam angle thus illuminates a larger area than a 45 degree beam angle.
High Color Rendering Index (CRI)— LED have a high CRI which means that they can show more accurate colors of illuminated objects. The LED light reveals the actual color of objects when comparing it to natural light. This is a quantitative measure that is based on a value. LED have a CRI of 80 and above. The higher the value the better. Most LED that produce a white light are close to daylight on the intensity scale.
Environmentally Friendly — LEDs still have a carbon footprint during the production process. However they do not have the same environmental issues common with traditional lighting like fluorescent or mercury vapor lights. The mercury requires special handling when the light bulb reaches its lifespan. This is considered as hazardous waste than can harm people’s health and the environment. Another obvious sign of its environmental friendly feature is it consumes less power, thus reducing carbon emissions from power plants (which can also be debatable depending on whether the source of power are fossil fuels or renewables).
