Did you know that October 7th is National LED Light Day? It shouldn’t be too much of a surprise considering there is a day for almost everything nowadays but we thought this would be a good time to take a deeper look into LED lighting. A lot of people seem to know that it is more energy efficient but there are also a lot of myths, misconceptions and mysteries surrounding them. Since there is no shortage of very detailed and technical guides to LED lights, we thought we’d give you the “not too” technical guide to all things LED.
What does LED stand for?
Light-emitting diode. A diode is defined as, “a semiconductor device with two terminals, typically allowing the flow of current in one direction only.” So, a light-emitting diode or LED, is a semiconductor device that emits visible light when an electrical current passes through it.
What are the main benefits of LED’s?
They are more energy efficient, stay cool to the touch, last longer than traditional bulbs and are better for the environment. One of the main reasons for these benefits is an LED’s ability to stay cool. LED’s use heat sink technology, which is the ability to absorb the heat produced and then dissipate it into the surrounding environment. This also makes them safer because they don’t get hot to the touch if the light has been on for a while. In addition, LED lighting has the potential to dramatically reduce carbon emissions and, since LEDs don’t contain mercury, disposal of the bulbs is much easier and cleaner than fluorescent bulbs.
How much more efficient are they?
At least 75% but it can go up to 90% and the bulb can last between 25 to 50 times longer, when compared to traditional bulbs. LED’s use 90% of the energy burned to create light while incandescent bulbs use only 10% and the other 90% is wasted as heat. And since the bulb lasts so much longer (LED’s can last 2 decades while incandescent bulbs only average 2 years), you will save money on replacement bulbs. It’s been predicted that if you swapped out one traditional light bulb with an LED, you’ll reduce the amount of energy consumption 70-90%. This will save you anywhere between $30 and $80 on your utilities over the course of the light bulb’s lifespan. And that is only for one light bulb!
But isn’t the color weird?
Oftentimes, clients will come into our showroom and say that, while they would like the benefits of LED’s, they want that warmer yellow glow that an incandescent bulb gives off and then they point to a warmer colored light in our showroom. But 99% of the lights in our showroom are LED’s including the warmer yellow lights. LED’s come in the full spectrum of colors because, just like incandescent lights, the color depends on the kelvins and not the type of bulb. This means you can get LED lights in the warmer yellow glow (usually between 2700 and 3500 kelvins) often used in residential applications or you can get them in the brighter white (over 3500 kelvins) often used in commercial applications.
Where do I start?
If you are ready to make the switch to LED’s, you will be happy to know you can simply replace the bulbs and not the fixtures themselves. You may find the long aisle of LED bulbs a bit daunting but the main things to keep in mind are the kelvins so you don’t end up with a bulb that is dramatically different in color from what you had.
Because LED’s have become the most efficient lighting source available, they have made their way everywhere including homes, business, street lights, parking garages and even Christmas lights. If you are looking for long-term savings and an eco-friendly option, LED lights are the brighter choice!
If you have any questions or comments, contact Sasha at sasha@inthelitellc.com. As always, we hope we’ve made your day brighter!
Thanks for sharing all of your experiences!