Almost every home is looking for ways to be more efficient and reduce their energy consumption. One of the easiest and quickest methods is switching from traditional lighting to LED lighting. Although in the beginning, LED was a costly alternative with harsh lights, bad colours and weak dimming abilities, times have changed and technology has improved. In the last several years, the price of LED light bulbs has dropped significantly, colours have been improved and they have become more flexible than ever.
As traditional incandescent bulbs are actually heaters that waste 90% of energy on producing heat and only 5% on producing light, are quite fragile and contain mercury, switching to LEDs will bring you numerous benefits.
Durability
As LED bulbs are hollow and not made of glass, they’re much more durable and capable of withstanding extreme weather conditions. This makes them suitable for outdoor lighting, iceboxes and freezers.
They can also be switched off and on frequently without compromising their light emission or life span, unlike traditional lights that take time to achieve full brightness and decrease in operational life span if frequently switched on/off.
Efficiency
The estimated energy efficiency of LED lights is about 80-90% as they use much less power than traditional light bulbs which waste all that energy on heating. For instance, the latest Philips light bulbs stay cool even after working for a long time, which makes them excellent for indoor use in residential properties. Due to their longer life span, they require less maintenance and provide more energy savings.
“Green” qualities
There are no toxic materials in the LED lights and they’re 100% recyclable. They help reduce your carbon footprint and the production of one LED bulb saves material and costs of 25 incandescent light bulbs.
No heat or emissions
In contrast to fluorescent and incandescent lights, LEDs produce no heat, very little infrared light and almost no UV emissions. This makes them ideal for illumination of goods and materials that are heat- and UV-sensitive, such as plastic in kitchens and artwork in museums.
Dimming abilities
Contemporary LED lights are very flexible and can be successfully dimmed; their brightness, distribution and colour easily controlled. They achieve excellent lighting effects so they’re great for creating the mood in airplanes, classrooms, waiting rooms and hospitals.
Instant lighting
The ability of LED lights to provide instantaneous illumination makes them perfect for infrastructure projects such as signal and traffic lights, unlike traditional lights that need to run for a few minutes in order to achieve their full lighting potential.
Low costs
Even though LED lights are still more expensive than the traditional options, their price continues to drop, therefore offering large long-term savings. LEDs can last up to 6 times longer than traditional bulbs, which means fewer replacements and less maintenance cost.
On an annual level, LED lights of 12 watts to 60 watts will cost you between $1 and $5, whereas traditional incandescent ones cost you $0.115 per kilowatt-hour each day, if it runs for just two hours.
Low voltage
LED lights require low voltage to achieve full illumination so they’re ideal for outdoor use by connection to an external solar energy source. This is an important advantage for the use of LED technology in remote rural regions.
Light disbursement and colour
Modern, well-designed LED lights are capable of delivering light much more efficiently to a desired location. They are made to focus light and direct it without the use of external reflectors, which makes them much more efficient than traditional lights.
When it comes to light colour, fluorescent lights are known for their cold blue and white light, which is very unnatural and unwelcoming. LEDs can produce a wider range of different colours and are very adaptable to different purposes and environments. You need to be sure that you’re aware of the IP ratings before purchasing, but what are IP ratings? Every type of LED light will come with a different IP ratings – which will all come in dissimilar measurements of protection.
With new state rebate programmes, tax benefits and federal regulations, upgrading to LED lighting systems has become easier than ever. In addition to all the benefits, they’re even app compatible so you can control your lights from your smartphone.
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