10 benefits of LEDs
LEDs (Light emitting diodes) are one of today’s most energy efficient and rapidly developing lighting technologies. The benefits of LED lighting are endless. LED lights are energy efficient, cost effective, durable and more. Below is a more detailed list of some of the many benefits of LED lighting.
Benefit 1 – Efficiency
LEDs are extremely efficient. Which? say LEDs consume up to 90% less power than traditional lights and, as a result of this, there is a big reduction in power costs. Also, money and energy is saved in maintaining and replacing LEDs due to their longevity which I will expand on later.
LEDs also aim light in a specific direction unlike conventional light bulbs, which send out light and heat in all directions. This directional lighting capability reduces wasted light and energy.
Benefit 2 – Durability
LEDs are enormously durable and built with strong components that are highly rugged and can withstand even the roughest conditions. Current.com says traditional light bulbs are usually contained in glass which can be easily damaged. LEDs are mounted on a circuit board and connected with soldered leads that can be vulnerable to direct impact, but no more so than mobile phones, iPods or any other small electronic device.
LED lights are resistant to shock, vibrations and external impacts. They will be able to withstand rough conditions and be able to withstand the bad storms that we get around this time of the year.
Benefit 3 – Ecologically Friendly
LED lighting is much more eco-friendly. Traditional light bulbs contain a multitude of materials such as mercury that are dangerous for the environment but LEDs are free of toxic chemicals.
LEDs contain no toxic materials and are 100% recyclable, so will help you reduce your carbon footprint by up to a third. The long operational life span mentioned above means also that one LED light bulb can save material and production of 25 traditional light bulbs say ledluxor.com.
Benefit 4 – Longevity
One of the biggest misconceptions with LEDs is that they don’t last, which is untrue. According to Which?, LEDs will last 25-30 years depending on how often you have them switched on.
LEDs are different from your traditional light bulbs as they don’t burn out and stop working. The lighting diodes send out lower output levels over a very long period time and will dim slightly as time goes on.
Benefits 5 – Flexible Design Features
LED lights are offered in a range of different colours such as Red, Green, Blue and Amber. Traditional light bulbs need to use filters to produce colours but they are very inefficient. LEDs can be blended together to produce millions of different colour options.
LEDLuxor.com say LEDs can be combined into any shape to produce highly efficient illumination. Individual LEDs can be dimmed, resulting in a dynamic control of light, colour and distribution. Well-designed LED illumination systems can achieve very good lighting effects, not only for the eye but also can set the mood for the evening.
LED mood illumination is already being used in airplanes, classrooms and many more locations and we can expect to see a lot more LED mood illumination in our daily lives within the next few years.
Benefit 6 – Safety
LEDs produce almost no heat which makes them cool to touch and can be left for hours without incident or consequence if touched after that amount of time. Myledlight.com say in comparison with traditional light bulbs, 90% of the energy they consume is heat, which makes the bulb too hot to touch. LEDs reduce the potential for safety risks such as burns and fires.
Benefit 7 – Uses
LEDs are currently used for a wide variety of different applications such as:
- residential lighting
- aerospace industry
- architectural, automotive
- broadcasting
- electronic
- instrumentation
- entertainment and gaming
- the military
- traffic and transportation
Since LEDs are focused lights, they prove best at specific lighting tasks such as
- desk lamps
- reading lights
- night lights
- security lights
- spot lights
- accent light
- lights for signage
Benefit 8 – Low Voltage
A low-voltage power supply is sufficient for LED Illumination according to LEDLuxor.com. This makes it easier to use LED lighting in outdoor environments, by connecting an external solar-energy source and is a big advantage when it comes to using LED technology in remote or rural areas.
Benefit 9 – Cold Temperature Operation
LEDs love the cold. Current.com say at low temperatures, higher voltage is required to start traditional lamps, and luminous flux (the perceived power or intensity of light) is decreased. In comparison, LEDs performance increases as temperatures drop. This makes LEDs a natural fit for fridge display cases, freezers and cold storage spaces in addition to outdoor applications.
Benefit 10 – No UV Emissions
LED lighting features close to no UV (ultraviolet radiation) emissions. According to LEDLuxor.com LED illumination produces little infrared light and close to no UV emissions. Because of this, LED lighting is well suitable not only for goods and materials that are sensitive to heat due to the benefit of little radiated heat emissions, but also for illumination of UV sensitive objects materials such as in museums, art galleries, archaeological sites etc.
That is just some of the benefits of LEDs and if you want to know more then check out the links below. Also once again this winter we are running are popular “Light Bulb Amnesty” in our Eco Shop to help make swapping LED lights even easier. Just bring in your old bulbs and get 20% off LEDs. For more information on it then follow the link above or drop into our High Street Hub, 254a High Street, Wednesday to Saturday 10am – 4pm.
Further Reading
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