StearnsCampuzano393

LED Light Bulbs Advantages And Disadvantages

LED lighting is not a new technology; in fact, it is with us from the 1960's. LED light bulbs were in the beginning used as an alternative for incandescent indicators and displays in laboratory device and after a while in Televisions, different watches, radios and hand calculators. LED values have just recently has reduced enough to make them viable for residential and commercial markets. LED home lighting can have anything from outdoor to Xmas lights. With the current looming energy crisis in South Africa, and pressure exerted on governments and businesses alike for more sustainable energy solutions, LED lights have a bright future in space lighting solutions.

Huge benefits of using LED lighting

First of all, LED lights are far more efficient than any other lighting alternative commercially available at the moment. LED bulbs have a 100000 hour lifespan, and will last for eleven years at continuous operation, or 22 years at fifty% operation. Compare this to the approximate lifespan of 5000 hours for an incandescent light bulb and 10000 hours for a fluorescent light. A number of businesses find the lifespan of LED light bulbs very interesting - imagine only have to change the signage on a business property once every 11 years. With incandescent and fluorescent bulbs, the actual cost of the bulb should include the labor expense and time needed to replace them. LED lights virtually get rid of lighting maintenance costs.

The second major advantage and key strength of using LED lighting over conventional lighting is the reduced power consumption. LED bulb is capable of converting eighty% of the electrical energy used into light energy. The left over 20% electrical energy is lost as heat energy. Incandescent light bulbs only convert 20% of the electrical energy utilized into actual light energy, which means that a staggering eighty% of electrical energy is lost as heat energy. If you examine the 80% efficiency of LED lights with the 20% efficiency of incandescent lights, the optimal choice of light bulb is quite apparent.

Large drawbacks of using LED lighting

The primary limitation is the present high cost of LED light bulbs. Even though the cost of LED lights in South Africa is slowly decreasing, replacing a 100W incandescent light bulb with a LED alternative can cost about Rs 5000. The start up price may appear frightening, but LED light bulbs pay for themselves over time since they can work for up to eleven years, and saves a lot of money in terms of electricity used. For businesses, using LED lights makes a whole lot of sense because the reduced maintenance costs more than make up for the high starting cost.

Leading businesses are doing it

Various blue chip companies and hotels in United States and United Kingdom presently use LED lighting solutions. LED lighting are used from stair-nose lighting, light line, wall wash lights and signage illumination to colour-changing till numbers and controls, architectural lights and freezer lighting. These businesses have recognized LED as the preferred lighting solution for the future. With LED bulb start up prices falling, more companies will follow these business leaders and discover a painless lighting solution which will last them a decade, and save them money.