LED Lights Advantages And Cons

LED lighting isn't the latest technology; actually, it is with us from the 1960's. LED light bulbs were originally used as an alternative for incandescent indicators and displays in lab equipment and eventually in Televisions, different watches, radios and hand calculators. LED prices have only most recently has dropped enough to make them viable for non commercial and commercial markets. LED home lighting can include anything from outdoor to Xmas lighting. With the current looming energy crisis in South Africa, and pressure put on governments and businesses identical for more sustainable energy solutions, LED lights have a bright future in space lighting solutions.

Major advantages of making use of LED lighting

First of all, LED lights are far more efficient than any other lights 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 ten thousand hours for a fluorescent light. A number of businesses find the lifespan of LED light bulbs very appealing - imagine only have to alter the signage on a business property once every eleven years. With incandescent and fluorescent bulbs, the true cost of the bulb should include the labor charge and time needed to exchange them. LED lights virtually get rid of lighting maintenance costs.

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

Large disadvantages of using LED lights

The primary limitation is the current high price 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 substitute can cost about Rs 5000. The starting cost may seem frightening, but LED light bulbs pay for themselves over time since they can last for up to eleven yrs, and saves a lot of money in terms of electricity used. For businesses, using LED lights makes a whole lot of sense since the reduced maintenance costs a lot more than make up for the steep start-up cost.

Major businesses are doing it

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