Learn About LED Lighting
Learn About LED Lighting
What are LEDs and how do they work?
LED stands for light emitting diode.
LED lighting products produce light up
to 90% more efficiently than incandescent light bulbs. How do they work? An electrical current passes through a microchip,
which illuminates the tiny light sources we call LEDs and the result is visible light. To prevent performance issues, the
heat LEDs produce is absorbed into a heat sink.
Lifetime of LED Lighting Products
The useful life of LED lighting products is defined differently than that of other light sources, such as
incandescent or compact fluorescent lighting (CFL). LEDs typically do not “burn out” or fail. Instead, they experience
‘lumen depreciation’, wherein the brightness of the LED dims slowly over time. Unlike incandescent bulbs, LED “lifetime”
is established on a prediction of when the light output decreases by 30 percent.
LEDs are incorporated into bulbs and fixtures for general lighting applications. Small in size, LEDs provide unique
design opportunities. Some LED bulb solutions may physically resemble familiar light bulbs and better match the appearance of
traditional light bulbs. Some
outdoor LED light fixtures may have
LEDs built in as a permanent light source. There are also hybrid approaches where a non-traditional “bulb” or replaceable
light source format is used and specially designed for a unique fixture. LEDs offer a tremendous opportunity for innovation
in lighting form factors and fit a wider breadth of applications than traditional lighting technologies.
LEDs and Heat
LEDs use heat sinks to absorb the heat produced by the LED and dissipate it into the surrounding environment. This keeps
LEDs from overheating and burning out. Thermal management is generally the single most important factor in the
successful performance of an LED over its lifetime. The higher the temperature at which the LEDs are operated, the more
quickly the light will degrade, and the shorter the useful life will be.
LED products use a variety of unique heat sink designs and configurations to manage heat. Today, advancements in
materials have allowed manufacturers to design LED bulbs that match the shapes and sizes of traditional incandescent bulbs.
Regardless of the heat sink design, all LED products that have earned the ENERGY STAR have been tested to ensure that they
properly manage the heat so that the light output is properly maintained through the end of its rated life.
LED lighting differs from incandescent and fluorescent in several ways. When designed well, LED lighting is more
efficient, versatile, and lasts longer.
LEDs are “directional” light sources, which means they emit light in a specific direction, unlike incandescent and CFL,
which emit light and heat in all directions. That means LEDs are able to use light and energy more efficiently in a multitude
of applications. However, it also means that sophisticated engineering is needed to produce an
LED bulb that shines light in every direction.
Common LED colors include amber, red, green, and blue. To produce white light, different color LEDs are combined or
covered with a phosphor material that converts the color of the light to a familiar “white” light used in homes. Phosphor
is a yellowish material that covers some LEDs. Colored LEDs are widely used as signal lights and indicator lights, like the
power button on a computer.
In a CFL, an electric current flows between electrodes at each end of a tube containing gases. This reaction produces
ultraviolet (UV) light and heat. The UV light is transformed into visible light when it strikes a phosphor coating on the
inside of the bulb. Learn more about CFLs.
Incandescent bulbs produce light using electricity to heat a metal filament until it becomes “white” hot or is said to
incandesce. As a result, incandescent bulbs release 90% of their energy as heat.
Why should I choose ENERGY STAR certified LED lighting products?
There are more lighting options available today than ever before. Despite that, ENERGY STAR is still the simple choice to
save on your utility bills.
LED bulbs that have earned the ENERGY STAR are subject to very specific requirements designed to replicate the experience
you are used to with a standard bulb—so they can be used for a wide variety of applications. As the graphic on the right
demonstrates, a general purpose LED bulb that does not qualify for the ENERGY STAR may not distribute light everywhere and
could prove to be a disappointment if used in a table lamp.
The potential effects of
LED street light on
health and the environment have been a hot topic of discussion over the last year. As this conversation has evolved, so too
have many misperceptions and mischaracterizations of the facts on LEDs. We’ve assembled an array of helpful
resources on the topic to help shed some light and are clarify some of the most common myths on LED streetlights.
LED streetlights are no more harmful to humans and animals than other kinds of streetlights. The concern is not the type
of light source, but the amount of emitted light that falls in the short-wavelength, often referred to as the “blue”
part of the spectrum. And, unlike other types of streetlights, LED streetlights actually offer the potential to control the
amount of short-wavelength light that they emit.On the contrary, short-wavelength light is a fundamental component of the
natural world. It’s present in sunlight and has been shown to play an important role in a number of physiological processes,
such as affecting circadian rhythm (our 24-hour “biological clock” that controls sleep/wake cycles). The concern is that
too much nighttime exposure to short-wavelength light may disrupt sleep patterns and have other undesirable effects.It’s
true that early LED lighting products tended to have greater levels of short-wavelength content because the technology was
still in its initial stages of development. Tremendous advances since then, however, mean that today’s LEDs can be designed
to emit as little, or as much, short-wavelength light as desired, without excessive drop-off in efficiency or other aspects
of performance. LEDs also offer much greater control over where the light falls. This means they can often meet the same
illumination requirements as conventional streetlights while emitting much less light – thus reducing even further any
short-wavelength content.
Floodlighting has become an important part of security for homes and businesses alike. Whether connected to a motion
detector or for use to light a garden at night, flood lighting has become an integral part of security in today’s society.
Homeowners and businesses have enough to deal with in these harsh economic times than needing to worry about
changing floodlights. That’s why
LED Flood Light
offer the client not only an exceptional dispersion of light but also a bounty of advantages, which are only available
when you use LED Floodlights.
One of the best advantages of using LED Floodlights is the life expectancy; they last for thirty times longer than
standard halogen floodlights. This reveals a variety of advantages: you will have more free space as you would not need to
stock up on replacement halogen bulbs. Also the main power involved in swapping out defective halogen bulbs can be time
consuming and expensive, especially if running a business which requires the use of floodlighting. Thus purchasing LED
Floodlights works to be extremely cost effective for the client. LED Floodlights repay your investment with longer life and
an exceptional reduction in electricity costs.
With rising utility prices everyone is looking to save money. Through switching to an LED Floodlights customers will see
a fall in their electricity consumption and in turn bills. The LED Floodlight will consume a significantly reduced number of
watts compared to a halogen Floodlight, providing the client with an exceptional visual performance as well as low cost
electricity bills. LED Floodlights feature economical illumination technology. This technology is also known as Light
Emitting Diodes (LED light bulbs); this allows you to have exceptional brightness with a low power consumption.
LED Floodlights have a higher lumen output than standard Floodlights. One LED Floodlight can have the same effect as two
or even three standard Floodlights. This is a staggering statistic and it means that with the longer life expectancy and the
exceptional brightness less room would be needed for storing your existing halogen equivalent floodlights. It also now means
that security for your home and business is now affordable and is most importantly cost effective.
It is important to note when looking to install floodlights for outside use that they are IP65 rated. This means that
they have been designed and tested to withstand weather conditions and are safe for outside use. This special rating of IP65
is not to be overlooked as it is essential to the performance of the light when used outside.
Portable floodlights are also available on the market and our ideal for workers at night. By incorporating a battery to
floodlights workers can experience high quality LED lighting by only consuming a fraction of the electricity of an
ordinary halogen floodlight. This has many advantages such as safety for the workers as a clear bright illumination. Also
these would need to be IP65 rated also as even in the most testing weather conditions the clear, crisp light will continue to
emit.
This article has shown the huge benefits which LED Floodlights can give compared to their halogen equivalents. So for a
more cost effective approach to lighting with better lighting results, make sure you choose LED technology when you purchase
your next Floodlights.
In the world of lighting,
LED high bay light
is a fixture that you would find in a warehouse, a factory, a gymnasium, or any large open area with relatively high
ceilings. Many existing high bay lighting and low bay lighting applications utilize high intensity discharge (HID) lamps such
as metal halide or high pressure sodium lamps.
Despite their widespread use, HID lamps utilize antiquated technology that costs building managers both
directly and indirectly. Specifically, using HID lamps will result in: higher than necessary energy costs, frequent
maintenance costs, and poor lighting performance. These issues can all be addressed by converting your existing lighting to
LED.
Energy Savings
Energy savings is a primary driver behind why you should evaluate LED lighting for your building or facility. Common
wattages for LED high bay fixtures can range from 95 watts to 495 watts. If we compare this wattage to a typical HID high bay
fixture that same range is 175 watts to 1000 watts.
Consequently, by switching to LED lighting you are immediately reducing your energy consumption by 40%-60%. To put this
in dollars, you would be saving $300 per fixture per year in electricity costs if you made the switch to LED lighting.
Depending on the size of your facility this can really affect the operational balance sheet.
Maintenance Cost Reduction
By converting to LEDs you will also see a dramatic reduction in the maintenance of your high bay light fixtures. This is
due to the way LEDs generate light, and the way they progress through their functional life. Instead of ceasing to function
properly once a fuel source is significantly reduced, LED generated light output degrades very slowly over time. As a result,
the functional life of an LED product can be significantly longer than that of a HID Lamp, therefore drastically reducing the
maintenance load required.
For example, by converting conventional 400w HID high bay lighting to LED, a typical building with industrial light
fixtures can save up to $5,341 over the course of three years in maintenance costs alone.
The outdoor lighting industry, as with so many other application-oriented industries, assumes that the power source is
infinite and always available. This is a tribute to the reliability of the electric grid - at least in developed-world
nations. It has certainly made life simpler for the lamp/lighting designers who, for the most part, are able to divorce the
lamp characteristics from the energy source. The developed world is starting to learn that the power source is far from
infinite.
Some companies are not waiting to see the bottom of the barrel, and are exploring alternatives that range from
replacement power sources to energy demand reduction. A number of companies are developing technologies that achieve both:
SolarOne Solutions' work in solar-powered solid-state lighting under the SOLED? brand name is an example of this.
Solar-powered lighting
Solar electric lighting systems do in fact connect to a truly "infinite" power source - the sun. However, as we
all know, this source is intermittent. In the case of solar outdoor lighting, the power source is inversely related to the
load (the lights turn on when the sun goes down). This relationship leads to an important conclusion; the system must rely on
energy storage (e.g. batteries), unless it remains connected to grid.
Now in order for a solar lighting system to perform reliably, the solar panel and battery must be sized for the period of
longest nights, shortest days and cloudiest weather, all of which occur at the same time each year (see figure 2).
Historically, the solar industry has addressed this worst-case scenario by seeking out the most efficient lumen per watt DC
lamps and over-sizing the system for the rest of the year. That translated to DC fluorescent bulbs, bigger solar panels, more
batteries, higher costs and less-than-appealing appearance.
This approach confined the market for
solar LED light
to areas closer to the equator with highest average levels of solar irradiation and temperatures that did not affect
the performance and lifetime of the DC fluorescent bulbs. It also left the markets in the higher latitudes, typically with
higher per capita wealth levels and greater lighting needs rather under-served.