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LED Lights Benefits And Drawbacks

LED lighting is not a new technology; as a matter of fact, it has been around us since the 1960's. LED light bulbs were initially used as a replacement for incandescent indicators and displays in laboratory equipment and later in Televisions, different watches, radios and calculators. LED prices have only most recently has dropped enough to make them viable for residential and commercial markets. LED home lighting can have anything from outdoor to Christmas lights. With the current looming energy crisis in South Africa, and pressure put on governments and businesses same for more sustainable energy solutions, LED lights have a bright future in space lighting solutions.

Major benefits of making use of 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 11 years at continuous operation, or 22 years at 50% operation. Compare this to the approximate lifespan of five thousand hrs for an incandescent light bulb and 10000 hours for a fluorescent light. Many businesses find the lifespan of LED light bulbs very appealing - imagine only have to alter the signage on a business property once every 11 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 eliminate 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 twenty% of the electrical energy utilized into actual light energy, which means that a staggering 80% 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 noticeable.

Large disadvantages of using LED lights

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 starting cost may seem daunting, but LED light bulbs pay for themselves over time since they can work for up to eleven yrs, and saves a lot of money in respect of electricity utilized. For businesses, using LED lights makes a whole lot of sense since the reduced maintenance costs more than make up for the high starting cost.

Established businesses are doing it

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