Light It Up: The Top 8 Benefits of LED Lighting

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Are you considering updating your lighting?

Traditional incandescent lights have been around for over 150 years, and it shows. Advances in technology have allowed modern LED lightbulbs to revolutionize residential and commercial lighting.

But don’t just take out word for it. Read on to discover 8 of the top benefits of LED lighting.

1. Better for the Environment

LED lights are more friendly to the environment. They use about 50% less electricity than traditional incandescent, halogen or fluorescent bulbs.

This can lead to big energy cost savings. You will especially notice the savings in areas with the lights on for long periods.

LEDs also don’t have the environmental issues that traditional light options have. Fluorescent or mercury vapor lights both contain hazardous mercury. This means that they have special handling needs at the end of their lifespan but this isn’t the case with LEDs.

2. Extended Life

You won’t have to worry about ‘burning out’ or a bulb failing with LED lights. At worst, they will slowly dim over time. You can expect a good quality LED to last between 30,000-50,000 hours. They could last even longer if in a good quality fitting or lamp.

A tradition incandescent bulb may only last around 1000 hours. A similar fluorescent bulb can last 8,000 – 10,000 hours by comparison.

Their longer lifespan reduces replacement costs, as well as labor costs if replacing them in a commercial setting. Whether used in your business or home, they are the low maintenance option.

3. Extra Durability

Everyone has had to deal with a shattered or blown lightbulb at some point in their life. LEDs remove this headache.

LEDs don’t use filaments or glass enclosures. This makes them resistant to breaking. They can also withstand impacts and vibrations to a large degree. Traditional lighting uses glass or quartz containers and these can be prone to damage.

LEDs get mounted onto a circuit board and connect with soldered leads. These leads can be vulnerable to damage, but no more so than a mobile phone or tablet.

4. Fully Controllable

Traditional lighting solutions are either on or off. With the correct adapters, incandescent and fluorescent systems can be made dimmable, but these add cost.

LED technology is designed to be controllable. LED lights can be dimmed to 10% of their normal output without issue. In contrast, fluorescent lights can only drop to 30% output before they begin to flicker and fail.

Not only can LEDs be dimmed lower than other lights, but they also offer greater levels of control. They can be set to output any percentage of their maximum power, rather than just steps. As the power is reduced, they actually become more efficient and their lifespan increases.

All of these benefits are unique to LEDs, which is why they are so suited to dimmable lighting. LEDs are a vital component of smart home systems, where their controllability allows them to be remotely controlled in real-time.

5. Directional Light

Traditional light bulbs emit light in all directions around themselves. To get the light from these bulbs to where you actually want it, you need to used reflector devices. These increase the complexity of the light fitting, increasing prices and size of the light fitting.

LED Lights are directional. This means they emit light only in the direction you want. Not only does this increase efficiency by sending all the light where you want it, but it also opens up new design opportunities.

LED Strip lighting is one example of these innovative products. With a thickness of only 1/16″, LED strips are easily installed and can easily be hidden from view. This, combined with the controllability of LED’s means that they are perfect for mood lighting.

6. Extended Temperature Range

Unlike traditional bulbs, LEDs will function well in the cold.

In cold temperatures, you need a higher voltage to start incandescent bulbs, which reduces the light intensity. LED performance actually increases as the temperature they operate in drops.

This makes them the top choice for refrigerated displays, freezers, and cold storage. They are also great for outdoor use in parking lots, signs or for building perimeters. This also means they are a good way to add light to your outdoor seating areas, whatever the weather.

7. Faster Activation Speed

If you have ever had to quickly pop to the basement to grab something, you will know how annoying slow lighting can be.

Many fluorescent and HID bulbs will need 3 or more minutes before they reach their full brightness. With LEDs, they reach their full brightness almost straight away. There is no re-strike delay either, meaning that they can be turned on again immediately after being turned off.

This can be useful after a power outage or anytime an employee has to open the building when it’s still dark. Any time you need instant light, LED lights are the way to go.

8. No Wasted Energy

Incandescent bulbs are inefficient. Only about 10% of the electricity they use is actually turned into light. If you have ever touched a recently used bulb, you will know that most of the energy becomes infrared (heat) and ultraviolet. This can cause a hazard, and damage or bleach materials exposed to the light.

In contrast, the majority of energy LED bulbs use becomes visible light. Only a small amount is emitted as heat, and almost none becomes ultraviolet light. This allows LEDs to be used where other types of light cannot.

UV light will slowly bleach and break down sensitive items like paintings and even some plastics. Because of this, LED lights are used extensively in art galleries and museums.

Benefits of LED Lighting

As you can see, the benefits of LED lighting really does allow them to outclass other lights by some margin. Not only do they do everything traditional bulbs do, but better, but they also have unique qualities that all them to be used in new ways.

If you are considering LED lighting for your project, then contact us at Wessel LED Lighting Systems. Our customizable LED products use the unique properties of LED to design you the perfect lighting system.