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LED Lighting Advantages And Disadvantages
LED lights is not a new technology; in fact, it has been with us from the 1960's. LED light bulbs were initially used as an alternative for incandescent indicators and displays in lab tools and after a while in TV's, wrist watches, radios and calculators. LED rates have just most recently has reduced enough to make them viable for residential and industrial markets. LED home lighting can have anything from outdoor to Xmas lights. With the current looming energy crisis in South Africa, and pressure forced on governments and businesses identical for more sustainable energy solutions, LED lights have a bright future in space lighting solutions.
Huge advantages of using 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 11 years at continuous operation, or 22 years at fifty% operation. Compare this to the approximate lifespan of five thousand hrs 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 attractive - imagine only have to change the signage on a business property once every eleven years. With incandescent and fluorescent bulbs, the actual cost of the bulb should include the labor charge and time required to exchange them. LED lights virtually eliminate lighting maintenance costs.
The second major benefit 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 remaining 20% electrical energy is lost as heat energy. Incandescent light bulbs only convert twenty% of the electrical energy used into actual light energy, which means that a staggering 80% 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 apparent.
Large drawbacks of using LED lighting
The primary limitation is the current high cost of LED light bulbs. Even though the cost of LED lights in South Africa is steadily reducing, replacing a 100W incandescent light bulb with a LED substitute can cost about Rs 5000. The start up price may look 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 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 price.
Major businesses are doing it
Different blue chip companies and hotels in USA and UK currently use LED lighting solutions. LED lights 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 future. With LED bulb start up costs falling, more companies will follow all these business leaders and discover a painless lighting solution which will last them a decade, and help save them money.