When you think of LEDs, what comes to mind? For most people, it’s probably nothing more than “lights”. Maybe it’s “bright lights”. And if one of these two came to mind for you, we can confidently say you are 100% correct. LEDs are brighter than all previous iterations of lighting technology – we’re talking about incandescents, CFLs, fluorescents and halide light bulbs/fixtures.
Although it is true that LEDs emit the highest amounts of light compared to every other type of lighting technology, light emission is a tiny part of what makes LEDs more beneficial than the rest. There are three main benefits of LEDs that differentiates them from the rest of the pack and our goal of today’s post is making you fully aware of what these three benefits are.
Energy Efficiency
LED stands for light emitting diode. A diode is an electrical component that emits light when an electrical current is passed through it and LED lights can have just one diode or they could have multiple.
The diode is the basic technological innovation that separates LEDs from all other forms of light emitting technologies. Incandescent bulbs, for example, utilize electricity (obviously), heat and different gases inside the bulb to emit light. Incandescents produce light that’s emitted in all directions using the electricity to heat a metal filament until it becomes “white” hot. As a result, incandescent bulbs release 90% of their energy as heat. On the other hand, the electrical current that passes through the diodes make LEDs a directional light source that emits light in a single direction rather than every direction.
Older lighting systems relied on intense levels of heat as means for producing light. Heat is an antiquated method used to create power. Other heat-reliant technological systems like the steam engine, while still in seldom use today, have been widely abandoned due to the immense amount of energy that’s wasted by heat. Heat is inefficient – plain and simple. Heat doesn’t rest in a container. Eventually, the container itself will absorb the heat.
LEDs don’t rely on heat to produce light so they can conserve drastically more amounts of energy than any other kind of lighting source out there. Because they are so energy-efficient, LED lights minimize the negative effects that energy use/consumption have on our environment. Incandescent, CFL, fluorescent, and halide lights not only waste energy through heat, but these out-dated light sources are also packed with harmful substances like mercury. Mercury can poison our drinking water or kill living organisms if these types of lights aren’t disposed of properly.
Energy Efficient = Cost-Effective
So if LED uses less energy than traditional lighting sources, wouldn’t you see that reduction reflected in your energy bill?
Why, yes! You definitely will!
This is the second main benefit we see from using LED lights. Stellux works with businesses not only to retrofit their building with brand new LEDs, but also to help businesses get tremendous savings on their operating costs. Over the course of the many projects we’ve completed, businesses we’ve worked with have seen anywhere from a 50-80% reduction in costs on their energy bill. We’re extremely grateful that we can make this big of an impact, especially for those businesses who are looking for ways to really tighten their budget.
Healthy Light Consumption
The last benefit seen from LED lights that we want to highlight here is the effect LEDs have on humans’ health. We mentioned above that the poisonous substances and gases contained in less advanced lighting sources can cause great harm if the lights are disposed of improperly. Another way light bulbs and fixtures affect our health is through the mere consumption of the light itself.
If you think about the sun or tanning beds, you can understand that being exposed to certain kinds of light for extended periods of time can have harmful, lasting effects on the human body. The health implications of indoor lighting are much less dire when it comes to prolonged exposure, but there is still an impact that exists.
As we explained in our last blog post, non-LED lights have a much shorter lifespan compared to LED lights. They change color as they age and depending on when they were installed, each light will age and change color at their own pace, leaving contrasting light levels throughout your workspace. This can lead to headaches and migraines which I think we can safely say will hinder employee productivity.
Another health factor from indoor lighting comes from its comparison to natural daylight. Natural daylight reduces anxiety, helps moods, improves vision, and gives healthy doses of vitamin D and no light source can mimic more closely the effects of natural light than LEDs. Our bodies, and every other organism, are accustomed to the natural order of our planetary environment. Everything on Earth lives and grows with their required dose of sunlight. Just as a plant needs sunlight to grow, our bodies rely on sunlight for their healthy development.
Conclusion
So… Energy-Efficiency, Cost-Effectiveness, Healthy Light Consumption – these are the unique benefits that LED lights bring to the table. Our goal at the outset of this post was to teach you what these benefits are and I think – hope – we accomplished that with you today. Stellux is a business that exists to save other businesses money through our extensive knowledge on LED products and the government incentives that come with them. So if you still have questions, you know where to go and who to call.
Take Care and #ShareTheLight