Why we should all switch to LED

With global warming becoming a serious threat to a proper functionality of our world, it is time to start looking for alternatives in our lifestyle starting with: Lighting solutions.

Apart from articles and news about the pandemic that we are still fighting against, one topic that has always been a recurring theme for the past few years is global warming.

With island nations such as Tuvalu and Kiribati slowly drowning due to rising sea levels and all-time high temperatures, the world needs to develop alternative solutions.

Sure, solar and wind-powered generators are spreading worldwide, but this is not enough. If human activities and behavior don’t change, we cannot stand a chance against the fast changes happening to our beloved planet.

The industrial world is constantly looking for “green” alternatives, trying to develop energy-saving options while also not negatively impacting people’s daily life activities.

One industry that has done a massive change and shift in trends in the lighting industry is the introduction of the low-emitting diode, which we know as LED. This technology was introduced back in the 60s but has spread like wildfire during the last two decades.

What exactly is LED?

While many places around the world continue to use traditional incandescent and fluorescent lighting systems, which contribute significantly to global pollution, LED is known to be an energy-efficient technology that uses at least 75% less energy and lasts far longer than its predecessors.

The LED is revealed as a digital revolution: The electricity passes through semiconductor material, it sparks up the LED. While traditional lighting systems emit large amounts of heat, heat sinks present in the diode absorb and release a small amount of the heat produced; that’s what we call heat management, which contributes to the longevity of the LED.

What are the benefits of using LED?

- LEDs are very small in size and can emit light in a various range of colors. It is usually made by a mix of colors, ranging from green to red, blue, and white light.

- Direct light: Unlike their predecessors, LEDs emit light in only one direction, making it much more efficient. Compared to the incandescent light, which needs reflectors and diffusers to trap the light and guide it towards the needed direction.

- Heat absorption: As mentioned earlier, LED doesn’t emit heat as much as the older lighting systems. Experts believe that incandescent bulbs use up to 90% of their energy as heat.

- Lifetime: With minor heat release, LEDs typically last 3 to 5 times longer than older models.

How is the world using LED?

LED lighting has spread around the world for home, commercial, and industrial use due to widespread publicity about its benefits. Its rapid growth showed the flexibility of this technology while preserving its manufacturing efficiency.

You will now see streetlights, walkways, and parking garages lit by LEDs thanks to this high efficiency. They even found their way to stores and supermarkets, especially in refrigerator displays, withstanding constant low temperatures.

Talking about shops and even residencies, they fit anywhere thanks to their small size, even in small and tight spaces. Their variation in a light color and fixed directions give the needed effect for the atmosphere one wants to create in their shop or room.

We’ve seen flexibility, economy, and technical structure advantages for LED. Still, some claim that it is too expensive and may need to invest in a budget to change from the traditional lighting systems.

Why should I remove my fluorescent and incandescent bulbs?

We may have given some strong points as to why LED is the present and the future. But we also need to invoke some strong points concerning the problems people face with fluorescent and incandescent light.

First, concerning incandescent light, we have already established that it requires more energy to run. It also has minimal choices as to the color of the light, only featuring a pale orange tone, which is not suitable for spaces that need more natural light.

The glass used is very thin, so it can let light pass, but also thin glass is fragile and results in a lot of mess if broken.

We’ve also mentioned that incandescent light emits extreme amounts of heat, creating an uncomfortably hot environment and speeding up the burn-out of the bulb.

Concerning fluorescent tubes and bulbs, they all contain a small amount of elemental mercury, which is dangerous if it breaks.

A small crack of the bulb can cause mercury vapor to spread in the air and may cause severe health damage if not properly cleaned.

Okay but why is LED considered “Green” and important for the environment?

First of all, an LED is made of non-toxic material. It doesn’t have mercury in it, which means no contamination when disposed of. Moreover, LED doesn’t produce UV rays. They don’t spew excessive heat like an incandescent light, which may be hazardous to the environment.

LED light is also known to be way more durable than the previous ones, meaning that there is less chance of having disposed of material thrown in the dumping sites, reducing the amount of toxic material on the land and also reducing the cost of constantly buying new material.

Speaking of savings, you also save up to 90% of electricity costs thanks to LED. It is economical in an environmental way, and your electricity bill will be much smaller than it used to be. And also, you won’t have to fill your room with a lot of CFL bulbs when you have one LED-sourced light covering the entire room.

In Conclusion:

LED may be the future, but it’s also the present. The demand of LED is still in expansion, and it doesn’t look like it’s stopping anytime soon. By saving money and getting rid of the old-fashioned lighting solutions, we are saving money, and energy and contributing to the mission to protect our precious planet.

If you need any further information about optimum lighting and electrical solutions, don’t forget that we are here to help! Our specialists will be here and ready to help in any way possible.

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