Many of you have probably wondered whether lighting can genuinely affect energy usage or our electricity costs. Since we must use it frequently to light up our homes, the wear and tear and electricity expense seem totally acceptable. This is a false impression. The many types of light can make a significant difference in both the atmosphere that surrounds us and the electrical bill that is charged to us each month.
What are LED lights?
Light emitting diode, or LED illuminates when an electric current flows through the microchip that has been inserted within. For lighting purposes, they can be installed within bulbs and fixtures. Their effectiveness and even designs have been proven to be superior to those of their more established competitors, such as CFL bulbs.
LED lights have earned the distinction of being an efficient solution for lighting needs and here are the reasons why:
- Thermal management
Some lights have the issue of heating up with continuous use or once they get old. Some of them even burn out with multiple uses. The thermal management of such traditional lights are poor and can entail various risks while handling them.
When we talk about LED lights we heave a sigh of relief since they have been manufactured in such a way to overcome these thermal shortcomings. LED uses a prototype of a heat sink to absorb the heat produced during usage and this prevents it from disseminating heat around it or getting burned up. Thermal management is one of the qualities that have made LEDs surpass other sources when it comes to performance.
The unique heat sinks and configurations ensure that the heating issue is prevented and they can run efficiently.
- Harmful gases
Some might be unaware that traditional lighting sources like CFL bulbs contain gases in order to operate. These gases are not ordinary gases but hazardous gases like mercury. For example in a CFL bulb, the electric current is made to pass between electrodes at the end of which the harmful gases are placed.
The reaction between the gases and the current produces results such as UV light and heat. We are aware that UV light can severely damage human skin and is not good for us. By using CFL bulbs we are continuously exposing ourselves to such harmful rays.
- Energy efficient
We might think that by switching off the lights we can save energy to a great extent. That is true but what if the light itself uses a huge amount of energy without lighting up efficiently? Traditional lights like fluorescent or incandescent bulbs are almost eighty percent less efficient than LED lights. They use up a huge chunk of energy to convert it into heat.
In the case of LED lights, they generally convert ninety-five percent of the energy into light and a meager five percent into heat. They also draw less energy from the source to light up. A 36-watt LED can be a good replacement for 84-watt fluorescent bulbs. The less energy required also reduced the demand for energy thus indirectly reducing our energy consumption and demand.
So remember that just switching off the lights is not a solution. Switching to energy-efficient lights will always be a better solution.
- Lighting with fewer lights
The directionality factor of LED lights ensures that we can use few to light up our entire area. The white luminous lights of LEDs are dispersed efficiently and also are perfect to focus in a particular direction. Be it your study area, office area, dining table, or kitchen they can actually illuminate all the areas better than the traditional ones.
Incandescent bulbs with their soft yellow light may not be sufficient for every occasion. They don’t give out the same level of brightness as the LED ones.
- LED lights can live longer
Once you install a LED light you can be assured that you need not change it often. They last up to six times longer than other traditional lights. Ask a led light manufacturer and you will know. You can save money and time by switching to LED lights.
Conclusion
Getting smart appliances is also a solution to save our penny and the environment. The lighting industry has been continuously innovating to come up with better technology and LED lights are also one such technology. They have overcome some of the shortcomings of the traditional ones and are gradually used to replace the old ones.
If you haven’t changed your appliances, you should think about it now.
