What is LED lighting?
An LED lamp or LED light bulb is an electric light that produces light using light-emitting diodes (which is what LED stands for!). LED lamps and bulbs are significantly more energy efficient when compared to incandescent and fluorescent lamps and offer heaps of additional benefits to homeowners and businesses. So, let’s get to it with ten reasons why LED lighting is such a great lighting option!
10 Benefits of LEDs
1. They serve a super long lifespan
A classic and commonly used incandescent lamp has a lifespan of just 1,000 to 2,000 hours, and a halogen lasts a little longer at 4,000 hours. Coming in a bit higher is a general energy-saving lamp, which has around 10,000 hours of life in them. Trumping them all is the LED bulb, with a lifespan of between 15,000 hours all the way up to a huge 50,000 hours, depending on the quality and cost of the lamp!
If we calculated the number of years this equates to, based on an average usage of 4 hours per day, LEDs total a huge 10-34 year long lifespan! Imagine not needing to replace your light bulb every few months, but every 30 years instead!
2. A way more energy-efficient option
LEDs require 80% less energy to run than most traditional bulbs for a few reasons. LEDs emit light in a specific direction only, rather than all over the place, eliminating the need for reflectors and diffusers, which are likely to result in a loss of light therefore a higher usage of energy.
We all know that traditional bulbs are renowned for getting too hot to touch after they’ve been switched on for a while. LEDs are so efficient because most of their energy is used to solely create light, rather than creating light and heat, as less efficient forms of lighting do. In fact, incandescent bulbs actually emit 90% of their energy as heat, and CFLs emit a close 80% of their energy as heat!
3. A safer alternative
LEDs are even considered to be a much safer lighting option, the first one being due to the lack of heat produced by the bulbs. This leads to a reduction of burns from accidentally catching hot bulbs and reduces the risk of fire too, again caused by the heat that’s emitted by traditional bulbs. LEDs do not emit ultraviolet rays as other bulbs do, making them safer for the eyes and skin.
4. Great colour range
LEDs offer versatility in terms of colour, with the option of warm and cool white bulbs available, you can choose a suitable colour light for each room. For unique feature lighting, LEDs even come in a range of colourful options too, from red to blue to green. So you can have some fun with LEDs if you fancy it!
5. Save money!
Although LEDs are a more costly initial purchase in comparison to other lighting alternatives, the savings soon start to roll in with a huge reduction in the amount of energy used, resulting in a much cheaper energy bill. You won’t need to repurchase your bulbs anywhere near as often either, making LEDs a super worthwhile investment!
6. Adaptable brightness
LEDs are a super bright, lighting option – making for ideal focus lighting. Worried about them being a touch too bright though? LED bulbs are versatile, meaning you can even get dimmable options, suitable for all lighting and brightness preferences.
7. LEDs are non-toxic
When you walk into most offices, you’re likely to spot fluorescent tube lights on the ceiling. Did you know that they contain toxic chemicals and elements, including mercury, which are very harmful to the environment? LED lights, however, contain no hazardous materials at all and don’t require specialist disposal, making them a much better alternative for the environment.
8. Their reliability
LEDs make for a much more reliable commercial or industrial lighting option, not only because of their long lifespan, but also down to their stability during different temperatures and when experiencing vibrations. Unlike traditional methods of lighting, LEDs thrive in cold weather since they do not require heat to turn on, just electricity. Vibrations can make conventional lighting flicker or blow too, whereas LED bulbs are super unlikely to blow because of vibrations down to producing light using a robust semiconductor instead of fragile filaments to generate light.
9. Instant lighting
Like we mentioned in the previous point, LEDs do not require heat to turn on unlike traditional lighting methods. This means there’s no flickering, no warming up process, and no need to wait for them to get brighter. They’ll instantly produce a bright light as soon as the switch is flicked!
10. Design flexibility
LEDs offer great design flexibility because they are so small, they can be used in almost any application you can imagine. They can be bunched together to make a traditional bulb, used alone as a small device light, or strung out in sequence in a linear fashion. Just about everything you can think of can be done with LEDs, with a wide selection of colours too, the design possibilities are endless.
So, there you have it, ten reasons why LED lights are certainly the way to go for homes and businesses moving forward. For guidance on finding the most suitable LED lighting for your home or business, reach out to us on 0115 9440 594 and we’ll be happy to provide you with a free, no-obligation quote.
