LED Lighting

Light Emitting Diodes

LED light bulbs are slowly replacing CFL’s (Compact Fluorescent Lights) which are an intermediate solution to energy-efficient lighting. The reason LEDs have not yet displaced CFLs from the market are twofold: the first generation LED bulbs had a narrow & focused light beam, the cost of the LED bulbs were too high. Recent developments in LED technology, however, have been addressing these issues. Advancements in manufacturing have driven the prices down to a level where LED bulbs are now more cost-effective.

LED’s generally offer lower energy consumption, longer life and increased robustness when compared to fluorescent lighting. Apart from general factory lighting use, their high concentration of light make them well suited for niche applications like lighting of high productivity work areas or security lighting.

LED’s are now also available in tube form. They essentially replace T5, T8 and T12 fluorescent tubes and fit directly into most fluorescent fixtures. LED tubes provide light outputs comparable to or better than fluorescent and deliver the immediate benefits of high quality white-LED lighting. Other benefits include longer life, high efficiency, no mercury, no flickering, no buzzing and instant start.

What You Need To Know:

LED’s bulbs and tubes offer a much longer life over incandescent and fluorescent tubes

LED’s offer a more direct and brighter light source than comparable fluorescent lighting

Although more expensive than comparable fluorescent lighting, LED’s last up to 4x longer (fluorescent – 8000hrs vs. LED – 50000hrs)

LEDS use considerably less electricity than fluorescent lighting and can provide up to 75% savings over fluorescent lighting

Performance can be slightly affected by changes in room temperature

LED bulbs are very small allowing for discrete, high resolution and low maintenance lighting

Installing timers, down lighting and dimmers further reduces electricity consumption

Fluorescent lighting tends to burn out at the end of its life while LEDS gradually loose performance at the end of their life

If an LED tube is constructed from extruded aluminium or equivalent material, it provides a vandal proof, unbreakable alternative

LED’s emit less heat during operation. LED’s are mercury free

Because LED’s require low power requirements, it makes sense to use LED lighting with solar power in the factory environment instead of tapping from your main electricity supply.