LED Lighting

The replacement to CFL’s

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 and focused light beam, and the cost of the LED bulbs was too high. Recent developments in LED technology, however, have been addressing these issues. LEDs have been ‘clustered’ to provide more light, and mounted within diffuser lenses which spread the light across a wider area. Recent advancements in manufacturing technology have driven the prices down to a level where LED bulbs are more cost-effective than CFLs or incandescent bulbs.

LED’s generally offer lower energy consumption, longer life and increased robustness when compared to fluorescent lighting. Apart from general building lighting requirements, 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, and no buzzing and instant start.

For your convenience a comparison table has been drawn up comparing the three different light technologies available. Read More.

Useful Information

LED's Are Long Lasting

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

LED Maintenance

LED bulbs are very small allowing for discrete, high resolution and low maintenance lighting within a building.

Vs. Flourescents

LED’s offer a more direct and brighter light source than comparable fluorescent lighting. LED’s emit less heat than fluorescent lights during operation.

LED Quality & Pricing

LED’s are considerably more expensive than comparable fluorescent lighting but they last more than four times longer (fluorescent – 8000 Hours vs. LED – 50000 hours). LEDS use considerably less electricity than fluorescent lighting and can provide up to 75% savings over fluorescent lighting.

Rebate Structure

Eskom considers rebates on fluorescent tube lighting kits (retrofit kits with integrated ballast replacing external ballast transformer) that comply with safety requirements. They must also be properly labelled with detailed product information clearly and permanently printed on the outside. Lastly, they must be installed by an approved electrician.

Composition & Performance

LED’s are mercury free, however performance can be slightly affected by changes in room temperature.

Vandal proof alternatives

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

Timer Application

Installing timers, down lighting and dimmers further reduces electricity consumption.

LED's & Solar Power

Because LED’s require low power requirements, it makes sense to use LED lighting with solar power.