Does It Make Sense to Switch To Energy Efficient LED Lights?

The technology used to manufacture incandescent light bulbs pretty much remains the same, ever since Thomas Edison invented it 120 years ago. It is said, these light bulbs use only 10 per cent of their energy, and the remaining 90 per cent is wasted. If every American was to replace only one light bulb with an energy saving bulb, there would be enough energy saved to light more than 3 million homes for a year. It is also sure to save $600 million in energy costs, and control carbon emissions that is equivalent to those that come from 800,000 cars! An estimated 90 per cent of households in America use incandescent bulbs to light their homes because they are relatively cheap? But are they really cheap? The initial low cost is easily offset by the fact that these bulbs use too much energy to produce too much light. So are LED bulbs really cheap in the long run, and does it makes sense to switch to energy efficient LED lights? Read further to know more:

What are LED’s and what is the technology used:

LED or Light Emitting Diodes are light sources that are charged by the movement of small electrons through a semi conductor diode. This diode produces one color on a single wavelength that ranges from red, blue and violet. LED’s produce a pure color of light and hence do not need filters to obtain light of the desired color. Thus all of the visible light is projected from the LED. There is also the OLED technology that makes use of organic polymers (that act as semi conductors). Although these are less efficient that LED, they are way much cheaper than them.

In comparison, incandescent light bulbs produce light by producing electricity through metal filaments that become hot enough to glow. Thus, more energy is wasted to produce very little light.

Are all LED lights energy efficient:

Contrary to public opinion, not all LED lights are energy efficient. In order to qualify for energy efficiency rating, manufacturers ought to prove that they do not use energy when the fixture is turned off, the light does not flicker when dimmed, the output remains the same unless the fixture has reached the end of its life term, and the brightness of the light is well distributed. Poor designs can cause more harm than good; hence make sure that you choose good quality LED lights.

What are the benefits of using LED lights:

There are several benefits of using LED lights; some of them include:

Long Life: An LED light is known to last anywhere from 35,000 to 50,000 hours, whereas incandescent lights are known to last not more than 750 to 2,000 hours. A CFL light is known to last not more than 8,000 to 10,000 hours. Thus, it is obvious that these LED wins hands down when it comes to longevity. Unlike conventional lights that go off when the filament breaks off, LED lights only gradually fade away, until they fade away to less than 70 per cent of the initial brightness.

Lower Temperature: As earlier said, LED’s use very little energy to produce a lot of light. And the very little heat that is produced is released backwards into a heat sink; hence they remain cool to the touch. Because glass or other such components aren’t used, these LED lights are

vulnerable to breakage, and hence suitable for high crime places and sports facilities. When compared to LED, CFL lights use only about 80 per cent of their energy.

Efficient: Rather than emitting light in all directions, LED lights can be used to emit light in a single direction and are hence best suitable for a number of applications. They are also suitable in places where it is difficult to install conventional light fixtures.

How do they fare when compared to CFL and halogen lights

CFL’s are also a viable option to save energy. But it is a known fact that these contain mercury. Improper disposal of these CFL lights would only cause mercury to contaminate the soil and our waterways. Although it is true that CFL’s use much less (about 5 mg) mercury than the standard thermometer (about 25 mg), it is still mercury, and hence should be used and disposed carefully.

Halogen lights on the other hand are again another form of incandescent lights that use halogen gas around the metal filaments; thereby increasing the shelf life of the bulb. They use only 25 per cent less energy than conventional incandescent lights.

How many people does it take to replace a light bulb:

That really depends on the number of people who are willing to take the plunge and switch over to energy efficient alternatives. Countries like China have already decided to switch to LED’s in a phased manner. Ireland too has woken up to the benefits of using LED light bulbs. Recently Nualight, the Ireland based LED lighting specialist was engaged by Sainsbury to replace their existing light fixtures. This move is sure to save 70 per cent of energy consumption in low temperature areas and 40 per cent of energy in medium temperature areas. A Street in Seattle, America carried out a unique experiment by switching over to LED to light their streets. The LAX Gateway at the Los Angeles airport replaced their metal halide lights with an LED system that is sure to save them at least 75 per cent of energy bills. The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas has also replaced their metal halide system with an LED system; a move that could bring down their energy bills from $18,000 to a mere $1,900 a year. The London Eye too replaced its conventional system with a sophisticated LED system that is sure to not only lower energy costs but also maintenance costs.

While the US hasn’t banned incandescent lights, they have certainly set tough standards to ensure that these bulbs do not waste energy and reduce green house gas emissions. People need to be trained on the benefits of using LED lamps.

LED lightings can save you more than 75-80 per cent of electricity and are also pleasant to the eye. Thus, answering the title question; LED lights not only help you to save on energy bills, they also help you to save the cause of the environment.