The advantages of LED lighting

"The light bulb has gone digital...not only can you turn them up or down, you can turn them colorful."
CNN Headline News - 16th December 2002

Why bother with LED lighting? "Normal" lights have served us faithfully faithfully for generations. But remember: they rely on an incandescent bulbs and fluorescent tubes to produce their light, technology first invented by Thomas Edison and Nikolai Tesla, way back in the nineteenth century. Technology has taken some giant leaps forward since then and tiny Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are now set to become the standard source of illumination for the 21st Century.

What's so fantastic about LEDs ? Why all the fuss ?

1. ENERGY EFFICIENCY: LEDs consume far less energy than standard light bulbs, leading to greatly reduced energy costs. LEDs also require far less energy to manufacture than other light sources, reducing the environmental impact of artificial lighting still further.

2. LONG LIFE: The typical working life of an LED is 100,000 hours - that's 11.5 years of continuous light, day and night. Most incandescant bulbs expire after just a couple of thousand hours, in the case of domestic bulbs and in as little as a few tens of hours for torch bulbs.

3. RELIABILITY: The filament in a normal bulb is a very fragile object, easily broken by a sudden shock or "soft" drop. An LED is encased in virtually unbreakable high strength optical grade resin. There is no glass or filament to break, making LED light sources perfect for rugged or demanding environments or installations where access is difficult.

4. ECONOMY: Despite their apparent initial high price, the use of LED lighting dramatically reduces costs in a number of ways. The low power consumption lowers the cost of energy required for lighting, while the long life and reliability of LED light sources reduces maintainance costs, especially in large installations.

5. ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY: The reduced energy consumption of LED lighting can only benefit the environment at a time when global warming is a matter of increasing concern. Not only do LED's require less energy and material to manufacture, they do not contain toxic mercury commonly found in fluorescent lamps. The low power consumption of LED bulbs make them far better suited for solar or wind powered installations.

6. BETTER SAFETY AND SECURITY: The low level of heat produced and low voltages used by LEDs makes them a far safer source of light. No glass to break, no hot filament, no gas or candle flames and no noxious fumes. The intrinsic toughness and reliability of LED light sources mean that they are less likely to fail at the times when you need them most (usually in an emergency), thereby raising the user's level of personal safety and security.