LED Light Guides Presents: The Big Switch

LED lighting is finally coming of age, but many of us are still a little nervous of this relatively new technology. Don’t worry, we are here to help. LED lights have come a long way from their humble beginnings as power indicators.  Now, LED is the most efficient bulb choice of them all, and when using them in your home they can actually reduce your lighting bill by up to 90%. Whether you are on the fence to LEDo or LEDon’t, this simple guide and infographic on LED lighting will help you to understand and reap the benefits of switching over to LEDs.

A Worldwide Switch to LED Lighting

Did you know that a worldwide switch to LED lights could reduce the energy consumption of lighting by a massive 40%? That’s amazing! That’s actually the equivalent to 130 billion dollars per year saved in energy costs alone. For another comparison that’s the same energy output of 640 medium sized power plants! That’s a whole lot of energy savings from a simple switch. If these statistics don’t make you want to switch to LEDs maybe this one will – a worldwide switch to LED lights would avoid 670 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

The Benefits of LEDs

Switching to LED lighting has a vast range of benefits. For starters, LED lights are much more efficient than traditional lighting as they use around 90% less energy. This, in turn, makes them last much longer making you spend less on new light bulbs. In fact, LED lights have a lifespan of 10 times more than traditional lights. This is true no matter how long you leave them turned on for. If you wanted to, you could even leave a LED light bulb on for 24 hours a day and it would last for three years!

LED bulbs are not affected by how often you turn them on or off, either. Which is something that takes a toll on the alternative bulbs. In fact, you’re shortening their lifespan every time you flip the switch! Surely you want to be able to use your lights without feeling like you’re wasting energy every time you turn them on?

That in its self is a great reason to make the switch to LEDs! But that’s not all. LEDs are completely free from hazardous chemicals such as mercury, and because LED lights have no filaments, they are much more durable and can withstand bumps and extreme temperatures.

Expected Energy Consumption Reduction

Being energy efficient can make a big difference to the cost of your energy bill. And it doesn’t always need a big investment in time or money to make sure you’re wasting less energy and saving more. LED lighting has the potential to cut the U.S lighting energy consumption nearly in half by the time we reach 2030. With a saving of 19% by 2020 and a saving of 46% in 2030. This energy saving is the equivalent of powering 24 million homes in the U.S alone, for one whole year.

By 2030, the annual energy savings of buying LED lights instead of traditional lights is estimated to be approximately 300 terawatt-hours – that’s the equivalent to 30 billion dollars in energy savings in 2030 alone.

The savings from making the switch to LED lights won’t just save us money, it will also help save our planet. With the statistics used above by 2030, the energy savings will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 210 million metric tons of carbon, which is the same as removing 150.9 million cars from our roads.

Lumens VS Watts

First things first, what are lumens? In simple terms, lumens are a measure of the total amount of visible light, to the human eye, which comes from a lamp or light source. The higher the lumen rating, the brighter the light will appear. Now, we may all be familiar with watts, as this is how most people in the past bought conventional bulbs or spotlights expecting a certain level of brightness. Watts incorrectly linked power consumption (Watts) to light output. Nowadays, and in order to save money and energy, it’s much more important to shop for brightness (lumens) instead of watts (energy). 

It’s also important to take into account the color temperature when buying LED lights, and whilst it won’t have an effect of the brightness, it will make a big difference in the appearance and usefulness of the lights you install.

10 Facts about LED Lights

1. LED bulbs use 15% of the electricity of a standard halogen lamp. Although LED bulbs generate the same light levels as halogen lamps, LED bulbs do not emit heat.
2. Since LED lights do not overheat, your electricity bills from the likes of air-conditioning and usage will decrease greatly.
3. LEDs have a durable build quality. Because LEDs have no filaments they are able to withstand more shock than regular bulbs.
4. All LED lights turn on at 100% of their intended brightness every single time they are turned on.
5. LED lights are environmentally friendly, and are designed to be 100% recyclable.
6. LED lights have a flexible and multi-purpose design, therefore, they are produced in a wide variety of shapes and different sizes.
7. LEDs can last up to 50,000 hours – which is over 8 times the lifespan of a traditional bulb.
8. The lighting temperatures from LEDs are much lower than fluorescent or halogen lamps, which make them both cool and safe to touch.
9. LED lights are completely weatherproof and can resist extreme temperatures both hot and cold.
10. All LED lighting is primarily designed to focus light to a specific location or direction, without relying on an external reflector. This means it has a higher degree of efficiency than conventional solutions.

If you’d like to learn more about common myths surrounding LED lighting, check out this post.

Conclusion

LED lights are the way of the future. Although they have a slightly higher purchase price upfront that traditional light bulbs, LEDs are proven to save you money in the long run by reducing your energy consumption, performing better and lasting longer.

LEDo and make the switch today, what are you waiting for?

Questions or comments? Leave a reply below or Contact Us today. We at LEDLightGuides are committed to solving your lighting needs.