Light Emitting Diodes represent a great alternative to light our houses and offices. Reducing significantly the use of energy, lasting long due to the high sturdiness and not producing any hazardous waste are the main features that place the product overbearingly under green lights.
Did you know that in 2007 the Australian government enacted a law that will begin the phase out of most incandescent light bulbs by 2009 and ban them entirely by 2010? Until now compact fluorescents have been our only alternative, they do save energy but they contain dangerous levels of highly toxic mercury which make them anything but 'green'.
The green alternative
LED's, or Light Emitting Diodes are a revolution in lighting. They use very little energy, they hardly ever need changing and they contain no harmful mercury. LED's incredibly long working life and low energy requirements mean that in addition to effectively replacing existing lighting we can begin to use lighting in new ways, creatively incorporating light into architectural and interior design. LED's have come ahead in leaps and bounds over the past 12 months to the point where an LED alternative can now be found for almost any lighting application.
When making the change to LED's we need to shift our thinking from the idea that light bulbs are a low quality 'throwaway' item. High Power LED's are very high quality, robust, attractive appliances that give light. Perhaps you could think of them more as a light fitting because in many cases they may last just as long.
LEDs' are a great choice in lighting for a multitude of reasons :
- LED's use very little energy, often far less than the compact fluorescent bulbs that are currently being marketed as 'energy saving'. This translates to significant savings on your power bill.
- LED's may last up to and in many cases beyond a staggering 50 000 hrs which means they may last 10 years even with heavy usage. This makes them much cheaper than other bulbs in the long term but also saves the time and inconvenience of having to change bulbs regularly, particularly in hard to reach places.
- LED's emit no UV radiation and are safe for people with health problems that are affected by fluorescent lights.
- LED's produce very little heat, greatly reducing the strain on air conditioning systems and therefore further reducing energy consumption.
- LED's can be retro fitted into most standard lighting fixtures.
-LED's emit no audible buzz that can make fluorescent bulbs very annoying and interfere with radio frequencies.
-LED's are mercury free, they pose no immediate threat if they are broken and they do not require hazardous waste disposal. Compact fluorescents are highly toxic if broken and in many countries they must be disposed of as hazardous waste.
-LED's come in a huge range of styles to suit almost any application.
-LED's are shock and vibration resistant, there are no fragile filaments that can be easily damaged.
By changing all the light bulbs in your home to LED’s you could save up to 90% on your lighting power bill instantly. In commercial buildings where there are often thousands of lights, from fluorescent tubes in the car parks to 50mm halogen down lights in the lifts, the savings to be made are enormous.
LED’s are the future of light. Make the change today.
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