The presentation of light and technology was brilliantly revealed at LIGHTFAIR International 2017. Displays from all over the world revealed new discoveries, new connectivity, new knowledge and new solutions that propel lighting design quickly into the future. All at the world’s largest annual architectural and commercial lighting trade show and conference was held at the Philadelphia Convention Center for architects, engineers and designers for 3 days.
LED Lighting has completely taken over!! Here’s some very interesting info that I’m sure you’ll love reading and also seeing some of the pictures I took of luminaries at the Light Fair.
Light emitting diodes or LEDs for short are quickly gaining popularity because right now many companies are offering huge variety of LED products. But just like with any new product, LED lighting also has to deal with judgment and concerns from the consumers, who don’t believe, that these lights could be as efficient as their manufacturers claim them to be. So let’s look as some of these worries and find out why they are just myths.
1. LED Bulbs are Too Expensive
One of the most popular misconceptions about LED lighting is that LED lights are much more expensive than other light bulbs. But that isn’t entirely true. First of all, since the time LED lights first appeared on the market, they have become a lot cheaper. Nowadays the average price of LED bulbs is just a little higher than that of traditional lamps. Second of all, LEDs will cost a lot less in the long run, especially compared to other types of lighting. Average lifespan of a LED bulb is 50,000 hours, whereas outdoor flood lights last for about 35,000 hours, compact fluorescent bulb for 8,000 hours and incandescent light bulb only for 1,200 hours. And thirdly, LEDs consume much less electricity, so the annual operating costs of a LED light are definitely lower than those of other lighting sources.
2. LED Lamps Aren’t All That Bright
A very common myth about LED lamps also is that LED bulbs aren’t bright enough to properly illuminate your home. This myth has persisted because the brightness of incandescent light bulbs is often measured in watts. However, that is not the correct way to do it because bulb brightness should be measured in lumens. So, if both 100-watt incandescent light bulbs and an 8-watt LED bulbs outputs 1,600 lumens, you can see how LED bulbs are in fact more energy efficient while still being very bright.
3. LED Lighting isn’t Efficient
Lots of consumers also assume that LED lights are not energy efficient, although that is not true. This again can be substantiated by looking at the amount of light LED bulbs produce per each watt of consumed energy. 100-watt incandescent light bulbs and 15-watt fluorescent bulbs deliver the same amount of light as 8-watt LED bulbs do. Which means that LED bulbs are up to 12 times more energy efficient than incandescent light bulbs and almost two times more energy efficient than the fluorescent bulb. Do you need any more proof that LED’s actually are highly efficient?
4. Don’t buy LED Lights Now Because They Will be Cheaper in the Future
Another common misconception is that the price of LED products will go down soon, so it is better to wait for a few years to buy and install them. But the truth is, that there won’t be a major fall in LED bulbs prices in the near future. The biggest drop in LED prices has already happened and the rest of the drop will happen steadily over time. LED bulbs were a lot more expensive when they first appeared on the market, but now they cost only a tad more than other types of bulbs. And, since the amount of money you will save on electricity, if you install LED bulbs right now, will considerably exceed any price declines in the future. You should take the LED plunge now!
5. LED’s Don’t Produce Any Heat
Then, a hugely popular myth is that LED light bulbs don’t produce any heat and that they run completely cool. Even though it is true that they produce a lot less heat than incandescent or even fluorescent light bulbs, they still produce some warmth. The difference is that LED bulbs don’t give out infrared and ultraviolet light waves, which make other types of lamps hot, but they will still warm up a little bit, especially if run for a long periods of time. Just nowhere near the level of hot that incandescent or fluorescent lights get.
6. LED Bulbs Actually Don’t Last That Long
Lastly, it is also assumed that LED bulbs actually can’t outlast other types of light bulbs. This myth has been able to stay alive for one reason only– because many of the new LED bulbs haven’t actually been tested for their whole lifespan. Manufacturers claim that average lifetime of a new LED bulb is 50 000 hours, which means, that LED bulbs can last for up to 7 years. So it would be very hard to to test LED bulb longevity, because–well, the researchers would need to watch the LEDs for almost 7 years. You can be sure that LED bulbs are truly old-timers!!
LED lighting has come a long way since first LED’s were developed. Nowadays LED lights are affordable, long-lasting and very energy efficient. And knowing the truth behind misconceptions about LED lighting will let you reap all of these LED lighting benefits.
