Sick And Tired Of Doing Led Lights The Old Way? Read This
Whereas the marketplace for colored (Red, Green, Blue) RGB LEDs is well established, the marketplace for white LEDs is still growing. Why? When you think of industries that still rely on white, non-LED lighting, such as for example televisions, automotive manufacturers, computer monitors, mobile computing, LCD backlights, etc., you can understand the push to end up being the leader in white LED manufacturing.
Many people are surprised that a business would pass up a revenue generating opportunity that converting a house or business to LED would create. However, just because replacement white LED bulbs and retrofits are finally out there, does not imply that they should be on your immediate shopping list. In very simple terms, the market for colored and color-changing LEDs is mature. While engineers are still finding ways to make sure they are brighter and much more efficient, the ultimate goal of the LED industry is in developing volume production of high-efficiency, high-brightness white LEDs.
It may be easier to think of colored LEDs (RGB) and white LEDs in terms of another industry: Automotive. RGB LEDs are like the internal combustion engine: Reliable, abundant, easy to use and manufacture, and fairly well developed with regards to the prospect of new or breakthrough technologies. You will find plenty on manufacturers and each has their own group of patents and “tricks of the trade” to greatly help give themselves some marketing leverage on the competition. White LEDs are like the alternative energy industry for transportation: Quite varied, still relatively “new”, still needing to be market proven, more costly, more challenging to manage.
There are numerous manufacturers, each utilizing a different technology or mix of technologies to attain what they believe is the “the next big thing.” Third , analogy, RGB LEDs are mature enough to compete on cost alone and the drop in costs is what fuels new applications for colored LEDs that was not considered previously. White LEDs, on the other hand are still developing technically and really should not be shopped predicated on cost alone. The necessity for quality and longevity is what fuels the further research and development into white LEDs.
11 POINTS TO CONSIDER IN DETERMINING LED UPGRADES
Because you can find so many variables that require to be considered, making a fast and simple recommendation about transitioning to white LEDs isn’t possible. To have a jump start on the near future, consider every lighting source in each room and establish what it’s primary purpose is. Once you have done this, review the next what to help determine where on the priority purchase-list each replacement ought to be. Here are some general ideas to help you determine if an LED upgrade may be the right choice for you personally:
1.) Is the lighting located in a house where in fact the primary resident is older or has mobility issues?
If the LED replacement produces adequate light levels, LED alternatives are ideal for used in homes where safety is really a top priority. Understanding that an ill or older person won’t have to change a burned-out light bulb again can provide peace-of-mind.
2.) Is initial cost a primary factor in determining if you’re going to upgrade?
The existing nature of the white LED market means that prices remain relatively high, especially in comparison to traditional lighting. As an early adopter means paying reduced; are you comfortable with knowing you might have paid less for the same technology if you had waited?
3.) Is the light located in bright daytime sunlight or an area of high heat?
High degrees of heat will noticeably shorten the lifespan of any LED, especially white LEDs. When considering LEDs, try to make sure that both the fixture and the positioning enable adequate passive cooling in order to avoid color-shift and longevity issues. This is usually a much bigger concern when contemplating retrofit bulbs versus considering a “total package” LED fixture and lamp.
4.) Are you needing to reduce the heat output from the traditional light source?
In bathrooms, laundry rooms and small spaces, conventional lighting can produce uncomfortable heat. LED lighting is great for these areas because they produce no heat and because affordably illuminating smaller areas with LEDs presents significantly less of a challenge.
5.) May be the lighting located in a location of rough service or environmental extremes?
Garage door openers, unheated/cooled utility rooms and outdoor workshops place extreme demands of lighting equipment. Vibrations that may break a lamp filament and cold temperatures that can cause a fluorescent tube to flicker are of no consequence to LED lighting, making these replacements a fairly easy decision.
6.) May be the brightness critical to the application?
magnetic track light price are directional by nature, so attempting to meet a specific brightness expectation over a wide area is not the best use of LED lamps. The current crop of standard fluorescent tubes or high-bay lighting will probably be more efficient for these applications.
7.) Are you trying to retrofit an existing lighting fixture to accommodate an LED replacement?
Most current lighting fixtures are designed to capture and reflect just as much light as you possibly can from conventional light sources that produce light from all 360 degrees. Because LEDs emit very directional light, there are often many compromises that must be made by manufacturers to make LEDs “work” for the greatest amount of retrofits. When possible, instead of retrofit bulbs look at a “total package” LED lighting fixture that has been designed from the bottom up to efficiently use LEDs.
8.) Is the light output and quality of the LED version acceptable in comparison to your existing lighting?
With the variety of lighting technology available (incandescent, fluorescent, LED, etc.) the only way to get an accurate idea of the way the lighting will perform is to compare the light output or lumen and color temperature specifications rather than the wattage as is typical of most of us raised with traditional lighting in the house. The US Department of Energy has devised a standardized “lighting facts” label similar in concept to the nutrition label entirely on foods, to greatly help consumers compare lighting.
9.) Are the bulbs you’re considering replacing difficult to access or reach?
If they’re, LED replacements are excellent candidates because after they are changed, you’ll likely never have to change them again since LEDs usually do not “burn out” like a conventional bulb.
10.) Are you replacing all the lights in a specific area or just a single bulb?
Unless you know the colour temperature of all the lighting in the area, play the role of consistent in whatever lighting technology you choose. For example, if your room uses primarily halogen lighting, chances are a warm color temperature and changing an individual reading lamp to LED with a cooler lighting temperature can not only be noticeable, but can also be distracting.
11.) Does the power savings and/or profits on return (ROI) ensure it is worthwhile at this time?Prepare an energy audit using free web calculators to find out how much money you will save on energy and what the potential profits on return is. Just enter your energy rates, the full total wattage of one’s conventional lighting and the total wattage of the LED lighting you are considering and the calculator will let you know exactly how much money each technology will cost you per year.
As you can plainly see, every lighting situation is highly recommended individually against the above checklist. Doing so will assist you to determine LED upgrade plans that fit within both your budget and your expectations. In general, LED lighting will continue to improve in both output and efficiency every year like the way the personal computer market has evolved. What could possibly be considered a “middle of the street” LED lamp today, was more than likely considered a premium product a year or two ago. Prioritizing your LED lighting purchases so that the basics are covered first and delaying your more demanding lighting requirements as the technology improves will ensure a cushty transition to tomorrows lighting technology.
