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LED Basics
The use of LED technology in Commercial and Industrial applications has become really popular over the last few years. Entire cities are starting to retrofit street and area lighting to take advantages of the cost savings.Here are a few things you should know about LED lighting.
What are LEDs?
LED stands for light-emitting diode. LEDs are part of a lighting technology called Solid-State lighting, including OLEDs (Organic Light Emitting Diodes). OLEDs are sheets of carbon-based compounds that glow when a current is applied through transparent electrodes. LEDs become illuminated by the movement of electrons through a semiconductor material. LEDs and OLED technology are advancing fast.
Low-Powered LEDs
LEDs were first used as indicators like a green power button on a computer, or a red blinking light on a video camera.
High-Powered LEDs
LED’s can be used in lighting fixtures to illuminate an area. Many tiny LEDs are used in each fixture. LED lighting is more efficient, durable, versatile and longer lasting than incandescent and fluorescents lighting. LEDs emit light in a specific direction, whereas an incandescent or fluorescent bulb emits light and heat in all directions. LED lighting uses both light and energy more efficiently.
An incandescent or compact fluorescent (CFL) bulb inside of a recessed can will waste about half of the light that it produces, while a recessed down light with LEDs only produces light where it’s needed — in the room below.
LED facts
Brightness is equal to or greater than existing lighting technologies (incandescent or fluorescent) and light is well distributed over the area lighted by the fixture.
Light output remains constant over time, only decreasing towards the end of the rated lifetime (50,000 hours or 45 years based on use of 3 hours per day).
Excellent colour quality. The shade of white light appears clear and consistent over time.
Efficiency is as good as or better than fluorescent lighting.
Light comes on instantly when turned on.
No flicker when dimmed.
No off-state power draw. The fixture does not use power when it is turned off, with the exception of external controls, whose power should not exceed 0.5 watts in the off-state.