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As time goes on, more and more households and businesses are making the switch to LED lighting. You may be starting to wonder if you should change your wall lighting or ceiling lighting to LEDs yourself. Below, we will explore a few reasons why you should consider switching to LED lights.
LED’s Have Huge Benefits Over Old Style Halogen or Incandescent Lighting
One of the best lighting efficiency tips anyone can give you is to switch to LED bulbs if you want to save energy. That is not the only perk of switching to LED bulbs from halogen or incandescent lighting.
- COLOUR OPTIONS. LED lights have a whole spectrum of lighting colours that traditional bulbs do not. While halogen bulbs only produce warm light, LED bulbs allow you to shine both warm light and cool light.
- HEAT. Halogen bulbs use heat to generate light, whereas LED bulbs do not. For this reason, you won’t have excessive heat radiating from LED bulbs and warming up the area. This also means you can safely touch LEDs in a way that you cannot touch halogens.
- LONG LIFE. LED lights can last for tens of thousands of hours compared to the 1,000 or so hours halogen and incandescent lights provide. You’ll have to replace them much less often, which can save you a lot of money in the long run.
- COST-SAVINGS. Not only does replacing bulbs less often cut down on cost, but so does the actual energy efficiency of the bulbs. You may see a noticeable difference in your electricity costs when you make the switch to budget friendly LED bulbs.
- INSTANT LIGHTING. Where some traditional bulbs may flicker and turn on after a delay, LED bulbs will immediately turn on as soon as you activate them.
LEDs Are a Safer Alternative
One of the biggest questions about these modern lighting solutions is whether or not they are safer than traditional bulbs. The short answer is yes.
As mentioned, LEDs do not output the same level of heat that halogens and incandescent lights do. This makes them safer to the touch, which is particularly good in households with pets or children. This low heat emission also makes them less of a fire hazard.
LED bulbs tend to be made with more durable materials as well. Their durability reduces their risk of breaking. Unlike halogen bulbs, LED lights don’t run the risk of shattered glass and exposed filaments. Similarly, there is no mercury in LED bulbs, so you won’t be exposed to those hazardous materials.
They also output less UV light than other bulbs. With less UV light being emitted, there is little to no risk of exposure to UV radiation, so they are safer to use for longer periods of time.
LEDs Can Be Dimmed
The lighting technology of LED bulbs allows you in some cases to dim them. It is important to note that not every single LED bulb is dimmable; be sure you are checking the packaging before you purchase them to ensure they are dimmer-compatible.
You will also need to connect them to an LED-specific dimmer switch. Typical dimmer switches are designed to moderate a much higher voltage than what LEDs output. An LED dimmer switch will ensure even lighting that doesn’t buzz or flicker.
Benefits of Dimmable LED Lights
There are many perks to using dimmable LED lighting.
One of the biggest benefits of dimmable LED lighting is their customisation. Dimming lights allows you to change the atmosphere and ambience in a room. Lowering the lighting levels at night creates a warm and cosy atmosphere while reducing glare. Conversely, making the light brighter can make it easier to focus on tasks.
Dimming lights also contribute to their limited power consumption. By not running lights at maximum capacity, you are using less energy to light the space. This, in turn, lessens the drain on the electricity supply and lowers your energy bills.
Not using LED bulbs to their full capacity every single time can also extend their lifespan. You may get significantly more hours of usage out of your LED lights when you dim them. This will result in fewer replacements and less money spent on lighting overall.
LEDs Require Little or No Maintenance
Before anything else, you can do preventative maintenance of sorts by choosing quality lights. High quality LED lights will outlast years of use. LED bulbs tend to have a lifespan of tens of thousands of hours, sometimes upwards of 50,000 hours.
Fortunately, maintaining them for that long requires next to zero effort. To ensure that you are getting the most out of those hours, you should just periodically check them to ensure everything is in working order. You may also want to dust them off occasionally. Dust and debris could accumulate on them, which might affect their brightness levels.
How Much Money Can You Save By Switching to LED Lighting?
The money-saving quality of LED lighting is another huge draw alongside the energy-saving aspect. These two things often go hand in hand. Because LED lighting uses much less power, these bulbs can also reduce energy costs and go easier on your wallet.
In the United Kingdom, lighting makes up about 15 percent of the average household’s energy bill. You can save £2-3 a year for each halogen bulb you change to an LED bulb. If a household replaced all of their traditional bulbs with LEDs, this would save a lot of money. By replacing a 50-watt halogen bulb with an equivalent LED, you could cut the cost of your energy bills by £75.
It is though that homes in the UK pay around £146 every year just to run these lights. Those who stick with halogen bulbs end up paying around £378. This means you have the potential to save as much as £232 annually just by changing to LED bulbs. This amount doesn’t even include all of the money you will save constantly replacing your old halogen bulbs when they burn out one after the other.
The upfront cost of buying LED lightbulbs is slightly more expensive, but because of their long lifespan, you won’t have to constantly replace them like you would less expensive halogen bulbs. Remember, LED lights can last for 20,000 hours, but halogen bulbs only last for about 1,000. This means one LED bulb would outlive 20 incandescent bubs. This rounds the cost out to be £5.40 for the LED and £25.80 for the filament bulbs over the course of those 20,000 hours.
Can LED Lighting Be Recycled?
One of the driving factors of switching to LED lights for many is their eco-friendliness. Saving energy means lessening your impact on Mother Earth, of course. LEDs already are better for the planet since you have to replace them less frequently, which creates less waste. Beyond that, it is usually recommended that these lights should not be thrown out with the rest of your household waste and are instead meant to be recycled.
Because LED lights don’t include any toxic elements like other bulbs, they are safer for the environment and recycling. There are electronic components in the lights that are useful for recycling, such as transformers, semiconductors and diodes. LED lights are also made from other metals and glass that can be recycled. Before recycling them, you should check the packaging they came in to see how exactly those particular lights should be recycled.
How Do LED Lights Work?
When you perform a lighting upgrade to LEDs, you might be wondering what exactly an LED light does that makes it so special or even just how it works.
LED stands for “light emitting diode.” Diodes can put out light or heat depending on what kind they are. The diodes in LED lights emit electromagnetic energy, or photons, to create light.
It all starts with a semiconductor. The material for the semiconductor is usually made of phosphorus, arsenic and gallium. This mix of materials helps determine the colour of the light that shines.
There are areas in the semiconductor that have negatively charged particles, which are known as N-type regions. There are also P-type regions that have fewer electrons and are known as holes. When electricity moves through the LED, the electric field moves electrons from the N-type area to the P-type area. It also moves the holes from the P-type region to the N-type region.
As the holes and electrons move through the semiconductor, they combine and release photons. Photons are what create the light. The wavelength of the light or its colour temperature is influenced by the semiconductor materials.
Can LED Lighting Have Health Benefits?
It is thought that LED lights have the potential to bring about many health benefits for those who use them:
- Aligns Circadian Rhythm
During the darker seasons when there is less daylight, it can cause problems for the circadian rhythm. This is what helps your body’s sleep and wake cycle. Choosing a light with certain blue wavelengths is thought to suppress the body’s ability to produce melatonin, which is a natural hormone needed to help you fall asleep and relax. Without it, it can be hard to sleep.
Studies have shown that LED lighting can mimic the stimulus given by natural light. This could help promote a regular, healthy circadian rhythm.
- Seasonal Affective Disorder
In a similar vein, these lights can mimic the effects of sunlight in darker months. During this time, less exposure to light can trigger what is known as SAD, or seasonal affective disorder. This disorder causes temporary depression due to the lack of light, and LED lights have the potential to counteract that.
- Lessens headaches
Light sensitivity is a common issue for those with headaches and migraines. Flickering fluorescent lights can worsen them, especially without proper task lighting. LED technology can provide a more well-lit environment to help those who are prone to migraines and other types of headaches.
- Decreases Stress and Anxiety
Because people naturally thrive in the sunlight, mood changes and behavioral issues are likely to crop up when the lighting isn’t bright like natural light. Alongside seasonal depression, this can also increase stress and anxiety. LED lights can help balance the hormones in the body by mimicking natural light, benefiting your mood and stress levels. LED lighting has been associated with reduced levels of anxiety and stress in indoor areas.
- Improves Productivity and Learning
Studies have shown that LED lights in learning environments help boost a student’s ability to learn. In office settings, studies have also indicated that LED lights could help increase productivity in a work environment.
- No Mercury
Because there is no mercury in LEDs like there is in CFLs, you won’t be exposed to any of the harmful toxic chemicals of other types of lights.
LED Lights Can Have Different Light Colours
One of the biggest draws of LED lighting is its versatility. The cool and warm colour temperatures make it easy for you to install different lighting in different areas.
Colour temperature, otherwise called correlated colour temperature, is a way to discuss how warm or cool a light is. Colour temperature exists on a scale of Kelvin units between 1,000 and 10,000. The top of the spectrum is where you’ll find cooler temperatures, while the bottom has the warm colours.
To break it down a little further, some of the most popular colour temperatures are:
- 2700k – warm light
- 3500k – warm white light
- 3500k – white light
- 4000k – cool white light
- 6500k – daylight
Commercial lighting and outdoor LED lighting tend to benefit more from cool colours. Interior LED lighting, especially in residential and hospitality settings, is often best when they are warm colours.
LED Lights Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Among the most well-known LED benefits is the fact that they are green lighting alternatives for those who want to lessen their environmental impact. LED lights transform 80 percent of their energy into light, as opposed to heat like halogen and incandescent bulbs, making them an excellent source of sustainable lighting.
The energy efficiency of low energy LED lighting requires less power to create light as well. Lower electricity usage is especially beneficial in businesses and households where lights are on more often. Using less electricity not only positively impacts your home energy savings but is also easier on the environment.
Since energy saving lights use less energy, they also contribute to lower greenhouse gas emissions. The demand that is put on electrical supplies is lowered, which in turn lessens the emission of gases released by traditional energy sources.
With a much longer lifespan than traditional bulbs, you will also be tossing them out and replacing them less often. This decreases the transportation, manufacturing and emissions related to the disposal of lights and results in less landfill waste.
Many bulbs are recyclable, so sometimes, parts may not end up in landfills. Since they don’t contain mercury like traditional bulbs, they are even easier on the environment during the manufacturing process.
LED Lights Can Be Integrated Into Smart Lighting Systems
Both inside LED lighting and outside LED lighting can become a part of your smart home system. Smart lighting solutions are a great way to control your lights, from hands-free voice methods to timers and scheduling.
By incorporating compatible LED bulbs into your smart system, you can stay in total control over when and how lights turn on and off through smart lighting solutions. Control your lights through different means, such as:
- SMART PHONE APP. Using an app from your smart home supplier, you can turn lights on and off at the press of a button.
- TIMERS. Set your LED lights on a timer. They will turn on and off at certain times during the day or night, saving you effort and even more energy.
- SENSORS. Motion sensors and daylight sensors both work to turn lights on and off according to certain conditions. Motion sensors will turn on when they sense movement nearby and will turn back off once the motion stops. Light sensors will turn on and off according to the level of sunlight they are exposed to.
How To Incorporate LED Lights Into Your Home
Below are a few examples of lights you can use to incorporate energy-efficient lighting into your space:
The LWA243 Black 10 Watt LED Wall Light is one of the most modern ways to incorporate LED lighting into your space. This light provides both task lighting and decoration in equal measure with its unique bar shape. You can position it either vertically or horizontally. Both positions will shine a light back onto the wall in what is known as a wall washing effect.
Its black hue allows it to be easily worked into rooms of any design style or colour palette without clashing. It is crafted out of premium aluminium that is durable enough to outlast years of use.
This LED light shines 1000 lumens of 3000k warm white light, which is particularly beneficial for use in domestic settings. This is due to the warmth and visibility that this colour of light provides in equal measure.
If you want your LED lights to come with some artistic flair, the LPL385 6 Watt Modern Round Hanging LED Pendant Light is a good choice. This ultra-modern light features two tiers, with a lampshade on top and a smaller bowl-shaped fixture on the bottom. This causes the light to shine both up and down against the interior of the shades, creating a richer flow and a visually pleasing look.
These LED pendant lights use high quality Osram LED bulbs that output 600 lumens of light, making them just bright enough. They are crafted out of durable aluminium and steel and come in your choice of a black, white or cherry red finish.
Recessed lighting is another way to incorporate money-saving LED lighting into your home. Because of its flush appearance and minimalistic design, it is particularly well suited for contemporary spaces. This particular recessed ceiling light features five-watt high quality CREE LED bulbs that output 430 lumens of 3000k warm white light. The bulb rests within an aluminium circular shell that gives it a sleek, contemporary appearance.
From their energy saving abilities to their money saving capabilities to their health benefits, it makes sense why so many people are making the switch to LEDs. Above, we’ve outlined many reasons why you should consider doing the same.
