Do LED lights have to warm up to their full brightness?
No. LED lights instantly turn on to their full brightness and very slowly dim over their operating life.
How are LED lights disposed?
While not hazardous, LEDs are made of electronic components. They should be collected separately from household wastes and treated similarly to electronic equipment for disposal or recycling.
Why are LEDs considered a green technology?
LEDs are considered a green technology and are friendly to the environment for several reasons. They contain no harmful mercury associated with CFL (compact fluorescent light) or HID (high intensity discharge) lamps. LEDs have a much longer operating life than conventional lights, and they do not generate used bulbs that get thrown into landfills. They […]
Why do some objects look different under LED lights than under conventional lighting?
When a person enters a new lighting environment, the pupil in the human eye constricts or dilates as it adjusts to different lighting conditions to allow more or less light into the eye. Objects can appear different as the amount of light reflected by an object changes. Changes in an object’s appearance are more pronounced […]
How can one create even lighting in an environment, and why is even lighting ideal?
Evenness of lighting refers to how evenly and uniformly the light in a setting is distributed. The human eye will automatically adjust itself to even lighting in a setting, even at very low light levels. However, if an environment has uneven lighting the eye will not fully adjust and some areas will always appear darker […]
What are direct and indirect lighting and what environments should they be used for?
Direct lighting refers to a lighting setup in which the majority of the light travels directly from the source to the area being illuminated. Direct lighting is best for focusing light on work surfaces, tables, or countertops, and it is usually used in environments such as work offices, gyms, and warehouses. Indirect lighting refers to […]
What are retrofit LEDs and how efficient are they?
Retrofit LED fixtures are generally used to replace bulbs in traditional light fixtures. Retrofit LEDs are usually designed to replace an Edison-base light bulb and are fabricated with a built-in driver and metal heat sink. Retrofit LEDs are generally not recommended LED products for several reasons. Retrofit LEDs are much more expensive than traditional bulbs […]
Why do LEDs cost more than conventional (incandescent and fluorescent) lights?
Although prices have declined significantly in recent decades as LEDs become more widely used, LED lights still cost more than conventional lights. There are several reasons for the higher cost. LED modules are made of packaged electronic components including semiconductor chips, phosphors, silicone, covers, and wiring. These components are more expensive than those of conventional […]
Why are LEDs cost advantageous over conventional lights?
LEDs cost more than conventional lights, but they are more energy efficient and also have a longer operating life than most comparable conventional lights, thus saving on operating, maintenance, and replacement costs. Many applications with LEDs have a fairly short payback period. For example, Sunlite’s LED replacement for a T-12 fluorescent light typically pays back […]
How energy efficient are LED lights?
60% of the power supplied to an LED is converted to heat. While this may seem like a lot, LED lights emit much less heat and are highly energy efficient compared with conventional lights. LED lighting can save as much as 85% of the electricity used by similar incandescent bulbs and 50% of the electricity […]