The light-emitting diode, otherwise commonly known as LED, is one of the most energy-efficient lighting technologies on the market today. Compared to other types of lighting, LEDs are more efficient, last longer, and supply better lighting overall. This post outlines a few of the basic things you should know about LED lighting, and light bulbs in general!
LED’s emit light in a specific direction, whereas incandescent and CFL lights emit light and heat in all directions, which means that these lightbulbs need reflectors or diffusers. Due to the use of reflectors and diffusers, more than half of the light actually gets trapped inside.
Quality LED lights are longer lasting than incandescent and CFL lights. But the way an LED’s lifetime is determined is a bit different compared to traditional lightbulbs. Whereas other bulbs will burn out, an LED light loses luminosity. The lifetime of an LED is established on a prediction of when the light output will decrease by 30 percent. Thermal management is generally the single most important factor in the successful performance of an LED over its lifetime.
LED lights produce less heat due to their use of heat sinks. Heat sinks absorb heat from the LED and allow it to dissipate into its surroundings. Whereas in a CFL, an electric current is used to create light, which also produces heat in the process. With incandescent lightbulbs, light is produced using electricity to heat a metal filament. Once the filament becomes hot, it turns “white” in the process, creating light. As a result, incandescent bulbs release 90% of their energy as heat.
Now that you know the basics of LED lighting, consider replacing your incandescent or CFL with LEDs. For more information on lighting, visit the blog!
