From car headlights to space stations- LED lights are everywhere. Over the past decades, LED fixtures have successfully paved the way into residential and commercial sectors. Estimates suggest that more people shift towards LED pole lights, T8 tubes, and many other kinds of energy-saving LED fixtures. Even so, a large number of people around the globe still rely on non-LED lighting fixtures. Can it be due to a lack of information on LED lighting technology? Or, should we blame it on the false information that prevails about LED lights?
It's time to debunk some of the most common myths about LED lights. Read on:
LED lights are Expensive and Unnecessary
LED lights are expensive. Yes, they are, and there's a solid reason behind that. See, LED lighting technology is a relatively new industry. As the years will pass by, the costs of LED pole lights, wall packs, troffers, and other fixtures will come down. Albeit, the prices of LED lights have come down in the past decade, and you can expect the lights to get more economical in the coming years. It is the same as it happened with mobile phones, right! Unlike now, during the initial launch years, mobile phones were a rich person's trinket.
Whoever says LED lights are unnecessary incorporation in the day-to-day life must be from a different planet. The planet must have a never-ending source of energy. There would be no need for saving energy or using technologies that help conserve energy. LED lights consume 1/8th energy and last up to 4 times longer than a typical fluorescent lamp. We are on Earth, and we need to be conscious about our daily energy consumption rates, for most of the world still depends on non-renewable energy sources.
LED lights Don't get hot
The expectations people set can be harsh. Like every other lighting fixture, LED lights convert electrical energy into light. Heat is the co-product of the conversion. Therefore, anyone who believes that LED lights don't get hot is mistaken. LED lighting fixtures heat up, but at a slower rate. They convert most of the input energy (up to 95%) into the light, thus wasting very little energy in the form of heat. Furthermore, LED lights come with a heat sink that drains the unwanted heat away from them.
A 150W LED light is brighter than a 100W LED light
Not necessary! Wattage is a measure for the amount of energy that a lighting fixture will consume upon one hour of continuous use. Whereas, luminosity or total lumen output of a light fixture is a measure of the amount of light a fixture puts out at any given time, when in use. Therefore, do not fool yourselves into thinking that an LED fixture with a higher wattage rating will be brighter than its low-watt counterpart.
LED light is harmful to the eyes
Not real, facts state the opposite! Unlike conventional fixtures, LED lights do not come with toxic chemicals like mercury and lead. They do not emit harmful ultraviolet and infrared light that causes damage to health.
LED lights are safe for use and disposal. Nevertheless, there's one concern-If at all you should worry about something! LED lights with higher color temperatures (about 6500K) can cause photo pollution. Meaning that they can disrupt humans' day-night cycles and other nocturnal beings, resulting in sleep disorders. An easy fix to this problem is to choose LED lights that offer 'warm' color temperatures.
LED lighting fixtures last forever
Okay, how on Earth can one expect something to last forever? Everything that is created or born has a lifespan. The same is with LED lights. Compared with conventional fixtures, LED parking lot lights, T8 bulbs, panels, and downlights offer a longer life, but that does not mean they will last forever! The lifespan of an LED light falls between 2,50,00- 100,000 operational hours. It's like understanding the difference between the life expectancy of a human and a giant tortoise.
That's it! You've reached the end of this post. I hope it helps you in one way or the other. As I leave, take note and never forget that you must:
"Beware of false information; it is more dangerous than ignorance."
..At any cost!