How Much $$$$ can you save with LED?
Because LED lights are lower wattage than typical standard lights, you spend less on your electric bill with LED than with standard bulbs. For example, our LED Night Lights use only 0.3 watts of electricity. Standard Night Lights average about 7 watts. What does this mean? It means that, in a comparison between LED Night Lights and ordinary night lights:
By the time your regular night light costs you $100
Your LED Night Light will have only cost $4.28
for the same amount of "on" time.
The potential seen thus far in the up-and-coming LED technology is exciting. Are standard light bulbs becoming a thing of the past as new think tanks and vast funding pools for LED research and development continue to grow? The term “LED” (or Light Emitting Diode) has almost become a common-knowledge acronym and a well known feature in everyday life.
The LED industry has typically found more common consumer targets within the novelty and small electronics realms. However, on commercial, municipal and even governmental levels, the LED is becoming indispensible in both its current uses as well as those functions in development. Therefore, let us examine briefly the 10 ways LED lighting is swiftly becoming our new universal lighting standard.
1 ) LED
Lighting is More Efficient
LED uses 90% less electricity than do
incandescent lights and 50% less electricity than do
fluorescent lights. If that’s not enough - they last
longer. A LOT Longer. Clocking in at roughly 100,000
hours of light, that means a typical LED can be
powered on for five hours a night, every night, and
will last for 20 years.
2 ) LED
Lighting is Cheaper
It may admittedly be tough to see the cost
effectiveness of LED at this point, but there’s no
doubt that, in the long run, LED is cheaper than
incandescent lighting. The reason is mainly
efficiency. Regular light bulbs typically cost more
to make, use more electricity, waste more power on
heat, and don’t last as long as LED’s. Pound for
pound, a quality LED will win out against a quality
incandescent in terms of cost every time.
3 ) Very Few
Transitional “Hiccups”
Much of the development in our civilization has
not been without its growing pains; at least in
terms of inventions that affect everyone. As the LED
trail is further blazed and it becomes more suitable
to replace traditional lighting, we won’t see that
type of turbulence. The foundation for implementing
LED as a universal light source is already here.
Therefore, we can embrace a new and better
technology without much more difficulty as choosing
a different product off the shelf.
4 ) LED is
Better for the Environment
The formula here is simple. Less electricity,
less heat, more efficiency = less waste. Not only
will factories and power plants harm our home a
little less, but we’ll be wasting less and throwing
less away. Need a little more encouragement?
Fluorescent bulbs contain inert gasses, including
the presence of mercury vapor (bad). LED’s crosses
that ecological evil off the list.
5 ) One word:
Versatility
From Christmas lights to US Army-issued super
flashlights, LED is one of the most versatile
electronic technologies ever developed. This
versatility makes it invaluable, especially since
LED’s can run on battery power. Life-Saving LED
lights flicker faithfully on medical equipment.
Little red LED’s ward attackers away from vehicles
and residences equipped with alarms. There’s no
doubt that we will continue to employ these little
lights in critical functions.
6 ) Uses for
LED’s Are Always Developing - Demand Must be Met
Because of its rarity and expense, White LED
lighting is already in high demand. But it won’t be
long until such products are whizzing down factory
lines and shelved at competetive prices. Not only
are LED products themselves stimulating the market
and creating demand, the special types (many of
which are still being “discovered”) drive demand to
its highest pinnacles. With no ceiling in sight for
its potential, LED lighting could likely be an
economic windfall that consumers and investors alike
can look forward to.
7 )
Minimizing Light Pollution is Desirable - LED is the
Solution
Many times have I wished I could trade
overwhelming city lights for a decent glimpse of a
clear starlit sky - just for one night. But a novel
desire to be an overnight astronomer would never
hold water as a case against the overuse of bright
lighting in our metropoli. However, a new solution
could well influence the status quo. With the advent
of LED lighting as a replacement for traditional
methods, there won’t even be a debate. For those who
believe Light Pollution is a real problem (myself
included), none will oppose LED as the long-awaited
answer.
8 )
“Installed User Base” Already Exists
As new technology enters the mainstream, most
industries will inevitably compete for product
placement in the homes and lives of consumers.
Installing a “user base” is critical for this
transition and the creation of new markets. Video
Game Consoles and Home Entertainment Systems are
case-in-point for this model. However, because most
consumers are familiar with LED and there is no
special equipment necessary, new LED technologies
can freely enter the market - and consumers’ homes -
without first spearheading a campaign to entice
commitment through drastic “upgrading” of some kind.
It’s all ‘plug and play’.
9 ) No One
Likes Changing Light Bulbs - Or Buying New Ones
All the incandescent bulbs bought by Americans
each year could fill a THREE ACRE field. That’s
about a billion or so bulbs. Factor in the cost of
the bulbs themselves, as well as electricity cost,
etc…. and compare it with LED lighting. We could
save up to 1/3 of the money spent, and create 10
times less waste over 5-10 years.
10 ) Research
& Development Teams Are Aggressive and Confident
If the excitement of working on the cutting edge
of a new technology isn’t enough, the myriad R & D
teams working on LED lighting can always bolster
their morale by looking at their healthy budgets and
virtuous goals. With a stable cash flow of
government grants and independent investments
(sometimes ranging up to $50 million annually) , LED
Development groups have the support and funding to
accomplish the goals with which they are earnestly
trusted. The potential seen in LED technology is a
driving force sufficient enough to bypass the
question of “Are great things really possible with
LED?”. Rather, the question is “How much longer
until I switch to LED forever?”
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