The Top 5 Benefits of Commercial LED Lighting
Since the emergence of the first LED (Light Emitting Diode) back in 1962, LED Lighting has revolutionised the world of domestic and commercial illumination. As the Pager was to the Smart Phone of today, the traditional form of incandescent/fluorescent lighting is to modern LED lighting. The numerous benefits and huge array of applications make them cheaper, more effective and more efficient, which explains why they have been so rapidly introduced into all aspects of our lives, from the technology we own, the cars we drive, the homes we live in and buildings where we work. LED lighting is everywhere.
In commercial buildings with traditional lighting things can often be a headache, as well as expensive. Running costs can be a significant portion of a building’s energy bills and the regular maintenance needed is disruptive to working environments and productivity. To top it off, the lights themselves may not deliver the performance you need and instead have a detrimental impact on your employees, with distracting flickers and buzzing. In some cases, this can affect the health of your staff so adversely that it can result in headaches, migraines and even nausea.
But, choosing to overhaul your lighting systems can be a daunting and complicated prospect, so it’s easy to put things off and ‘carry on as things are’.
However, upgrading to LED lighting is not as complex, difficult or expensive as you might think. In many cases a modern LED lighting system can save up to 90% on lighting bills, meaning it is often more costly to carry on with a traditional system.
So, in order to help clarify the reasons why it would be wise to consider installing LED Lighting into your Commercial Building, we have broken down the key benefits in to 5 main points:
- Lifespan
One of the most significant advantages of using LED lighting over traditional lighting is their long lifespan. Traditional incandescent and fluorescent lighting has an average lifespan of between 1,200 and 8,000 hours, whereas modern LED lighting systems have an expected operational lifetime of 50,000–100,000 hours or more. This not only saves money on replacement parts, but also reduces labour costs and avoids the disruption that would be required to fit replacements.
- Energy Efficiency, Running Costs & The Environment
LED Lighting is far more efficient than traditional lighting. For example, fluorescent lights typically convert 95% of their energy in heat and only 5% of it into light. Modern LED lights however, convert 95% of their energy into light, wasting only 5% as heat. This equates to a reduction on lighting costs by an average of 90% or more. Savings that often provide an ROI within only a few months. The environment also benefits as reduced energy consumption means fewer emissions polluting our already fragile ecosystem.
- Durability & Versatility
Due to the way that LED lighting is made makes it far stronger and more durable than other forms of lighting. LEDs are ‘Solid State’ devices. They use chips sealed in a solid resin making them much less likely to shatter or break in comparison to incandescent or fluorescent bulbs, which both use fragile elements that damage easily. They are also very small in comparison, allowing LED lighting to be applied to spaces never before possible with traditional lighting. Durability to weather and temperatures is another advantage of LED lighting over traditional lighting, which means LEDs can be used even in sub-zero conditions. This durability allows LED lighting to be used in the most creative of ways, indoor and outdoor, in every type of application you can imagine. Regardless the objective there is an LED lighting system to suit, with the options to customise everything from brightness, warmth, colour, shade, spread and much more.
- Impact
The wide variety of choices available in LED lighting, from brightness and colour, to shapes and dimming options allow designers to create and produce any type of illumination for any type of application. Traditional lighting is much more restrictive, size limits where it can be positioned and it has far fewer options to choose from. But with LEDs you can customise lighting systems to deliver any effect desired, providing stunning illuminations that really catch the eye.
- Safety
Lastly, LED lighting is inherently safer than older traditional lighting. They emit almost no excess heat, whereas traditional lighting systems emit up to 95% of their energy as heat. LED lighting systems also run on a low-voltage system, which are much safer to operate on. LEDs also do not use any harmful substances such as mercury or other hazardous materials.
Conclusion
The lighting industry is advancing rapidly and if you operate a commercial facility which is still running an older traditional lighting system, it might be time to consider upgrading to a more modern LED system. There are many benefits to consider, such as significantly reduced running costs and better performance, but it is also inevitable that regulations will soon be put in place to monitor and reduce our energy consumption in this ever-growing energy conscious world. Installing an LED Lighting System would significantly help enable compliance with any new energy reduction targets in the near future.
But be cautious when selecting your LED Lighting provider. There are numerous imitation LED systems which claim to provide the performance and reliability that you should expect, but fall somewhat short. Always choose a supplier who offers a good warranty and provides the customer service you are happy with. Call them, ask their advice and see how you feel with them as a provider. Some of the best suppliers also offer a warranty of up to 7 years and provide free surveys to their customers, giving you the confidence of knowing exactly what costs will be without making any obligation.
