Excerpt From Green Lighting Book:
In November 2009, 2,076 eleven-watt incandescent bulbs were removed from the iconic Reno Arch in Reno, Nevada. Then they were replaced with more energy-efficient 2.5-watt light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
This $62,180 retrofit will reduce electricity demand by 92,011 kilowatts. Therefore we are talking saving $10,441 per year for “The Biggest Little City in the World.”
Furthermore, this upgrade is part of a citywide energy and water efficiency plan. A plan as a result, saving more than $1 million a year and create 222 jobs. At the lighting ceremony, the old incandescents were passed around the crowd. Passed around as souvenirs of the past.
LAX Saving on LED
In California, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) officials switched to LED bulbs for functional and outdoor lighting, reducing annual lighting costs by $55,000 and lifetime maintenance costs by $980,000. In Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, Sentry Equipment Corporation chose to light its new factory almost entirely with LED bulbs. That’s in both the interior and exterior. The initial cost was three times more than incandescent and fluorescent bulbs, but this price premium is expected to be repaid within two years from electricity savings. The bulbs are expected to last for 20 years.
In addition, LEDs are the most advanced lighting technology they have. People are excited about it. That was Avani Pavasia explained in the New Generation Lighting shop on the Bowery in New York City (in the lighting district). Pavasia is a young lighting and interior designer who hopes to work on green projects.
Pavasia pointed to a massive chandelier on the ceiling of the store. All consequently an array of blue LEDs shimmered through the etched glass.
So LEDs are here now technology. A study by Pike Research states LEDs will account for nearly half of a $4.4 billion market for lamps. That’s in the commercial and industrial sectors by 2020. Also residential applications are rapidly expanding. Finally, General Electric (GE) is spent half its lighting research budget on the technology back in 2010! So who knows what it is now?!
Yes, LEDs are more in line with than conventional lighting. We see nowadays (after this book was published) their cost is falling rapidly. In addition, their quality is improving by leaps and bounds. Therefore LED’s save you serious energy right now.
Some advantages of LEDs include:
- LEDs typically use 90 to 95 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs.
Savings wise LEDs last 10 to 20 years and provide tens of thousands of hours of light. So LED bulbs run 40,000 to 50,000 hours. Now some models are reputed to last 100,000 hours. Because folks at 50,000 hours, that’s 50 times longer than an incandescent.
Furthermore, LEDs come in many colors, sizes, styles, and fixtures. They produce different colors more efficiently than other lighting technologies.
Best thing for people like me LEDs don’t produce as much heat as other lighting. So they have reduced fire risk and less heat gain in interior spaces.
All I know is LEDs are extremely rugged and are well suited to tough environments. That’s such as on vibrating equipment or in extreme conditions.
LEDs can be switched on and off very rapidly. That’s way faster than other lighting technologies. Many also can be dimmed.
In conclusion, LEDs achieve full brightness in microseconds. That’s much faster than fluorescents and I know are about 10 times faster than incandescents.
LEDs can be made extremely small. Therefore giving them many applications.
Finally, LEDs do not contain toxic mercury.
