Examples of LED fixtures from left to right: Magnum Grande LED Sconce by Alico, Pandora LED fixture by Bruck and Slim Stack by Eureka retrofitted with LED bulbs, installed at 2601 Blake (4th Flr South) Tenant Improvement.
Much has been talked about in regards to LED lighting in the recent past. But are they a better product for you? The answer is definitely yes. First, let’s get a misconception about LED lighting out of the way…LED bulbs are not hugely expensive up front. You can find bulbs in the $20-$30 price range, though they can run upwards of $90 so be sure to do your research and shop around. While that is, of course, higher than a standard halogen, its lifetime cost is lower. For example, if the halogen bulb cost $3 and the LED bulb costs $25, and the life of each bulb based on being on 8 hours a day is 2 years and 17 years, respectively, you would spend $25.50 on halogen bulbs to get through 17 years. Seems like a wash, right? Well, lifetime is not the only benefit of LED lighting. Lighting can account for over 30% of a utility bill.1 LED bulbs have a lower energy consumption so a utility bill will be lower, exponentially by how many bulbs are installed, and give off less heat, to again lower utility bill.
So now that you’ve decided to invest in LED lighting, you need to decide how and where. You can contact FDP to work with you to design locations and fixtures or, if you’re feeling like undertaking the task yourself, here are a few pointers for you. Undercabinet lighting is the fixture type that may benefit most by using LED bulbs. The small space and excess heat aren’t exactly a match made in heaven. However, LED bulbs work throughout your home, office or restaurant so don’t feel you’re limited in where you can install. Also, there are two ways to go about changing to LED. You can change the fixtures, which will cost more and require hiring an electrician, but if your in need of some fixture updating, might be the way to go. Or you can purchase retrofit LED bulbs that fit into standard fixtures.
You might be wondering about the light given off by LED bulbs. Is it bright enough for my application? Is it colored in a way that won’t work with my room? Does it take time for the bulb to warm up? As far as brightness, while LED bulbs have a lower wattage than other types, their light output can be no less. As with other types of bulbs, the amounts in a fixture help to determine the light output. LED bulbs come in a variety of colors for many applications but the standard LED bulb used in residential and commercial fixtures will produce a white light that should have little to no effect on the colors in your space. And LED bulbs turn on at their full brightness immediately so there is no warm up period. As always, the internet is a great resource to find out more information on LED lighting. Also, visiting your local light fixture store will not only help in question answering, but you will be able to see the LED fixtures and bulbs on display.
So is installing LED lighting a simple change for better results? I think we can safely say yes.
1: http://www.led-lamps.net.au/led-energy-saving/led-vs-cfl-vs-halogen
