Energy Efficient LED Lighting

Light-emitting diode (LED) lighting surpasses the quality, energy efficiency, durability, and versatility of substantially all existing lighting technologies (i.e. fluorescent and incandescent). According to the U.S. Department of Energy (US DOE) over the next 20 years the transition to LED lighting has the potential to offer the following socioeconomic benefits:

• Reduce energy expenditures by as much as $265 billion through reduced consumption,
• Avoid building 40 new centralized electricity generating plants, and
• Reduce electricity demand attributed to lighting by 33 percent.

How LED Lighting Works

Simply stated, LED lighting emits light in a specific direction in contrast to incandescent or fluorescent lighting that emits light and heat in all directions. Constructing LED lights begins with square millimeter chips which are composed of layers of semi-conductor material. These chips are mounted on heat-conducting material (referred to as a heat sink) and normally enclosed within a lens. The resulting devices are then mounted on a circuit board which is typically programmed to support specific lighting controls (i.e. dimming, sensing and/or preset timing). The circuit boards are mounted on another heat sink in an array with other LED and are typically  encased in a fixture, structure, or light bulb package.

The technology is still developing and designs vary among manufacturers. Well-designed LED lighting products should display the following characteristics:

• Light should be evenly distributed over the coverage area with brightness equal to or greater than either the incandescent of fluorescent lighting options.
• The projected lifetime should be at least 25,000 hours (22 years based on 3 hours of usage per day) with constant light output.
• The color of the light should be clear and consistent.
• Improved efficiency and response. This is because light comes on instantly when activated, no flicker when dimmed, and does not use power when turned off.