Need to know more about LED lighting?
As you are probably aware, in the last 2 years the purchase of incandescent light globes & lamps has been heavily restricted by the Australian government in an attempt to cut green house gas emissions. The increased availabilty of compact fluorescent lamps seemed a good alternative but they have their drawbacks – poor light output & long warm-up time made these the ugly duckling of the lighting industry.
The government has also moved to restrict the purchase of some halogen globes. Soon you will be unable to buy the 50 Watt dichroic types that so many people use in downlights throughout their home & workplace. You will still be able to purchase a 35 Watt version of this globe which has an infrared coated reflector. This gives a similar light output to that of a 50 Watt globe, but the cost of this type is more expensive. And you are still using a high wattage globe & considering you need more of them to light a space, you wont see much difference in your energy bill.
While this may seem an inconvenience to the consumer, it has paved the way for the newest technology on the lighting market – LED lighting. Light emitting diodes (LED) lights have also taken a while to get up to speed & meet the needs of consumers. Years ago LED lighting, & more particularly LED globes were cumbersome, unattractive & most importantly they displayed a below-par light output. In the last year or so, the technology in LED lighting has improved significantly & with so many manafacturers appearing on the market the competitiveness has increased, therefore reducing costs & giving the consumer more options when choosing LED lighting.
Some of the benefits of LED lighting & the LED lights that are now available include:
- Lower energy usage – the consumer can save up to 400% in power usage by choosing LED lighting over the 50 Watt halogen globes used in common downlights. LED lighting is by far the most energy efficient, the cleanest & most eco-friendly way of illumination
- Long life – LED globes & diodes have an outstanding operational life of 100,000 hours. This is 11 years of continuous operation – If you leave on the LED light for 8 hours per day it would take around 20 years before needing replacing
- Cooler operating temperatures of LED lighting increases safety & energy efficiency by minimising the costs involved with air-conditioning
- Ecologically friendly – LED lights are free of toxic chemicals & 100% recyclable
- Durable quality – LED lights are resistant to shock & are built with sturdy components that are highly rugged & can withstand the toughest conditons
- Zero UV emissions – LED lighting produces little infrared & close to no UV emissions. This means they are good for the illumination of sensitive objects such as artwork, museum objects, archeological items etc.
- Design flexibilty – LED lighting can be dimmed resulting in dynamic control of light which is great for mood lighting
- Instant lighting & frequent switching – LEDs brighten-up immediately & do not use any more power if switched on & off frequently
- Low-voltage – an extra-low voltage of 12 Volts is sufficient for LED illumination which is safe & great for use in outdoor areas where dampness is an issue
- LED is designed to focus its light & is a great source of illumination in task areas & in specific locations (highlighting artwork etc.) – kitchens, desks or anywhere correct illumination is required
At Wattwerx Electrical we offer a full design service to assist you in choosing which type of LED lights you will use for your next project. We have access to the latest technology & products available – at prices which you can afford. We can give advice on what will work best for your project & we can supply & install the fittings – you can start saving money straightaway while decreasing your carbon footprint.
Call us today!