Should I Upgrade to LED?
Australians are installing LEDs in their businesses and homes faster than you can say ‘modernise my lighting design.’
Which is making people who haven’t yet upgraded to LEDs wonder if they should?
To help you out we have compiled some of the many benefits right here. It seems that the only con to upgrading to LED is the initial installation cost. However, all the literature claims that over time you will easily recover this cost, with extra, due to energy savings, lightbulb replacement savings and maintenance savings. Read on to see if an LED upgrade is the next step for your commercial or residential premises.
Savings on Your Energy Bills
Lighting is a significant part of any power bill, especially if you operate a commercial premises which requires lighting for extended periods of time. It is common knowledge that LEDs will give you smaller power bills, but exactly how much would LED save you? The Australian government offers a standard, which you can use to calculate for your individual situation: If you replace 10 halogen (incandescent) lights with LED, you should save $650 on your power bill across 10 years.
You Have Access to Government Incentives
State governments are offering savings incentives programs in order to help homes and businesses save energy and money. For Victorians - click on the link below to find out more about LED incentives and available rebates.
Victorian Energy Saver - Victorian Energy Saver
For other states, check out your state government’s Environment, Land, Water and Planning website.
Put Your Feet Up - Reduced Maintenance Work and Expense
Traditional incandescent bulbs last 750-2000 hours and fluorescent lights last between 24 000 and 36 000 hours, whereas LEDs last from 50 000 to 150 000 hours. That’s a whole lot of time you or your maintenance team don’t need to be changing lightbulbs. The higher cost of the LEDs themselves is offset by their longevity and lack of maintenance required. On top of this, LEDs are much less likely to break than traditional bulbs.
Low Temperature Lighting
Incandescent (or halogen) lightbulbs use up to 80% more energy than LEDs. This is because a great deal of energy is used up in heating the bulb. LEDs operate at a much lower temperature, so energy is used for lighting, not heating, the bulb.
In cold temperatures the traditional lightbulb needs to work even harder to warm up, making LEDs ideal for cooler temperatures. LEDs are also ideal for warmer temperatures as they don’t add much heat to the space.
Due to operating at a cooler temperature, LED lights are far less likely to cause a fire.
Have Your Space Exactly How You Want It
Commercial and residential environments can control LED lighting systems as the bulbs sync easily. The small size of the bulbs increases scalability for lighting systems. For example, you might set certain lights to come on at certain times of the day, or lights to dim with increasing daylight and vice versa. This capability translates to smart energy use and savings. LED lights can offer very bright light for situations such as operating theatres and areas lacking in natural light. One of the most fun and popular effects de jour is that they can change colours.
LEDS illuminate at 180° rather than 360° around the entire lightbulb. Not only is this another energy saving feature, but allows for precision. You can make a feature of a specific piece of artwork, or give direct light to a work space.
So what do you think? Is an LED upgrade what your home or business needs?