LED lights are currently the most widely used lighting fixtures in daily life, such as in offices, supermarkets, warehouses, garages, basements, sports arenas, and various other places. The basic choice for lighting in these places is LED lights. In contrast, the use of traditional incandescent bulbs and fluorescent tubes is decreasing in modern life. Why is this?
Before understanding this question, we need to know the differences between LED lighting and conventional lighting.
1. Different Light Sources:
LED lights use light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as light sources, which are semiconductor devices that emit light when a current is applied. In contrast, conventional lighting fixtures involve different technologies, such as incandescent bulbs (which emit light by heating a filament until it glows) or fluorescent tubes (which emit light by exciting fluorescent coatings with ultraviolet light). The light emitted by everyday LED lights is usually bright and diverse, and many high-intensity lights are also LED lights, such as UFO LED high bay light. The light from incandescent bulbs depends on the filament material because it emits light by heating the filament. The light from fluorescent tubes depends on the fluorescent coating on the tube wall.
2. Different Energy Efficiency:
The lighting provided by LED light fixtures is usually more energy-efficient than conventional fixtures. Compared to incandescent bulbs, LED lights convert most of the electrical energy into light, producing only a small amount of heat. Incandescent bulbs, on the other hand, convert most of the electrical energy into heat, with only a small portion being transformed into light. This inefficiency makes the energy utilization of incandescent bulbs much lower, resulting in significantly higher electricity consumption compared to LED fixtures over the same period of use.
3. Different Lifespan:
LED lighting typically has a longer lifespan, with the average LED light lasting for tens of thousands of hours. Considering an average daily use of 8 hours, this translates to at least 3 years of use. For LED lighting fixtures with a lifespan of 50,000 hours, they can last at least 15 years under reasonable use. This extended lifespan reduces the need for frequent replacements. In contrast, the lifespan of conventional incandescent bulbs and fluorescent tubes is relatively short, especially incandescent bulbs, which are significantly affected by the number of switch cycles. The frequent heating and cooling of the incandescent bulb filament can lead to filament breakage, requiring frequent replacements of lighting fixtures.
4. Adjustable Color Temperature:
LED lighting allows for adjustable LED light color temperature, ranging from warm to cool, providing flexibility to create the desired lighting atmosphere for different scenes. Conventional lighting typically releases a fixed color temperature, such as the warm color temperature of incandescent bulbs or the cool color temperature of fluorescent tubes. Even with adjustments in voltage to control brightness, conventional lighting has limited flexibility in changing color temperatures.
5. Design Flexibility in Size and Shape:
LED lighting, due to its illumination through small individual LEDs, offers great design flexibility. From small flashlights with a single LED to large integrated LED fixtures composed of dozens of LEDs, such as certain LED fixtures, the design possibilities are extensive. Conventional lighting, due to its larger size, is limited in design and shape, offering less flexibility compared to LED lights.
6. Instantaneous Light:
LED lighting usually provides sufficient illumination the moment the fixture is turned on, without the need for a certain warm-up time, unlike conventional incandescent bulbs or fluorescent tubes, which may require some time to reach their optimal illumination. The light intensity of conventional lighting, such as incandescent bulbs and fluorescent tubes, is typically insufficient the moment they are turned on and only reaches full brightness after a few seconds.
7. Environmental Impact:
LED lighting is considered environmentally friendly due to its long lifespan, low energy consumption, high energy utilization efficiency, and the absence of heavy metals like mercury in the manufacturing process. Even if damage occurs, as long as the fixture's housing is intact, the internal LEDs can be replaced or repaired. Conventional lighting fixtures, such as incandescent bulbs and fluorescent tubes, may contain harmful substances, especially the fluorescent coating inside fluorescent tubes, which may release harmful substances over prolonged use. Additionally, the low energy utilization efficiency of conventional lighting makes it less environmentally friendly.
8. Operating Costs:
The initial purchase cost of LED lighting fixtures may be higher, but due to their energy efficiency and extremely long lifespan, the overall operating costs of LED fixtures are lower, especially for long-term users. Conventional lighting typically has a lower initial purchase cost, but as the usage period increases, the low energy efficiency leads to high energy consumption and the need for frequent fixture replacements, making the overall operating costs potentially higher than LED lighting.
In comparison, LED lighting technology has advantages over conventional lighting in terms of energy efficiency, lifespan, design flexibility, environmental impact, and more. Although the upfront cost of LED fixtures may be higher, they prove to be a wise investment in the long run.