LED stands for light-emitting diode. The technology uses a semiconductor to convert electricity into light in a diode of only a quarter of an inch in diameter. When combined, these diodes can display any color imaginable. LEDs could produce white light only through the combination of red, green and blue diodes until 1993, when a special diode was invented that could transmit white light. LED lighting has several advantages over incandescent lighting.
Efficiency
According to Lighting Design Lab, LED lights are highly efficient. For example, an LED-powered traffic light only draw 10 watts, whereas incandescent bulbs require 150 watts. In fact, total energy savings can range between 82 to 93 percent. The LC LED Corporation states that 80 percent of the energy in an incandescent bulb is actually lost as heat, hampering their ability. LED lights also last longer. Their operational life is about 100,000 hours, which is equal to 11 straight years of continuous operation. An incandescent light, on the other hand, works for only about 5,000 total hours. This efficiency is especially advantageous for businesses, which can save drastically on the cost of maintenance.
Versatility
LEDs can project 16.7 million colors, including white, without the use of filters, according to Lighting Design Lab. They can produce numerous effects such as color change, cross-fading, strobing, cycling and dimming. This capacity makes them incredibly useful for functions like traffic lights and other dynamic displays. LEDs also produce no ultraviolet radiation and little heat, so they are idea for illuminating objects that are sensitive to UV light such as works of art.
Adaptability
LEDs have no internal filaments, which are subject to damage by shock or vibrations, and the utilization of DC power enables easy adaptations to different power supplies. A single LED is small and produces little light on its own, but in combination, LEDs can adapt to any desired shape or fixture, restricted only by the design goals and economics of the situation. A controller can easily regulate the output of the lights, changing the display according to a specified cycle.
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