Commercial LED Lighting

LED lights have experienced major improvements in design, performance, and commercial application. For most of their history, they have been used mainly for display and specialty lighting. Now, Led’s have emerged as a legitimate alternative to traditional light sources in both general indoor lighting and commercial outdoor site lighting. This change has resulted from engineering developments that made it possible to produce white light with LED chips. These energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly lamps are now competing directly with every traditional form of fixture and lamp. Some experts even believe that LED lighting may actually become the dominant light source in the world some day. While there is no way to know in advance when and if this will actually happen, it is safe to say that led lighting is no doubt here to stay, and will only continue to both improve and penetrate new markets as concerns over lighting pollution, energy savings, and environmental quality continue to mount worldwide.

HOW LED'S WORK
The word “LED” stands for Light Emitting Diode. A diode is a solid state semiconductor that radiates light when a voltage is applied to it. While diodes have been around for many, many years, they did not make inroads into general lighting applications until very recently. This is because the LED lights of the past were incapable of producing the type of white light the human eye requires for the safe performance of tasks and the proper differentiation of colors. Early Led’s also did not produce enough lumens per watt to make them powerful enough for general indoor lighting and outdoor site lighting needs. All of this changed, however, when engineers created white light using ingenious modifications to existing LED lamps.

LED lights now produce white light by one of two methods. The first of these is known as “phosphor conversion.” A diode that emits blue or near ultraviolet light is coated with phosphor. When the UV light strikes the coating, it creates white light in a manner similar to that produced by a fluorescent lamp. Not only is the light output white, it is also characterized by high LPW efficiency and tends to be very bright.

The second method used in creating white light is known as RGB. Light from red, blue, and green LED lamps is mixed together in various combinations to form white light. This is the same way Nature mixes colors in the natural spectrum, so the light can be varied to a wide range of color temperatures and also “fine tuned” the light toward one or more primary colors if certain effects require doing so. This is highly useful in decorative and display lighting, commercial and retail interiors, and believe it or not, LED street lighting. (See our Article on LED Street Lighting to learn why).

BENEFITS OF LED LIGHTING
The benefits of solid-state lighting are too voluminous to discuss with any amount of detail in a single article. Briefly summarized, this new technology represents an energy saving solution to mounting concerns about power consumption. Commercial LED lights are also dimmable and compatible with lighting control systems, making them even more energy efficient upon command. Diodes are environmentally friendly as well because they contain no toxic gas, such as mercury, and they are consequently safer and less expensive to dispose of when they finally do fade out. Any numbers of color temperatures are now available for both indoor and outdoor decorative and architectural lighting.

OBJECTIONS CONTRACTORS FREQUENTLY HEAR
Several misconceptions about solid state lights have to be cleared up first any time you consider proposing them to a client. The most notorious of these ideas is that LED lighting generates too much heat to be efficient in high-end or site lighting applications. This misconception actually arose from past, failed attempts to retrofit LED lamps to traditional fixture housings. Because filament-based and gas-based lighting technology differs greatly from solid state lighting technology, thermal management problems always from attempts to hybridize the two.

However, led lighting fixtures that are specifically designed for solid state lamps and light bars perform exceptionally well in the arena of thermal management, which is one of the many reasons that commercial Led’s last for up to 100,000 hours.

Another false belief that many of your clients may have is that LED lights simply are not as bright as HID lights and cannot be used to illuminate areas such as parking garages, streets, roadways, outdoor landscapes, buildings, and security perimeters. Again, this is a misconception based on stereotype, not on fact. While it is indeed the case that Led’s have been heavily utilized in the past for special effects, display lighting, and accent lighting for mood, theme, and effect, new phosphor conversion technology now makes it possible for Led’s to rival even the most powerful HID fixtures with less energy consumption and longer lamp life. For clients looking to recession proof their businesses like bowling alleys in uncertain times, the ability to cut power costs and redirect funding normally set aside for lighting maintenance and replacements can only make your proposal look more attractive at the end of the day.

The most important thing to point out to cautious, of not fearful clients, is that a 40%-70% savings on their energy budget represents a complete recovering of the initial price of purchase and functions as a form of recession-proofing businesses, small business office buildings, municipal governments, nonprofits, and academic institutions alike.

ASK AN EXPERT FOR COMPLIMENTARY HELP DEVELOPING YOUR PROPOSAL
Knowledge is only power when it is based on reality, not speculation or hearsay. RLLD Commercial Lighting experts know the facts about LED and will share them freely with all clients and serious inquirers. Detailed information can always be obtained by calling an RLLD Commercial Lighting expert for free technical documentation on any type of LED lighting fixture or lamp you might be considering as a line item to your proposal.

WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT BUYING LED LIGHTING?
RLLD Commercial Lighting carries a wide variety of industrial & commercial outdoor lighting fixtures. If you can not find what you are looking in our growing list of lighting case studies call us toll free at 1-866-654-3961 and we will find it for you.

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