Did you know that Light Emitting Diodes, abbreviated as LEDs, are being increasingly used for different lighting applications? The reason for their becoming so popular is their energy efficiency. In fact, they have already proved to be a better option to incandescent and fluorescent lamps, which we have been using for a long time.
Life
An LED light can work even up to fifty thousand hours. Of course, its life depends under which conditions it works. Under ideal conditions, it should not be exposed to moisture and excessive cold or hot temperatures.
Physical properties decide the LED colors
LEDs are available in white, green, red, blue, white or amber colors. The color emitted by a diode is decided by the energy gap of the material used for making its p-n junction. The composition of a diode is a slice of N-type material, carrying a negative charge and another slice of P-type material, with a positive charge, having electrodes at either end. The point where the two kinds of materials are joined forms a p-n junction. The energy gaps of different types of p and n materials are different and measured in terms of wavelengths, which results to having light in different colors.
Directional Lighting
When light is to be directed to a particular point, you can employ LED lights. Compared to traditional options of lighting, these lights prove much more fitted for this purpose.
LEDs save energy
Usual incandescent lamps are notoriously energy inefficient. Nearly ninety percent of their energy consumption gets wasted due to the heat produced by them. Conversely, LED lamps consume 75% less energy compared to incandescent lamps, and produce just 3-4 BTUs/ hour, while incandescent lamps produce 85 BTUs of heat.
LEDs lower energy expense
The energy consumption of LEDs is just 2-10 watts. That is 1/3 to 1/30 of what is consumed by incandescent lamps or CFLs. The lifespan of an LED bulb is 35-50 times more than incandescent lamps and 2-5 times more of fluorescent lamps. As per the estimates of the U.S. Department of Energy, extensive use of LED lighting during the coming twenty years can help saving nearly $265 billion, amount enough for making forty additional power plants, thus reducing the demand of power for lighting by about 33 %.
LEDs don’t need any warm-up time
LED lights get turned on instantly, meaning they deliver their maximum brightness instantly on getting switched on. For this reason, they are particularly helpful in illuminating the instruments used in aircraft, automotive, flashlights and emergency lights.
LEDs for domestic lighting
A wider beam of light can be generated by bunching together a number of LED lights. A process using low-priced silicon wafers in place of pricey sapphire-based technology has already been developed by the researchers of the Purdue University. These developments would help a lot in replacing the usual incandescent and even CFL bulbs.
[ad_2]Source by Karina Popa