20 Benefits of Commercial LED lighting in 2021

Commercial LED Lighting Types

What are the different types of Commercial LED lighting?

The different types of Commercial LED lighting available at the Eco Origin offers a variety of options to settle on.

It’s important to consider the different types of Commercial LED lighting before making a decision or purchase.

There is a wide variety of Commercial lights and fixtures available today, which can quickly become overwhelming if you’re not sure what to look for.

LED panel lights

LED Panel lights installed in the ceiling allow light to shine down directly. They are great for replacing old fluorescent fixtures, resulting in a cleaner look and save on energy at the same time.

The LED panel light is one of the best options you’ll find due to its low-heat emission.

Their modern design makes them highly popular for businesses such as offices, schools, retail etc. LED panel lights are low-profiled but extremely practical.

The design of the panels we provide at Eco Origin produces an even, consistent shadowless light. The LEDs enable long life, high lumen maintenance, and high CRI. They are super bright by edge-lighting with a high quality light-guide plate, glare-free.

LED PAR38

LED PAR38 spotlight replaces any Halogen ‘PAR38’ style light bulb. These lights are commonly used outdoors, in galleries, and elsewhere. They’re easy to install. Simply unscrew the old bulb and screw in the new PAR38 LED, and the job is done.

These PAR38 globes are ideally suited for use with motion sensor systems. They are:

• Precise, directional light perfect for highlighting merchandise
• Smooth dimming with no buzz, no hum
• Suitable for wet locations where exposed directly to weather

LED Highbays

High bay LED lights are the perfect energy-efficient indoor lighting solution for industrial and commercial locations with high ceilings, like warehouses, gyms, barns, and workshops. No matter the reflector type (aluminium, prismatic, clear lens) High bay LED lights offer broad light distribution for these large areas, without any mercury or UV emittance.

They are also found to use outdoor lighting in big areas like stadiums. LED High bay lights aim to provide high-intensity light in a wide area and may be used to draw attention to monuments, pathways, or beautiful landscapes.

The compact design allows for ease of installation across a range of settings, with the inclusion of an optional sensor.

The optional plug-and-play motion and daylight sensor offer additional energy savings. They are easily installed (no wiring required) and conveniently controlled from the ground via remote control.

LED Spot lights

LED spotlights GU10 and MR16 are the lights of choice for replacing existing halogen globes without needing to change the transformer. Exceeding an incredible 100+ lumens per watt and at 500 lumens, it offers unprecedented energy efficiency and brightness.

LED spotlights can be used to highlight decorative items in a stylish way, and are also practical thanks to a flat shape and narrow and wide beam options. Like with the modern LED bulb, the LED spotlight is equally versatile and can often be fitted without additional help from an electrician.

LED Downlights

The LED downlight has been designed to be as compact as possible while still retaining excellent heat dissipation properties. This allows the downlight to be installed in very narrow ceiling spaces. A downlight is directional, good for tasks, and accent lighting. That means they are suitable for use in workspaces in order to illuminate the environment.

LED downlight is a modern, architecturally designed, dimmable lamp to replace halogen downlights and gimbals.

LED downlights are often found in more industrial or Commercial settings because they are available with higher lumen values.

LED Downlight provides excellent lumens compared to old halogen style downlights and also offers a range of cut-out sizes and wattage. Application is suitable for indoor lighting in hotels, homes,cafés, shopping malls, offices, factories, hospitals, etc.

LED Globes

For a few years now, LED lights have promised to revolutionise commercial lighting. A general purpose of LED Globes is that they are omnidirectional, good for ambient lighting in office spaces, hotels, hospitals, aged cares, retails, workshops, educational buildings, etc.

LED diodes are highly compact, making them useful in small places, and they have a similar rating of about 90 lumens per watt-hour.

On average, LED Globes last up to 20 times longer than traditional Halogen and CFL globes – this means the replacement costs alone can represent substantial savings. Our LED globes are rated to last 35,000 hours.

LED battens

LED battens are usually surface mounted directly onto ceilings or walls. Common installations include offices, retail, schools, garages, workshops, car parks, storage areas, and emergency stairwells. LEDs lose less energy and use less electricity. They help to light the building’s exterior or the parking space in the area.

You can even optimise to install sensors such as timers, photosensors, motion sensors, controls on outdoor lighting of this nature.

It all begins with selecting an LED bulb or light that can optimise your business’s level of performance. The value of lighting cannot be underestimated, particularly in Commercial applications. The consumer has a wide variety of lighting accessories and only has to select a type according to their need.

State and territory programs for LED lights in Australia

According to The Australian Government Department of Industry, Science, Energy, and Resources – “ Subsidised programs are available in some states and territories for LED lighting upgrade”.

“The Victorian Government’s Energy Upgrade Scheme supports licensed Victorian businesses to receive subsidised commercial and industrial LED upgrades”.

“The NSW Government’s Energy Savings Scheme offers subsidies for eligible small businesses. Approved suppliers work with business to determine how much energy could be saved with an energy-efficiency upgrade”.

“The Government of South Australia’s Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme (REPS) provides subsidies to eligible businesses to upgrade their entire premises to LEDs”.

New LED lights Regulation in Australia

The Decision Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) was prepared by the Australian Department of the Environment and Energy (on behalf of the COAG Equipment Energy Efficiency Program) and assessed as adequate by the Office of Best Practice Regulation (OBPR). Energy Council Ministers approved this decision RIS on 20 April 2018.

“In April 2018, Energy Ministers agreed to further improve lighting energy efficiency regulation by phasing out inefficient halogen lamps (light bulbs) in Australia and introducing minimum standards for LED lamps in Australia and New Zealand in line with European Union (EU) standards”.

“The phase-out will remove a range of the remaining incandescent light bulbs and halogen light bulbs from the Australian market, where an equivalent LED light bulb is available”.

“Energy Ministers also agreed to align the timing of Australia’s LED regulation with the EU regulatory process. As finalisation of the EU regulation was later delayed by 12 months (published December 2019 to come into effect in September 2021), the Australian regulations are expected to come into effect in 2022-2023”.

A number of Government schemes are available to help subsidise the cost of replacing halogen lighting with more energy and cost-efficient LED alternatives. These vary by territory, so the availability scheme depends on location.

Here are 20 Benefits of Commercial LED lighting in 2021 that make LED lighting worth your time

1. LED lights last much longer than conventional incandescent and fluorescent lights

What is a Fluorescent Light or a CFL?

Fluorescent light bulbs are a specific type of gas-discharge light also known as a high-intensity discharge (HID). CFL or “compact fluorescent light” is a much smaller compact tube than Standard fluorescent lights which are available in long tubes. CFLs were designed to replace standard applications for incandescent bulbs as they are more efficient and longer-lasting.

As the fluorescent light ages, more and more voltage is required to produce the same amount of light. Eventually, the voltage exceeds the fixed resistance provided by the ballast and the light goes out. Fluorescent lights become less and less efficient over time because they must use more and more voltage to produce the same lumen output as the light degrades.

Fluorescent technology has been around for more than 100 years, and it generally represents a high-efficiency way to provide lighting over a wide area. Although the CFL lights are much more efficient and have a longer lifespan than incandescent bulbs, they fail in both categories when compared to LED lights.

Some Fluorescent lights problems are:

• Fluorescent lights contain toxic mercury
• Fluorescent lights age faster if they are frequently switched on and off
• Fluorescent lights are omnidirectional
• Older fluorescent lights have a brief warm-up period
• Fluorescent lighting emits a small amount of UV radiation
• Fluorescent lights require a ballast to stabilise the light

What is Incandescent Light?

The incandescent light is a classic light bulb that produces light by heating a wire filament to a temperature that results in the generation of light. The metal wire is surrounded by a translucent glass bulb that is either filled with an inert gas or vacuum.

This traditional light bulb is one of the worst in terms of energy efficiency. Incandescent bulbs typically only last about 1200 hours. These light bulbs also require a lot more watts and electricity. Incandescent bulbs typically don’t shine as bright as CFL and LED bulbs.

While people choose to purchase incandescent bulbs because of the cheap price tag, they’ll end up paying more money on electricity bills and buying more bulbs in the long term.

Some deficiencies in incandescent lighting are:

• Incandescent lights have the worst energy efficiency
• Incandescent lights have the worst lifespan
• Incandescent lights are omnidirectional

Why Do LED Lights Have Long Lifespan?

There are 3 main reasons why LED lights have a longer lifespan than conventional lights:

• Lower heat- LEDs generate a much lower heat per wattage applied when compared to other bulbs
• Small power drop- With less of a power draw, LED lights can last longer because they are energy-saving
• Solid-state- The biggest advantage LEDs have that allow them to last longer than any other bulb is the fact that all the components are in the solid-state

What does the long lifespan of LEDs mean for Commercials?

The long lifespan of LED lights means that you will need very few replacements over time. Therefore, switching from conventional to LED lights is bound to reduce the replacement and maintenance costs of your lighting products by a significant amount. LED lights also come with longer warranties (up to 5 or 6 years), which provide you with peace of mind and guarantee you lower replacement and maintenance costs.

This makes LED lights ideal for Commercial environments such as warehouses, manufacturing facilities, stadiums, hotels, and others. The long lifespan of a LED light is crucial for Commercial objects where the light needs to be on all the time like in hospitals or companies that have a third shift.

Do LED light bulbs really last 10 years?

LEDs often have a lifespan printed on their packaging. It says 5, 10, or even 20 years long lifespan, but what does that actually mean? It is important to observe that the expected lifespan of a light source depends on how it will be used daily.

How to calculate LED lifespan?

Calculating the lifespan of an LED light in years is easy. If we suppose that an LED light is on for an average of 10 hours a day for 365 days, this will add up to 3650 hours a year. If the LED light has an expected lifespan of 25,000 operating hours, it will last 6,8 years!

Does the light output of LEDs decrease over time?

The important thing to keep in mind when buying a light bulb is luminous decay. All light sources suffer from a loss of light output over their lifespan.

However, LEDs have a very high light output decay point, called L70. After reaching their nominal lifespan, the light output dims slowly instead of suffering an abrupt failure.

All the Eco Origin LED products are designed to preserve a light output of at least 70% of the original brightness at the end of their nominal lifespan.

What can you do to extend the lifespan of your LED light?

• Use the same lighting technology within the same fixture- LEDs should not be used close to conventional light bulbs that produce heat while producing light or within the same enclosed fixture. It’s better to hold to the same lighting technology and switch everything to LED lights.
• Check your power source– The use of non-compatible wattage or voltage ratings will damage circuits sooner. If your fixture generates more watts, and you install a light bulb with much fewer watts, it will overload the bulb and damage it.

Make sure the LED bulbs suit your needs– Depending on the application, you might want to use a specific LED lighting for the need for commercial spaces or for residential.

2. LED lighting produces very little ultraviolet (UV) emissions

Studies have shown that standard LEDs do create a small amount of UV but due to phosphors within an LED lamp that convert the Ultraviolet light to white light, the amount of UV they actually emit is even less.

What is the negative impact of UV emissions?

Exposure to UV radiation leads to sunburn, and in extreme scenarios to eye problems, skin cancer, impact on the immune system, and more. Fortunately, most artificial light sources do not emit enough UV for this to be a real concern. Although some people who are very sensitive to UV may be affected by the amount of UV produced by CFLs.

An additional problem with the UV emission is colour degradation. CFL and HID (High-intensity discharge) lamps have been known to cause damage to shades, carpets, curtains, painted surfaces, and more due to UV emissions. This has been another motivating factor for places like museums, galleries, and theatres to switch to LED lights.

UV radiation from light sources has been known to attract insects, but LEDs UV emissions are so minimal that they do not attract insects. That is a great benefit for all kinds of tourist Commercial spaces such as restaurants, coffee shops, hotels, and others.

Of course, there are LEDs designed on purpose to produce UV light called UV LEDs. These are the ones used for medical treatments, chemistry, photography, and for tanning, for which UV rays are necessary.

3. LED lighting in Commercial spaces offers big cost savings

One of the biggest expenses to Commercial spaces today is lighting! Lighting uses more than 40% of energy consumption in commercial buildings.

LED lighting offers big cost savings for businesses and that is one of the most important benefits of commercial LED lighting!

While LED lights are more expensive than halogen, incandescent, or fluorescent lights, they have a longer lifespan, so they are providing savings over a long period of time. That means that the LED bulbs don’t have to be changed for years, so overall maintenance costs are lower. Furthermore, because LED lighting is far more energy-efficient, businesses can save money on utility bills.

In addition, as the adoption of LED lighting grows, prices continue to drop.

Why are LED lights the most expensive?

A recent cost analysis based on a price survey by the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), found that the typical American family uses at least 20 indoor light bulbs in their home. With a minimum of 20 light bulbs in one’s home at roughly $5 a bulb, replacing incandescent and halogen light bulbs with LEDs would cost about $100 — which means more than double the price of conventional lights. Although LED lights prices have dropped by 85% in recent years, they are still considered expensive compared to conventional lights. But the longer lifespan of LED lights makes up for the extra expense with significant savings on energy bills in Commercial space!

How can LED lights save money in Commercial spaces?

To get the most out of switching to LED light bulbs in your Commercial space it is very important to change a lot of bulbs at once.

Slowly replacing incandescent bulbs with LEDs as the incandescent burnout will feel less wasteful and easier, but there won’t be a noticeable difference in electricity consumption graphs, or electric bills, for a longer period of time.

If you change most or all of your incandescent bulbs to LEDs within one period, you will observe the difference right away!

So, switching to Commercial LED lighting can be a great solution for business owners, building managers, or facilities engineers who are looking for an opportunity to save money. By switching to LED, commercial building owners can cut their costs by more than 75% over a 25-year period!

Implementing a LED lights energy savings scheme may seem overwhelming at first, but Eco Origin can help! Reach out to our service department and contact us!

4. LED lighting can operate in cold temperatures

Conventional lights vs cold

As conventional lighting requires heat to power on and create light, the glass bulbs heat up quickly to high temperatures. Because of their need for heat to simply power on, conventional light bulbs when used outdoors, especially in the fall and winter, have lower performance. Some lights may not be able to power on at all in cold weather.

When the temperature drops below freezing point, electric bulbs have to use more power to emit heat in order to produce sufficient light.

This is very inconvenient for Commercial spaces like office buildings, outdoor lighting for surrounding buildings like a parking lot, vine basements, or in warehouses where the temperature in winter is low.

LED light vs cold

However, LED lights allow you to light your outdoor lights and signs even in the freezing temperatures of winter! Unlike traditional lighting, LEDs are not hot to the touch, as they require far less heat to power.

LED lights can work the same under those surroundings because they do not have to give extra effort in order to produce more light. The reason behind this is that they are already built for such drastic changes in temperature, making them the perfect option for exterior lighting around your property, office building, or home.

The technology of LED lights has offered a much longer lifespan than the traditional bulbs, mainly exposed to extreme weather. Cold weather wears on conventional bulbs very quickly due to their process of heat that causes them to burst with the drop in the temperature, unlike LED lights.

5. LED lighting takes up less space

LED lights are great for smaller Commercial environments

The small size of the LED package is another big benefit of LED technology.

The actual LED device is tiny. Small power devices can be less than a tenth of a single mm², while larger power devices can still be as small as an mm². Their small size makes LED lights incredibly adaptable to a variety of lighting applications. And because they emit so much light, even in small sizes, they take up less surface space, which makes them ideal for commercial environments that are trying to conserve space.

With LED’s reduced size, low heat emission, and different requirements for heat management, this source can be placed in smaller housings and extrusions and still produce similar lumen output.

Different uses for LEDs include a wide spectrum of modern mood lighting, residential, and commercial property applications, and even major stadium lighting. As a point source, LEDs are inherently directional, making them very efficient sources for many traditional lighting applications that require directed light.

Along with single-chip sources and flexible tape light, LED modules have come to replace linear fluorescent lamps in many applications. These modules can vary in length and shape, giving “to the inch” design precision. This modularity has allowed for customise lengths and configurations, giving designers far more freedom to be creative in integrating lines and planes of light into their designs, while capitalising on the benefits of energy efficiency and minimised product footprint.

6. LED lights come in a wide variety of colours

One of the most important things to know when installing new LED lights for commercial purposes is the difference between LED colour temperatures.

Why are LED colour temperatures important?

Lights that run the same wattage and output the same lumen count can look wildly different depending on their colour temperatures. And this difference can extend to mental health benefits, as our brains are configured to respond to certain colours of light in good ways.

If the wrong fixtures are placed in the bedroom, for instance, it can keep you up late into the night, even when you want to sleep. Designers have been using advanced colour knowledge for years, and now with the wide variety of LED colour lighting in reach, they can do the same thing with light.

Every light source, even white light, emits a characteristic known as “colour temperature.” Differences in colour temperature, which is measured in kelvins (K), due to various shades of light we perceive are closely associated with human psychology.

Lower temperatures (2,700-3,000K) appear as “warm” colours, such as yellow and orange. As these are the colours of light during sunrise and sunset, low colour temperature often makes us feel relaxed and dreamy.

Higher temperatures (5,000K or more) appear as “cool” colours such as blue and green. In accordance with our body’s circadian rhythm, higher colour temperatures increase our concentration and make us feel more alert.

How do LED lights change colour?

A colour-changing LED light contains three separate diodes within the same bulb casing. Each of these diodes emits its own specific colour – red, green, or blue. When all three diodes are switched on at full capacity, white light is produced. Adjusting the intensity of each diode allows a range of different colours and shades to be created.

There’s no need to just pick one colour temperature for an entire Commercial property. Warm fixtures can be installed in one space, and cool fixtures in another, or a colour-changing LED light could be used in just one property space.

LEDs are an incredibly useful technology that is fast becoming the first choice of Commercial property developers. If you are looking for more information on LED lights and products or are considering an LED lighting upgrade reach out to Eco Origin for more information.

7. LED lights can be turned on and off quickly

LED lights are semiconductors and their life span is not affected by the number of times they are turned on and off. Unlike conventional lighting, which can take time to warm up, LED lights can be turned on in nanoseconds.

What is a semiconductor?

A semiconductor is a material product usually composed of silicon, which conducts electricity more than an insulator, such as glass, but less than a pure conductor, such as copper or aluminum. Also known as semis, or chips, semiconductors can be found in thousands of products such as computers, smartphones, appliances, gaming hardware, and medical equipment.

The operating life of LED lights is unaffected by turning it on and off. While lifetime is reduced for conventional lamps because turning on the light every time damages the filament and will result in long-term damages. LED lights won’t be affected at all by switching on and off, since there is no filament to damage and the power going through the bulb is lower.

Advantages of LEDs in Commercial buildings

Because LED lights could be turned on and off without consequences that gives LEDs several distinct advantages when it comes to operations:

For example, LEDs have an advantage when used in combination with daylight sensors that rely on on-off operation. This makes LEDs ideal for Commercial property outdoor lighting, lighting in hallways and office spaces, stadium lighting, manufacturing facilities, traffic, and warning lights.

Also, in contrast to traditional technologies, LEDs turn on at full brightness almost instantly, with no delay.

LEDs are also largely unaffected by vibration because they do not have filaments or glass enclosures. LED lights are extremely energy efficient.

8. LED lights are extremely energy efficient

One of the many benefits that make LED lights an attractive commercial lighting option is that they have a very low energy consumption. Compared to traditional lighting solutions, LED lights use up to 90% less power. This reduction in the energy used can save around 30-70% of Commercial property’s lighting cost, which can translate to several thousand dollars a year – money that can be put into other important uses for business.

What is sustainable lighting?

LEDs are efficient, long-lasting, and low-maintenance, making them the ideal sustainable lighting.

Sustainable or ecological lighting refers to the type of illuminants that are used and the way they are utilised. The products should therefore consume as little energy as possible throughout their life- cycle. They should also be used efficiently.

Sustainable light sources like LED lights are therefore optimised lamps that protect natural resources. The LED lighting technology provides the ideal light in an energy-saving and environmentally friendly way. The entire life cycle of LED lighting is sustainable. The energy consumption of LEDs is low, which is why they are also known as green-lighting technology.

Where can sustainable lighting be used?

Energy-efficient lighting is the ideal alternative for any conventional light source. There are therefore countless areas of application for modern LED lighting solutions.

Particularly high cost and energy savings can be achieved in Commercial places that are usually illuminated around all the time. These include for example car parks, airports, railway stations, and hospitals. In some office buildings, modern LED technology is supplemented by digital lighting control. Sustainable lighting involves not only a switch to LED lamps but also the use of an intelligent circuit.

According to Statista research, which light bulbs are in use the most in U.S households in 2017 56 % of respondents claimed that they used LED light bulbs, one of the most energy-efficient lighting technologies.

9. LED lighting helps fight climate change

Energy production is one of the leading sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Luckily the energy efficiency of LED lighting helps reduce the number of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and fights climate change.

What are greenhouse gases?

Earth’s greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere and warm the planet. That phenomenon is called Global warming.

The main gases responsible for the greenhouse effect include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and water vapor (which all occur naturally), and fluorinated gases (which are synthetic).

By increasing the heat in the atmosphere, greenhouse gases are responsible for the greenhouse effect, which ultimately leads to global warming. Human activities have vastly increased the volume of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere.

How do LED lights help to fight climate change?

Lighting makes up to 13% of global electricity consumption and 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Eliminating energy-inefficient lighting like incandescent light bulbs and halogen lamps and switching to energy-efficient LED lights can have significant environmental benefits.

If LED lighting were to completely replace conventional lighting, it would help in preventing emissions of greenhouse gases, emissions equivalent to the number of 550,000 vehicles.

This makes LED lighting a fantastic way of fighting climate change. Installing a single low-energy LED bulb may make a trivial contribution to cutting the carbon emissions that are overheating the planet.

Speaking of energy, if every household replaced just one light bulb with one certified Eco Origin LED Globe, it would save enough energy to light two million homes for a whole year.

Studies have shown that running a “green” business is good for a Commercial business. In addition to cost and energy savings, installing Commercial LED lighting in your facility is a great PR and marketing move.

10. LED lights come in flexible of designs

LED lighting design has many advantages over conventional lighting sources, enabling designers to deliver more to their clients.

Because LEDs are so small they can be used in any application you can think of. They can be combined in bunches for a traditional bulb, used in isolation as a small device light, or strung out in sequence in a linear form like a string of Christmas lights.

In addition to their size, LEDs offer flexibility in design options, such as correlated colour temperature (CCT), which is the colour of light being emitted from a fixture. With the flexibility of LEDs, “tunable white” and “warm dim” technology, now available from many LED manufacturers, allows a single fixture to provide an adjustable range of colour temperatures.

With the advancement of LEDs, creative options and flexibility have exponentially increased. Lighting integration and details that were never possible with conventional sources due to their size and ability to deal with heat, can now be a reality, with endless options of fixture and component combinations, configurations, and sizes.

The advancement of LEDs has revolutionised the lighting industry, opening doors for unique and adaptable lighting design solutions.

Today’s varied options for colour temperature, colour rendering, form factor, and controllability make LEDs a powerful design tool that allows lighting designers to meet the specific needs of their Commercial clients while delivering more energy-efficient solutions than ever before.

11. LED lighting is directional

Every conventional lighting technology emits light at 360° around the light source.

This means that if you want the light to brighten a specific area, you’ll need to purchase accessories to channel the light in that direction.

If you don’t use something to reflect or redirect the light, you’ll waste energy lighting areas that don’t require illumination, which will result in higher energy costs.

Can LEDs light in specific areas?

An LED light, however, only lights up an area of 180°, which makes LED lighting perfect when you need recessed lighting in a Commercial kitchen, hallway, or bathroom.

LED lighting is ideal for directional lighting in things like flashlights, desk lamps, and artwork. Instead of offering a wide area of light, it focuses on a specific area where the bulb is pointed.

Newer LED bulbs use diffuser lenses and reflectors to create a wider spread of light for things like table lamps where directional light isn’t ideal.

LED lights provide greater illumination than other types of lights, which helps to eliminate dark spots. The proper illumination helps to make Commercial premises safer, especially in areas where workers are using machinery or materials that can be dangerous. LED lighting also provides proper illumination in areas such as parking garages, parking lots, warehouses, and storage spaces.

Using LED lighting solutions in both residential and Commercial spaces can profoundly offer an impressive range of advantages. Directional light sources release their light in a designated, focused direction and LED lights are proven directional light sources that stand out from other available options for a variety of reasons. Best of all, as a directional light source, LED lighting offers home and business owners financial advantages as well.

12. LED lights emit very little heat

Imagine what it would be like to create a home gym and find that you’re sweating under the lights before you even start working out!

In this scenario, LED lights would be a better choice, as you can fully illuminate your room without making it feel like a hot box.

The conventional light sources could not be touched when switched on without burning.  Incandescent lamps generate only about 5% light from the energy fed in, the remaining 95% is converted into heat.

LEDs generate a much lower heat per wattage applied when compared to other bulbs, so the LED lifespan is much longer. About 40% of the used energy is converted into visible light and only 60% into heat. This means LED lights can be safely left on for extended periods of time.

Additionally, since LEDs are relatively small, a lot of space within the bulb can be utilised as a heat sink. A heat sink draws the heat away from the components to the outside environment.

This ensures that the components are not getting hot enough to induce premature wear. It also makes the lights very cool to the touch, which reduces the risk of burns through accidental touching or when the lights are being changed or replaced. The heat sink and lower heat emission of the LED lights also make them less likely to overheat.

For a Commercial property, LED lights can be a huge financial benefit as they can help to reduce the amount of money spent on air conditioning and other cooling costs. Safety should always be the top priority of any organisation, and when it comes to lighting, the safety risk is heat and fire.

13. LEDs do not contain mercury

One of the main environmental benefits of LED lights is that they don’t contain toxic materials, unlike some conventional lights that use harmful chemicals such as mercury.

What is mercury?

Mercury is a heavy silvery transition metal most commonly found in thermometers, barometers, and other scientific apparatus.

Chest pains, dyspneic, coughing, hemoptysis, and sometimes interstitial pneumonitis leading to death may follow acute inhalation exposure to mercury vapor. In America, 1 in 6 children born every year have been exposed to mercury levels so high that they are potentially at risk for learning disabilities, motor skill impairment, and short-term memory loss.

When heated, mercury turns to a colourless, odorless vapor that is used in CFLs to excite the tungsten coils electrons. Once broken, this mercury vapor can escape into the air in your home or Commercial property and manifest there for weeks. So this explains why CFL and fluorescent bulbs require careful handling and disposal if they burn out or get broken.

LED lights are a safe solution

LED lights to contain no mercury, making LEDs the safest lighting solution for any home, office, or workspace. The dangers of mercury content in CFL bulbs cannot be overstated – exposure to the mercury neurotoxin used in CFL lights is highly toxic to humans, and it’s especially harmful to the brains of children and unborn babies, according to Scientific American.

It’s not easy to avoid mercury contamination, since CFL bulbs break all the time. When the CFL bulb breaks, mercury vapor is released, and it can be inhaled by anyone close to the broken bulb. The best way to avoid harmful mercury vapor from a CFL bulb is to avoid a CFL bulb and go with a switch with a safe LED light.

Materials in LED lights

Research by the University of California found that the internal components of an LED contain hazardous materials such as arsenic, lead, iron, copper, and nickel. The concentration of these substances varies depending on the type of LED.

The level of each toxic material in an LED is minuscule. Under Title 22, California law sets out the maximum weight of harmful substances permitted per kilogram. LEDs fall way below this limit.

Exposure to these materials in such minute amounts is unlikely to have any harmful consequences.

What Are The Dangers of Broken LED Bulbs?

Although the average lifespan of an LED is 50,000 hours, accidents happen!

Whether your LEDs are cracked during an accident or shattered while changing out a busted bulb, as with any glass object, the bulb surrounding an LED chip is fragile and cannot handle much pressure. Upon impact, it will shatter into thousands of tiny little pieces. Since they’re translucent, these fragments can be difficult to detect and potentially harmful.

Unlike other conventional bulbs, the glass of an LED is not filled with gas. The LED doesn’t need the glass bulb to function; it merely serves aesthetic purposes.

LEDs generate light using a semiconductor. No mercury is required for this process, which means, despite their imperfections, LEDs are seen as an environmentally friendly lighting solution.

What Should You Do With Broken LEDs?

With all of this in mind, you may be surprised to learn that broken LEDs do not require any special disposal. Since they are not classified as toxic, they can be thrown in with your regular trash, or the better solution – recycle your LED’s!

Therefore, when you are using LED lights for your commercial property, you can rest easy knowing that you will not harm the environment when disposing of the light fixtures.

14. LED lights can be recycled

Why Recycle LED Light Bulbs?

The glass and metal used in LED bulbs are recyclable. Like any glass or metal product, it is the best practice to reuse and recycle these non-renewable resources as much as we can to conserve Earth’s resources and to reduce needless waste. 95% of an LED bulb can be recycled, however, not every part is recycled in every facility.

How are LED bulbs recycled?

LED bulbs are first processed through a shredder to break apart the components. These pieces are then run through separators depending on the recycler to separate glass, plastic, and metal. In some instances, a magnet is used to remove metal.

The metal components of LED bulbs are the most valuable and therefore the most likely to be recycled into something else. Specifically, copper and aluminum are the most restorable. LED string lights contain copper in the wires between bulbs, and so have even more of this metal than LED bulbs used in light fixtures.

Circuit boards are sent to a smelter to recover the metals. A smelter will either use heat or chemical extraction to remove metals such as gold, aluminum, copper, and nickel.

A powder of heavy rare earth metals is often used to coat the insides of LED bulbs that change colours. The amount of these metals is too small to be recovered, but it is expected that this will change in the future. LED recycling is evolving, and more materials may be recoverable in the future.

Is it against the law to throw away LED light bulbs?

For example, in the United States, it is not against the law to dispose of LEDs in the landfill. They are not considered hazardous waste and can technically be disposed of with your trash.

Are LED bulbs considered e-waste or universal waste?

LED bulbs usually contain electronic circuitry (circuit boards) similar to those found in computers and other electronics. These parts can often be restorable by recyclers that process e-waste (universal waste).

The Environmental Benefits of Recycling LEDs

Though LED lights have environmentally-friendly properties during their lifespan, it is important that they are recycled correctly.

Given the huge rise in demand in recent years for LED lights and the lack of natural resources that are used to produce them, it is important that recycling of LEDs begins sooner than later so that LEDs can continue to be used well into the future. The LED price goes down as more people use them, leading to a more energy-efficient society. Better waste management causes fewer problems in the environment.

Commercial properties which use LED lights will not have to worry about their LED lights going down for a long period of time. Eventually, when that happens, a great commercial will be for businesses to help the environment and show an eco-friendly attitude by recycling LED lights and calling others to join that good example.

15. LED lights are bright

Many people determine the brightness of a light bulb by looking at its wattage. The assumption is that a 100-watt light bulb is naturally going to be brighter than a 40-watt bulb. While that works for incandescent bulbs (although, even then, it is an imprecise way of measuring brightness), with the development of low-energy LED light bulbs, the wattage alone will not necessarily indicate how bright a bulb is.

Equivalent wattage of LED

The reason you can no longer use watts to determine a light bulb’s brightness is that LED bulbs offer the same light as incandescent bulbs, but they have a much lower wattage. Below is a rough guide to the equivalent wattage of LED and other bulbs.

LEDs provide instant brightness to an environment without any flickering. They work extremely well in environments where lights are turned on and off constantly within short periods of time. This operational speed combined with superior controls makes LEDs work especially well with motion sensors, such as those used for Commercial properties outdoors, or in warehouses, office spaces, and hallways.

LED lights seem so much brighter because they have a higher lumen output/watt, which means that even though less power is being used, more light is being produced instead of being wasted on heat loss.

What are lumens?

Lumens are a measure of the quantity of visible light that a light source emits. It is a much more accurate way of determining a bulb’s brightness, as it is a measure of its output, unlike the wattage, which just denotes the power input.

Lumen to watt ratio

LED bulbs that have the same wattage might not necessarily have the same lumens ratings. For example, a particular 5W LED light might emit 400 lumens, while another one might emit 470 lumens.

The simplest way to measure the efficiency of an LED light bulb is to calculate its lumens to watt ratio. To do this, just divide the number of lumens it emits by its wattage: for example, a 5W bulb that emits 400 lumens has a ratio of 80 lumens per watt.

Which type of light is the brightest?

When compared to other types of lighting products, LED lights are the most energy-efficient and offer a brighter light for the same wattage.

The reason LED light bulbs seem brighter than others such as fluorescent or incandescent is because they are not losing as much thermal energy. LED light bulbs, instead of wasting energy on heat production, but almost all of their energy into producing light. This is why when you put your hand close to an LED light bulb, it is much cooler than an incandescent bulb. Because of this, the bulbs themselves seem brighter than other types of bulbs. It can be a major advantage or disadvantage depending on your Commercial preferences.

16. LED lighting is quiet

Why do conventional Lights Buzz?

Well, it could be for a number of reasons, ranging from loose fixtures to electrical issues.  Generally, incandescent light bulbs tend to be fairly quiet. Usually, the only time you can expect them to make noise is if you’re using a dimmer.

A dimmer works by reducing some voltage from the line so that the amount of energy going to the bulb decreases. This ends up dimming the output of the light bulb.

When you add and remove voltage, you will end up cooling and exciting the filament. When you do this, you end up with vibrations. These vibrations can lead to buzzing sounds.

There are two main problems associated with fluorescent light bulbs – buzzing and flickering. If your fluorescent bulb is buzzing, that probably means that it needs to be replaced. This is because you likely have an old ballast.

The ballast is the component that’s used to regulate the voltage in the light. This is not too different from buzzing in incandescent lights. That’s because the buzzing in fluorescent lights is likely due to the constant re-striking that occurs when the ballast isn’t able to properly regulate the voltage.

Why are LED lights quiet?

Unlike fluorescent and incandescent light bulbs, there are no firing arcs or filaments in LED light bulbs. This means that there aren’t any vibrating parts to cause buzzing noises.

Unlike incandescent and fluorescent bulbs, LED bulbs do not have filament or firing arcs, which means that they have no moving parts that can cause a buzzing sound. However, they can still produce a buzzing sound due to improper dimming or electromagnetic interference from other devices.

When we think of the benefits of LED lighting, noise is usually not at the top of the list. However, traditional fluorescent lighting can actually be quite noisy, and the buzzing noise level escalates the longer these lights are in use.

LED lights operate silently, minimizing the distraction of non-essential noises that can distract from workers’ productivity or your customer experience.

If you imagine a big Commercial space with hundreds of lights and all those lights buzzing all day long, it would feel annoying, distracting, and unpleasant for workers and clients. It could create a feeling of electrical problems, which is not a positive experience in a meeting.

It’s not common for a technology to come along that offers wide sweeping benefits for Commercial enterprises. But LED lighting is one of those rare exceptions. They definitely fall under the category of a no-brainer for all kinds of businesses and other Commercial organizations that want to run more efficiently at less cost, while providing an optimal environment for workers and customers.

17. LED lights operate in low voltage

What does low voltage mean?

The term low voltage is the colloquial term for an extra-low voltage. Nevertheless, the term low voltage is generally used to distinguish it from line voltage technology.

Low voltage LED lights are mostly operated with a voltage of 12V. There is also a range of low-voltage LEDs with an operating voltage of 24V. The only advantage over the widely used 12V LEDs is a lower power loss with long cable runs between transformer and light source. However, this is not an issue for most residential or commercial installations.

Lighting accounts for 15 % of house electric bills and much more for Commercial property bills. Low-voltage LED lighting draws less power than standard voltage.

How Low Voltage Can You use?

Low-voltage lighting systems need a transformer to work properly. Standard line voltage systems operate on 120 or 227 volts. A transformer lover that numbers down to 12 or 24 volts. The transformer is either an integral, internal part of the lighting fixture or a separate entity, located outside the fixture. Without it, low-voltage light bulbs immediately burn out if plugged into a line voltage system. Use 24-volt lamps with 24-volt transformers. 12-volt lamps used with 24-volt transformers will burn out or possibly become a fire hazard.

For example, if your business is in a location where flooding may occur, you want to be able to light your facility with devices that require as little voltage as possible. When you use a low-voltage system in areas that may be prone to flooding, you are protecting your staff and others from potentially harmful or fatal shocks. If, during a flood clean-up, someone mistakenly touches some electrical component, a low-voltage lighting system that generates 12 volts is much safer than a line voltage system that generates 120 volts, so the risk of accidents is minimal. This also makes them extremely useful to use outdoors, where other lighting solutions might not meet with local weather.

Low voltage LED lights pros

LEDs hold many advantages over all the other options. Extremely long-lived, LEDs last up to three times as long as fluorescent tubes. They light up immediately, remain cool to the touch, and don’t contain mercury or other toxic materials.

Low voltage LED lights normally contain only the LED and its driver. Due to the missing integrated power supply, there is little power dissipation and very high efficiency can be achieved. Especially for installations with several spotlights, a central power supply is usually the more appropriate option. Operation with 12V low voltage is harmless and preferable for cable systems or wet rooms.

Low voltage LED lights cons

All low-voltage LED lights to require a suitable LED transformer for operation. This is not necessarily a disadvantage, but it only makes sense for installations with several LEDs or spotlights. The transformer should match the performance of the light installation, otherwise, the high efficiency of the individual LEDs will be wasted in the transformer.

One of the many things that make LED lights an attractive commercial lighting option is that they have a very low energy consumption. Compared to traditional lighting solutions, LED lights use up to 90% less power. Considering that electric lighting can account for up to 40% of a company’s electric bill, using LED lighting on your Commercial property is thus a sure way of reducing your property’s energy consumption. This reduction in the energy used can save you around 30-70% of your property’s lighting cost, which can translate to several thousand dollars a year – money that you can put into other important uses for your business.

18. LED lights have dimming capability

Dimming LEDs can increase worker productivity, enhance the experience of diners in a Commercial setting, and save energy, but you have to correctly combine controls, drivers, and LED sources. The opposite is true for LED lighting. When you use less-than-full power on an LED light, it operates more efficiently. Not all LED lamps or bulbs are dimmable, so it is important to find out if it is dimmable before purchase.

What are dimmers?

Dimmers are devices that are used to adjust the amount of light. Usually, this adjustment is done by changing/altering the supply voltage waveform to the lamp. By doing so, the light intensity will decrease as well as the power consumption, which leads to fewer costs. Another benefit of dimming down the light is increasing its life span means fewer lamp replacements and so maintenance costs.

What is the dimming range?

Not all LEDs are created equal. Select the fixture or lamp that offers the dimming range suitable for your application. A product that dims to 20% measured light wouldn’t make sense in a media room, but maybe an appropriate energy-saving solution for an office.

The dimming range of a product, either a lamp or a fixture, is based solely on the driver. Choosing the right dimming controls allows you to reduce flicker and may affect your ability to achieve the desired dimming range.

How do Dimmable LED Lights work?

There are two main methods of LED dimming: Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) and analog. In the case of PWM, dimmable LEDs work by creating a dimming effect. Unlike traditional lighting such as incandescent, dimmable LED bulbs don’t rely on voltage to dictate their level of brightness. Instead, they essentially rely on a cycle of being on and off. These cycles operate in a matter of milliseconds, so you won’t be aware of them actually turning on and off.

For example, if you have dimmed your lights to 10%, they will be ‘on’ for 10% of the time and ‘off’ for 90%. For analog, the process is more straightforward. This is where the current is controlled to either dim or brighten the lights – increasing or decreasing accordingly.

Why Are Dimmable LED Lights More Expensive?

You might be wondering why you’re spending more money for dimmable LED lights than non-dimmable LEDs. This is because dimmable LEDs feature additional technology that increases the cost of manufacture, and therefore the price.

LED lights are also more expensive than halogen or incandescent bulbs. This is because they feature superior technology and come with long-term benefits. When compared to halogen bulbs, they:

• Consume 90% less energy- saving big money on your energy bills
• Last up to 20-times longer- so you don’t have to buy constant replacements
• Run a smoother, quieter operation- so you won’t have to suffer any buzzing, which is common among traditional bulbs when operated with a dimmer switch

So, in the long run, LED bulbs will save you more money than you spend on them.

Where to put Dimmable LED lights?

Location is the most important thing for installing your dimmable LED bulbs. It’s all about context and purpose.

For example, if you’re lighting a workspace or an area where you need focus, such as a kitchen counter, then dimmable LEDs are probably going to be of little use. In those situations, you go for non-dimmable cool white LEDs that cast a fresh glow to help you concentrate on the task.

Dimmable LED bulbs are perfect for creating mood lighting. They’re also ideal for living spaces, bedrooms, and accent lighting. Dimmable LED lights are perfect for highlighting specific decorative items such as artwork or sculptures. Because they can be set at a different level of brightness to the rest of the room, it helps draw attention to otherwise innocuous objects in an impressive way.

In Commercial spaces, dimming LED lights enhance the ambiance, in a restaurant, conference room, or presentation space, and can create a lighting environment while helping to keep employees productive and focused.

Productive employees are a company’s most valuable asset and have a direct impact on the bottom line. Good lighting can help allow employees to remain alert and engaged. Employees who are able to control their lighting environment were more comfortable, more satisfied with their work, and more motivated to continue difficult tasks.

19. LED lights components are in solid-state

The biggest advantage LEDs have that allows them to last longer than any other bulb is the fact that all the components are in a solid-state.

What is solid-state lighting?

Solid-state lighting (SSL) device- unlike incandescent and fluorescent lighting technologies, has no gases involved. Instead, energy is passed through a semiconductor (usually a solid chemical element or compound that can conduct electricity), lighting up the LED light bulb.

LEDs do not require compounds in the gas phase and do not need a warm-up time since the semiconductor device is all that is needed to create light output. In other words, an LED is a relatively closed-loop system that doesn’t offer much room for energy to escape as heat.

The act of evaporation and heating is required in conventional lights, and the process of heating requires a significant amount of energy. LEDs bypass this step and simply need electron holes to allow the electrons to hop from one end of the semiconductor material to the other, never needing to go through a gaseous intermediate or heat up.

The solid-state nature also makes them ideal for flashlights, as there is no filament or glass that could accidentally be broken by tossing it about. This makes LED lighting with different colour temperature solutions much more durable in practical use.

Solid-state lighting (SSL) has evolved to a point where the light-emitting diode (LED) is now the preferred light source for many lighting applications in Commercial properties.

Technological developments allowed LEDs to be used in signal devices like traffic lights and exit signs, then in some limited illumination applications such as flashlights and today most general illumination applications from residential to Commercial spaces to outdoor lighting.

20. LED lights help reduce carbon print

LED lights can help you reduce your carbon footprint, helping you save money while benefiting our environment.

What Is the Carbon Footprint?

“Carbon Footprint” is a term that relates to human activities and their impact on the level of greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere.

To be more precise, a Carbon Footprint is defined by the Carbon Trust  as “A measure of the total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by a person, organisation, event, or product.”

Everything we do in our day-to-day lives, from switching on a light bulb, to driving a car and to using a product, all contribute to our individual carbon footprint which, in turn, goes towards making up the collective footprint of the nation and the planet.

Why Is Reducing Our Carbon Footprint So Important?

Population growth, urbanisation, industrialisation, an increasing dependency on fossil fuels, and more recently, consumer products, have all contributed to larger and more far-reaching carbon footprints being left in the modern world.

Reducing our collective carbon footprint will reduce the amount of CO₂ that’s emitted into the atmosphere as a result of our activities.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a naturally occurring gas in the atmosphere. However, in addition to the natural emissions of this gas, human activity tends to add an extra amount of CO2 emissions. This leads to an increase in the so-called ‘greenhouse effect’.

The Environment’s issue with CO2

CO2, on a large scale, contributes to global warming but poses a much more personal warning.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, carbon emissions, in the form of carbon dioxide, make up more than 80% of the greenhouse gases emitted in the United States. The release of these greenhouse gases traps solar energy in our atmosphere, causing a shift in weather patterns, water supplies, and temperature.

Greenhouse gases can remain in our atmosphere for 50 to 200 years, continuing to change our world’s climate. Rising CO2 emissions will cause water shrinkage, an increase in severe weather changes.

How does LED lighting help reduce CO2 emissions?

With the development of long-lasting, energy-efficient LED light bulbs, reducing this figure is incredibly straightforward. Installing LED bulbs as your primary source of illumination really is one of the easiest and most effective steps you can take toward making your home more energy-efficient, and help you begin reducing your footprint today.

LED lights use 90% less energy than a typical incandescent bulb, which will greatly decrease your primary Commercial footprint, as less fossil fuel needs to be burned in order to produce it.

As LED light bulbs also have a life expectancy that’s 20 times longer than a traditional incandescent bulb, they will also help you reduce your secondary carbon footprint because you’ll only have to replace them once every 5, 10, or 15 years.

Unlike traditionally used bulbs, LEDs are manufactured using recyclable materials, which means they shouldn’t end up in landfill sites at the end of their lives; another important factor in the reduction of their secondary carbon footprint.

Switching to LED lights is easy, necessary, and pain-free! It would have such an enormous impact in lowering Commercial Carbon Footprint and find new ways to make Commercial spaces more eco-friendly.

Reducing a carbon footprint may feel like an impossible task. Rely on oil and coal for much of everyday needs, powering homes and offices, filling up gas tanks, charging computers and phones.

But LEDs are a great and extremely productive way to start. With the benefits of LED savings, the environment receives less CO2 emission thanks to switching to LED lights.

Lighting is responsible for 6% of global CO2 emissions. By making a complete switch to LED lighting worldwide, it could keep 1,400 millions tons of CO2 out of the air!

How much have CO2 emissions reduced with the use of LEDs in 2017?

According to a study by IHS Markit, a leading US-based global business information company, the use of LEDs to illuminate commercial buildings and outdoor spaces has reduced CO2 emissions by nearly 570 million tones in 2017! This number could improve with the massive installation of LEDs in commercial spaces, which would be a great green energy marketing for the company.