LED lights are the ideal energy-efficient choice for homes
Their biggest benefit is that unlike CFLs, LED lights do not contain mercury, which is a mjor threat to the environment
LED lights are the ideal energy-efficient choice for homes
During the past decade, the lighting industry has seen extensive innovations and new product launches with better, brighter, more cost-effective options. LEDs or light-emitting diodes, are infinitely more eco-friendly and energy-efficient than traditional lighting systems, such as incandescent light bulbs, which waste as much as 90 per cent of their energy.
Although halogen bulbs and compact fluorescent lamps once appeared to have their advantages, they have since been unable to hold the claim of energy efficiency of LEDs. This is because the light of incandescent and fluorescent bulbs spreads in all directions, thus wasting energy, light and heat. Conversely, LED light rays are unidirectional. It is this phenomenon that makes lives of LED lights 15 to 25 times longer.
LED lights ensure high level of energy conservation and consequent lower power bills each month. LED lights also save energy and money indirectly. For example, since they produce much less heat, air-conditioning costs in LED lighted homes tend to be much lower.
With the government outlining ambitious goals for energy efficiency, LED lights hold the potential to transform the energy and lighting scenario in India. The durability of LED lights is based upon the fact that they do not contain filaments, like conventional bulbs, which burn/fuse when overheated. As LEDs are solid state, they hold up well to vibrations, variations in input voltage, and continue spreading their cool light.
Union power minister Piyush Goyal recently acknowledged that our nation can save almost 100 billion units of power annually, thereby saving up to $7 billion (approx Rs 43,750 crore) per year if incandescent lamps were replaced by energy-efficient LED bulbs. The minister emphasised that energy conservation is more crucial than equivalent quantum of energy generatisn. LED bulbs can play a great role here by curbing peak power demand in the country by 10,000mw daily. If all Indian households switch to LED Lights in the next three to four years, it would curb carbon dioxide emissions by 60 million tonnes each year, the minister revealed.
The biggest benefit of LED lights is that unlike CFLs they do not contain any mercury, which is a great threat to the environment. With no proper system for collection and safe disposal of CFLs, these are gathered and transported haphazardly and as such may end up breaking and spilling the mercury during the process. None of these dangers holds true for LED bulbs.
LED light users need to note that unlike other light sources where the bulb wattage denotes the brightness of the bulb, in the case of LED bulbs, brightness is determined by the lumens of light and not by wattage, which only highlights consumption of power. In other words, a seven-watt LED bulb would be much brighter than a CFL light of similar wattage.
Moreover, incandescent bulbs only emit a warm yellowish hue, but LED lights are available in a wide spectrum of colours ranging from the traditional white to red, purple and yellow. While ensuring lower energy consumption, LED Lights provide better, brighter quality of light, making the home look brighter and more beautiful.
Another important point to remember for buyers is to avoid cheap LED bulbs. While these may seem a bargain, they are actually not because cheap LED bulbs use poor quality chips that fail soon. High-quality LED lights don’t die out prematurely. Good LED bulbs may seem expensive to begin with, but over a period of time, the higher upfront payments are soon recovered through lower power bills and long life of good quality LED bulbs.
Markets across the globe are already phasing out CFLs and other conventional energy-guzzling lighting systems. Regulatory authorities in India have also started offering subsidised rates for purchase of LED bulbs, and making them available in some regions via staggered monthly payments for upfront purchase.
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