The world is moving towards the green concept including solar panels with the advancement in technology. Society is looking for energy-efficient and environment-friendly products in their day-to-day life.
As a result, many green products have emerged in the market today. Likewise, Installing LED lights are the latest creation in the lighting industry. The LED lights are well known for upholding green policies.
If you are planning to install LED lights, you must know its pros and cons. In this article, we will list them out so that you can compare the pros of LED lighting against its cons.
Pros of installing LED lights
1. Energy efficient
Installing LED lights are way more energy-efficient than incandescent lights and more efficient than CFL bulbs.
Let’s illustrate this precisely. Lumens are the measurement units used to measure the brightness of a bulb. The Watts are used to represent the energy output. The energy output required to produce the same amount of brightness in different types of lights is different from each other.
If an incandescent bulb uses 60 Watts, the CFL will use 12 Watts, while LED would use only 10 watts to produce the same brightness level.
Therefore LEDs seem to be consuming less energy than both incandescent and CFL bulbs.
2. Has a long lifespan
An incandescent bulb’s lifespan would be around 1000 hours, whereas a CFL would have a lifespan of 8000-10000 hours on average. They have to be replaced after the specified time period.
However, the LED bulbs have a longer lifespan when compared to both CFL and incandescent bulbs. They have an average lifespan of more than 20000 hours. Sometimes it could extend up to 50000 hours or more, depending on the brand.
This long lifespan would help the users to save money in the long run. It would also help minimize the electrical waste caused by continuous replacement thereby protecting the environment.
3. Environmental friendly material
Unlike CFL, LED bulbs do not contain mercury. The mercury could accumulate in the living organisms when it is disposed into nature irresponsibly. Mercury could seriously damage the health of living beings.
This is not an issue with the LED lights. However, a research study stated that the LED would contain arsenic and lead. But this issue hasn’t surfaced in the market yet. As a matter of fact the demand for LEDs rises day by day.
Nevertheless, when a LED stops working, you can give it for recycling without disposing it to the environment.
4. Less heat and can withstand frequent switching
Have you noticed that incandescent lights produce too much heat when switched on? Although CFLs don’t produce much heat compared to incandescent lights, they would still produce heat much more than LED bulbs.
This means that more energy is lost as heat when you use incandescent and CFL bulbs when compared to LEDs. You may have not noticed, but other lights would take a couple of milliseconds to start.
However, LEDs would start immediately, especially since they don’t need time to heat up. Therefore if you install LEDs, much energy is not wasted as heat.
On the other hand, LEDs would work well in places where you need to switch on and off the light frequently. While this could reduce the lifespan of other bulbs, the LEDs will not be affected.
When you switch off a bulb, it loses its heat. Therefore when you want to switch them back on, they would have to reheat, which consumes more energy. As a result, every lighting option is not suitable for places where you constantly switch on and off the lights. LEDs are the best option for such places.
5. Works well in the cold climate
Both incandescent lights and some CFL bulbs do not work well in cold climates. The lights might flicker until it is properly heated. These bulbs consume more energy to heat up, especially in the cold climate.
However, the LEDs work well in the cold climate. They don’t need to heat up. Therefore performance quality of LEDs are better even under cold weather conditions.
6. Helps against global warming
Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that could cause global warming. The electricity generation by burning fossil fuels contributes to 84% of carbon dioxide emissions.
The LEDs will contribute to the least carbon dioxide emission by using lesser energy, which is ideal against global warming. Let’s compare the emission of other bulbs. Thirty units of incandescent bulbs would emit over 2 tons of carbon dioxide per year, and 30 units of CFLs would emit 481 kg/year, while 30 LEDs would emit only 206 kg/year.
Therefore, if you install LEDs in your house, you are helping against global warming by choosing the option that emits minimum carbon dioxide.
Cons of LED lights
1. High initial cost
The biggest con of LED lights is the higher initial investment cost. LED bulbs are complex, and they can be more expensive than the other bulbs.
However, its cost can be recovered by the long lifespan and the energy efficiency of the LED bulbs.
2. Light temperature
Most LED brands emit a bright yet cool white color rather than a warm yellowish color like incandescent bulbs. This could limit your lighting options, especially in bedroom areas. This is because bright blue light emissions could affect your sleeping pattern.
However, there are many LEDs in the market today with warm daylight features. They have a warm yet bright yellowish color, which is slightly similar to the color of incandescent bulbs.
Should you install LED lights
Most of us are looking for ways to reduce our carbon footprint and adopt environmental-friendly options in our day-to-day life due to the current environmental crisis. After all, it is our responsibility to do so.
Switching to LED lighting is a good place to start it. The pros of the LEDs would outweigh its cons. They are more energy-efficient, and they will take you one step closer to a green tomorrow. Unlike in the early days of LEDs, the manufacturers are adopting new practices these days to eliminate their cons.
You can replace the current bulbs at your home or business place with new LEDs. But remember that you might need some adjustments in holders and infrastructures to facilitate LEDs. If you plan to make this changeover, consult a licensed electrician and evaluate your options. Let’s build the path for a greener future together.
