Why use LED Lighting?

Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are solid-state devices (semiconductors) that have no moving parts, no fragile filaments or delicate glass shrouds. They contain no mercury, no toxic gasses, or banned substances. They are highly efficient and environmentally friendly and unlike conventional light sources, LEDs do not usually fail catastrophically or burnout. There is no end of life point at which the light suddenly fails, instead the light output very slowly decreases with time. Typically the usable life of an LED light fitting can be over 10 years. The key benefits of LED technology are:

1. Energy saving – LEDs can give over 100lm/w
2. Reduced maintenance costs
3. No disposal issues
4. Long life – 50 000 hrs 70% lumen maintenance
5. Instant on (at full brightness) no warm up time – even in cold ambient temperatures (-40)
6. Shock and Vibration resistant
7. Fully dimmable without affecting colour temperature or CRI
8. No IR,UV or heat in the light output
9. Directional light source - avoid light pollution
10. Low voltage DC drive

This LED replacement for incandescent candle bulbs uses just 3.3watts compared to 25 watts for its incandescnet equivalent. The innovative optic design gives 360 degree light output to mimc the appearance of the conventional bulb.

Considerations when Comparing LED to conventional Light Sources

When choosing a lighting solution one of the key factors will be the required illuminance (lux). This will normally be specified as a minimum lux level that should be achieved within certain points of the room e.g. an office worker may require 500 lux on their desk. The light output (flux) of LEDs and conventional light sources is usually quoted in lumens. As Lumens and Lux are directly related it is possible to easily calculate how many lumens are required to achieve the desired lux level. However it is important to consider the system efficiency of the light fitting design. In a light fitting using conventional light sources (e.g. a fluorescent tube) a significant proportion of the light is wasted (up to 50% depending on the design) because the tube is emitting light in all directions.

An LED is a directional light source and only emits light in a “forward direction”. In a typical LED light fitting, the LED is mated with a high efficiency reflecting optic which captures the majority of the light emitted (90%) and then directs it to the target area in a appropriate beam pattern determined by the optic design.

This means to get the desired lux level at the target surface you need to have more lumens emitted from the conventional light source than from the LED. This in turn means much greater efficiency from the LED light source as you need even less power even as you do not have to generate as many lumens from conversion of electrical energy into light.

Take a look at this presentation for a comparison between LED fittings and conventional light fittings.

Using LEDs in Lighting applications

The presentations below give details on the energy saving and other benefits that can be realised when using LEDs for lighting.

This was a presentation given by SH Lighting at the 2009 EuroLED conference. It discusses the typical system efficiencies that can be achieved when replacing flourescent luminaires with LED equivalents. It also includes a case study of an industrial application and illustrates the savings and payback periods that can be achieved.

This presentation by SH Lighting was given at the "LEDs Time to Engage?" seminar. The presentation goes through some of the key considerations when designing an LED task light and gives useful advice on choosing the right LED solution. Two case studies are included - one a simple reading light, the other a specialist inspection lamp. There is also a payback illustration of a typical task lighting installation.

Ultra Efficient Lighting and reducing Carbon footprint

With the increasing need to reduce energy bills and CO2 emissions many major organisations in both the private and public sector are looking at their energy consumption in detail. For example the UK National Health Service has calculated that 37% of its energy bill is spent on lighting. Clearly by switching to more efficient technologies to provide and control lighting there is a potential for huge savings. This will demand an holistic approach that considers all aspects of lighting design and the environment and application that is to be lit. The term Ultra efficient Lighting has been used to describe these technologies but as yet no clear definition exists. However LED lighting is key technology in this filed. If you are interested in moving to more efficient lighting solutions SH Lighting can work with your teams to help you implement effective solutions.

The UK Government’s goal is put the UK on a path to cut CO2 emissions by at least 60% by 2050. The Scottish government has announced that it intends to reduce emissions by 80%. There are similar trends in other countries throughout Europe and the rest of the world. SH Lighting provides products which can help you play your part in meeting these targets. LED lighting products when implemented in conjunction with other energy saving solutions like intelligent lighting control can cut your energy consumption on lighting by typically as much as 50% (depending on current technology used). Naturally this leads to a significant recution in the associated CO2 emissions.

Pay Less Tax – Use LED Lighting

We all like the idea of paying less tax and under the UK governments ECA Energy Scheme by adopting LED light fittings you can do just that. The ECA scheme provides businesses with enhanced tax relief for investments in equipment that meet published energy saving criteria. LED technology has recently been included in the ECA scheme, allowing users of this technology to claim 100% of the capital spent in the first year when replacing light fittings with more efficient LED versions. For more information visit the ECA Energy Scheme website. Many of SH Lightings products meet these criteria – please contact us to discuss your requirement in detail.

Get an Interest Free Loan to adopt LED lighting

Small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in England and Scotland could borrow from £5,000 to £200,000 as an interest free loan from the Carbon Trust. The size of the loan offered and its repayment period will be based on your projected CO2 savings, which will be assessed by the Carbon Trust. The Carbon Trust’s Energy-Efficiency Loans are unsecured and interest free, with no arrangement fees and a straightforward application process. Loans can be repaid over a period of up to four years, and in many cases borrowers have found that their energy savings more than cover their repayments. You can find more details from the Carbon Trust.