Did you know that the first LED ever created was not even visible to the human eye? From dim, button-sized capsules to luminescent rays that can substitute for artificial sunlight, LEDs have certainly come a long way.
Today, LEDs are rapidly phasing out incandescent light bulbs and even fluorescent lights. Their superior brightness, lifespan, and energy efficiency make them alluring for both commercial and residential uses. The fact that LEDs are only getting less expensive over time further adds to their desirability. In the next decade or so, justifying incandescent or fluorescent light bulbs over LEDs could become difficult.
A Calgary LED retrofit could be what you need to get you on the right side of history. FM Lighting and Electrical has been the Calgary lighting contractor of choice for over 25 years. Connect with our electricians for a free quote for your LED project.
Light-emitting diodes (LED) are a relatively new method of lighting up your home, garden or grow room. Each LED lamp is made up of many small light-emitted diodes一essentially tiny semiconductor devices. When electrons inside these diodes are stimulated by a power source, they begin to move around. This movement produces energy, which lights up the LED lamp.
LEDs are considered solid-state lightning; unlike incandescent light bulbs that need to heat up to create light, LEDs are cool to the touch. The fact that LEDs do not heat up makes them more efficient than incandescent light bulbs. Whereas incandescent light bulbs expend up to 98% of their energy-producing heat, LEDs can convert more of their energy into creating light.
Given their increased efficiency in comparison to incandescent light bulbs, LED lighting can often be the more economical choice in the long term.
Building on decades of research on electroluminescence, the notion that a semiconductor can emit lights in response to a strong electrical current, the first LED was invented somewhat accidentally in 1961. Robert Biard and Gary Pittman from Texas Instruments, while attempting to create a laser diode, produced the first infrared LED instead. Because infrared is beyond the visible light spectrum, applications of the first LED lighting were limited.
The first LED lighting visible to the human eye only arrived a year later. In 1962, Nick Holonyack from General Electric created a red LED. For this contribution, Holonyack was hailed as the “Father of the light-emitting diode”一a title that still applies today.
On the heels of the work of his predecessors, M. George Craford, an electrical engineer from Monsanto, invented the first yellow LED in 1972. Craford also improved on Holonyack’s design, creating a red LED ten times brighter. Thanks to Craford’s breakthroughs, his employer, Monsanto, became the first mass producer of LEDs. However, LEDs at that time were mostly used by manufacturers, because consumers had little use for red or yellow LEDs.
It took another ten years before LEDs could be thought of as a feasible replacement for incandescent or fluorescent light bulbs. With the first green LED arriving on the scene in the early 1980s, white LEDs could finally be created by combining green and red LEDs.
Since then, white LEDs have progressively become brighter, more efficient, and more accessible. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, most households in developed countries could buy a white LED bulb for a little over $100. Schools, offices, and hospitals began replacing their incandescent and fluorescent bulbs in favour of LEDs around this time too. Nowadays, white LEDs have become so affordable and widespread that more and more families, enticed by their superior longevity, lighting quality, and energy efficiency, are opting for LED retrofits.
LEDs may have been invented just 60 years ago, but they are among the best lighting options available today. More affordable than ever, LEDs combine bright, reliable lighting with sustainability. Thanks to their efficiency, LEDs are an excellent choice if you want your lighting system to pay for itself in the long term.
It is no wonder that more and more Calgary residents have been going for LED retrofits with FM Lighting and Electrical. A lighting contractor with more than 25 years of experience, FM Lighting and Electrical is committed to providing lighting solutions at competitive value. Call us at 1-403-863-8529 or fill out the online contact form to let our electricians bring the best of what LED lighting technology has to offer.
Q: What are the advantages of LED lighting over incandescent and fluorescent lighting?
A: The main advantages of LEDs over fluorescent lights include longer lifespan and lower power consumption. Over time, LEDs tend to be the more economic and environmentally friendly option of the two.
Q: What are the drawbacks of LED lighting?
A: The initial cost of LED lights is generally higher than that of incandescent and fluorescent lights. Though LED lights are more cost-efficient in the long run, incandescent and fluorescent lights may be less expensive for short-term lighting solutions.
Q: How do LED lights help the environment?
A: LED lights consume less energy, which reduces your household’s carbon footprint. Additionally, unlike fluorescent lights, LEDs do not contain toxic chemicals like mercury. Lastly, LEDs last significantly longer than lighting systems, reducing waste.
Learn About LED Lighting
LED stands for light emitting diode. LED lighting products produce light up to 90% more efficiently than incandescent light bulbs. How do they work? An electrical current passes through a microchip, which illuminates the tiny light sources we call LEDs and the result is visible light. To prevent performance issues, the heat LEDs produce is absorbed into a heat sink.
The useful life of LED lighting products is defined differently than that of other light sources, such as incandescent or compact fluorescent lighting (CFL). LEDs typically do not “burn out” or fail. Instead, they experience ‘lumen depreciation’, wherein the brightness of the LED dims slowly over time. Unlike incandescent bulbs, LED “lifetime” is established on a prediction of when the light output decreases by 30 percent.
LEDs are incorporated into bulbs and fixtures for general lighting applications. Small in size, LEDs provide unique design opportunities. Some LED bulb solutions may physically resemble familiar light bulbs and better match the appearance of traditional light bulbs. Some LED light fixtures may have LEDs built in as a permanent light source. There are also hybrid approaches where a non-traditional “bulb” or replaceable light source format is used and specially designed for a unique fixture. LEDs offer a tremendous opportunity for innovation in lighting form factors and fit a wider breadth of applications than traditional lighting technologies.
LEDs use heat sinks to absorb the heat produced by the LED and dissipate it into the surrounding environment. This keeps LEDs from overheating and burning out. Thermal management is generally the single most important factor in the successful performance of an LED over its lifetime. The higher the temperature at which the LEDs are operated, the more quickly the light will degrade, and the shorter the useful life will be.
LED products use a variety of unique heat sink designs and configurations to manage heat. Today, advancements in materials have allowed manufacturers to design LED bulbs that match the shapes and sizes of traditional incandescent bulbs. Regardless of the heat sink design, all LED products that have earned the ENERGY STAR have been tested to ensure that they properly manage the heat so that the light output is properly maintained through the end of its rated life.
LED lighting differs from incandescent and fluorescent in several ways. When designed well, LED lighting is more efficient, versatile, and lasts longer.
LEDs are “directional” light sources, which means they emit light in a specific direction, unlike incandescent and CFL, which emit light and heat in all directions. That means LEDs are able to use light and energy more efficiently in a multitude of applications. However, it also means that sophisticated engineering is needed to produce an LED light bulb that shines light in every direction.
Common LED colors include amber, red, green, and blue. To produce white light, different color LEDs are combined or covered with a phosphor material that converts the color of the light to a familiar “white” light used in homes. Phosphor is a yellowish material that covers some LEDs. Colored LEDs are widely used as signal lights and indicator lights, like the power button on a computer.
In a CFL, an electric current flows between electrodes at each end of a tube containing gases. This reaction produces ultraviolet (UV) light and heat. The UV light is transformed into visible light when it strikes a phosphor coating on the inside of the bulb. Learn more about CFLs.
Incandescent bulbs produce light using electricity to heat a metal filament until it becomes “white” hot or is said to incandesce. As a result, incandescent bulbs release 90% of their energy as heat.
There are more lighting options available today than ever before. Despite that, ENERGY STAR is still the simple choice to save on your utility bills.
LED bulbs that have earned the ENERGY STAR are subject to very specific requirements designed to replicate the experience you are used to with a standard bulb—so they can be used for a wide variety of applications. As the graphic on the right demonstrates, a general purpose LED bulb that does not qualify for the ENERGY STAR may not distribute light everywhere and could prove to be a disappointment if used in a table lamp.
ENERGY STAR means high quality and performance, particularly in the following areas:
And as with all ENERGY STAR products, certified LED bulbs are subject to random testing every year to ensure they continue to meet the ENERGY STAR requirements.
For more information on how to select an ENERGY STAR certified bulb for each application in your home, view the ENERGY STAR Light Bulb Purchasing Guide (PDF, 1.49 MB) or use the interactive online Choose a Light tool.