LED lights get talked about all of the time these days, but what do you really know about them? As a homeowner in Portland, are LEDs the right type of lighting for your lifestyle, budget, and environmental considerations? We’re here to help you better understand the ABCs of LEDs so that you can make better, more informed decisions about your Portland home’s energy efficiency.
LED stands for light-emitting diode. Essentially, what this means is that LEDs are semiconductor light sources. Semiconductors are materials that, more or less, exist in between insulators (think glass, rubber, or plastic) and conductors (such as metals like copper, steel, and even sea water).
This means that LED lights use these semiconductors to convert electricity into light. LED is considered to be an extremely energy-efficient source of light for Portland homeowners, but LED lamps are also used in automobile and aviation lighting, street lamps, flashlights, electronic devices, and other applications where energy efficiency is key.
Because the technology and its manufacturing has improved considerably over the years, so has its cost, making energy efficient LED bulbs and lighting options not only more desirable for residential homes, but also considerably more affordable. We need more and more of our clients’ homes in the Portland area choosing LED lighting options due to their energy efficiency and overall lower environmental impact.
According to the US Department of Energy, LEDs are incredibly energy efficient and could pave the way for a new era of lighting the United States in a more efficient and eco-friendly manner.
It is noted that LEDs — especially those with an Energy Star rating — can last as much as 25 times longer than regular incandescent bulbs at a rate that uses at least 75% less energy!
For instance, incandescent bulbs use a filament that is heated until it glows, emitting light but only converting about 5% of the energy used into light that we can see while releasing almost 90% of their energy as heat. On the contrary, LEDs release very little energy as heat, and though the results may vary, LEDs reportedly turn upwards of 80% of their energy into visible light in some instances.
LEDs also do not burn out in the manner standard incandescent bulbs do. Intead, LED bulbs will fade slowly over time. Energy Star describes this dimming as “lumen depreciation.” Lumens is a reference to the unit measurement of the brightness of LEDs lights. This is different than how incandescent bulbs are measured in “watts,” which is the measurement of the amount of energy in a light.
Quality LED bulbs can have a lifetime that is 25 times longer than standard incandescent bulb — that’s over 25,000 hours of light! That alone makes LEDs more environmentally friendly than an incandescent bulb. Fewer bulbs purchased means less waste over time. Not only that, but LEDs also use less energy to produce light. According to the US Department of Energy, LEDs superior energy efficiency not only pertains to incandescent bulbs, but to compact fluorescent lights, as well.
A US Department of Energy study stated that, “Switching entirely to LED lights over the next two decades could save the U.S. $250 billion in energy costs, reduce electricity consumption for lighting by nearly 50 percent and avoid 1,800 million metric tons of carbon emissions.” That’s incredible, and it’s a perfect reason to consider transitioning your home’s lighting to LEDs.
Are you interested in how you can make your home more energy efficient? Who doesn’t like saving money on their energy bills?!? At Green Box Mechanical, we pride ourselves in bending over backwards to make our customers feel great about working with us. It’s in our DNA.
No matter if you’re looking to switch your home’s lighting over to LED, are in need of an electrical contractor, or are in need of top-tier plumbing or HVAC solutions Green Box has you covered! Our trusted and experienced technicians are proud to provide you the services you need and the level of customer support you’ve always wanted. Call Green Box Mechanical today to learn more!
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