How to choose the best LED lights | Part 1

LED is full advantages. If any reader knows of a better alternative, please drop me a line because I would like to know it.

 

The LED bulbs have several environmental and economic benefits, but do you know them well enough to select the best option?

 

The classic incandescent bulbs which have been withdrawn from the market to reduce high energy consumption and environmental impact giving way to the low energy bulbs and the LED.

 

The LED lights have a number of advantages for the environment and a very attractive option for the pockets of consumers. However, given the diversity of models and features to choose from, is well worth knowing what elements we should have in mind when selecting them.

 

I first would like to outline in this article five reasons to install LED lights and in the next article of next week I will explain how to select the best.

 

Five reasons to install LED lights.

1. A better environment for all.

LED bulbs do not carry pollutants materials as other light bulbs or tubes such as mercury, lead or tungsten. Also, as its power consumption is much lower than incandescent bulbs, we can obtain 80% decrease in emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the main gases involved in the climate change.

 

The lifetime of the LED bulbs also provide another environmental advantage. An incandescent bulb lasts average 1.000 hours, compared to a 25,000 hours LED. It takes longer to replace them therefore, thereby reducing consumption of raw materials and waste. Here I have to add that is not so if you buy the cheapest LED light bulbs without brand name or EEC mark, so be warned.

 

As I have mentioned before LED bulbs achieve energy savings of over 85% compared to incandescent, I think most people are well aware of this fact.

 

2. They use less energy and therefore save money.

But how do they do it?

 

LED bulbs convert 80% of the energy they consume directly into light, just the opposite than incandescent, losing 80% of electricity to generate heat. In this sense, the LED has high energy efficiency: achieving an energy savings of over 85% compared to an incandescent bulb and therefore less expenditure on electricity bill. To have on for three hours a day, an incandescent bulb of 40 watts cost us about 7.9 € per year in electricity, while a 5 W LED, which provides similar amount of light than an incandescent light will cost 1 Euro. The more hours they are on, the greater the savings.

 

3. Its price is continuously going down.

Although more expensive than other lights such as fluorescent or halogen is an investment that pays off over time, given its durability. However, as it is use is being widespread, its cost is getting lower.

 

Now days in some supermarkets I have even found almost similar price between a bulb E-27 (CFLs) and its parallel in LED.

 

4. There are models for all types of applications.

 The industry has developed a lot of models to suit a varied needs of consumers: tube, socket, lamppost, spot, panel, and in strips, with different colour lights, with cold light or warm, with varying brightness, etc.

 

5. It can be recycled.

The LED lamps can and should be recycled after its useful life is over.

 

As we well know consumers can deposit their used lamps, like the light bulbs in clean or in specific containers located in most outlets for lamps, warehouses or workplaces points.

 

As you can see, all in all, LED has very few disadvantages as long the product is bought from a reputable source and the EC sign is visible. If on top of that the lamp is being manufactured from well known firm you can rest assure that you are buying a good product. Obviously we could get the one off badly fabricated specimen but that could occur with any item on the market.