Long life — LEDs can provide 50,000 hours or more of life, which can reduce maintenance costs. In comparison, an incandescent light bulb lasts approximately 1,000 hours.

Energy savings — Commercial white LEDs provide 40 lumens per watt, compared to 14-20 lumens per watt for incandescent lighting. LEDs are especially advantageous for colored lighting applications because filters are not needed.

Better quality light output — LEDs have minimum ultraviolet and infrared radiation.

Intrinsically safe — LED systems are low voltage and are generally cool to the the touch.

Smaller flexible light fixtures — The small size of LEDs makes them useful for lighting tight spaces.

Durable  — LEDs have no filament to break and can withstand vibrations.

Going Green!

Light Emmiting Diodes

commonly called LEDs, are real unsung heroes in the electronics world. They do dozens of different jobs and are found in all kinds of devices. Among other things, they form the numbers on digital clocks, transmit information from remote controls, light up watches and tell you when your appliances are turned on. Collected together, they can form images on a jumbo television screen or illuminate a traffic light.

Basically, LEDs are just tiny light bulbs that fit easily into an electrical circuit. But unlike ordinary incandescent bulbs, they don't have a filament that will burn out, and they don't get especially hot. They are illuminated solely by the movement of electrons in a semiconductor material, and they last just as long as a standard transistor. Unlike incandescent or fluorescent lamps, which create light with filaments and gases encased in a glass bulb, solid-state lighting consists of semiconductors that convert electricity into light.

LEDs have been around for more than 40 years, but until recently were used only in electronic devices as indicator lamps. Technological developments in the last two decades have allowed LEDs to be used in signal devices, like traffic lights and exit signs, and in some limited illumination applications, such as flashlights. However, cutting-edge research now shows a bright future for solid-state lighting as the next generation of light sources for general illumination, from homes to commercial applications.