Here at PM we use LED for all of our lighting needs. For those who are unsure of the difference between LED and fluorescent lighting, here is a brief description of how they work:
° Fluorescent lights are made of up of a long, circular glass tube with metal fittings on each end where the electricity passes through. Inside the glass tube there is small amount of magnesium and an inert gas. The inside is usually coated in a phosphorous powder. When electricity is transferred into the metal caps, it excites the magnesium, which in turn releases ultraviolet light that hits the phosphorus coating and begins to glow.
º LED lights do not contain a gas or filament. The entire LED is made up of a material called a semiconductor. This material is solid, therefore making the LED a little more durable. When electricity is passed through the semiconductor, the electrons inside begin whizzing about and release energy in the form of visible light. These definitions come from the website Lifx, they give great definitions of both.
Here are a number of reasons why we choose LED:
1. Less Energy consumption- LED lights use less electricity than fluorescent bulbs.
2. Environmental impact- Fluorescent light bulbs contain a small amount of mercury, which is very harmful to the environment and to people. LED’s contain no poisonous materials.
3. Long term cost- LED’s are more expensive initially but they provide substantial long term savings. Fluorescent bulbs last up to 10,000 hours and LED’s last up to 60,000 hours. As you can see there is a huge difference in the hours.
4. Maintenance- Fluorescent bulbs require a lot of maintenance over their lifetime as they tend to burn out much faster than LED’s. The initial cost of LED’s is more expensive but you’re saving in reduced repair cost.
5. Color- LED’s produce a wider range of colors. They come in white and any other color one could want. Fluorescent bulbs come in two colors, cool white (white) and daylight (yellow).
These are just a few of the advantages that LED’s have over fluorescent lighting. We use LED’s for there low environmental impact, less electricity usage, wide range of colors and there low maintenance. Check out the Lifx website to find out more about LED’s and Fluorescent lighting.