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What is LED

Light emitting diodes, more commonly known as “LED”, represents the cutting edge of lighting technology. These LEDs provide a very energy efficient light source, which produces low heat and is long lasting. It is fast becoming an increasingly popular solution for residential and commercial lighting applications. LEDs are a solid-state semiconductor device that converts electrical energy directly into light, through the movement of electrons. LEDs operate on a totally different concept than traditional incandescent lights. Instead of using a brittle metal filament that is susceptible to shock and vibration, LEDs are solid-state devices with no moving parts utilising an electronic chip that is generally encapsulated in an epoxy substrate. This design provides increased durability and a protective seal against outside or foreign elements.

Benefits of LED
 
LED lighting contains no mercury or other toxins. LEDs emit no ultraviolet (UV) light, therefore they won’t fade paintings or clothing. They don’t generate heat, so they are cool to touch, which is ideal for public areas. They don’t generate radio frequency waves, so they don’t interfere with radios or televisions. They are also resistant to vibrations and shocks. Most importantly, LEDs consume much less energy. They are about 1000% more energy efficient than an incandescent lamp, and about 300% more energy efficient than a compact fluorescent lamp. They also have a very long life, up to around 50000 hours. An incandescent lamp in comparison lasts around 1000 hours. They are also
small and compact, which allows for sleeker, compact light fitting designs, which were unachievable until now.
 
Types of LEDs
 
LED technology is changing rapidly, and technological advances are continuously being made. 5mm LEDs are the first generation of miniature LEDs that are still used today due to price and practicality. Found commonly in residential areas as a directional light such as in steplights, bricklights, and inground lights. Many LEDs on the market are built using Surface Mount Device (SMD) technology — a trend that is extending to outdoor lighting. An SMD consists of one or more diodes mounted on a chipset, which is then mounted on a PC board.
The individual diodes may be smaller than a pin and are set very close together. The latest generation of LEDs, high power LEDs (HPLED), can be driven at currents from hundreds of mA to more than an ampere, compared with the tens of mA for other LEDs. Some can produce over a thousand lumens. Since overheating is destructive, the HPLEDs must be mounted on a heat sink to allow for heat dissipation. If the heat from a HPLED is not removed, the device will burn out in seconds. A single HPLED can often replace an incandescent bulb
in a torch, or be set in an array to form a powerful LED lamp.
 
LED Applications
 
Initially when LEDs were first released as lighting products, they were not very bright. LEDs have now become bright
enough to be used for almost all lighting applications. Below are some examples of where LEDs are commonly being
used:
 
  • Directional lighting - lighting up steps, pathways, corridors and low level lighting.
  • Emergency lighting - exit signs, and recessed emergency lights.
  • Effect lighting – illuminated signage, cove lighting, underbench lighting, wall lights, display/cabinet lighting, elevator lighting and spotlights.
  • Ambient lighting – downlights, pendants, chandeliers and oyster lights.
  • Exterior lighting – ideal as bricklights, steplights, inground lights, wall washers and garden lights. LEDs are also becoming more available for area lighting, such as floodlights, spotlights and street lighting. Great as sensor lights as opposed to fluorescents (reduces life of lamp) and halogens (short lamp life and high temperature).
Commercial buildings where energy performance and high maintenance costs are factors; LEDs are providing solutions
to overcome these issues for today and tomorrow. Governments and local councils are now making it mandatory to adopt energy saving lighting in all new homes and commercial applications, through energy sustainability programs such as BASIX. LEDs are vastly becoming the preferred resource versus conventional lighting. New and brighter LEDs are under development and will certainly impact
your future lighting requirements. Let’s make a difference and contribute reducing emissions by providing maximum efficiency at the minimum energy consumption, making this world a greener and less polluted place for generations to come.
 
This information is intended as a general overview of LED lighting and content may become obsolete at time of publication. Please contact Domus Lighting for accurate and concise information if constituting advice about LEDs.