How LEDs Can Help the Environment

Lighting is such a basic need that we take it for granted in our everyday lives. In fact our lives are almost impossible without lighting. The convenience and safety come at a price, however, and it’s a price that’s mostly paid by the environment. That’s because most of the electricity generated in the U.S. comes from fossil fuels, which produce the greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. The effort to reduce greenhouse has emissions is multi-faceted, and the development of new and energy efficient lighting is an important part of this effort. Induction lighting and LEDs can decrease energy consumption drastically while providing greater output than fluorescents and halogen bulbs.

The search for energy efficient lighting
Lighting is a basic human necessity. It’s impossible to imagine our lives without it. Our way of life depends on reliable lighting, but it comes at a cost. The costs are both financial and environmental. Standard fluorescent lighting is both expensive and high on energy consumption. In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that over one fifth, or 22% of all energy consumption is used for lighting.
Most of the energy used in the U.S. comes from burning fossil fuels. This means that our lights contribute directly to the problems of global warming and climate change. However, the good news is that there are alternatives. New forms of lighting like LED lights and induction lighting are much more energy efficient and have the potential to dramatically reduce our energy consumption.

What are LED lights?
LEDs or light emitting diodes are semiconductors that produce light when an electrical current flows through the microchip. LEDs also have a heat sink that absorbs the enormous amounts of heat produced in the process. LEDs are much more energy efficient than conventional light sources. For example, they use only 15% of the energy needed by a standard halogen light. With this amount of energy, they can produce 85% more light output. They also outperform traditional lighting in durability.
Fluorescent bulbs have a lifespan of about 20,000 hours, while LEDs can last for 50,000 hours or more. This makes LEDs a good source of lights when there is need for low-cost, energy efficient lighting. According to Department of Energy estimates, LED lighting can potentially reduce energy consumption in the U.S. by half. This makes it the ideal choice for use in locations like garages, street lights, and warehouses, where there is need for long term to permanent lighting.

Uses of LED lighting
New lighting sources like LEDs and induction lighting are already widely used. LEDs are used for everything from domestic lighting to auto headlamps. They’re an ideal choice for athletic facilities, street lights, and other public spaces where continuous lighting may be necessary. In many places, parking garages are required by law to have continuous lighting, 24 hours a day, as a safety measure.
LEDs are ideal for such locations and many more. They also have many applications in the medical and dental fields.

New light sources like LEDs and induction lighting are low-cost and energy efficient alternatives to conventional halogen or fluorescent lamps. LEDs are already widely used in a number of different applications. They have the potential to reduce energy consumption nationally and to limit environmental damage.