LED Street Lights

LED Street Lighting Benefits

For streetlights, LED lighting has proven to be a great choice, reducing crime rates and keeping streets safe. While their bright, white light is one of their best qualities, it can also be hard on the eyes, particularly in the dark night sky. LED lights have a positive effect on productivity and energy efficiency in commercial interior lighting, such as for offices and retail shops because they provide bright, even light. Parking lots, stadiums, and other outdoor spaces that require crane truck services and specialized equipment benefit from large-scale exterior lighting solutions that utilize LEDs because of their energy-saving and low-maintenance requirements.

The use of LEDs for roadways and street lights is another area where LEDs continue to gain popularity. There is some evidence that LED lights reduce light pollution, as well as creating a better driving and walking experience for pedestrians and drivers.

Discover some of the unique benefits of LED street lighting, as well as why so many towns and cities are using this technology for their roadway lighting.

Environment Friendly LED street lights

Light pollution refers to the artificial light emitted by skyscrapers and other large buildings, but street lamps, sidewalk lights, and highway lights also contribute significantly to light pollution in metropolitan areas.

In the beginning, LED street lamps emitted a cold, bright, blue light, which caused more light pollution than heat. Because of that, the fixtures that originally housed the LEDs caused the light to spill out instead of focusing directly and directing it downward, which can significantly reduce the illumination of the sky at night.

Fortunately, experts addressed the issue. One of the future-centric benefits of LED street lights is the ability to focus the light pattern to the ground through an innovative redesign of the fixtures. Light pollution is significantly reduced while LEDs continue to produce their bright, consistent light.

LEDs are also known for their green properties, most notably for their ability to reduce light pollution while at the same time being energy efficient. LEDs reduce the energy consumption of large-scale lighting systems used in warehouses and other commercial buildings, and these savings increase when these systems are applied to entire communities.

Unlike traditional exterior HID lighting such as high-pressure sodium and mercury vapor lamps, LEDs do not contain toxic chemicals like mercury, which can pollute the environment.

LEDs that turn full-brightness instantly

LEDs are known for their brightness and that is one of the reasons they are such a good lighting solution for factories and workplaces so that productivity is maintained and workers are kept protected from injury. The brightness of LED street lights, or, in more precise terms, their immediate brightness, is one of the biggest advantages of the technology.

The light generated by LEDs is a result of an electric current rather than heating a filament like an incandescent lamp or high intensity discharge lamp, thus it comes to full brightness instantly. 

In addition to avoiding a warm-up time where the street lamps fixtures might not be able to generate enough light to safely cover an area, these fixtures can also be controlled by occupancy sensors, which can turn them on in full as soon as someone reaches the area.

Glare from LED street lights is reduced

Lights from these street lamps can cause glares and reflect into apartments in larger cities. With the new research into low glare LED lighting, it will be possible to create an energy efficient and comfortable LED light. Researchers have discovered that by using interconnected wiring, the light can be powered at a lower voltage, thereby reducing glare. As a result of interconnected wiring, LED lighting would also be cooler, since heat is their number one enemy. Furthermore, even if one of the diodes failed, the light would still shine.

Light emitting diodes produce “directional” light, which is emitted in one direction instead of diffusing on the surface. Also, unlike some other forms of exterior lighting, LEDs are easily dimmable, so it’s easier to adjust brightness or add additional energy-saving controls to fixtures.

Maintenance is less of a concern with LED street lights

When determining the right lighting solutions for businesses, pubs, and shopping centers, ambiance and atmosphere are very important factors to consider. However, accessibility is also crucial when determining the right lighting solutions for larger facilities, building exteriors, and street lighting.

A difficult-to-access lighting system can all but guarantee higher maintenance costs for facilities using incandescents and halogens. Additionally, routine maintenance can cost large facilities and communities a lot more than one would expect in light of the inherently higher cost of energy usage and the operational costs of accessing lighting fixtures with specialty equipment.

In addition to being more energy-efficient, LED street lights require less maintenance than their fluorescent and HID counterparts. In addition to their long life (they can last up to a hundred thousand hours), LEDs are usually less maintenance-intensive than HIDs or incandescent fixtures, which require lamp and/or ballast replacement fairly frequently. For street lighting fixtures that are inaccessible and expensive, this is especially beneficial.

LEDs that turn full-brightness instantly

LEDs are known for their brightness and that is one of the reasons they are such a good lighting solution for factories and workplaces so that productivity is maintained and workers are kept protected from injury. The brightness of LED street lights, or, in more precise terms, their immediate brightness, is one of the biggest advantages of the technology.

The light generated by LEDs is a result of an electric current rather than heating a filament like an incandescent lamp or high intensity discharge lamp, thus it comes to full brightness instantly. 

In addition to avoiding a warm-up time where the street lamps fixtures might not be able to generate enough light to safely cover an area, these fixtures can also be controlled by occupancy sensors, which can turn them on in full as soon as someone reaches the area.

Glare from LED street lights is reduced

Lights from these street lamps can cause glares and reflect into apartments in larger cities. With the new research into low glare LED lighting, it will be possible to create an energy efficient and comfortable LED light. Researchers have discovered that by using interconnected wiring, the light can be powered at a lower voltage, thereby reducing glare. As a result of interconnected wiring, LED lighting would also be cooler, since heat is their number one enemy. Furthermore, even if one of the diodes failed, the light would still shine.

Light emitting diodes produce “directional” light, which is emitted in one direction instead of diffusing on the surface. Also, unlike some other forms of exterior lighting, LEDs are easily dimmable, so it’s easier to adjust brightness or add additional energy-saving controls to fixtures.

Maintenance is less of a concern with LED street lights

When determining the right lighting solutions for businesses, pubs, and shopping centers, ambiance and atmosphere are very important factors to consider. However, accessibility is also crucial when determining the right lighting solutions for larger facilities, building exteriors, and street lighting.

A difficult-to-access lighting system can all but guarantee higher maintenance costs for facilities using incandescents and halogens. Additionally, routine maintenance can cost large facilities and communities a lot more than one would expect in light of the inherently higher cost of energy usage and the operational costs of accessing lighting fixtures with specialty equipment.

In addition to being more energy-efficient, LED street lights require less maintenance than their fluorescent and HID counterparts. In addition to their long life (they can last up to a hundred thousand hours), LEDs are usually less maintenance-intensive than HIDs or incandescent fixtures, which require lamp and/or ballast replacement fairly frequently. For street lighting fixtures that are inaccessible and expensive, this is especially beneficial.

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How to avoid below-standard LED energy efficiency products?

Deciding to go in for energy-efficient solutions in large projects needs the consideration of multiple factors. One of the primary factors to consider is whether you are looking at achieving energy efficiencies for a longer period or is a short-term solution that you are seeking. The goal usually is to achieve optimal results, be it life-long or short-term. LED or Light Emitting Diodes have proved to be one of the most effective innovations in recent times. These are energy-efficient, kind to the environment, have a long lifespan, do not emit heat or UV rays, can be designed flexibly, and have climate-friendly operation metrics. But, do all LEDs pass on these benefits to end customers? What happens when companies go in for below-average LED products assuming that they are making the best investment? 

Picking the cheapest LED products without ensuring the quality or performance can be a big mistake for companies looking to increase their energy efficiency. There are reasons why they do so, ranging from no know-how about energy-efficient solutions to cost-cutting. It could be due to impromptu expenses that as not planned. Most of these companies do not consider that the concept of one-size-fits-all no longer works, especially with modern technology. Going in for low-priced solutions often means compromising with quality and results – such solutions can positively impact the ROI in the short term, but over a long time, the impact could be disastrous. The obvious way out is to go in for solutions that are above standard, and this can only when companies make informed decisions.

What factors should the corporate sector consider when choosing energy-efficient products? 

To avoid choosing sub-standard LED solutions, companies should focus on the following factors:

  1. Tested and approved LED systems

The first criterion for picking the most effective LED solution is to go in for independently tested systems and be approved by standard organizations like Design Lights Consortium (DLC) or the Energy Star. DLC that started in 2011 has a proud track record of achieving 70% average efficacy in solid-state lighting solutions. DLC is an organization that is committed to establishing LED controls to connect smarter cities and buildings for zero carbon emissions. On the other hand, Energy Star is a certification company that helps save energy while ensuring optimal comfort and reduced emissions. Both these organizations independently evaluate product performance to ensure top and long-standing performance.

  1. Always opting for high-efficiency LED fixtures

There are two choices of LED solutions – one is the Standard LED lighting systems, and the other is high-efficiency systems.  To understand the differentiation between both the systems is lumens per Watt metrics. A higher lumen per watt means that the fixture can offer similar lighting or lumens at lower watts, or such devices consume lower watts to provide good-quality lighting. Higher-efficiency LED systems are expensive, but the system proves to be a cost-effective investment over a duration. How is it so? While the upfront cost of a standard efficient LED solution is comparatively lower, the performance may not be up to the mark for too long, and you would need to go in for the replacement of the system is very soon. It means higher experiences with regular replacement. Not just that, the savings on energy that can be achieved with a high-efficiency system cannot be achieved with a standard solution – hence, businesses lose the opportunity for additional savings.

  1. Choose lighting upgrades for ROI maximization

Another way of avoiding below-average standard LED solutions is to go in for upgraded lighting solutions that come equipped with sensors and integrated controls. Such solutions are fitted onto the fixtures and may cost a little more, but these solutions gain better returns with blanket over-lapping coverage at all points. 

  1. Best to consult with a lighting expert

The right way to ensure that you go in for high-efficiency LED solutions is to take professional help from lighting experts. It is a good idea to spend some time researching a credible energy engineering company. Such a company will have a team of professionals qualified and experienced in this domain. They will study and evaluate the current lighting solutions and draw up the requirement of a new solution keeping our budget and energy efficiencies in mind to offer a superior utility solution.

Knowing the product better

The first step in paving the way for equipping your place with high-efficiency LED products is to know the products, understand the technical specs, add-on features, versatile solutions possible, and more.

Sourcing high-efficiency LED products

When purchasing LED lighting solutions, it is imperative to first find out about the supplier or the manufacturing company. Due diligence should be undertaken to find the company’s credibility and record before signing on the dotted line. It is especially fruitful to learn about the issues that the products or the solutions have had with other customers and how the company has resolved such issues. Also, delve deep to find out if the company has been in the business for long or they are newcomers, their warranties, and other details. Such details are valuable information, especially when you need the replacement of solutions, products, and parts.

Getting acquainted with the LED energy efficiency industry

Only when abundant knowledge is gained about the industry, you start to get confidence in the suppliers, the products, fixtures, etc. By participating in workshops and training to gain knowledge on the industry is a good idea. One of the fastest and the most effective ways to know the industry is to start working with a company that offers energy efficiency solutions. One can appoint an engineering company working on a turnkey basis gives the option to have a supplier specialized in energy-efficient LED products to work on your project. 

Conclusion

Companies need to be mindful and consciously take decisions keeping in mind the business requirements and the cost savings in the long run that each solution type can achieve. It is good to spend some time conducting a comparative study of the different energy efficiency products so that the decision is made based on facts and holistically. 

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LED lighting solutions for Calgary business

LED lighting solutions for Calgary business – How are they different, and what are the advantages?

LEDs or Light Emitting Diodes are not the same as conventional lights like CFLs or incandescent lights. LED light bulbs generate white light. While they are as small as a speck of pepper, LED lighting solutions are extremely energy-efficient because they radiate unidirectional light without the support of diffusers or reflectors. 

The advantages and differences of LED lights in Calgary vis-a-vis conventional lights

  1. Durability 

LED-wall lights for businesses in Calgary are powered by an amazing technology that makes them highly durable. The average lifespan of LEDs is between fifty thousand operating hours and one million hours. Thus, these lights on the walls will surely work consistently for at least ten times more than any other conventional light. 

  1. Energy efficient

One of the best reasons to go in for LED strip lights at home or office in Calgary is that this helps save your energy bills. The power consumed by the LEDs is very low. In most cases, it has been seen that the installation of different LED lighting solutions helps save at least 90% of the power. 

  1. Higher output

It can be very well understood with an example of outdoor LED floodlights. Let’s compare LED floodlights and the conventional Halogen or HID floodlights. The main purpose of floodlights is to flood the place with light which is why these are mostly used in places like stadiums, parking areas, shipyards, construction sites, highways, etc. The LED floodlights bulbs, as we know, emit white light at a broad angle. The lumen per watt is way higher in the case of LED flood light compared to the others. It makes them more cost-effective.

  1. Safety

Heat is a common cause of accidents or mishaps with conventional lighting. But, in the case of LEDs like LED linear in Calgary, there is minimal or almost zero emission of heat energy. Conventional lights like incandescent use almost 90% of their energy for heat emission. Thus, LED-installed areas are much safer, be it your residence or office.

  1. Small size

The LED technology makes use of small-sized LEDs.  Thus LEDs can be used in innumerable applications across diverse fields. For example, you will see LED traffic lights, LED floodlights, circuit board lighting, contemporary mood lighting, high-bay LED lights in commercial applications, and more.

  1. 180-degree emission 

LEDs emit light in a straight line in 180-degree space. All other conventional lights emit in 360-degree space, that is, around the source. Hence, many add-on accessories are used to redirect the light in conventional lights resulting in losses.

  1. Higher Color Rendering Index

LEDs have a higher CRI that measures the ability of the light source to display the actual color of the object vis-a-vis natural light. In most cases, higher CRI means better performance. It means that LEDs in outdoor security lights help to get better clarity as compared to conventional lights.

Conclusion

There are many other advantages of LED lighting solutions. Whether you are considering 12-volt LED lights for your office space in Calgary or LED floodlights for the outer premise,  ensure that you consult with sellers dealing in optimized quality LED solutions.