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LEDs are a big deal in environmentally sustainable lighting, so it’s worth brushing up on your LED lighting facts! Besides, you never know when they might come in handy at your next (virtual) pub trivia quiz. So without further ado, here are five enlightening facts you may not have known about LED lights.
LED Lights are Changing the Way We Light Up Work and Home
You probably associate LEDs with your household globes, but did you know that LEDs have an extensive range of applications? They are used in traffic lights, in televisions, and vehicle brake lights. On work sites, portable LED light towers are responsible for keeping mining operations well-lit and ensuring worker safety during nighttime road works. Their longevity (lasting more than 25 times longer than traditional globes), their compact size, and their resistance to breakage make them a wonderfully versatile option.
They Won’t Attract Bugs
You are relaxing on the back deck on a summer’s evening, drink in hand, with dinner cooking on the BBQ. Then you hear it – the unmistakable buzz of a hoard of bugs descending on you. These little critters are often drawn in by the gorgeous lighting you set up to bring some ambience to the scene.
After years of trying to ignore the dull thud of bugs batting themselves up against your lights and dropping into your glass of wine, you will be relieved to hear that bugs are not attracted to LED lights. Unlike incandescent lights and CFLs, they don’t emit infrared and ultraviolet emissions, so you can relax insect-free.
They are (Mostly) Recyclable
A vital consideration in sustainability is how long something lasts, which is why people are advocating for slow fashion and buying quality over quantity. The second consideration centers around how you dispose of products at the end of their life. LED lights tick both boxes – they last so much longer than incandescent bulbs, and the product designers and manufacturers have gone one step further in the green stakes to make their components are 95% recyclable. LEDs also reduce energy usage because they are so efficient, which decreases the need for fossil fuels.
LEDs can Send Light in One Direction
Traditional light globes send light and heat in all directions. The inability to target light where you need it wastes energy. One advantage of LED lights is their ability to transmit light in the direction required, reducing your energy usage. This feature saves you some cash when it’s time to pay your electricity bill and protects the environment at the same time!
LEDs Make for Better Hydroponically Grown Food
With the world’s population rapidly growing and over 124 million people facing food shortages, scientists and entrepreneurs are experimenting with vertical farms that produce fresh produce all year round. These vertical farms do not need a plot of land or pesticides and require less water than traditional farming, making them an attractive option. Early experiments that compared LED lights to HPS lights for hydroponically grown lettuce found that the LED lights were more effective for the plants’ nutrient uptake and growth.
LED lighting is the superstar of the lighting industry when it comes to both sustainability and usability. While installing LED lighting around your home can be slightly more expensive, it will save you time and money in the long run. Plus, you can feel positive about contributing to reducing the use of the Earth’s precious resources.
