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Tuesday, April 16, 2013

WSRM---LEDlights Save your Energy!


HERE IS LIGHT!HERE IS LIFE!


WSRM---LEDlights  Save  your Energy!

LEDs have come a long way since 1972. If you watched the Times Square New Year's Eve ball drop you saw it illuminated by 9,576 white LEDs which replaced the 600 incandescent bulbs before. The new ball is twice as bright but uses a fraction of its predecessor's electricity.


Instructions


    • 1
      Take advantage of LED's directionality. By now you've heard the urging from your utility company to switch to compact fluorescent bulbs, however CFL illumination is very diffuse. I've learned the hard way that CFLs simply don't last long in the swing lamps that I used to illuminate my work area. LEDs produce about the same light per watt as CFLs but they are more focused, so they are perfect for reading lamps
    • 2
      Install where vibration is a problem. If you put incandescent lights under the steps leading to a basement or in a busy garage where vibration is ever present the filaments to incandescent bulbs will simply snap. LEDs are solid. They are semi conductors and will not break.
    • 3
      Use them where you need constant color temperature. As a cameraman, I use lighting a lot. If I'm in a studio and dim a quartz halogen light, the color will yellow. LEDs will keep their original color when less current is supplied to them. They are perfect for battery powered on camera dimmable fill lights.
    • 4
      Take advantage of LEDs long useful life. LEDs can save labor bills in replacement costs for out of the way applications such as overhead lighting in parking garages, parks and even traffic lights. At home, they can be effectively used in hard to reach places where you don't want to take out your ladder every few months to change a bulb. LEDs last ten times longer than CFLs and one hundred and thirty times longer than incandescents. If you light with an LED for 12 hours a day, it can last 12 years.
    • 5
      Rely on them when the lighting has to be cool to the touch. Incandescent lights generate a lot of waste heat. If lamps get too close to stored newspapers or clothing you could start a fire. LEDs are the better choice for closets or storage areas.
    • 6
      Choose them for holiday lighting. To color incandescent lighting you filter it with paint or a gel which actually cuts the light output. By altering the components used to manufacture LEDs, the color of the light's output itself changes, making it far more efficient. Your red and green Christmas lights will be just as bright as your neighbor's blue Hanukah display.
    • 7
      Rely on them in flashlights. The best flashlight I have is powered by a crank and uses an LED for a bright directional light. Because LEDs use so little power and the flashlight has a built in generator, this emergency light can be relied upon indefinitely.
    • 8
      Use them for nightlights. They are a perfect choice for a children's bedroom.
    • 9
      Know that they will cut your power consumption dramatically. Some cities have cut their power consumption in public lighting by 80% by switching to LEDs.

      Tips & Warnings

      Costs keep dropping as LEDs grow in popularity, but are still initially more expensive than incandescent lights or CFLs but depending how long it is on, an LED can pay for itself in a year.

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