In today’s world, you hear a lot of talk about energy-efficiency, “going green” and all the different home improvements you can have done to your home to make it run more efficiently. While all of the energy efficient improvements that Direct Electric Company offers will save you money (Quiet Cool whole house fans, Solar, radiant barrier attic insulation, just to name a few) one often overlooked improvement will make your home more beautiful, as well. And that is LED lighting. How often do any of us really think about our lighting? As long as they come on when we flip the switch, most of us don’t give it a second thought. That’s unfortunate because it’s a relatively simple upgrade with loads of benefits.
First off, you may be wondering “What is LED lighting, anyway?” In the simplest terms, the LED, or light-emitting diode, is a miniature light source encased in a plastic lens. LED lighting is ultra-compact and 85% more efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs and over 10% more efficient than compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL’s). When it comes to lighting in your home, they are the best long term choice to save energy and money!
So, besides saving money, what are the other benefits of LED lighting?
First of all, LED’s are small but powerful! They have a low profile, which allows them to be used in spaces that other bulbs won’t fit. Since LED’s give off light in a specific direction and exactly where you want it, you won’t waste energy emitting light in all directions.
Secondly, LED’s have an incredibly long life. The life of a high-power white LED is approximately 35,000 to 50,000 hours, compared to 750 to 2,000 hours for a traditional incandescent bulb. And rather than going out suddenly like traditional bulbs, LED’s fade gradually.
Another great benefit of LED lights is that they run at a much lower temperature than incandescent or fluorescent lighting. Traditional lighting wastes 80-90% of its energy as heat. LED’s remain cool when in use, which is beneficial as we move into the heat of the summer. It’ll be hot enough, right?
Lastly, some may argue most importantly, LED lighting will help to beautify your space. You can install LEDs to accent any number of features in your home: the large mirror in your entryway, the family portrait in the hall, the art hanging in your living room, or simply replace the old can lights throughout your kitchen. The possibilities really are endless. Here’s a great video that shows different ways to use lighting in your home.
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