What is Incandescent Lighting?
LED vs Incandescent: Why LED is Better
Today electric lighting is everywhere and is an essential part of any business. The lights and displays within and around a business send a quick message to current and potential customers while premium displays facilitate employees' work experiences. Whether purchasing outside signage or in-office displays, making them bright and engaging will create a positive impression on both customers and employees. LED and incandescent lighting each provide multiple options for electric signs and displays and each offer different benefits and costs. This guide will provide a quick and simple comparison of these two options to help you choose the best lighting products for your business.
LED lighting uses microchips and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to create visible light from an electrical current. LED bulbs work by passing an electrical current through a microchip, which then uses the electricity to illuminate each light-emitting diode. The heat created by this interaction is then absorbed by a heat sink. The heat sink then dissipates the heat into the surrounding environment. This thermal management system prevents the bulbs from overheating and extends their lifespan.
LEDs are used in a large range of applications, from miniature lights to flood lights to video walls. Their versatility lies in the fact that the diodes are so tiny that they can be precisely engineered to fit each specific design. Every diode in an LED display can be programmed to emit colors separately and each light may be directed at a specific angle to achieve the desired effect. LEDs can be combined into any shape and pattern. The colors of each LED can be dimmed or arranged individually to create a multitude of shades, tones and moods. This process, known as local dimming, enables dark colors to appear darker and bright colors to appear brighter than in any other electric light source. This allows the creation of virtually any lighting design you can imagine.
Since LEDs do not rely on heat for light, there is no warm-up time and the diodes illuminate immediately when switched on. Most LEDs have an operational lifespan of 50,000 hours, although some brands can last up to 100,000 hours. When they reach the end of their operational lifespan, LEDs slowly dim rather than suddenly burning out like incandescent bulbs.
Incandescent lighting creates light through heat generation. In incandescent bulbs, electricity is used to heat a metal filament until it is “white hot”, i.e. so hot that light is emitted. It is basic but effective technology. Unfortunately, the use of heat for light means that the majority of the energy used in these bulbs – about 90% - is released as heat and only the remaining 10% of your electricity usage is actually generating light.
Incandescent lights have more limited uses than LEDs. Since they use heat to generate light, all incandescent bulbs have a yellowish tint to their colors. This makes it difficult to create captivating light designs, although it can be excellent when used for soft ambient light. Additionally, the metal filaments in incandescent bulbs burn out much faster than LEDs and frequently switching these bulbs on and off will decrease their operational lifespan even further. This makes incandescent lights less desirable for flashing designs or moving displays such as video walls.
Both incandescent and LED lights have their place; however, LED lights are the better choice for any design that benefits from brightness and longevity. LEDs, with their innovative internal designs, can create a much wider range of colors than incandescent lights. The pure, bright colors created by LEDs are ideal for video walls or displays requiring clear-cut detail. The diodes also disperse light in a specific direction, ensuring that the light is exactly where it needs to be to create the best visuals and crystal-clear images. Another great benefit of LEDs is that without a required warm-up time your display is ready immediately.
If you need a lighting solution that will last for many years and reduce your electricity costs, LEDs are again the best choice. On average, LED bulbs work 30 times longer than incandescent bulbs, meaning your LED displays will last that much longer! They are also much more energy efficient, generally using about 25% of the energy of an incandescent bulb. With the longer lifespan and lower energy consumption, LED usage could add up to significant savings for your commercial lighting needs.
There are a few situations where an incandescent light source may be desirable. Incandescent lights have a cheaper upfront cost. These savings are usually offset by the frequency with which incandescent bulbs burn out and the increased energy usage; however, if the lights will be used infrequently or you don't have the budget for the initial cost of LEDs, the cheaper incandescent lights may be preferable. Additionally, incandescent bulbs naturally create a soft light, which is excellent when gentle ambient light is desirable to establish a quiet mood in the room.
LED lights generally have a higher cost initially. However, due to their much longer lifespan and greater energy efficiency, they end up being less expensive and more practical in the long run.
LED lights are excellent in cold weather. Since they do not rely on heat to produce light, cold weather does not affect their effectiveness.
They can be used nearly anywhere. Despite being a relatively new technology, compatible LED replacements have been manufactured for almost every light source.
There are many types of lights for businesses to choose from, but LED lights provide the best in quality, energy efficiency and longevity. LEDs are used to create stunning displays and precise presentations. There is usually a greater upfront cost to LEDs, although the energy savings and durability make for a product that is less expensive in the long term. There are a couple of instances when incandescent lights might be ideal for your business (e.g. when the lights will be hardly used or the business does not have the budget for the initial cost of LED) but LEDs are preferable in the vast majority of situations. If you are prepared to take your businesses visual appeal to the next level and incorporate delightful lighting with LED displays, Unilumin has a wide selection of high quality displays and signage that will fit just right in your business.
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