'Green' White Papers from Green Lighting LED™
You've heard of White papers, authoritative tools used to educate readers and help people make decisions. We want to offer something a little different based upon the same principle, Green White Papers from Green Lighting LED™. Led lighting technology is low energy, green technology. This is your one stop source for everything concerning LED Lighting.
Benefits of LED Lighting
LED Basics
LED refers to Light-Emitting Diode. An LED consists of a tiny chip of a semiconductor material designed with a p-n (positive-negative) junction. Electrical current is passed in a single direction from the p-side to the n-side. At this p-n junction, electrons change energy level, releasing energy in the form of photons (light). Specific color of light emitted by an LED is determined by the semiconductor materials used to make the diode.
LEDs are often referred to as Solid-State Lighting (SSL). Solid-state is a description of a device that does not have moving parts or parts that are subject to breakage, leaking, or contamination of the environment. Solid-State Lighting is a term for LED lighting and OLED (Organic light-emitting diode) lighting.
Brief History
LEDs were first created in the mid 1920s, but it was not until the early 1960s that a US patent was granted and the first red LED was developed. In the late 1960s, LEDs began to be used commercially for indicator lights and displays. The light output was not bright enough for illumination of an area, and the original LEDs were typically a red color. A few years later, other colors were produced and continued to be used in appliances and equipment. In the 1990s, discoveries were made with higher power LEDs, and a high power blue LED which quickly led to the development of the first high power white LED.
Today, white LEDs are bright, energy efficient, and regularly used for general illumination. LED bulbs and LED lighting fixtures are available for deployment in residential and commercial applications.
Common LED Types
Low Power LEDs are typically very low wattage (0.1 – 0.2 watts) with a very little current (approximately 20 milliamps). The typical size is 5mm, but they are also available in 3mm or 8mm size. The light output is correspondently small as well (2-6 lumens).
High Power LEDs have been developed in 1 – 3 watts, or even higher. They are typically run at a much higher current, typically 350, 700, or even 1000 milliamps and can produce 30-90 lumens per a 1 watt package. The high power LEDs come in many different sizes and shapes and for optimal operation must be used with a well designed heat-sink system.
Benefits of LED Lighting
Energy Savings - LED Bulbs are the most energy efficient bulb on the market today. LED bulbs use 80-90% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs.
Economic Savings - Lower power consumption translates directly to lower electric bills. With an LED bulb with a life of 20 years or more, the LED bulb provides overall lower installation and maintenance cost.
Superior Long Life - Typical LED bulbs havea 50,000 hour lifeline. Compared to an incandescent bulb life of 750 hours or even a CFL bulb life of 15,000 hours, LED bulbs have truly superior life. Green Lighting LED™ products use superior LED Chip technology with an end-of-life lumen degradation value of 70% of initial lumens.
Environmentally Superior - LED bulbs contain no mercury or toxic heavy materials. They are RoHS compliant and can be recycled. No special handling or disposal requirements are necessary.
Safe Product - The LED bulb surface temperature remains low and can be handled without fear of burns or igniting flammable materials unlike halogen or incandescent bulbs. All LED bulbs sold by Green Lighting LED™ have a minimum 1 year warranty against manufacturing defects.
Product Certifications - A large section of our LEDs have gone through rigorous testing to make sure our LED products are safe and the information on them is correct. Many of our LED lights have UL, ETL, or CSA approval. Learn more about LED product certifications here.
Great Design Options:
- White Color Options with LEDs - various color temperatures available
- Color Variations with LEDs
- High CRI Options Available
- No Ultraviolet or Infared Radiation
- Great Cold Temperature Operation
- Instant On/Off Operation
- Dimmable Products Available
- Durable - Vibration Resistant
