There’s been widespread interest in LED (Light Emitting Diode) technology for a number of years. Originally the LED’s were a bluish, weak light which even though it used less electricity, produced little heat and lasted for a very long time, just wasn’t a useful light source. Recently the cost and functionality of LED’s has got to the point where they’re now being commonly used in many applications. There is a lot of demand for LED products and now affordable products are coming to market quickly.
We have a small travel trailer and after our first camping trip last season and worrying about light’s being left on and batteries dying I found some replacement LED bulbs and installed them for our second trip. No worries about leaving lights on now. Just have to find a solution for the 12V water pump now. I’ll keep you posted. One of our service technicians who has a background in electronics has converted his 18V flashlight to an LED flashlight. Our 18V rechargeable flashlights are used all the time as our electricians are frequently dispatched to sites where a customer has no power and no lights. Usually the flashlight with a fully charged battery has about a 45 minute life with a bright powerful light. Then the light gets dimmer and dimmer as the battery runs down. The LED converted flashlight will shine brightly for about 30 hours.
As electrical contractors, our main interest in LED’s is for lighting applications. Compared to a standard 60W tungsten filament light bulb, the lifespan of an LED equivalent is 2500-5000% longer and the energy use is about .04%. Mainly because of the drastically reduced energy use BC Hydro has been offering significant rebates to customers over the past few years. For example, if you replace your standard exit sign, which is on 24 hrs a day 365 days a year, with an LED exit sign BC Hydro will give you a $55 rebate.
We now use LED low voltage puck lights for all of our undercabinet lighting. Exterior flood and security lighting, service stations, traffic lights, automotive brake and signal lights and of course, exit signs are all other areas where LED’s are becoming the standard choice.
They are still more expensive to purchase than standard lights. But when factors such as maintenance and energy use are taken into account they will pay for themselves over a 1-2 year time frame. However, be cautious with LED specification information. At a recent lighting workshop I attended sponsored by BC Hydro we were told that LED lighting is not measured in a consistent way compared to other lighting types. Maintenance and repair is a significant part of the work we do and installing a product which will reduce that may not be in our best interests, short term. But we will always recommend a product which we feel is the best one for our clients.
Contact us at http://www.pacificstarelectric.ca/index.htm for more information
