ABOUT LEDS

INTRODUCTION

Today, around the world, there is an unprecedented level of interest and effort focused on
implementing “green” designs for sustainable buildings. This extraordinary movement is in
reaction to several important facts regarding the impact of buildings on the world’s environment.
Experts estimate that by themselves, buildings consume:
+40% of the world’s energy
+40% of the world’s virgin materials
At the same time, it is estimated that buildings produce:
+40% of all global waste
+40% of all greenhouse gases
By improving how we design and construct new buildings and how we remodel existing
buildings, we can greatly reduce their environmental impact.
The desire to build more sustainable buildings is a worldwide phenomenon. In 1995, the
European Commission launched the Green Building Program (GBP), a voluntary effort
aimed at improving the energy efficiency of non-residential buildings throughout Europe.
In November, 1999 the founding meeting of the World Green Building Council was held
in San Francisco. This first meeting was attended by representatives of green building
councils from Australia, Japan, Russia, Spain, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom
and the United States.

LED lighting systems are available today for both interior and exterior general lighting

applications. The range of product choices is expanding daily and is expected to increase

dramatically over the next five years.

There is a worldwide focus today on the “greening” of our planet. LED lighting systems do

not represent the total answer for that, but they can play a significant role in reducing the

estimated 20% of our electrical energy that is used for lighting.

We have seen that LED lighting systems can help in obtaining LEED certification in key areas:

Energy & Atmosphere (EA) – Energy reduction potential makes this the most

significant category.

Sustainable Sites (SS) – Light pollution reduction.

Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ) – Individual lighting control.

Innovation & Design Process (ID) – A brand new technology for lighting

LED lighting systems are a part of the solution!

LED Terminology

Specification sheets give you more details and information on the capabilities of the lights and all of the topics listed below.LED - LED stands for light-emitting diode. A diode is an electronic component that allows current to flow in one direction. LEDs pass an electrical current over a semiconductor chip, and that causes the chip to emit a photon or beam of light.

LUMENS - Lumens (lm) are units of measurement to describe the brightness that comes from a light source, that is equal to the amount of light given out through a solid angle by a source of one candela intensity radiating equally in all directions. The higher the lumens, the brighter the light.

WATTAGE - Wattage is a measurement of electrical power. LEDs are known for using very low wattage in comparison to incandescent, fluorescent and halogen lights. For example, for our MR-16 bulbs, 1 watt is equal to 9 watts of an incandescent bulb, and will last 26 times longer. The higher the wattage, the higher the lumens.

COLOR - Our LED lights come in Natural White, True White and Warm White. True White tends to have a higher lumen count and is a cooler color, leaning towards a blue tone. Great for workspaces. Natural White is closest to daylight in terms of temperature and appears more true-to-life. Great for the home. Warm White gives off a lower lumen count with a more luxurious, yellow tone. Great for commercial usage.

BEAM ANGLES - Beam angles refer to the degree of width in which light emanates from the light source. The angle between those points on either side of the beam is where the light's intensity drops to about 50%. Many products only come with one beam angle, but in some cases you will have the option of choosing. Narrow beam angles will create a spot light in a smaller area and a broader beam angle will flood a larger area with light.

LED TECHNOLOGY - LED technology refers to the chipset within the actual lights. Each different chipset (Cree, Epistar, Osram, etc) can offer a different lumen count and color range, but sometimes they are the same in their specifications/capabilities. When ordering a product, if you see an option to choose an LED technology and are not sure which one to go with, just leave the choice as default and we will make the decision for you.

LEED certification

In the United States, the movement is being driven by the U. S. Green Building Council
(USGBC), which has developed a national standard for sustainable building design, known
as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Through LEED, the USGBC
offers a set of well-documented, scientifically proven performance criteria and a point
system for attainment of LEED certification.
It is important to recognize that LEED certification requires the building designer to incorporate
“green technology” in many areas of the structure and that certification cannot be
attained through the use of any single technology or product. Rather, a holistic approach to
the building’s overall design is required.
Lighting considerations are an important part of designing an environmentally sound
structure. The use of Light Emitting Diode (LED) luminaires can provide certification points
in a number of key areas within the point structure methodology of the LEED certification
process, but cannot by itself guarantee LEED certification.

A Brief History of LEDs

Nick Holonyak invented the visible LED while working for General Electric in 1962. Commercial LEDs were introduced by 1968 and commonly used as replacements for incandescent and neon indicator lamps. These red LEDs were primarily used as indicators in TVs, radios, telephones, calculators, and watches, but the light output was not enough to illuminate an area.

Dr. Shuji Nakamura, who invented the first blue LED in 1993, is also commonly credited with inventing the first white LED. From that first invention, LED technology has grown rapidly and the result is seemingly ever-escalating light outputs that maintaining efficiency and reliability at acceptable levels. In fact, high power white light LEDs are now fast replacing incandescent and fluorescent lighting as general illumination sources.

How LEDs Produce Light

LEDs differ from traditional light sources in the way they produce light. In an incandescent lamp, electric current heats a tungsten filament until it glows or emits light. In a fluorescent lamp, an electric arc excites mercury atoms, which emit ultraviolet (UV) radiation. After striking the phosphor coating on the inside of glass tubes, the UV radiation is converted and emitted as visible light.

An LED, in contrast, is a semiconductor diode. It consists of a chip of semiconducting material treated to create a structure called a p-n (positive-negative) junction. When connected to a power source, current flows from the p-side or the anode to the n-side, or cathode, but not in the reverse direction. Charge-carriers (electrons and electron holes) flow into the junction from electrodes. When an electron meets a hole, it falls into a lower energy level, and releases energy in the form of a photon (light). The specific wavelength or color emitted by the LED depends on the materials used to make the diode. White light is created by combining the light from red, green, and blue (RGB) LEDs or by coating a blue LED with yellow phosphor.

Some Basic Advantages of LEDs

Directional Light Emission: LEDs emit light in a specific direction, so well-designed fixtures can deliver light more efficiently to the intended location. Fluorescent and standard "bulb" shaped incandescent and metal halide lamps emit light in all directions.
Size Advantage: LEDs can be very compact and low-profile.
Breakage/Vibration Resistance: LEDs contain no breakable glass or filaments.
No IR or UV emissions: LEDs intended for lighting do not emit infrared or ultraviolet radiation, and generate no heat in the beam of light.
Instant On: Unlike traditional sources, like metal halide, LEDs require no "warm-up" time.
Rapid Cycling Capability: LED lifetimes are not affected by frequent switching.
Control: LEDs are compatible with electric controls to change light levels and colors.
Efficacy: Currently five times more efficient than the incandescent light bulb, the cost per lumen of LEDs is decreasing 10-fold with each decade.

Top 10 Reasons You Need To Switch To LED Light Bulbs

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) have been turning up all over the place, which leads one to wonder why. What's so great about these little lights? Why are we seeing more and more LED light bulbs cropping up on everything from cars to traffic lights? LED light bulbs have some very clear advantages over other types of lighting, such as:

1. LED light bulbs last longer. Without a filament to break or burn out, LED light bulbs can last for over 100,000 hours without showing their age (that's over eleven years at full brightness). This lifespan is twice that of typical fluorescent bulbs and twenty times longer than incandescent light bulbs.
2. They are energy efficient. An incandescent light bulb loses 80 percent of its energy to heat, leaving only the last 20 percent for light. LED light bulbs turn this around, giving up a scant 20 percent of their energy to heat loss. Not only that, but they operate at 10 to 20 percent of the power required for incandescent bulbs of similar brightness.
3. LEDs are more colorful. LED light bulbs can be made in a vast array of colors without the use of extra filters, which brings down production costs. They also provide a truer, brighter color than a filtered bulb.
4. LED light bulbs work in silence. The days of humming bulbs came to an end with the creation of LEDs, so there's no need to lose sanity listening to the thrum, tick, or ping of other light bulbs.
5. They are incredibly safe. With so little energy lost to heat and so little energy used overall, LED light bulbs run cool, which means no burnt fingers or burnt down houses. They are extremely durable thanks to their solid-state construction, so there's no broken glass to deal with, either.
6. LED light bulbs are focused. LEDs can be made to focus without the use of extra reflectors or lenses, which means less bulk and lower cost for the same beam of light.
7. They are the best for dimming. Incandescent bulbs turn yellow when dimmed, while LED light bulbs retain their true colors.
8. LEDs are versatile. Thanks to the wide array of colors and shapes LEDs be made to replace most any light bulb. Their diminutive size and power-sipping nature also open up a world of possibility, from infrared remote control lights to ultra-light headlamps.
9. LED light bulbs bring light quickly. Lighting up to their full brightness in microseconds, LEDs are a safer choice when reaction time is a factor, like when that car in the fast lane slams on the brakes.
10. They promise a brighter future. LED light bulbs don't contain mercury, like compact fluorescent bulbs do. Combining that with the fact that they outlast their energy efficient cousins, makes the choice to go LED clear as day.