The NS-Caffe Tech Blog

LED Lighting has taken the lighting industry by storm over the past few decades as people replace their traditional incandescent bulbs with the more energy efficient led light bulbs. Although the idea for LED light bulbs was first discovered by H.J. Round in 1907, the LED light wasn’t studied extensively until the 1960’s. Round is credited with discovering the phenomenon that drives the LED light bulb, electroluminescence. His tools used to create the phenomenon were a silicon carbide crystal and a cat’s- whisker detector. Technology sure has changed since then. Today, LED bulbs are the preferred light bulb of choice as its efficiency and low running costs drive many consumers to make the purchase. Due to the fact that it takes less electricity to run, the use of LED lights is saving the environment by lowering the carbon footprint. The United States government, in particular, has enacted laws to ban traditional, less energy efficient incandescent bulbs. These are some of the most recognized benefits of LED lighting over traditional light sources; however one benefit seems to always be left out when talking about LED lighting solutions. LED light bulbs can fulfill an array of different purposes and functions; thus making them increasingly versatile. LEDs come in a variety of different shapes, colors, and sizes. Light emitting diode technology isn’t just being used to replace traditional light bulbs in household locations, but also is taking over in other areas, such as flashlights and emergency lighting.

Flashlights are a worthy investment for emergency situations and when light has diminished from an environment. Unfortunately, we’ve all been there when we’ve gone to grab a flashlight and the batteries have died, or the light has turned on but it’s dim and flickering. LED flashlights are a solution to this problem. As mentioned, one of the benefits of LED lighting technology is its longer lasting operational life as compared to its incandescent counterpart. An LED flashlight will run up to 60 continuous hours off of regular batteries, with an operational lifetime of over 25,000 hours. The light emitted is strong, with the latest white LED lights measuring 60x brighter than standard flashlights. Also, taking less battery power to run, LED flashlights are of course more energy efficient. With the versatility of LED lighting technology, LED light comes in different colors, such as red, green, blue, and white. Investing in LED technology seems to make sense as you wouldn’t want to get stuck in an emergency situation with an old flashlight that doesn’t work. Although the initial investment may be greater than a traditional flashlight, the long term savings – and not to mention the peace of mind- makes it worth it.

As we all know safety comes first, and LED lighting technology is perfect for exit and emergency evacuation solutions. Today, LED exit and emergency lighting products are being installed in government, commercial, educational, and residential locations across the world. With all of the positive features and benefits of LED lighting, it makes using the technology a no brainer in these locations. Light emitting diode technology has some necessary characteristics needed for shining through emergency situations. Aforementioned, LEDs are incredibly energy efficient. They don’t use as much power to operate, and save companies and households money long term. Due to the fact that exit lights, for example, run 24/7 this savings cuts down on substantial electricity usage. Also, they are long lasting and have a long runtime without flickering and dying out. This is a needed attribute of lighting in an emergency, as LED technology will keep the light shining longer than traditional lighting methods. With this in mind, LED lighting features excellent illumination as the small semiconductor chips convert electricity into light. Using LED lighting to highlight exits will reduce maintenance cost and effort as the LEDs last longer, decreasing the amount of time needed for replacing bulbs. LED retrofit kits are available to replace existing exit lighting with LED technology. By replacing an old emergency sign or by purchasing a new one you are doing your part to benefit the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

There are many benefits to switching to LED light sources to fulfill your lighting solutions. The energy saving and environmental aspect are great reasons to make the switch, as well as longer operational life. Don’t forget the often overlooked benefit- the great versatility this technology offers. There is certain to be an LED application to replace your old traditional lighting source. If not, LED lighting has a bright future that includes a great deal of room for even more innovation to come. Stay tuned.