LED’S are popping up everywhere…cell phones, traffic lights, billboards, vehicle head and tail lights. So what are LED’s and should I buy them for my home or office? LED’s are light emitting diodes. The light is created when energy is passed through a chemical compound by way of a driver. Just like neon has a specific color depending on the chemical within the tube, LED’s are also available in different colors. The main ones are red, green, and blue. But the combination of those colors creates an almost limitless array, including white.

LED’s are slowly making their way into mainstream. I say slowly because there are some factors that need to be addressed before many people find them as a suitable substitute to everyday incandescent lights. Primarily, the cost. LED fixtures are 3 to 4 times as expensive as their fluorescent or halogen counterparts (i.e. under-cabinet lighting). Even though they can last 10 times longer, the initial cost is often a deterrent. I have been buying LED lamps and fixtures for over a decade and an issue I find that is still a deterrent is the unpleasant, almost lifeless colors that the LED’s are manufactured in. As I said earlier, almost infinite colors are available to be produced but only a finite range of colors are being produced. So far, I feel, none of them replicate the warmth that an incandescent light (bulb) produces. Another issue is that LED’s are really only bright at the source. Meaning they are bright to look at, but not to see by. (Sort of like neon.) Therefore, using them as a replacement to a halogen light is going to be a tall order. Whereas, halogens can throw a substantial amount of light 20 – 30 feet, most LED’s don’t have the ability to do that yet.

Because of energy efficiency, LED’s are being touted as the be all and end all. But, in regards to lighting, I feel, LED’s are like a tool in a tool box. You won’t get the job done properly if all you have are hammers…

Up next….what LED’s do well.

Vicky M. Lodge

VML Design & Lighting

863.248.2300

www.vmldesignandlighting.com