An average Australian home spends 10% of their household electricity budget on lighting, while commercial complexes spend 18 to 40%. This is connected to the huge popularity of LED (light-emitting diode) lighting and the Australian Energy Ministers’ agreement to come up with energy efficiency regulations introducing minimum standards for LED lights in line with the European standards.
The use of LED lights should not stop you from creating style and mood in your home. You can use LED with the various modern lighting Australia offers. This can create accents to your homes, produce instant interior lift, create focal points, or even showcase your lighting fixtures. There is no rule against that. Make it your home’s centerpiece, a conversation starter. Why not?
Although LED light’s upfront price is higher than halogen bulbs and other lighting alternatives, LED lasts longer by five to ten times than regular bulbs. This means less replacement cost for you. And the upfront cost is generally recovered in less than a year. You do not have to spend a huge amount of money to light up your home in style.
Here are the other benefits of using LED lighting:
1 Cost
The LED upfront cost is high but zero on maintenance cost. A typical fluorescent requires frequent bulb change plus ballast replacement.
2 Lifespan
The lifespan of an LED ranges from 25,000 hours to 200,000 hours. In comparison, fluorescent lights last for 7,000 to 15,000 hours. Fluorescent lights’ life drastically reduces with frequent on and off switches because they are more efficient when left on for a long time.
3 Heat emission
About 15% of heat emitted from fluorescent bulbs is absorbed by the ballast and lost to the environment. This heat loss means energy inefficiency. Besides, these fixtures are for emitting light, not heat. LED emits a minimal amount of forward heat.
4 System Efficiency
LED’s system efficiency is above 50 lumens per watt, while fluorescent light gives off less than 30 lumens per watt. Lumens are the light output of the light source. It is the measure of the total amount of visible light coming from the lamp, which further means, the higher the lumens, the brighter the light.
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5 Cold Tolerance
LEDs can turn on instantly even at less than 4℃ temperature, while fluorescent lights cannot work at temperatures below 10℃. The controlling factor for this is the ballast. You have to find a ballast that will withstand cold temperatures. Temperatures affect fluorescent performance on light output and efficacy.
6 Light Direction
Fluorescent light is omnidirectional and scatters light in 360 degrees direction. This is a waste of light because only 60 to 70% of the light emission is used. LED, on the other hand, emits 180 degrees light to a more targeted area. The more focused LED lighting direction can work best with the modern lighting Australia has, such as pendant lights, table and floor lamps.
7 Health Risk
Fluorescent light was found to emit UV radiation. The light generated from the fluorescent bulbs comes from the phosphor coating of the lamp coming in contact with UV radiation. Sitting under fluorescent light for 8 hours is equivalent to one minute of sun exposure. LED has no UV emissions and therefore poses no health risk.
Conclusion
You get what you pay for, they say. But it should not be at the expense of your health.