Frequently Asked Questions
About LED Lighting & Senergy USA
Q: What are the advantages of using an LED versus a conventional light bulb?
A: Unlike conventional light bulbs, LED’s offer:
Energy Savings – High powered LED’s provide a 70% - 80% savings over conventional streetlamps.
Directional light emission – LED’s can easily direct light where it is needed.
Size advantage – LED’s can be very compact and low-profile.
Breakage resistance – LED’s contain no breakable glass or filaments.
Cold temperature operation – LED’s performance improves in the cold.
Instant on – LED’s require no "warm up" time. LED’s are great in cold weather because they start instantly.
No Mercury – Unlike conventional lighting, LED’s contain no mercury.
Rapid cycling capability – An LED’s lifetime is not affected by frequent switching.
Controllability – LED’s are compatible with electronic controls to change light levels and color characteristics.
No IR or UV emissions – LEDs intended for lighting do not emit infrared or ultraviolet radiation.
No Glare – LED lighting does not produce glare or strobe effects common in conventional street lighting, reducing distractions for drivers.
Color – LED technology provides bright, true colors during nighttime hours.
Slow failure – LEDs mostly fail by dimming over time, rather than the abrupt burn-out of incandescent bulbs. Furthermore, when an incandescent filament burns out, the entire light ceases to function. Conversely, in LEDs, a single diode or a cluster of diodes can stop working or burn out, but all the other diodes operating independently will continue to function normally.
Q: How efficient are LEDs?
A: Average current-generation LEDs are capable of approximately 50% or more efficiency than equally bright fluorescent bulbs and more than double the efficiency of incandescent; some next-generation LEDs claim an 8-fold advantage over their incandescent rivals. New technologies are generating LEDs that are even more efficient. An additional, indirect efficiency perk of LEDs is the lack of ambient heat generated - heat that no longer needs to be offset by ventilation or air-conditioning systems. (NRDC)
Q: What makes LEDs different from other light sources?
A: LEDs are semiconductor devices, while incandescent, fluorescent, and high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps are all based on glass enclosures containing a filament or electrodes, with fill gases and coatings of various types. LED lighting starts with a tiny chip (most commonly about 1 mm2) comprising layers of semi-conducting material. LED packages may contain just one chip or multiple chips, mounted on heat-conducting material and usually enclosed in a lens or encapsulant. The resulting device, typically around 7 to 9 mm on a side, can produce 30 to 150 lumens each, and can be used separately or in arrays. LED devices are mounted on a circuit board and attached to a lighting fixture, architectural structure, or even a "light bulb" package.
Q: Is LED Technology new?
A: NO! LED technology was invented in 1962 by the American electrical engineer Nick Holonyak Jr.
Q: Is it true that LED’s provide worse light than conventional lighting?
A: NO! LED’s offer up to eight times more brightness than incandescent lamps without emissions harmful to the environment.
Q: Do LED streetlamps illuminate the same area as conventional streetlamps?
A: LED’s illuminate more! High-focused LED’s offer a rectangular beam pattern- providing uniform brightness and fever dark spots.
Q: Where are LED’s being used today?
A: LED’s are used everyday all around the world. You can find LED’s on street lights, as indicators lights on electronics, car headlights, traffic signals, streetlights and flashlights just to name a few!
Q: How long do LEDs last?
A: Most LED manufacturers define useful life based on the estimated time at which LED light output will depreciate to 70% of its initial rating; often the target is 50,000 hours for interior luminaires, but some outdoor luminaires are designed for much longer useful lives of 100,000 to 150,000 hours. Luminaire manufacturers typically determine the maximum drive current and LED junction temperature at which the LEDs will produce greater than 70% of initial lumens for at least the target useful life in hours. If the LEDs are driven at lower current and/or maintained at lower temperatures, useful life may be greatly increased. In general, LEDs in well-designed luminaires are less likely to fail catastrophically than to depreciate slowly over time, so it may be difficult for a utility or maintenance crew to identify when to replace the luminaire or LED arrays.