Author: Tim Moegen
December 20, 2023 - 4 MIN. READ
Consumers, operators, and owners are switching to enjoy the numerous economic and environmental benefits LED lighting offers compared to other types of lighting. Learn more about LED lighting and why you should consider converting your lighting as well.
Cost Savings
LEDs are considerably more energy-efficient and longer-lasting than traditional lighting. Home LED lights use up to 75% less energy. This is especially true of Energy Star products. The lower power consumption translates to significant savings on your electric bills. A 60-watt incandescent bulb can add $7.23 annually to your energy bill. An equivalent LED will only cost you between $1.07 and $1.57.
You will also save money and time on maintenance. LEDs last up to 25 times longer than their incandescent predecessors. Save time by purchasing fewer bulbs and climbing fewer ladders.
You can find rebates for many LED products. The largest rebates are on the most popular lamps. These are the bulbs normally found in supermarkets and do-it-yourself stores. As LEDs replace traditional incandescent bulbs, the latter will disappear from the market, and the rebates will fall. The designations of these common configurations are:
- A19
- PAR
- MR
A19s, which will be phased out most quickly, currently have $8 rebates. Linear tube replacement lamps will get you rebates of $4, and pin-based replacement lamps, $6.
If you want to install new fixtures or retrofit existing ones, you can also receive rebates. The rebates range from $28 to $127, depending on what types of fixtures you choose.
The cost of LEDs is also decreasing, reducing your upfront costs.
Improved Lighting Quality
The physics of generating LED light makes it brighter and more uniform than traditional lighting. Rather than the filament inside a conventional light bulb, an LED is tiny, about the size of a spice sprinkle. LEDs can emit many colors of light. Often manufacturers combine red, blue, and green LEDs to make a white light that is easy on the eyes. You can also use colored light to induce or amplify a mood or setting.
Exploiting the Difference
Since LEDs produce unidirectional light, your fixtures will require fewer reflectors or diffusers. Minimal light goes to waste, and you can quickly light specific areas or tasks. Cooks adore LEDs for undercabinet lighting to illuminate recipes and ingredients. Since LEDs do not emit UV light or heat in the form of infrared radiation, they will not damage upholstery or other décor. And maintenance will not have to worry about burning fingers when eventually one needs to be replaced.
Seasonal Cheer with LEDs
You can also use LEDs for holiday lighting. LEDs' extremely low heat emissions will give you no concerns about setting your trees, garlands, or other decorations on fire. Since LED holiday lights are made with sturdy epoxy, not glass, they eliminate the hazards of accidental breakage. Their durability means you will not pull out a string of lights next year only to find them dark with non-functioning bulbs. Your brightly colored LEDs will last for decades to come.
Also, do you grit your teeth wondering if multiple strings of traditional lights will flip a circuit breaker or, worse, burn out a wall socket? The low power usage of LEDs allows you to put up to 25 strings together for a brilliant yet safe display.
LEDs In Commercial Settings
If you own or manage a commercial or industrial building, you will find many ways LEDs can reduce energy usage while improving the facility. LEDs work in parking garages, walkways, and other outdoor areas. You can also use them in refrigerated displays and lighting production and assembly areas.
Do you run an indoor growing operation? You can use LEDs to provide specialized light for your plants at lower energy levels than traditional systems. You can choose the LEDs to promote the growth and flowering you require for your plants. Plants grown under LEDs are less likely to produce toxins. The lower heat output of LEDs will prevent excessive temperature rises and reduce cooling costs.
While you may have to wait for some lighting to power on or off entirely, LEDs feature instant full illumination. Also, unlike fluorescents, frequent switching on and off LEDs does not decrease their life expectancy.
LEDs also operate in extremes of temperature. While fluorescents may falter in these environments, particularly in the cold, LEDs keep pouring light. That makes them especially useful for freezer rooms and cold climates.
Environmental Benefits of LEDs
Prominent labels on fluorescent bulbs and tubes warn you not to throw them in the trash. In fact, in many places, it is illegal to do so. Fluorescents often contain mercury, which is not only harmful to the environment but to human beings as well. LEDs, however, have no toxic chemicals. Components can be recycled and reused. In addition to lower energy usage, the 100% recyclability of LEDs can reduce your carbon footprint by up to a third.
The long life of LEDs also positively affects the environment. Not only is disposal more straightforward, but you will also be doing a lot less of it, conserving materials and creating less waste. The long-lasting nature of LEDs also means that fewer materials are needed to produce light, and end-of-life treatment for bulbs consumes less energy.
The retrofitting capabilities of LEDs also reduce waste. A simple installation and rewiring will convert traditional lighting into LED. This prevents thousands of fixtures from going into landfills. It also decreases the number of potential toxic releases from the continued usage of fluorescent tubes.
The efficiency of LEDs means less heat pollution, and the directionality yields less light pollution. Outdoor lights can be aimed only where needed instead of shining in bedroom windows and obscuring the stars. They also consume fewer resources than wider-ranging lighting.
LEDs not only make your world brighter but more sustainable.
Aesthetics
Ultimately, LEDs emerge as the superior option for enhancing the aesthetics of your property. Offering a diverse range of options, delivering more illumination with lower power consumption, and boasting longer-lasting bulbs for consistent coverage, LEDs contribute to an enhanced visual appeal. This, in turn, serves to attract new tenants and retain existing ones by elevating the overall aesthetic experience.
Making the Leap to LEDs
When you add up the cost savings, improved lighting quality, and environmental benefits of LED lighting, it is worth making the switch. And getting the best price on LEDs makes switching an easy choice. Raiven can help you find the LED lighting solutions you need today, at the best prices.
Raiven Can Help
Raiven serves multifamily property owners and managers by providing the lowest prices on equipment, parts, and maintenance supplies as well as a purchasing platform that makes buying fast and efficient. Key benefits include:
- Pre-negotiated discounts that are generating average client savings of 7-25%+ from big name suppliers like Ferguson, HD Supply, Grainger, Graybar, Office Depot, and more.
- Supply chain alerts for price and product availability changes on the items that matter to you most.
- Private marketplace houses all your preferred suppliers in one location for easy access to your discounts. No more bouncing around websites comparing prices.
- AI-powered purchasing tools that find the lowest prices even when employees shop outside your network.
Raiven is your one stop shop to save time and money. Ask our clients Core Realty, Lyon Living, or Oaks Property Management what we’ve done for them. Visit Raiven to learn what we can do for you.
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