Lighting is the most important element in the improvement of any building or premises. Without it, the possibility of normal operation disappears, regardless of the purpose or other features. Currently, LED lighting is the priority type, demonstrating a significant advantage over all alternatives.
What is LED lighting?
A lighting system of any type is a set of devices that provide indoor or outdoor lighting of buildings, land plots, streets, etc. Lighting with LED lamps performs the same functions, differing only in the design of the lamps. At the same time, there is a noticeable difference in the way of organizing and supplying power to lighting fixtures. Electricity consumption of LED devices is many times lower than that of traditional incandescent lamps or fluorescent structures. This changes the technology of wiring, and recently there have been stand-alone lamps powered by their own source.
Initially, LED light sources were expensive and were used only in lighting premises of the appropriate level and purpose. For example, 4 ft. led hanging shop light is good for commercial use. However, prices fell quickly, making LEDs the most efficient and cost effective. A massive transition from fluorescent (energy-saving) lamps to semiconductor devices began, since the cost of maintaining and maintaining such systems is much lower than that of any alternative.
The principle of operation of LED light sources
An LED is a semiconductor device capable of converting an electric current into a luminous flux. The main structural element is a light-emitting crystal. It is installed on an aluminum or copper base, fixed with a layer of silicone. The anode and cathode are connected to the surface of the crystals, to which the supply voltage is applied. Above is a silicate glass or epoxy compound lens (in cheap models). Around the crystal there is a reflector that forms the luminous flux and determines the opening angle of this LED.
LED characteristics
The technical characteristics of LEDs differ significantly from the usual types of lamps, which raises many questions when choosing the right device. Diode lighting is determined by other parameters that you need to know when choosing the most successful option. Characteristics that reflect the properties of LED devices:
- Power: This is the scattering rate on the crystal. If you need to find an analogue of a traditional incandescent lamp, its power should be divided by 8 (for example, an ice lamp with a power of 100: 8 = 12.5 w will be an analogue of a 100-watt bulb).
- Light output:This is the value of the luminous flux intensity. This is a complex and uninformative indicator, since for a 100-watt incandescent lamp it is equal to 100 lm, and for a diode lamp with a diameter of 5 mm – 5 lm.
- Scattering angle:This is the opening angle of the cone created by the light stream. Borders are considered to be lines in which the brightness of the glow drops to half the value. Different devices have an opening angle of 20 ° to 120 °.
- Color temperature:This parameter has nothing to do with heating, determining the shade of the glow of the device. The tint color of a steel plate heated to certain temperatures in kelvin is taken as a standard. The most pleasing to the eye are soft yellows, reds, or yellowish-white shades. Harsher blue or purple lights can change the color of objects in the room. Yellow corresponds to 2000-2700 k, and hard violet – from 7500 k and above.
- Color rendering:Indicates the degree of realistic perception of color when using a particular type of luminaire. An indicator that is important for artists, photographers or designers.
- Life time:LEDs are very durable devices. Their resource reaches 50-100 thousand hours. Compared to an incandescent lamp, they can last 50-100 times longer. If you want to get LED lights from a reliable brand then go for lepro.com as it’s the best out there.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantages of LED backlighting include:
- Low power consumption.
- Long service life.
- A large number of types of lamps.
- High luminous efficiency.
- It is possible to select leds by color temperature.
- Great decorative options that allow you to create attractive lighting options.
- The lack of heating contributes to an increase in fire safety.
- There is the possibility of dimming (smoothly dimming or adding brightness using special devices.
- Lighting resistance to mechanical stress.
- Absence of mercury or other harmful components, environmental safety of lamps.
The disadvantages of LED lighting devices should be considered:
- Despite a noticeable decrease in the cost of led devices, the cost of purchasing them is still high.
- The need to use a special power source.
- Intolerance to high temperatures, requiring the use of radiators and heat sinks.
- The presence of age-related degradation of leds caused by low quality of heat dissipation.
