Types of LED Lights – Diffused Bulbs

LED lights are steadily gaining popularity as the smarter, more practical alternative for incandescent bulbs and/or fluorescent tubes, with their actual function as a lighting standard going beyond simple illumination.

With different types of LED lights known to be, LED lighting technology has found its way into a varied and diverse range of applications, from being utilized as pocket flashlights to their application as outdoor billboards or electronic signs.

However, the low power requirements of LED lights has deemed them as the perfect option that takes over older, more traditional lighting options, with diffused and diffused high power bulbs being the most commonly encountered types.

Diffused High Power Bulbs

Generally, diffused high power bulbs are LED-derived bulbs which produce the same amount of light a 100-watt incandescent light bulb would generate.

A diffused high power bulb rated to run on 13 watts is estimated to run or last for a total of 50,000 hours, which essentially means that diffused high power bulbs last longer than 100 watt incandescent bulbs, requiring only a fraction of the energy required to keep them running.

Though diffused high power bulbs do cost more than incandescent bulbs or fluorescent tubes, recent developments have made them more affordable than they used to be in the past, with some diffused high power bulbs known to cost as much as a traditional light bulb.

Found almost everywhere where electronic goods are sold, diffused high power bulbs are easily growing as the new standard taking over the role and position of the incandescent light bulb.

Diffused Bulbs

While essentially not different from diffused high power bulbs, diffused LED bulbs are generally considered to be low power rated versions, often used for spaces or areas where light is considered to stay on for extended durations.

A standard diffused bulb requires 7 watts of energy for it to actually function, yielding to the same amount of light known to be produced by a 20 or 60 watt incandescent light bulb.

Also rated to run for an estimated total of 50,000 hours, diffused LED bulbs are favored for their low-power consumption rates, making them perfect for long term use.

Also known to last longer than the average 20 or 60 watt light bulb, diffused LED bulbs are also often utilized as home interior lighting options, taking the place of the higher light producing diffused high power LED bulb as the primary lighting standard of choice.

Why opting for LED lights is best

With the way brands and companies market their wares and products these days, the average consumer is bound to be skeptical about what is being advertised or promoted.

Is a bigger screen in a smartphone truly better than opting for one with a more traditionally sized screen? Or is a newer handset model more robust in actually being of service to users than last year’s releases?

With different companies promising that their products are better than the competition, consumer markets from different parts of the world can’t help but feel confused with what to get, oftentimes left doubting about  the actual value inherent in a number of recently developed and improved technologies.

LED lights would be one good example.

LED lighting, at a glance

You may have noticed how LED has somewhat become the “in thing” today, generally found as a featured hardware specification in television sets, computer screens, laptops and other portable consumer products.

You may have also seen a number of LED light bulbs being advertised as the next biggest thing, with LED bulbs essentially there to take the place of the more traditional variations of light bulbs and other lighting options.

If you happen to be sick and tired of seeing or hearing about LED technology as the next best thing, don’t let the advertising campaigns of product manufacturers dampen the light LED technology offers to you.

The simple truth is: LED lights are actually better than its predecessor standards, bearing only upsides and none of the downsides experienced in other illumination options.

Short for light emitting diode, LED technology has been around for a while now, with its practical benefits only recently gaining mass appeal.

Originally purported as indicator lights for remote controls, kitchen appliances and even electronic calculators, LED lights are essentially low power consuming lights that are small in form and less liable to succumb to the overheating rut older generation light bulbs are notorious for.

Though far from being impervious from heating up, LED lights are generally cooler when compared against halogen lamps and smaller in size when compared against traditional filament-based light bulbs, requiring significantly lesser power than halogen and/or old-school bulbs.

In jotting down the benefits users can gain from using LED lights, the technology only has upsides to offer, proving it as the best choice for illumination today.

So if you find yourself sick and tired of hearing about LED, don’t. The technology is actually increasingly beneficial, and ignoring it because of over-eager advertisements would be a bad move to do.

The Many Types of LED Lights – LED Downlights

When talking about downlights, their necessity is typically required when talking about billboards or outdoor installations which require ample lighting in creating certain moods or simply giving focus on particular fixtures.

From outdoor billboards to outdoor sculptures, downlights are typically found in halogen lamp or in compact fluorescent lamp conventions, lamps which are typically favored for their intense lighting capacities.

But as capable as downlights are as modes for illumination, a new downlight standard is causing progressive shifts in downlights as a whole.

Defined in LED downlights, the featured upsides of LED lighting technologies comes to the aid of those who require the use of downlights.

LED Downlights – Brighter, Longer Lasting and Lesser in its Power Requirements and Needs

From lampposts to gallery lights, LED Downlights are LED innovations that are worth smiling about.

Bearing the same lighting lumens found in their traditional counterparts, LED Downlights don’t come with the downsides of halogen or compact fluorescent lamps, not liable to consume vast quantities of power just so they could properly illuminate what they are aimed to do so.

Also longer lasting as lighting options, LED Downlights are not a burden with where their maintenance is concerned, an upside which greatly benefits lamp posts or large scale billboard lights. Proving to be just as efficient in brightening subjects, LED Downlights offer the same lighting qualities and factors featured in halogen or compact fluorescent lamps, further giving more reason why their implementation is highly beneficial.

With different types of LED Downlights developed for different purposes, users don’t have to worry about their waterproof qualities, nor do they have to worry about how complex their wiring or compatibility with standard electric wiring systems are.

Designed to work with on-hand wiring systems, the implementation of LED Downlights as easy as how one would replace burned out halogen lamps or compact fluorescent lamp.

With their overall construction based on LED illumination standards, LED Downlights only have upsides to offer to their users, yielding to lesser woes delving into overheating or having to resolve problems borne from power surges or lighting strikes.

With a number of LED Downlights developed with built-in surge protection features, lighting outdoor environments is made better, practical and safe with the use of LED Downlights, with their implementation as effective and as efficient as using standard downlights are.

With LED Downlights available in most electronic markets, there is no reason why downlight users have to contend with astronomic electric bills, frequent lamp replacements and more.

Deciding Points: Why LED Bulbs are better than Traditional Blubs

While it is true that new doesn’t always translate as better, the axiom can NOT be readily applied when LED bulbs are being talked about – with just cause.

As a standard for electronic lighting devices, LED bulbs are indeed more robust and practical than traditional light bulbs, developed to be more enhanced in terms of lighting lumens standards, as well as long term use. Also, LED bulbs are more efficient with power consumption considerations, with LED bulbs known to require lesser power wattages when compared against their traditional counterparts.

Apart from the more evidently advantageous upsides of LED bulbs over traditional bulbs, LED technology itself proves to be more versatile when compared to the more traditional electronic lighting technologies and standards.

Short for light-emitting diode, the technology essentially allows for the creation of different sized LED bulbs, ranging from lighting-specific bulbs used in contemporary art galleries to the miniature, portable sized lights found in key chains and other similar items.

Far from being a new technological standard, LED bulbs were, in the past, considered to be too expensive to produce, thus the pervading popularity of the standard light bulb as the de facto norm for lighting technologies.

Thankfully, due to the advances in the production of electronics, LED bulbs are now not as expensive as they were to develop in the past, boasting all the benefits of LED bulbs without the stings of having to spend a fortune in having them installed in homes, places of work, schools and in other venues where lighting is required (which essentially translates to anywhere).

As lighting options, LED bulbs are inclined to offer featured advantages to users, advantages that go beyond better lighting and low power consumption figures over traditional blubs.

Longer lifespans are proven LED bulb upsides, and as advances in the development and manufacture of LED bulbs are currently ongoing, options such as controlled power saving features and even multi-colored light options can be found in certain LED bulbs.

Taking the shape of standard electronics sockets, the installation of LED bulbs don’t require an overhaul with the installed electronic components of a home or office, further illustrating the advantageous side that can be found in LED bulbs.

Bottom line, with the relative affordability and availability of LED bulbs today, there’s really no reason why you have to contend with the use of older, more traditional blubs.

Though their overall functions are no different, LED bulbs prove to be more featured than old standard bulbs, inclined towards being of better service to their users.

LiquidLEDs Launches New LED Lighting Products

Global LED Lighting Leader LiquidLEDs Unveils New Range of LED Products that Combine the Best of Incandescent Light Bulb Design and Innovative LED Lighting Technology

LiquidLEDs Lighting a leading authority in the global LED lighting industry, recently unveiled three newlines of elegant, powerful and energy-efficient LED lighting devices to a market eager for more energy-saving solutions. Built as green solutions for both home and commercial purposes, the three new lines are comprised of the 5-watt G95 LED Globe range, the 5-watt GLS LED light bulbs, and the 6-watt Edison LED globe. 

G95 LED Globes

The G95 LED Globe range, which comes in clear and opal variants, as well as B22/bayonet cap and E27/Edison screw base configurations, offers a fresh approach to the classic engineering of the incandescent light bulb. Featuring an elegant round glass bulb, the product has been designed to generate a 360-degree beam spread, all while using 5 watts of power to emit 350 lumens of light.

GLS LED Light Bulbs

LiquidLEDs’ GLS LED light bulbs are also imbued with the classic design of the incandescent bulb in mind, and are perhaps the best-suited replacement LEDs for existing lights at home and the office. With their diminutive size, these bulbs belie their true power, generating 350 lumens just with 5 watts of electricity. The range also comes in both B22 and E27 base configurations, and a variety of clear and pearl finishes. 

6-watt Edison Light Bulbs

The 6-watt Edison light bulbs by LiquidLEDs are the most powerful devices of the bunch, generating a generous 470 lumens of light for a mere 6 watts of electricity. Built as a replacement LED light for large spaces like lobbies, long hallways and more, the Edison light bulb is LiquidLEDs attempt to pay homage to Thomas Edison himself. These LEDs also come in B22/bayonet cap and E27/Edison screw base configurations, and a variety of clear and opal finishes. 

LiquidLEDs notes that their three new LED lighting devices specifically combine the design of the classic light bulb with 21st century LED lighting technology, the better to make the transition from old to new lights easier for the average consumer. With many consumers reporting an aversion to spirally and space age-looking light bulbs, LiquidLEDs new range of products is the company’s answer to this aesthetic issue. 

The new products are currently available at www.LiquidLEDs.com.au. 

About Liquidleds Lighting Pty Limited

Liquidleds Lighting Corp. was established in Taiwan in 2006 and launched in Australia in early 2011 as LiquidLEDs Lighting Pty Ltd. The company specialises in the research and development of LED light bulbs and system lighting for the replacement of incandescent light bulbs and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). Liquidleds is recognised as an innovator and pioneer for introducing unique solutions to the field LED of lighting. The company’s prime goal is to integrate its innovation, engineering and design in lighting into the lives of the general public by providing them with reliable and affordable lighting alternatives.

Cleveland Gets LED Lights from General Electric to Light Up to Landmarks

The City of Cleveland is getting an LED makeover, thanks to a donation of more than $200,000 worth of LED lights courtesy of General Electric Lighting. The new energy-efficient lights will provide illumination to two of the city’s historic landmarks, the West Side Market and Public Square, with the goal of reducing current electricity costs.

The addition of energy-efficient lights coincides with the current sustainability initiative led by Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson. He notes that GE’s history of community service in Cleveland and their commitment for innovating technologies in lighting make them the perfect figure to help initiate the city’s sustainability drive.

Initiative Overview

The mayor first launched the initiative in 2009, with the goal of preserving the environment and reducing energy consumption, as well as to promote economic growth through the introduction of sustainable technologies.

Since then, the company has held regular annual summits to tackle different sustainability issues, such as lighting, which was discussed in the earliest of these meetings.

According to Cleveland chief operating officer Darnell Brown, the installation of new LED lights won’t just help make the downtown area brighter and more attractive, it’ll also help reduce maintenance costs. He notes that while conventional lights have a rated lifespan of just 6 to 12 months, LEDs last for decades.

Cleveland Rich in Lighting History

The installation of LEDs in the city is appropriate, given how the City of Cleveland was a leader in street lighting. The city’s Public Square was one of the few areas to get the first electric street lights in the country in 1879.

Likewise, LEDs are a pioneering technology, which GET says generates a more uniform light, less shadows and dark spots associated with conventional fixtures like high-pressure sodium lamps.

An LED Lighting Service: A Potential Key to Widespread Adoption

In an effort to work around the problem of LED lighting currently being too expensive for the average consumer, one company is looking to turn the technology into a service.

That is the essentially the core concept of Digital Lumens’ plan to provide LED lighting and energy management services, instead of outright selling their equipment. The startup company, based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, is looking to launch its niche services in early 2013, this according to a statement by CEO Tom Pincince. Part of their service plan’s guarantee is providing enough lighting to ensure a good working environment for employees.

He noted that consumers today typically look at lighting equipment, such as light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs, as a purchase. And because of the ability of LEDs to be integrated with smart lighting control systems, their services could one day expand to managing an intelligent lighting system remotely.

Appeal

What makes the service planned by Digital Lumens appealing revolves around how the LED fixtures can be wirelessly connected through, and how they come packed with processors and sensors that create a lighting system that can be adjusted to the specific needs of certain areas inside an office.

For instance, an office can have lights automatically dimmed when no workers are around, or immediately switch to full power when the shades are drawn (e.g. PowerPoint presentations and film screenings).

Components

Digital Lumens doesn’t do any R&D on the LED components themselves, instead choosing to use products from Cree. The company designs unique lighting systems and have created their own lighting management software.

The company is looking to aim its services on the industrial sector, which involves illuminating spaces such as warehouses and factories.

Hampshire Parks Finally Get Budget for Overhaul of Lights to LEDs

Hampshire, a county located along the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom, is now a step closer to achieving its goal of reducing carbon emissions, thanks to its local council approving the proposal to convert existing streetlights into more energy efficient light-emitting diode (LED) lamps for its two national parks.

The project, which will cost around £1 million, involves the replacement of approximately 3,600 traditional streetlights to LED lamps, which are not only more energy efficient, but also have the ability to be dimmed. The LEDs are provided Urbis and WRTL, and will be distributed across the New Forest and South Downs National Parks. 

Proponents of the project estimate that the new LED park lights will lead to £24,000 in energy savings each year—of course, that figure will depend on how high or low the cost of electricity will be. Moreover, the LEDs are also expected to help reduce Hampshire’s carbon emissions by up to 138 metric tonnes.

The public has thankfully met the new initiative with open arms. Graham Bryant, Hampshire Astronomical Group chairman and a member of the Campaign for Dark Skies, an organisation that seeks to solve the problem of light pollution, notes that LED lights are better since they are more controllable. 

He points out that LEDs are capable of being tweaked to display most of its light towards the ground, instead of towards the sky, as is the case with conventional streetlights that throw as much as 30 percent of their light upwards. 

The initial phase of Hampshire’s retrofit project will begin on May 2013 in Petersfield, and September 2013 in Brockenhurst. The target completion date of the project is set for March 2015.

Bay Bridge Shows Off Amazing Light Display of LEDs

The San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge, known locally as the Bay Bridge, celebrated its 75th anniversary last year, and to mark the occasion, it’s getting a new touch of light delivered by LEDs.

Around 25,000 light-emitting diode (LED) lights will be installed across the Bay Bridge’s western span during the course of the next several months; the project is part of a 2-year art installation that pays tribute to the bridge’s anniversary and its colourful history.

Ben Davis: Visionary

Two years after the proposal of the ambitious art project, Ben Davis and his team, The Bay Lights, are finally in the crucial stage of hanging the lights. The group has secured all the necessary permits for the installation of LEDs and has amassed close to $8 million of the funds required to bring his brainchild to life. 

According to Davis, the LEDs will finally be strung on the bridge in October, which will culminate in a grand lighting ceremony during the project’s completion in March 2013. 

Installation Begins, Artist Leo Villareal on Board

This October, crews will finally begin the task of installing the art project, which was conceptualised by lighting designer Leo Villareal—he has already created similar lighting sculptures and installations in public spaces and museums, and this will be one of his largest yet.

The installation features around 25,000 LED lights, each one programmable and attached to the Bay Bridge’s suspension cables, which span 1.8 miles (2.9 kilometres) of the bridge’s northern section.

The LEDs, designed to work in unison, will display elaborate lighting displays, which will be programmed by Villareal himself. 

Cost and Return of Investment

The Bay Lights managed to do the nearly impossible task of amassing over 60 percent of the $8 million in private funding to make the installation possible. Even more impressive is how the group managed to secure permits from various authorities in the San Francisco – Oakridge area. 

What’s more, a commissioned study by the project’s organisers project that the installation will help bring in close to $100 million in revenue for San Francisco—the money is predicted to come from visitors coming to view the art installation.

The Bay Lights from Words Pictures Ideas on Vimeo.

Nova Scotia Makes the Switch to LED Lights

It’s official—the Province of Nova Scotia in Canada has passed a law that will mandate the conversion of all 120,000 roadway lights in the Province to energy-efficient light-emitting diode (LED) lights, an initiative that’s expect to help gain $5 million in annual energy savings once completed.

The project, estimated to be completed by 2023, sets Nova Scotia apart as the first jurisdiction in all of North America to make the use of energy-efficient LED lights for roadway lighting mandatory.

Nova Scotia Energy Minister Charlie Parker officially finalized the amendments to the Province’s Energy-Efficient Appliances Regulations on September 14. He points out that with the transition to LED-powered roadway lights, the entire Province could stand to save millions of dollars through the sheer savings LEDs bring to the table, as they use less than half the electricity of the current lighting setup.

Moreover, Parker notes that this reduced consumption of energy could pave the way for better air quality for the Province and a smaller carbon footprint on the environment.

Nova Scotia is estimated to have 120,000 streetlights, and according to the new regulations, Nova Scotiat Power will have to convert all of them to LEDs by 2019. Municipalities on the other hand, will have until December 2022. Nova Scotia Power owns and operates the majority of all streetlights within the Province, while the remaining 10 percent of roadway lighting are under the jurisdiction of Nova Scotia’s municipalities.

The plan to change Nova Scotia’s streetlights to LEDs was spearheaded by Province Premier Darrell Dexter, Province Premier Darrell Dexter in 2011. The announcement comes in the heels of many other communities in North America and the rest of the world making moves to  make the switch to LED lights, due to their increased durability (leading to fewer maintenance costs) and superb energy efficiency.

Philips Sees Africa as Potential Market for LED Lighting Solutions

Light-emitting diode (LED) lighting solutions, combined with solar power technology, may have the potential to provide cheap light to poor communities all over the world.

According to Philips Lighting Africa marketing manager, John Westermeyer, the combination of LED lighting technology together with solar power solutions paves the way for impoverished communities to finally have access to cheap, perhaps even free, illumination, particularly at night. With LEDs drawing far less power than any other lighting solution on the market, it’s the perfect companion to solar power, which drastically enhances the lifetime of LEDs.

Philips, which used to be the dominant force in the world of electronics, recently shifted its focus towards developing energy solutions. The company is setting its gaze on developing products and systems for developing markets, such as many countries in the African continent.

While Philips lost its top place to South Korean giants Samsung and LG in the LED television market, the company is setting its sights on Africa as an emerging market for LED lighting technologies. LEDs stand out for their superb energy efficiency, using a mere 10 to 20 percent of the electricity used by traditional lights and generating the same lighting power. Moreover, LEDs have a longer lifespan, with some products boasting of ratings of up to 50,000 hours.

As a sign of its commitment to lighting up impoverished communities in Africa, Philips recently launched an off-the-grid electricity programme in Lomshiyo, Mpumalanga. The company also plans to launch a similar project in Cape Town.

Philips ambitious plans, however, have not been without critics. Westermeyer vocally shut down suggestions of the company using the programme as a marketing strategy, saying that the small-scale electrification of communities in Africa with LED lights and solar power is viable and a huge area of focus for Philips.

City Hall Park in Los Angeles Switches to LED Lights

As proof of how aggressive LED lighting has been in the medium-scale to large lighting projects sector, another lighting project has just been completed, this time in the City Hall Park of Los Angeles.

The park surrounding Los Angeles City hall has just been outfitted with multiple LED lights, as part of a medium-scale renovation project that’s estimated to cost around 1 million USD, with the goal of making City Hall more energy efficient.

China’s LED Lighting Market Driven by Desire to Save Money and Energy

According to the China Securities Journal, China’s market for light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for commercial applications, such as lighting up establishments like malls and offices, is continually opening up in the country, this despite a number of problems affecting the industry.

Guangzhou Hongli Opto-Electronic Co., Ltd. chairperson Li Guoping, notes that the promotion and adoption of LED lights has so far been the strongest for commercial buildings, malls and business offices. Not surprisingly, this follows a worldwide trend of offices and malls being the first to recognise LEDs for their benefits, despite being more expensive than conventional light sources.

3M Company Joins the LED Craze

Conglomerate 3M Company is joining the LED revolution, coming out with its first consumer LED light bulb, which it promises to be better than any other LED on the market.

As is the trend with most LEDs on the market these days, 3M’s high-tech bulb is designed to look just like a regular incandescent light bulb on the outside. 3M Company claims the bulb has a 25-year lifespan, provided the bulb is used 3 hours per day. And once more, like most LEDs on the market, 3M’s LED bulb comes with a $25 price tag, which might not be all that appealing for the conglomerate’s customers.

LED Lights Shows Positive Results for Poultry Production

Here’s one thing about lighting you may not know: it has a huge impact on how chickens behave. In fact, lighting is so important to the poultry industry that it’s been observed that too much light during brooding and grow-out can lead to diminished performance, which in turn leads to reduced profits.

While new poultry barns featuring solid sidewalls and tunnel ventilation systems have been designed to be more energy efficient to run, using artificial lighting in them can be a bit of a problem—with these barns, artificial lighting is the only way to go. The traditional use of 60-watt incandescent light in a typical poultry barn can account for as much as 30 to 40 percent of the total electrical costs of that barn, and that could still rise on its size and flock age.

Seoul Looking to Make the Switch to LED Lighting

Seoul, Korea’s capital, is planning on investing more resources in LED lighting retrofit projects for the benefit of public areas and to spurn Korea’s public sector to install light-emitting diodes in their facilities and establishments.

Seoul Metropolitan Government recently announced its plans to replace the conventional lights found in public areas such as city government offices, streets and major roads, and subway stations with LED lighting before the end of 2018.

Streetlights in Wiltshire, England may be Shut Down amidst Energy Saving Project Debates

Close to half of all streetlights in the South West England county of Wiltshire may be switched off, as council chiefs in the community debate on the best projects to save energy and money. At least 20,000 lights are at risk for being shut down, leaving many streets all over the county in the dark—that is, if council is unable to find a more sustainable lighting solution.

Lights in Wiltshire may be switched off between the hours of 12 midnight and 5:30 in the early morning in towns and rural areas all over the county. If no solution to this drastic measure is found, Wiltshire stands to become the first local authority in South West England to go from trail switch offs of lights, to a grand-scale shut down of streetlights. For many people in the area, it’s a gloomy return to the pre-Victorian days of total darkness.

India Looks to Provide Incentives for LED Light Buyers

Move over compact fluorescent lamps—there’s a new darling in town.

The Delhi government is currently promoting light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as a competing lighting product against compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), which have been shunned by some consumers due to their toxic components. Touted by the government as a superior alternative, LEDs are praised not just for being more energy efficient than CFLs, but for also being easy and safe to dispose and recycle since they contain no traces of mercury.

The high prices of LEDs in India have stifled efforts for consumers to seriously consider them as viable lighting solutions at home (they cost up to 5 times more than the average CFL in India) but the government is looking at offering tax breaks to consumers in an effort to entice them to buy LEDs.

English Entrepreneur Joins LED Revolution with Start-up

LED technology is paving the way for start-ups to capitalise on the growing need for more energy efficient solutions on a residential and commercial level. All over the world, businessmen from different backgrounds are looking into the possibilities LEDs have to offer.

Tony Carter of East Yorkshire, England, is one such entrepreneur. Formerly working as an aircraft engineer, he hopes to join the business of supplying LED light bulbs as the interest and demand for energy-efficient lighting continues to grow. Carter says the demand for methods to decrease electricity bills and cut carbon emissions has made the energy saving lighting market a highly lucrative sector for new entrepreneurs to invest in.