LED lighting has seen some significant and impressive advances in design, performance, and commercial application over the past few y ears. For most of their history, LEDs have been used primarily in display and specialty lighting. Now, they have emerged as a legitimate alternative to traditional general indoor lighting fixtures, commercial outdoor sign lights and commercial outdoor site lighting luminaires. This change has resulted from technological developments that made it possible to produce white light using LED chips. These energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly lamps are now competing directly with every traditional form of fixture and lamp. Some experts even believe that LED lights will one day be the dominant—if not exclusive—light source on the planet. It is too soon to tell if this will actually prove true. Only time will tell. In the meantime, led lighting will continue to both improve and penetrate new markets as concerns over lighting pollution, energy savings, and environmental quality continue to mount worldwide.

HOW LED's WORK
The word “LED” comes from “Light Emitting Diode”— a solid state semiconductor that radiates light when agitated by voltage. While diodes have been around for several decades, they did not find their way into general lighting applications until very recently. This is because the LED lights of the past were incapable of producing the type of white light the human eye requires for the safe performance of tasks and the proper differentiation of colors. Early LEDs also did not produce enough lumens per watt to make them powerful enough for general under cabinet LED lighting applications and outdoor site lighting needs. All of this changed, however, when engineers created white light using ingenious modifications and combinations of previous LED lamping technology.

LEDs can now create white light through one of two methods. The first of these is known as “phosphor conversion.” A diode that emits blue or near ultraviolet light is coated with phosphor. When the UV light strikes the coating, it creates white light in a manner similar to that produced by a fluorescent light bulbs. Not only is the light output white, it is also characterized by high LPW efficiency and tends to be very bright.

The second method used in creating white light is known as RGB. Light from red, blue, and green LED lamps is mixed together in various combinations to form white light. This is the same way Nature mixes colors in the natural spectrum, so the light can be varied to a wide range of color temperatures and also “fine tuned” the light toward one or more primary colors if certain effects require doing so. This is highly useful in decorative and display lighting, commercial and retail interiors, commercial LED Christmas lighting and believe it or not, LED street lighting.

BENEFITS OF LED LIGHTS
The numerous benefits of commercial led lighting are too voluminous to discuss here with any amount of detail. Suffice to say that this new technology represents an energy saving solution to mounting concerns about power consumption. They are also dimmable and compatible with lighting control systems, making them even more energy efficient upon command. Diodes are environmentally friendly as well containing no toxic gas, such as mercury, which is already illegal in some states like NJ and AZ. They are consequently safer and less expensive to dispose of when they finally do fade out. Any numbers of color temperatures are now available for both indoor and outdoor decorative lighting and architectural lighting.

OBJECTIONS CONTRACTORS FREQUENTLY HEAR
Misconceptions abound about led lighting and led track lighting that many times have to be cleared up first whenever you are proposing them to a client. The most damaging of these false beliefs is that LED lighting generates too much heat to be efficient in high-end or site lighting applications. This misconception actually arose from past, failed attempts to retrofit LED lamps to traditional fixture housings. Because filament-based and gas-based lighting technology differs greatly from solid state lighting technology, thermal management problems always from attempts to hybridize the two.

However, led lights and fixtures that are specifically designed for solid state lamps and light bars will perform exceptionally well in the arena of thermal management, which is one of the many reasons that commercial LEDs last for up to 100,000 hours.

Another false belief that many your clients may possess is that LED lights simply are not as bright as HID lights, such as metal halide light bulbs, and cannot be used to illuminate areas such as parking garages, streets, roadways, outdoor landscapes, buildings, and security perimeters. Again, this is a misconception based on stereotype, not on fact. While it is indeed the case that LEDs have been heavily utilized in the past for special effects, display case lighting, and accent lighting for mood, theme, and effect, new phosphor conversion technology now makes it possible for LEDs to rival even the most powerful HID fixtures with less energy consumption and longer lamp life. For clients looking to recession proof their businesses in uncertain times, the ability to cut power costs by as much as 70% can only make your proposal look more attractive and recession proof at the end of the day.

ASK AN EXPERT FOR COMPLIMENTARY HELP DEVELOPING YOUR PROPOSAL
Knowledge is power only when it is based on reality, not speculation or hearsay. RLLD Commercial Lighting experts know the facts about LED and will share them freely with all clients and serious inquirers. Detailed information can always be obtained by calling an RLLD Commercial Lighting expert for free technical documentation on any type of LED lighting fixture or lamp you might be considering as a line item to your proposal.

At Residential Landscape Lighting & Design, we have access to a full range of commercial residential lighting and commercial lighting options suited to the many needs and concerns facing business owners today. Call toll free at 800-239-2939 as let us earn your business!

Our lighting design center is located in Houston with regional warehouses located throughout the United States that enable us to service all 50 states including New York NY, Los Angeles CA, Miami, FL. Chicago, IL. Denver CO., El Paso, Texas, Dallas TX, San Antonio, TX, Austin, TX, Boise ID, Atlanta GA, Albuquerque NM, Raleigh-Durham NC, Washington DC, Albuquerque NM, Huntsville AL, Fayetteville AR, Norfolk VA , Madison WI., Corpus Christi, TX, Plano, Texas, Garland, TX, Laredo, Texas, Lubbock, Texas.