About LEDs

Past, present and future

A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor that converts electricity into light. LEDs are traditionally associated with small, red indicator lights on electronic equipment such as televisions, radios, telephones and calculators. However, LED lighting technology has seen major development in recent years, fast-becoming an efficient, durable, flexible and non-toxic alternative to traditional lighting technologies.

Early LEDs had a limited colour range - from yellow to red- restricting their application for general lighting. Today, LEDs feature multiple semiconductors that generate shorter wavelengths enabling more light to leave the device and in a variety of colours. Contemporary LEDs are able to produce clear, bright white lighting, positioning them as a viable, competitive alternative for general lighting applications.

Benefits

LED technology is developing at a rapid pace with 4th and 5th generation products now delivering very high light quality, reliability, longevity and energy efficiency. As an advanced lighting solution, LEDs offer a range of benefits including:

• Lower energy costs- Replacing your lights with LEDs will result in up to 80% less energy consumption, saving tonnes of CO2 produced through electricity generation helping to reduce your organisation's carbon footprint.
• Lower maintenance costs- LEDs last over 50,000 hours (up to ten times longer than other lighting technologies) significantly reducing the need to replace lamps and the resources required for maintaining them.

As the technology develops, LEDs are also able to offer tailored and specific benefits across a range of applications that go well beyond straightforward cost and energy savings. From an enhanced ability to monitor patient's skin conditions in healthcare environments to accelerated plant growth for horticultural applications, the full potential of LED technology is only just beginning to be understood.

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