LED lighting: companies save if they go green

Just five years ago, LED lighting was all about stylish colors and novel applications. Remember the incandescent sinks and bathtubs that, as predicted, were for the home of the future? Those tricks may not have taken off in the mainstream, but LEDs have now grown and found a more serious role in life. Today, its energy efficiency is its main attraction and the core business is the force behind its growth.

While green homeowners are beginning to discover LED lighting as an alternative to incandescent or CFL bulbs, commercial companies are already switching to LED lighting as a major cost-saving exercise. They are discovering that it is possible to reduce lighting energy costs by up to 90% when installing an 'intelligent' system in large centers such as warehouses and manufacturing plants.

When you save thousands of dollars, it's less a matter of environmental awareness and more about the bottom line, but whatever the reasoning behind the measure, it has to be good for the environment in the long run. As more companies take advantage of the savings, LEDs could be providing a means of reducing carbon emissions and reducing the need to build more power plants.

While energy savings and cost reduction have been the primary focus of those promoting LED lighting solutions, another major benefit for companies has been the increased functionality offered by intelligent LED lighting systems. LEDs are a digital lighting solution. They can be programmed in a simple or complex way to produce the optimal lighting conditions for the business in question. They can be dimmed, lightened and color corrected automatically based on factors programmed into them. This could be the time of day or in response to motion sensors, ambient temperature or available natural light, among others.

Technology continues to improve and develop, and the good news for the homeowner is that improved technology and increased acceptance in the commercial market have a gradual benefit for smaller consumers. While LED bulbs are not yet cheap, they are improving all the time in efficiency and light output. As LEDs become more common, manufacturing costs and unit prices drop, making them affordable for most green homeowners who want to reap the benefits of energy savings without spending a fortune. Electric Pressure Cooker

The easiest way to switch to LED lighting is still to swap old-style incandescent and CFL bulbs for LED versions that fit the same plugs and accessories. This can be done little by little to fit a tight monthly budget. Those with larger budgets or who are modeling a building or constructing a new one should take the opportunity to obtain a complete LED lighting system designed for that purpose. With the versatility of LEDs, you can get the best functionality while maximizing energy savings. Within 18 months, your system could have paid off in saved energy costs and will continue to save you money for the next 20 years or so.