LED Lighting: A Brief History and a Look Toward the Future

Most people today have a general sense of what an LED light is and how it functions, but few are aware of how fast LED lighting is set to become the main source of general lighting in both homes and businesses.  Everyone from the Department of Energy to environmental advocates are pushing the pace of residential and commercial LED lighting development because of the dramatic savings in energy associated with their use, and the fact that LEDs use no environmentally harmful substances like some older energy-saving bulbs (i.e. compact fluorescents which contain mercury).  An additional benefit of LED lighting is that only a very small amount of UV or IR radiation is emitted, making it highly useful for locations where valuable art is hung on the wall or fading may be an issue.

Although light emitting diodes have been around since the 1960’s, their use up until several years ago was confined to such things as indicator lights in electronic devices, traffic signals and instrument panels.  It wasn’t until the invention of the white LED in the late 1990’s that people began to seriously look at the possibility of replacing incandescent lighting in homes or businesses with this evolving technology.  LEDs that produce a warm white light were invented in 2005 and will allow a person to replace their incandescent bulbs with a similar color light to what they’re used to seeing in their homes.  

LED lighting is a technology that uses semiconductors to produce light and that means the output and efficiency of LED lights is improving at a rapid pace, similar to the computer industry. Many of today’s LED bulbs can achieve a life span of 50,000 hours while consuming 80% less energy than the standard incandescent bulb they are designed to replace.    Another thing to note about the life span of LED bulbs is that they don’t usually “burn out,” instead their usable life is measured by a certain percentage decrease in brightness.  The current standard is 70% of original light output.

The current market is full of LED replacement bulbs and lighting solutions, but it is also buyer beware.  There are a lot of junk products on the market today just waiting to disappoint you, and buying one of them may cause you to delay adopting this energy saving technology and ultimately cost you more in the long run.  In the LED lighting market today the old adage, "you get what you pay for" certainly applies. Well made LED replacement bulbs are not cheap and the cheap products on the market, a lot of them being sold through big box stores, typically will not last very long or produce and sustain a bright enough light.  The Department of Energy is using considerable resources to promote LED lighting (also called SSL, or Solid State Lighting) and just recently announced the Energy Star specifications for residential LED usage.  That means in the near future a buyer will have some assurance that the product being purchased really will live up to his or her expectations.

In the meantime, a buyer can protect himself from disappointment by looking for high quality LED lighting and buying from a trustworthy source offering product warranties and good customer service.  Look for the offer of a money-back guarantee if you are unsure of what you are buying and how it’s going to work in your home or business.  At Polar-Ray.com we focus exclusively on LED lighting and work closely with, as well as travel to, the factories making the LED lighting we carry.  Now is the time to start using LED lighting, but be sure to shop wisely and you'll save yourself both time and money.