LED light quality: Are there perks beyond just energy efficiency?

When you think about LEDs, chances are you think about energy efficiency. Lower energy consumption easily became the defining the trait of the technology.

At a minimum, today’s ENERGY STAR-qualified LED bulbs use 75 percent less energy than conventional incandescent light bulbs. They also last 35-50 times longer than the incandescent alternative while producing far less heat and reducing cooling costs.

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates the U.S. could save $250 billion dollars by 2032, reduce electricity consumption for lighting by nearly 50 percent, and avoid millions of metric tons of carbon emissions by switching entirely to LED lighting.

If you’re ready to shop LEDs, click here to go straight to the category page. If you need a little more convincing, keep scrolling for more advantages.

LED lighting advantages beyond energy efficiency

When LEDs first hit the marketplace, it was clear they were not a great alternative for every application. The lights were considered “too bright” and the light quality standards considered poor.

There are several advantages to LEDs beyond energy efficiency.

1. Environmentally friendly – If you’re currently using fluorescent or HID lighting, you have to recycle the product every time it’s replaced. With LEDs, you don’t have to worry about recycling because the products do not contain mercury. Lower energy consumption also has advantages for the environment, like lower carbon emissions.
2. Better performance – When lighting brightness is measured in terms of delivered lumens, or light – that is, the amount of light which hits a surface – rather than gross light output, LED often performs significantly better than its more conventional alternatives.
3. Higher quality measures – LED is doing increasingly well in quality measures, like color rendering index (CRI) and correlated color temperature (CCT).
4. Technological advances – LED technology has come a long way. Between color tuning, color pumping, dimmability, and lighting control systems, the options are becoming endless with LEDs. Pairing LED lights with LED fixtures can give you even more options.
5. Maintenance headaches reduced – LED bulbs also last about 35-50 times longer than traditional incandescent light bulbs. We often recommend the places that are the hardest to maintain as one of the first places to consider trying LED light bulbs or fixtures because you’ll appreciate the benefits right away. 
6. Directional light – The focused, directional light produced by LEDs also make them great for businesses wishing to showcase product, such as retail environments. For example, LEDs give you complete control over where to direct light in your retail store. LED lighting really shines in accent lighting, textural highlights, and shelf or display lighting.

Although all of these points may not be an advantage for every application, there are benefits for most businesses.

If you want to upgrade to LED lighting, we know it can be a daunting and overwhelming task to retrofit your entire building or multiple locations. Try starting with these eight places first.

If you need help guiding you through the process, please contact us or chat with us today.

Be careful not to pigeonhole LED. Yes, it's energy efficient. But it's also so much more.