Fixing Serious Electrical Problems

If you have a high-ceiling in your warehouse, office, or other type of business, then you may have halides. Halide lights are outdated and they tend to be extremely inefficient. If you want to save on energy costs, then it is a good idea to switch to LEDs. If you want to know why halides are so much more inefficient than LEDs, then keep reading.

They Create Ultraviolet Light

LEDs are capable of emitting only the light that you see, and this light is called the visible light. Since the LEDs only emit light on the visible spectrum, the energy used by the light is consumed to produce exactly what you want, the light that you are able to see. Unfortunately, the energy consumed by halide lights is used to create visible light as well as some other wastes.

These wastes include UV light, which is not visible. Infrared light is also created by the lights and so is a great deal of heat. Not only is UV light created, but this light needs to be filtered out of the light beam with the assistance of filters. Like the sun, the UV radiation can cause fading to surfaces in the path of the rays. Sunburns can be caused by the light as well and so can eye damage and melanoma. This means that the light created is not only inefficient, but it can be harmful.

They Age Poorly

All lights age over time and they will wear out and die. Before they do so, the lighting will go through something called efficiency droop where the lights are no longer as efficient as they once were. This droop is significant when it comes to certain types of lights, like halide varieties. Only about 24% of the energy used by halides is utilized to create light. This energy to light percentage can drop to 15% or below as the light ages. This can happen quickly and this means that the inefficient lights become more and more inefficient the longer you use them. 

On the other end of the spectrum, LEDs are over 90% energy efficient and they will drop to about 80% efficiency at the end of their life. Even though there is some efficiency droop, LEDs do last a long time. This means that you may not see a reduction in efficiency for close to 10 years. 

You should know that researchers are constantly looking at the inefficiencies in LED lighting and are constantly trying to improve them. This means that newer LED lights may have a very little drop in efficiency over time. Most inefficiencies occur in the production of heat from the light, but you can find cool LEDs that have reduced waste.

They Emit Light In All Directions

Halide lights are considered 360 degree varieties that create light all around them. While this may be ideal in some situations, like in sports stadiums, this is not ideal in a warehouse. While the halides will often have reflectors that help to force the light down, some of the light will still escape. This can greatly add to inefficiencies and energy losses. 

LEDs do not direct like upward. They only create light at 180 degrees. The only problem with this is the fact that more LEDs may be added to an area to create light that is directional and visible. However, this may not be the case due to the brightness and clarity of the LEDs. Retrofitted lights can be added to the same areas where halides were secured. This can greatly reduce your costs, and if you need more of the LEDs, then the newer fixtures can be installed in between the retrofitted varieties. While this can increase your costs, your energy savings can greatly outweigh these drawbacks.  

For more information, contact a business such as Always Earth Friendly.