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What are LEDs? LED stands for light-emitting diode. LEDs are small light sources that become illuminated by the movement of electrons through a semiconductor material. LEDs are part of a family of lighting technologies called Solid-State lighting. This family also includes OLEDs (Organic Light Emitting Diodes). OLEDs (pronounced OH-leds) consist of sheets of carbon-based compounds that glow when a current is applied through transparent electrodes. While not yet market ready, OLEDs will function like a thin film on a wall or ceiling that illuminates a room. Like LEDs, OLED technology is advancing rapidly. Solid-State lighting (SSL), most commonly seen in the form of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), has the potential to revolutionize the efficiency, appearance, and quality of lighting as we know it. LED lighting is more efficient, durable, versatile and longer lasting than incandescent and fluorescents lighting. LEDs emit light in a specific direction, whereas an incandescent or fluorescent bulb emits light β and heat β in all directions. LED lighting uses both light and energy more efficiently. For example, an incandescent or compact fluorescent (CFL) bulb inside of a recessed can will waste about half of the light that it produces, while a recessed down light with LEDs only produces light where itβs needed β in the room below.
Incandescent bulbs create light by passing electricity through a metal filament until it becomes so hot that it glows. Incandescent bulbs release 90% of their energy as heat.
In a CFL, an electric current is driven through a tube containing gases. This reaction produces ultraviolet light that gets transformed into visible light by the fluorescent coating
LED lighting products use light emitting diodes to produce light very efficiently. The movement of electrons through a semiconductor material illuminates the tiny
LEDs have been efficient and long lasting as indicator lights in electronics for years, but using LEDs to create stable white light for general lighting presents new challenges. The key to success is smart design. To qualify for ENERGY STAR, LED lighting products must pass a variety of tests to prove that the products will display the following characteristics:
* * Brightness is equal to or greater than existing lighting technologies (incandescent or fluorescent) and light is well distributed over the area lighted by the fixture.
* * Light output remains constant over time, only decreasing towards the end of the rated lifetime (at least 25,000 hours or 22 years based on use of 3 hours per day).
* * Excellent color quality. The shade of white light appears clear and consistent over time.
* * Efficiency is as good as or better than fluorescent lighting.
* * Light comes on instantly when turned on.
* * No flicker when dimmed.
* * No off-state power draw. The fixture does not use power when it is turned off, with the exception of external controls, whose power should not exceed 0.5 watts in the off state.
After less than a year of use, a poorly designed LED product can flicker, shift in color, look dim, offer uneven light, or continue to use power when turned off, among other problems.
Bad design can lead to a wide range of problems, some immediately observable and some not. Poorly designed products often come with exaggerated claims while failing to deliver on the quality specifications above. Choose ENERGY STAR quailified LED fixtures to ensure the products you purchase perform well.
