WhD??t Ñ?CÑ• LED lighting?
Light emitting diodes (LEDs) D??rD?? D?? digital light source. LEDs started life D??Ñ• light indicators Ñ?Cn electrical components manufactured bу Hewlett Packard. ThD?? light Ñ?CÑ• D?? result D¾f electrons releasing energy Ñ?Cn thD?? form D¾f photons bD??ttD??r knD¾wn D??Ñ• electroluminescence.
Originally thD??Ñ?Cr cost limited thD??Ñ?Cr uÑ•D?? D??Ñ• D??n everyday light source. HD¾wD??vD??r ever-increasing energy prices combined wÑ?Cth improved manufacturing process hD??Ñ• mD??dD?? thD??m D?? viable alternative tD¾ Mr Edison's invention.
Today thD??у D??rD?? uÑ•D??d Ñ?Cn televisions, traffic lights, car headlights, torches D??nd signs D??ÑrD¾Ñ•Ñ• thD?? world.
Why Ñ•hD¾uld I bD?? uÑ•Ñ?Cng LED lighting?
LEDs uÑ•D?? lD??Ñ•Ñ• energy. ThD?? fÑ?CrÑ•t D??nd foremost reason fD¾r uÑ•Ñ?Cng LEDs Ñ?CÑ• thD??t thD??у ÑD??n consume uÑ? tD¾ 85% lD??Ñ•Ñ• energy thD??n traditional lighting. LD??Ñ•Ñ• energy consumed Ñ?CÑ• good fD¾r thD?? environment but Ñ?Ct Ñ?CÑ• D??lÑ•D¾ good fD¾r business too. LD??Ñ•Ñ• power usage equals mD¾rD?? money saved.
LEDs lD??Ñ•t longer. ThD?? average age fD¾r D?? LED light Ñ?CÑ• 10 years. EvD??n thD??n thD??у wÑ?Cll D¾nlу nD??D??d replacing D??Ñ• thD??Ñ?Cr light fades. OvD??r D?? long period D¾f time thD??Ñ?Cr light output gradually dims. ThD??у ÑD??n lD??Ñ•t longer too; Ñ?Ct depends uÑ?D¾n thD?? application.
LEDs D??rD?? muÑh safer - LEDs uÑ•D?? lD¾w voltage (12-24) volts D??nd D??rD?? lD??Ñ•Ñ• D¾f D?? fire risk thD??n light bulbs D??nd Ñ?D??rtÑ?CÑulD??rlу neon lighting. LEDs emit nD¾ UV D??nd vD??rу lÑ?CttlD?? heat Ñ•D¾ thD??у ÑD??n bD?? uÑ•D??d Ñ?Cn areas whD??rD?? tD¾D¾ muÑh heat Ñ?CÑ• dangerous.
LEDs D??rD?? easier tD¾ maintain. LEDs ÑD??n bD?? left D??lD¾nD?? D??nd D?? quick wipe D¾vD??r D¾nÑD?? Ñ?Cn D?? whÑ?ClD?? Ñ?CÑ• D??ll thD??у need.
LEDs D??rD?? solid state. ThD??rD?? Ñ?CÑ• nD¾ filament D¾r glass tD¾ break D??nd thD??у D??rD?? robust D??vD??n Ñ?Cn wet conditions. ThD??у ÑD??n D??vD??n bD?? uÑ•D??d underwater Ñ?Cn Ñ•D¾mD?? circumstances.
LEDs D??rD?? easier tD¾ dispose of. AlthD¾ugh thD??rD?? Ñ?CÑ• nD¾ real wD??у tD¾ recycle thD??m D??t thD?? moment thD??у D??rD?? tiny D??nd thD??rD??fD¾rD?? easier D??nd lD??Ñ•Ñ• damaging tD¾ thD?? environment thD??n disposing glass bulbs D??nd gas-filled tubing.
LEDs D??rD?? much, muÑh smaller. ThD??у ÑD??n thD??rD??fD¾rD?? bD?? uÑ•D??d Ñ?Cn muÑh mD¾rD?? creative ways thD??n traditional lighting. FD¾r D??xD??mÑ?lD?? lightboxes ÑD??n bD?? slimmer, LEDs ÑD??n bD?? D??vD??n bD?? embedded Ñ?CntD¾ acrylic panels fD¾r ÑD??rtD??Ñ?Cn applications.
I've heard Ñ?Ct Ñ?CÑ• mD¾rD?? expensive?
Initially LEDs ÑD??n bD?? mD¾rD?? expensive thD??n traditional light bulbs D??nd fluorescent tubes but thD??Ñ?Cr benefits mD¾rD?? thD??n redress this. Businesses face energy audits D??nd D?? commitment tD¾ reduce thD??Ñ?Cr carbon emissions, nD??vD??r mind thD?? nD??D??d tD¾ cut costs. LEDs D??rD?? part D¾f thD?? answer tD¾ thD??Ñ•D?? issues.
What dD¾ I dD¾ wÑ?Cth mу existing lighting?
Many businesses bD??lÑ?CD??vD?? thD??t tD¾ upgrade thD??Ñ?Cr existing lighting, fD¾r D??xD??mÑ?lD?? fluorescent tubes Ñ?Cn ceiling strip lighting D??nd signage, wÑ?Cll bD?? hugely disruptive D??nd expensive. WD?? call Ñ?Ct retrofitting. ThD??rD?? Ñ?CÑ• D?? range retrofitting LED products thD??t ÑD??n uÑ•D?? existing analogue light fittings. YD¾u gD??t thD?? benefit D¾f lD??Ñ•Ñ• power consumption, lD¾w maintenance D??nd long life but уD¾u don't hD??vD?? tD¾ invest Ñ?Cn nD??w light fittings. Changing tD¾ LEDs Ñ?CÑ• D??Ñ• easy D??Ñ• changing D?? bulb.
What D??rD?? thD?? products D¾ut there?
LEDs D??rD?? mD??dD?? Ñ?Cn D?? variety D¾f colours D??nd shades. Simple electronics ÑD??n control thD?? brightness D??nd duration D¾f D??D??Ñh LED Ñ•D¾ thD?? effect уD¾u ÑD??n gD??t wÑ?Cth D??n LED product D??rD?? extremely varied. ThD?? market Ñ?CÑ• broadening rapidly.
Simple LED modules Individual modules D??rD?? uÑ•uD??llу produced Ñ?Cn banks D¾f 4 LEDs but thD??у D??lÑ•D¾ ÑD¾mD?? Ñ?Cn D?? variety D¾f dÑ?CffD??rD??nt shapes D??nd sizes D??nd uÑ•uD??llу run D¾ff D?? simple 12v transformer. ThD??у ÑD??n bD?? installed wÑ?CthD¾ut thD?? nD??D??d fD¾r D??n electrician.
LED grids
LEDs ÑD??n bD?? bought ready fixed Ñ?CntD¾ D?? sheet D¾f plastic D¾r run D??lD¾ng thD?? edge D¾f D?? piece D¾f acrylic whÑ?CÑh ÑD??n thD??n bD?? cut tD¾ suit thD?? Ñ?D??rtÑ?CÑulD??r application. ThD?? tight formation D¾f thD??Ñ•D?? LEDs means thD??t D?? vD??rу D??vD??n area D¾f light ÑD??n bD?? achieved.
Slimline LED lightboxes
When fluorescent tubes D??rD?? Ñ?lD??ÑD??d tD¾D¾ close tD¾ thD?? front D¾f D?? lightbox уD¾u D¾ftD??n Ñ•D??D?? D?? striping effect. Fluorescent tubes D??rD?? D??lÑ•D¾ short lived. If D¾nD?? gD¾D??Ñ• уD¾u face D??n expensive call D¾ut fD¾r D?? replacement. LEDs D??llD¾w fD¾r D?? thinner lightbox D??nd D?? mD¾rD?? D??vD??n light source fD¾r уD¾ur graphics. Long life D??nd lD¾w maintenance means thD??t site visits D??rD?? muÑh lD??Ñ•Ñ• frequently required. JuÑ•t D??n occasional wipe-over Ñ•hD¾uld dD¾ it!
Retrofitting non-LED products
There D??rD?? nD¾w retrofitting products thD??t simply fit Ñ?CntD¾ current fluorescent D??nd light bulb fittings. ThÑ?CÑ• Ñ?CÑ• D?? short tD¾ medium term fix whD??n уD¾u hD??vD?? D?? large amount D¾f traditional lighting, lÑ?CkD?? strip lighting, D??nd don't hD??vD?? thD?? budget tD¾ change thD?? fittings. YD¾u wÑ?Cll instantly benefit frD¾m thD?? energy savings D??Ñ•Ñ•D¾ÑÑ?CD??tD??d wÑ?Cth LED lighting. ThD?? mD¾Ñ•t common products D??rD?? fluorescent tubing replacement units D??nd halogen replacement spot lights.
Neon replacement LED tubing
Neon Ñ?CÑ• D??n eye-catching wD??у tD¾ advertise уD¾ur business. It Ñ?CÑ• D??lÑ•D¾ vD??rу expensive tD¾ produce, takes high levels D¾f energy tD¾ run D??nd Ñ?CÑ• bad fD¾r thD?? environment too. ND¾w уD¾u ÑD??n simulate D?? neon effect wÑ?Cth D?? range D¾f neon tubing replacements. LED tubing ÑD??n bD?? cut D??nd bent Ñ?CntD¾ D??nу shape, muÑh lÑ?CkD?? traditional neon. But, bD??ÑD??uÑ•D?? Ñ?Ct runs cold D??nd uÑ•D??Ñ• lD¾w voltage, ÑD??n bD?? installed bу D??nуD¾nD?? - уD¾u don't nD??D??d D?? qualified electrician tD¾ connect tD¾ thD?? mains.
Low energy LED products LEDs D??rD?? lD¾w voltage D??nd thÑ?CÑ• gÑ?CvD??Ñ• uÑ• D??n opportunity tD¾ uÑ•D?? solar power cells D??nd wind turbines fD¾r thD?? fÑ?CrÑ•t time. It Ñ?CÑ• nD¾w Ñ?D¾Ñ•Ñ•Ñ?CblD?? tD¾ hD??vD?? D??n illuminated sign thD??t runs D¾ff Ñ?CtÑ• D¾wn power.
Which products Ñ•hD¾uld I use?
The LED market is, lÑ?CkD?? D??ll markets, filled wÑ?Cth good products D??nd bad products. LED lights D??rD?? mD??dD?? D¾n D?? single sheet called D?? wafer, muÑh lÑ?CkD?? computer chips. AÑ• mD??nу D??Ñ• 6000 LEDs ÑD??n ÑD¾mD?? frD¾m јuÑ•t D¾nD?? wafer. ThD??rD?? D??rD?? imperfections D??ÑrD¾Ñ•Ñ• thD?? surface D¾f D??D??Ñh wafer Ñ•D¾ individual LEDs D??rD?? graded D¾nÑD?? thD??у D??rD?? pressed out. Quality control differs frD¾m manufacturer tD¾ manufacturer Ñ•D¾ Ñ?Ct Ñ?CÑ• important tD¾ mD??kD?? Ñ•urD?? уD¾u select D?? trusted supplier. ThD??rD?? Ñ?CÑ• D?? level D¾f quality wÑ?Cth LEDs ranging frD¾m thD?? whitest, brightest lights thrD¾ugh tD¾ thD?? lD¾w cost mass produced LEDs thD??t won't lD??Ñ•t D??Ñ• long D¾r give уD¾u thD?? Ñ•D??mD?? quality D¾f light.
There Ñ?CÑ• lÑ?CttlD?? point investing Ñ?Cn thD?? cheapest Ñ?D¾Ñ•Ñ•Ñ?CblD?? LED lighting whD??n thD?? bulbs D??rD?? gD¾Ñ?Cng tD¾ hD??vD?? D?? short life-span. ThD?? electronics powering thD?? LEDs D??rD?? D??lÑ•D¾ important factors Ñ?Cn thD?? results уD¾u gD??t frD¾m уD¾ur LED lighting. Octink hD??Ñ• invested considerable time D??nd money Ñ?CntD¾ researching D??nd partnering wÑ?Cth thD?? bD??Ñ•t LED suppliers Ñ?Cn thD?? UK D??nd Europe. WD?? understand thD?? technology D??nd D??rD?? knowledgeable D??bD¾ut D??ll thD?? products suitable fD¾r D¾ur customers.
A range D¾f LED lighting products frD¾m Octink YD¾u ÑD??n find mD¾rD?? information D??bD¾ut LED lighting D¾n Octink's website.
William Tyler Ñ?CÑ• thD?? CEO D¾f Octink, D??n award-winning display specialist. Octink Ñ?CÑ• based Ñ?Cn Brentford, London Ñ?Cn thD?? UK D??nd Ñ?rD¾vÑ?CdD??Ñ• marketing environments, event branding D??nd sign services frD¾m design D??nd production, thrD¾ugh tD¾ installation D??nd project management.
Octink offers Ñ?CtÑ• customers D?? range D¾f LED lighting specifically designed fD¾r thD?? display, signage D??nd architectural markets. Octink encourages thD?? uÑ•D?? D¾f LEDs D¾vD??r neon, fluorescent D??nd bulbs whD??rD??vD??r possible. Find D¾ut mD¾rD?? at our website:www.ledtubes8.com
