LED Myths

There are numerous misconceptions about LED lighting. In this article I will be busting some of these misconceptions.

1. LED light quality is poor. The color rendering Index (CRI) is the prevalent method used to judge light quality, though there are known deficiencies and limitations associated with it, especially for LED based light sources. Recent research has found participants preferring LED sources over halogen and incandescent because overall color appearance, not a CRI value. The International commission on illumination (CIE) has proposed a new metric called Color Quality Scale.   
2. LEDs are not bright enough. If you compare the raw lumen output of conventional lamps with

the lumen output of many LED lighting fixtures, it often seems that LED fixtures deliver less light than the conventional alternatives. Such comparisons, however, are inaccurate and misleading, as they fail to account for the significant amount of wasted light in conventional lighting solutions.

3. LED light quality is poor. Two important measurements of white light quality are correlated

colour temperature (CCT) and color rendering index(CRI).CCT describes whether white light appears warm (reddish), neutral, or cool (bluish). The standard definitions of CCT allow a

range of variation in color that can be readily discerned by viewers even when the CCT value is the same. Ensuring color consistency, therefore, is a major concern of LED manufacturers. Leading LED lighting manufacturers use various LED selection schemes (binning) to ensure color consistency from fixture to fixture.

4. LEDs generate no heat Because they produce no infrared energy, the beam of light from an LED source is cool. However, waste heat is produced within the LED itself during the conversion of electricity into light. This waste heat must be properly removed from the lighting system to maximize fixture performance and to avoid damage to the LEDs. In well-designed LED lighting fixtures, heat removal is accomplished through carefully designed and engineered heat sinks that draw heat away from the LEDs and dissipate it into the air surrounding the fixture housing.

5. LED systems cost too much

Initial fixture costs may be higher for some LED lighting solutions than for comparable incandescent and fluorescent lighting solutions. But initial fixture cost does not account for the total cost of owning, operating, and maintaining a lighting system. Because of their long useful life, LED lighting fixtures avoid the maintenance and materials costs which multiple relampings of incandescent fixtures require over tens of thousands of hours of operation. And because LEDs consume far less energy, annual power costs can be reduced by up to 80%. The total cost of LED lighting systems, therefore, can be significantly lower than conventional systems. In fact, payback on LED lighting solutions can often be realized in less than three years.

All signs point to a significant and sustained increase in the use of new LED lighting systems,

replacement lamps, and retrofits worldwide, with the greatest growth in general illumination

applications. White-light LED sources are approaching, and in some cases overtaking,

conventional sources in light output and light quality, making LED lighting solutions increasingly

Attractive. In dozens of nations, green initiatives and energy-efficiency directives are hastening

the migration from conventional lighting systems to LED lighting systems, which often deliver

the lowest energy consumption and environmental impact, the longest useful life, and the

lowest total cost of ownership and operation in a variety of applications