Environmentally Safe, Cost Effective, Low Maintenance
LED Info

Electric lighting burns up to 25% of the average home energy budget and as much as 45% for commercial users.

The electricity used over the lifetime of a single incandescent bulb costs 5 to 10 times the original purchase price of the bulb itself.

CFLs are miniature versions of full-sized fluorescents. They screw into standard lamp sockets, and give off light that looks just like the common incandescent bulbs - not like the fluorescent lighting we associate with factories and schools.

LEDs are small, solid light bulbs which are extremely energy-efficient with incredibly long life spans of as much as 80,000 hours or 8 to 10 times that of CFL's or fluorescents. New LED bulbs are grouped in clusters with diffuser lenses which have broadened the applications for LED use in both industrial and domestic use.

LED Lighting

LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) are solid light bulbs which are extremely energy-efficient. Until recently, LEDs were limited to single-bulb used in applications such as instrument panels, electronics, pen lights and motor vehicle lights Manufacturers have expanded the application of LEDs by "clustering" the small bulbs. The first clustered bulbs were used for battery powered items such as flashlights and headlamps. Today, LED bulbs are made using as many as 180 bulbs per cluster or more, and encased in diffuser lenses which spread the light in wider beams. Now available with standard bases which fit common household light fixtures, LEDs are the future of lighting.

The high cost of producing LEDs has been a roadblock to widespread use. However, with the world wide demand for reductions in both energy and carbon emissions the cost of LEDs are reducing as world wide sales climb dramatically. With most first world countries banning the use of incandescent bulbs and the public becoming more aware of the dangers of CFL;s and fluorescents LEDs will soon become the standard for all lighting needs.

Benefits of LED light bulbs

  • Long-lasting - LED bulbs last up to 10 times as long as compact fluorescents, and far longer than typical incandescent.
  • Durable - since LEDs do not have a filament, they are not damaged under circumstances when a regular incandescent bulb would be broken. Because they are solid, LED bulbs hold up well to jarring and bumping.
  • Cool - these bulbs do not cause heat build-up; LEDs produce 3.4 btu's/hour, compared to 85 for incandescent bulbs. This also cuts down on air conditioning costs.
  • >Mercury-free - no mercury is used in the manufacturing of LEDs.
  • More efficient - LED light bulbs use only 2-10 watts of electricity (1/3rd to 1/30th of Incandescent or CFL) Small LED flashlight bulbs will extend battery life 10 to 15 times longer than with incandescent bulbs. Also, because these bulbs last for years, energy is saved in maintenance and replacement costs. For example, many cities around the world are replacing their incandescent traffic lights with LED arrays because the electricity costs can be reduced by 80% or more.
  • Cost-effective - although LEDs are expensive, the cost is recouped over a short time and also major savings are achieved by a reduction in maintenance costs. For the AC bulbs and large cluster arrays, the best value comes from commercial use where maintenance and replacement costs are expensive.
  • Light for remote areas - because of the low power requirement for LEDs, using solar panels becomes more practical and less expensive than running an electric line or using a generator for lighting.

Choosing an LED light bulb

Many different models and styles of LED bulbs are emerging in today's marketplace. When choosing a bulb, keep in mind that all LED's are not created equally. There are some high quality product and some pretty poor quality product. As a guide, the cheaper the LED the more care you need to take! Read the packaging carefully and make sure that the product that you are considering purchasing as all three of the following international certificates: CE, Rohs and Iso 9001. All our products have these certificates along with several others such as Laser Testing.

The following are important factors to consider when choosing an LED Light:

  • Estimate desired wattage - read the package to choose desired illumination level. For example, a 3W LED is equivalent in output to a 45 W incandescent. Read some of the information on our web site or call any one of our offices for free advise.
  • Choose between warm and cool light - new LED bulbs are available in 'cool' white light, which is ideal for task lighting, and 'warm' light commonly used for accent or small area lighting.
  • Standard base or pin base - LEDs are available in all the normal types of base fittings.
  • Choose between standard and dimmable bulbs - LED bulbs and down lights are available as dimmable bulbs and other are IP rated for use in bathrooms, showers and outdoor applications.

The common styles of LED bulbs include the following:

Diffused bulbs

In this style LED bulb, clusters of LEDs are covered by a dimpled lens which spreads the light out over a wider area. These bulbs have many uses, such as area lighting for rooms, porches, reading lamps, accent lamps, hallways and low-light applications where lights remain on for extended periods.

Diffused high power bulbs

Designed for standard household use, these bulbs produce light up to the equivalent of a 100-watt incandescent bulb.

 

Track Lighting

LEDs are ideal for track lighting. LEDs do not contribute to heat build up in a room because no matter how long they remain on, they do not get hot to the touch. Also, because they are 90% more efficient than incandescent, and last 10 times longer than CFLs, the frequency of changing bulbs is reduced to perhaps once every 20 years in a typical domestic home.

Recessed Down light and Spotlight bulbs

LEDs are now available for standard recessed lighting pots and housings. The light output and colour quality are similar to and even better than incandescent down lights, but draws only about one-fifth of the power. Also, because they are 90% more efficient than incandescent. and last 10 times longer than CFLs, maintenance is almost zero.

Spotlight and Floodlight LEDs

The spotlight LED lacks a dispersing lens, so it appears brighter as its light is directed forward. It runs cool and will last over 50,000 hours due to advanced thermal management design. The floodlight model gives a spread-out dispersed light. Well suited for ceiling lights, outdoor floodlights, retail display lighting, landscape lighting and motion sensors.

LEDs Tubes

LED tubes have begun to replace fluorescent tubes all over the world due to their ability to reduce power costs by over 70% and by outlasting fluorescents by as much as 10 times. For commercial and industrial users the savings achieved over the life of the LED tube are very substantial indeed as is the reduction in carbon emissions. The light produced by a quality LED tube, unlike fluorescents produces no eye strain or headaches. The Led is not at all fragile as is the fluorescent, contains no damaging chemicals and emits no UV. Due to the fact that LED's produce almost zero heat further savings are made to power costs in large buildings by improving the efficiency of air conditioning systems and reducing maintenance to almost zero.

LED Terminology

CRI - Colouring Rendering Index. CRI represents the quality of light and its faithfulness to render colours correctly. Most of our lighting range features a CRI rating of between 80 and 85, making them some of the highest in the industry. CRI's below 75-80 should be avoided.

CCT - Correlated Colour Temperature is the measure used to describe the relative colour appearance of a white light source. CCT indicates whether a light source appears more yellow/gold/orange or more blue, in terms of the range of available shades of "white." CCT is given in kelvins (unit of absolute temperature).

RGB - stands for red, green, and blue, the three primary colours of light. When the primaries are mixed, the resulting light appears white to the human eye. Mixing the light from red, green, and blue LEDs is one way to produce white light. The other approach is known as phosphor conversion [see below].

Luminous Flux - the flow of light measured in lumens. With light bulbs, it provides an estimate of the apparent amount of light the bulb will produce at a given distance from the source.

LED Colours

Red - red is the traditional colour for maintaining night vision.

Green - green is now the preferred colour for pilots and the military. The green colour is also great for retaining night vision, and it doesn't erase the red markings on maps and charts.

Blue - many people like the blue because it is very easy on the eyes. Blue appears to be a good reading light for elderly eyes. Elderly folks report that they can read under the blue light for hours without eyestrain, compared to severe eyestrain in less than 30 minutes with incandescent and CFL lighting.

White - the most popular of the LED colours. It produces a soft white light, without harsh reflection, glare or shadows.

Amber - LED amber bulbs do not attract flying insects, as do ordinary white bulbs. Amber LEDs are used outdoors in areas such as patios and decks where insects flying around lights are a nuisance.

Mercury and CFLs

Mercury is a toxic metal associated with contamination of water, fish, and food supplies, and can lead to adverse health effects. A CFL bulb generally contains an average of 5 mg of mercury. A power plant will emit 10mg of mercury to produce the electricity to run just one incandescent bulb compared to zero mercury to run any number of LEDs. The net benefit of using the more energy efficient lamp is positive, and this is especially true if the mercury in the fluorescent lamp is kept out of the waste stream when the lamp expires.

All fluorescent lamps contain mercury and present, particularly in Africa massive waste disposal problems.

Handling and Disposal of CFLs

The mercury in compact fluorescent bulbs poses no threat whilst in the bulb, but if you break one:

  • open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more
  • use a wet rag to clean it up and put all of the pieces, and the rag, into a plastic bag
  • place all materials in a second sealed plastic bag
  • call your local recycling centre to see if they accept this material, otherwise put it in your local trash. Wash your hands afterward.

Minimum Legal Lighting Requirements

Industrial Applications

General Engineering

Rough work

160 lux

General Engineering

Medium work

400 lux

General Engineering

Fine work

800 lux

General Engineering

Very fine work

1600 lux

Inspection Areas

Rough work

160 lux

Inspection Areas

Medium work

320 lux

Inspection Areas

Sub assemblies

400 lux

Inspection Areas

Fine work, electric & high precision mechanical

800 lux

Offices

Entrance halls and reception areas

160 lux

Offices

Conference facilities, general offices, typing & filing

500 lux

Offices

Computer and business machine operation

630 lux

Offices

Drawing offices

800 lux

Outdoor Areas

Mechanical loading

10 lux

Outdoor Areas

Manual loading

50 lux

Outdoor Areas

Service station forecourts

160 lux

Warehousing

Inactive storage

20 lux

Warehousing

Loading bays and large material storage

100 lux

Warehousing

Small storage, packing and dispatch

200 lux

Roads

Freeway

2.0 Candelas (20 lux)

Major arterial roads

1.5 candelas (10lux)

Arterial roads

1.0 Candelas (10 lux)

Minor arterial roads

5 lux

Minor surburban roads

2 lux

On all roads uniformity is of critical importance

Sport Facilities

Type of sports

Practise Level

Minor League

Major League

Provincial Level

Bowls

20 lux

50 lux

100 lux

150 lux

Tennis

50 lux

100 lux

150 lux

250 lux

Football

50 lux

100 lux

250 lux

450 lux

Cricket - outfield

50 lux

100 lux

250 lux

450 lux

Cricket - pitch

100 lux

200 lux

400 lux

600 lux

Hockey

50 lux

100 lux

250 lux

350 lux

Swimming

50 lux

100 lux

150 lux

250 lux