Q: What is LED Lighting?
A: LED lighting has been around for many years and is just now really coming into its own. For years, the Light Emitting Diode was simply used as an indicator or display light in various small-scale applications. LED is a solid-state technology. This means there is no glass bulb, no pressurized gases, no mercury and no burning filament. In the traditional bulb, heat was the main result while light stood as a mere by-product of electrifying the filament.
With LED technology, what you have is a circuit board and a computer chip. The properties of the chip create light that is generated and focused through a plastic diode to create light. Depending on the chip and materials used, different colors in the color spectrum can be created. Early on the easiest color to create was red, which is why your calculator and VCR had red display lights rather than any other color. For many years, there were no advancements in LED technology and very little change in lighting technology over all; changes that did occur were mostly just plays on a theme. Metal halide, fluorescent, etc. were all just different ways to do the same thing with different effects.
In recent years, LED technology has completely changed and reinvented the light bulb and the way we think about lighting in general. This was not really possible prior to the technological revolution of the ‘90s and the rapid advancement of the microchip. The same advancements that spurred the computer to reach dazzling levels of efficiency have also done the same for the LED. Just as computers have become faster and cheaper, LED lights have become brighter, smaller, less expensive, and more sophisticated.
Q: How can we say that these lights last 50,000 hours?
A: Our lights actually last for much, much longer than 50,000 hours, after that the light output begins to look a bit less than it was. It is accepted that the human eye will begin to notice a difference when the light output decreases to about 70% of its maximum. Using tested mathematical formulas, our technical team calculates when that 70% point is in hours – and that is the length of time we say our lights will last for.
Q: How expensive is the bulb?
A: This bulb is not expensive at all! You should ask yourself: what do I save using this bulb? The bulb is earned back within 1 to 2 years and after that you can profit from it for years more.
Q: Do I have instant light with the LED bulb?
A: Yes, Just like a regular incandescent bulb you have instant light. CFL’s can take up to 5 minutes to achieve full brightness.
Q: What are the advantages of using LEDs over traditional incandescent lighting?
A: There are quite a few advantages to using LEDs. Generally they are heat less, use up to 90% less energy, and last up to 30 years. They are also smaller and do not contain any dangerous chemicals like mercury. They can readily be put in places that have always been too small or out-of-the-way for many incandescent lights, as well as in places that were always very dangerous or difficult to get to. Also, the more sophisticated LED apparatuses like wall washers and spotlights are DMX-controllable, which means they can be used in some really impressive ways.
The bottom line is that LED's are easier and safer to use than all previous lighting technologies. Plus, LEDs will save you money by consuming less power, lasting much longer, and generating much less heat, which in turn combine to result in lower climate control costs.
Q: What types of LED Lighting products are readily available?
A: Today there are hundreds of different products available in varying brightness levels, color temperatures, and sophistication levels to meet every lighting need – from those of an architect's latest high-rise project, to those of a rural homeowner's kitchen renovation. There are replacement bulbs for screw-in Edison-style bulbs and for nearly every style of Fluorescent. Plus, the LED replacements are of the “plug and play” with no other modifications needed. There are also many different types of architectural lighting, such as wall washers and spotlights.
Finally, our most popular piece of LED lighting is the light bar, which can be used anywhere. From display cases to under-cabinet lighting, our light bars offer a novel (and cost-effective!) approach to accent lighting.
The most exciting product that we are currently working with is our Enviro 10 watt MR16 downlight replacement globe that many contractors are replacing all their 50 watt halogen downlights with.
Q: What do "cool white" and "warm white" mean, and what is CCT?
A: The Color Correlated Temperature (CCT) is given in the description of each of our white LED bulbs. The color (CCT) of our white bulbs ranges from a warm yellow white (2700K) to a cool blue white (7000K).
By comparison, a typical incandescent bulb has a CCT of 2800K. A typical halogen is a bit higher, maybe 3500K. Daylight white is 4500K and a cool white fluorescent is 6000K or more.
The human eye adapts to background light so that even a daylight white bulb will look slightly blue in a room illuminated mainly with incandescent bulbs. Similarly, an incandescent bulb will look very yellow or even orange in midday sunlight.
Q: How do I compare my current lighting with LED lighting so I can make intelligent decisions?
A: In the past, we have generally referred to the brightness of a bulb in terms of its wattage, or the amount of power that the bulb uses (or energy it consumes). Because of the disparity between incandescent and LED technologies, we have to change our language a bit in order to account for progress. When referring to brightness, we now find ourselves comparing lumens (see Q: What is a lumen?). However, when comparing LEDs with incandescent, there is no easy mode of comparison because the typical incandescent is projecting light in 360 degrees – everywhere, not just where you need it. Because LED lights are directional, they focus all the light they generate exactly where you want it, and nowhere that you don't.
Another consideration is color temperature. In the past, this has been very difficult to control because you basically got whatever color your particular bulb produced. Typically this was a Warm White (about 3000K) if you had an incandescent bulb, and a Cool White (around 5000K) if you had a fluorescent bulb. Because the LED is an intelligent, solid-state technology, we are able to produce LEDs that not only produce Warm White and Cool White, but are able to produce up to 16 million different colors, each a different temperature.
Q: Does a LED bulb give the same kind of light as an incandescent or CFL light bulb?
Yes, Enviro LED bulbs are comparable with the light emitted from CFLs and incandescent bulbs.
Q: Which LED bulb is comparable to a standard 60 watt light bulb?
Our Enviro 10 watt range are comparable with standard 60 watt incandescent bulbs in light output.
Q: Are E26 and E27 Light bulb bases interchangeable?
Yes. The E26 is the standard 120 Volt American base. The E27 is the European variant and is rated at 220 Volts. E26 is 26 mm and the E27 is 27 mm diameter. However, an E26 bulb can fit in E27 base and an E27 bulb can fit in E26 base without problem. The sockets / bulbs are interchangeable except for the voltage rating. Therefore, LED E26 bulbs that are universal line-voltage which can be used in both E26 and E27 sockets.
Q: What should I pay attention to when buying LED products?
When purchasing LED products you should pay attention to the amount of Lumen and Kelvin it produces. Lumen or Lm indicates the light output. The more lumen, the more light the LED bulb gives. Kelvin or K indicates the color of light. The smaller the degree of Kelvin, the warmer the light of the LED.
Q: Are bulbs with more LEDS brighter than bulbs with less?
The number of LED is not the determining factor of bulb brightness. Different types of LED vary greatly in size and light output. The most accurate indicators of the brightness of LED bulbs are the measured lumens or lux.
Q: For what purposes could the Enviro LED light bulbs be used?
The Enviro series is applicable for most purposes due to the Regular MR16,GU10,E27 and B22 type bass fitting.
Q: Who is using LED lighting?
EVERYONE! Architects and lighting designers are specifying entire lighting packages in their new designs. Contractors are using them in everything from custom kitchens to retail stores. Many homeowners are replacing their incandescent/fluorescent with LED bulbs. LED lighting can replace every aspect of old lighting technology, as well create entirely new lighting applications due to its versatility. Your imagination is its only limitation.
Q: With all the buzz around compact fluorescent bulbs, should I skip this step towards efficient lighting altogether and move directly to a LED bulb?
Compact fluorescent are great bulbs, but they lack all the advantages of LEDs namely size and environmentally friendliness because they contain mercury and do not last as long.
Q.What is Lumen(lm)?
Lumen is the international(SL)unit of luminous flux, a measure of overall light emitted by a light source.
Q. What is Candela(cd)?
Candela is the international(sl) unit of luminuous intensity,a measure of light emitted by a light source in a particular direction. Any given light source will have different luminous intensities in different directions considered.
Q.What is Beam Angle?
Beam angle is the angle between two directions for which the luminous intensity is 50% of the maximum intensity as measured in a plan through the nominal beam centerline. Beam angle of a bulb gives an idea of how the light beam spreads away from the beam center.
Q. What is LUX(lx)?
Lux is the international(SL)unit of illuminance, a measure of light arriving at a surface, 1 lumen per square foot equals 1 foot candle, while 1 lumen per square meter equals 1 lux . [lux = lumen/m2]
Q.What is Color Temperature / Correlated Color Temperature(CCT)?
A measurement of the color of light radiated by an object while it is being heated. This measurement is expressed in terms of absolute scale, or degrees Kelvin. Lower Kelvin temperatures such as 2200° K are red; higher temperatures such as 9500° K are blue. Neutral temperature is white, at 6504° K.
Q: Is the LED bulb good for the environment?
The materials used are as much as possible environmental friendly materials. If the bulb unexpectedly breaks, you can just put it with your regular household waste. This in contrast to the CFL bulbs: they contain mercury and cause harm to the environment.
Q: What does the symbol CE stand for?
The symbol CE stands for “Conformité Européenne” which is French for “European Conformity”. When the symbol is affixed to a product it is the manufacturer’s declaration that the product conforms to the essential requirements of all European directives. The essential requirements would include Safety, public health, Electromagnetic Compatibility, and consumer protection, among other things.
CE marking is a mandatory requirement for selling all products that it applies to into EU Countries. It implies that the product has been subject to all applicable evaluation and assessment procedure(s) as defined by the CE directives. CE marking is not a quality symbol. It only indicates that the product conforms to the directives set forth by the EU. It is not an indicator of the overall quality of the product.
What is RoHS?
RoHS is the acronym for Restriction of Hazardous Substances. RoHS, also known as Directive 2002/95/EC, originated in the European Union and restricts the use of specific hazardous materials found in electrical and electronic products. All applicable products in the EU market after July 1, 2006 must pass RoHS compliance.
Q: What are the restricted materials mandated under RoHS?
The substances restricted under RoHS are lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), hexavalent chromium (CrVI), polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE).
Q: Why is RoHS compliance important?
The restricted materials are hazardous to the environment and pollute landfills, and are dangerous in terms of occupational exposure during manufacturing and recycling.
Q:How high is my energy consumption on lighting?
According to independent research lighting amounts for 18% to 22% of our total energy consumption.