If you’ve been keeping up with the Green Dandelion’s blog postings, you might be surprised to see this one about lighting (specifically, using LED lighting), since another posting encouraged readers to look into using daylight harvesting as a source of light. However, we need extra light sometimes (especially during Rochester winters), but there’s no need to settle for harsh incandescent lighting.
If you’ve been an especially avid reader, you might remember the post in June 2010, about the replacement of old lighting fixtures, with LED lights in the illuminated flagpoles, as well as on top of Rush Rhees Library, Carlson Library/the Computer Studies Building, and Hylan. However, UR is not the only place to make these cost-efficient and energy saving changes.
The use of LED lighting is catching on rapidly, because the benefits are numerous. Those who are interested in sustainability (and if you’re reading this, you likely fall into that category), will be pleased to hear that they use less energy and electricity than their competitors. Since LED lights use less energy, they can save up to 80% of the cost, compared to incandescent lighting. As a result, some consumers have seen up to a 50% reduction in their electricity bill, which should come as a pleasant surprise to anyone. LED lights also boast a long life, often ten times as long as compact fluorescent lighting, and even longer than that for incandescent lighting. They are also much more durable than incandescent lighting, which is very vulnerable to breaking.
Although the initial cost of LED lighting is significantly higher than other lighting alternatives, in general, the savings gained from implementing LED lights will more than make up for the high installation cost. Even if you or your company is interested in using LED lighting, and you recognize that you will earn back the money quickly, you may not want to pay one large sum all at once. Some cities and organizations are trying to fix this problem, by offering rebates or incentives to encourage the purchase and use of LED lighting. So, with a little more research, you might be able to have your cake and see it clearly too .