What [city] Businesses Are Getting Wrong About LED Conversion

One of the things to keep in mind about LED technology: it’s still catching on. While the fist LEDs were invented in the sixties, the tech is still in a state of rapid advancement. So, it’s no surprise that people still say things like “LEDs are too expensive” or “LEDs flicker too much.”

For industrial and commercial business across the country, it’s high time that we call out such sentiments as falsehoods, and start taking full advantage of this rapidly evolving technology.

Myth: LEDs Are Too Pricey

There is no debating the fact that the upfront cost of LED light bulbs is greater than that of fluorescents and other HID options. In order to recognize the amazing cost-saving benefits one LED, business owners have to adopt a more long-term viewpoint.

Industrial LED lighting systems require a larger investment, but over the course of a year or two, they will quickly start paying for themselves. Not only will you be using, on average, about 80% less electricity, but you won’t be buying bulbs nearly as often.

In [city] and just about everywhere else in the country, there are also significant incentives for business to upgrade to LED. These utility tax credits make the cost of an industrial LED lighting upgrade even easier to handle.

Myth: LEDs Have Poor-Quality, ‘Flickering’ Light

The dreaded “LED flicker” is one of the most common complaints made about LEDs. However, it is a myth that LED lights are inherently flickering. In truth, the degree to which a light flickers has far more to do with the incoming current.

Because LEDs provide instantaneous light, an uneven power input can lead to that light being rapidly turned on and off, causing a flicker. Meanwhile, incandescent tubes utilize a filament that has a persistent, radiant glow that makes the flicker harder to see.

The good news: modern LED lighting technology has come a long way. Upgrading to new LED fixtures and a smart lighting control system can eliminate the power inconsistencies that cause light flicker.

Myth: LEDs Require Entirely New Fixtures

For industrial settings, the best way to cut energy costs is with a full LED upgrade, including bulbs, fixtures, ballasts, and even wiring. This kind of comprehensive investment can be too pricey for small operations.

Retrofit LED tubes are capable of working within existing lighting infrastructure. Universal LED tubes can stick right into linear fixtures. However, the most popular retrofit options require a small amount of re-wiring, or “ballast bypassing”. Still, this is a far more affordable option than a top-to-bottom LED facility upgrade.

Myth: LEDs Don’t Work in High-Temperature Industrial Environments

Many industrial operations are under the impression that LED bulbs to not work in high temperature environments. While this may have been the case with early LED technology, almost everything about LEDS have improved drastically over the last decade.

In fact, LEDs are now even more suitable for a broad range of temperatures than metal halide lights. In addition, they don’t create even close to the same amount of heat. This means that a full top-to-bottom LED upgrade will likely reduce your buildings average temperature by a significant amount.