LED stands for Light Emitting Diode. LEDs work by passing an electrical current through a microchip which causes tiny light-emitting diodes to illuminate.
A Light-emitting diode burns light 90 percent more efficiently than incandescent bulbs.
LEDs are now the future of household lighting. LEDs are equally as versatile as other types of household lighting, LEDs last far far longer than traditional incandescents making them an economical choice.
In addition, LEDs do not give off heat and unlike compact fluorescent lights, they do not contain any mercury, meaning they are a safe choice for households.
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The History of LEDs
LEDs have existed for over 50 years. Nick Holonyak, a Scientist was on an endeavor trying to create a laser in 1962. In creating a laser he colored it red using gallium arsenide phosphide.
This red coloration helped him see the light from the diode. He was not trying to replace incandescent lightbulbs in his construction of the laser.
However, Holonyak did realize the LEDs potential as a light source.
Initially, IBM used the LEDs in their circuit boards, by the 1970's LEDs were used as components in watches and calculators.
Later by the 1980s light-emitting diodes were used in traffic lights and automobile brake lights.
LEDs emit light in one specific direction and it took a while to perfect the technology to get the lights to emit light in all directions similar to the way incandescent household bulbs do.
Once very expensive the cost of these LED household bulbs has now been driven down. Factoring in running costs they are now a much cheaper option.
LEDs last three times longer than CFLs and 20 times longer than incandescent bulbs.
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LEDs Are Efficiently Bright
800 Lumens of brightness will be given out from an Energy Star Led light.
To achieve the same level as traditional lighting, incandescent bulbs will cost you approximately 6 times the amount in energy consumption!
The Heat Output of LEDs
Light-emitting diodes lights make a heat sink, as a result, the bulbs don't feel hot to the touch. Most lights have a metal collar to absorb this heat output.
Therefore you won't be feeling the heat from your lights in summer. This also makes the light-emitting diode led lighting very safe in terms of reduction in burn injuries and fires.
Available Colors
Common colors of LED light are red, green, blue, and amber. In order to produce white light, different combinations of color LED are used, phosphor is also added to the lights to provide white light.
The first blue-violet LED using magnesium-doped gallium nitride was made at Stanford University in 1972.
The colored LED lights are now widely used in electronic products, such as TVs and computers amongst others.
LED Uses
Light-emitting diodes are used in many different applications there are many LED Products out there today. Widely used as indicator lights and signal lights.
A light-emitting diode features in aviation lighting, automotive headlamps and brake lights, advertising, traffic signals, camera flashes, medical devices, and general lighting, amongst others.
Final Notes On - What Are LEDs?
Light-emitting diodes have been around for some time, over 50 years in total.
Passing an electrical current through a microchip which illuminates the tiny light sources has now revolutionized the lighting industry.
The uptake and commercial use of light-emitting diodes took some time following their invention.
Adding phosphor material to the LEDs resulted in that familiar white light and made LED suitable for household use.
Nowadays, they are very commonly used in household lighting. LEDs are many times more efficient than traditional lighting incandescent bulbs. An Energy Star rated LED bulb can be up to 90% more efficient.
LED lights will last up to seven years with a lifespan of approximately 60,000 hours compared to the 1,500 hours of incandescent bulbs.
This modern daylight source proves to be the most versatile of lighting technologies not just used for household accent lighting and track lighting.
LED bulbs are used in much more than just lighting fixtures. One major application LEDs are used in traffic lights, and also automobile indicator lamps.
Aside from traffic lights, other uses for led bulbs include TVs and computers.
LED light bulbs are very durable LEDs and can withstand shocks, vibrations, and extreme temperatures because they don’t use the same fragile components that other lights use, such as glass and filaments.
They don't contain any mercury like fluorescent lights do and are made entirely from non-toxic materials.
LEDs are considered ECO friendly as can be fully recycled. Given that LEDs give out little by way of heat LEDs greatly reduce safety risks such as burns and fires.
In the future LEDs are ready to take over from incandescent bulbs totally. LED technologies are always advancing creating brighter and longer-lasting light sources.
The U.S. Department of Energy hopes to reduce all total electricity used for lighting by 50% by changing over to LED light sources.
The light-emitting diode has made our homes and offices much safer and more energy-efficient.
So, thats pretty much it for this post. We hope you now have a good answer to the questions - what are LEDs and what are LEDs used for.
LED Lighting is the way forward. Neon Mama utilizes light-emitting diodes within Neon signs.
The result is that our LED products provide a safe and eco-friendly, efficient lighting feature for your home or business!
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