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LED-Retrofit-Lighting ™
Saving Energy and Money with LED Business Retrofit |
1-800-503-1972 tel 1-212-658-9003 fax
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Q:
What is an LED?
A: LED Stands for Light Emitting Diode. LED is a semiconductor device that emits visible light when electrical current goes through it. A diode allows electricity to go through one way but not out the other. In the most simple terms, an LED is made with two different types of semiconductor materials. The first kind has too many free electrons moving around inside of it, the other type doesn’t have enough. When an electron is moved from the overloaded material to the small spaces in the other material, light is produced.
A: No. LED’s have been around for decades. They have been used in many different products that required low energy use and long lifetime including being the power light inside devices such as televisions, clocks, radios, toys, along with many other electronic devices. Over the years through significant advancement of the lumens or “Brightness” per watt , LED lighting can provide excellent illumination for almost any application.
Q: Don’t LED bulbs give off a very cold blue “color”? A: With advances in technology, LED bulbs are now available in range of “color” temperatures, including a new 2700 degree Kelvin rated bulb, similar to the “warm” glow of an incandescent bulb
Q: Do LED bulbs really last 50,000 hours? A: At 12 hours per day, that’s over 11 years. Our products undergo accelerated testing for lifetime using extreme heat and other factors to simulate use. The LEDs have been tested to last 50,000 hours and the electronics 100,000 hours.
Q: So, at 50,000 the LED bulb will “fail” like my current light bulbs? A: The illustration on page 3 shows how, after 50,000 hours of illumination, the brightness will have diminished 30% to 70% of its original output. (the standard for bulb life rating) At that point, you may decide to keep the bulb in place or transfer it to an area requiring less brightness.
Q: How do you control what color the light is? A: Through Phosphor Coating. If you look directly at an non illuminated LED, you probably will see a yellow coating surrounding it, which is the phosphor. When the light waves go through the phosphor coating, the wavelength changes along with the color of the visible light.
Q: After the light has been on for awhile, the head sink feels warm. I thought that LED lights did not create heat? A: LED’s do create some heat, but not nearly as much as incandescent bulbs do. The heat sink feels warm because it is doing its job by getting the heat away from the LED’s!
Q: My business lighting is with overhead fluorescent fixtures, how can I retrofit with LED bulbs? A: A very popular LED retrofit bulb is the 4 foot replacement tube which fits within the existing fixture. As these tubes don’t require an electric starter, the wiring inside the fixture is then reconfigured to bypass the old ballast; which is then removed (and no more ballast replacements.)
A: Yes, many of our lights are dimmable. Also, be sure to ask us about an optional Ambient Sensor which adjusts and controls the amount of brightness, and watts, based on other light such as sunlight, etc.
Q: Are your lights UL Certified? A: Yes, some of our lights are UL certified, the rest are UL pending. All of our products are CE marked which satisfies the European standards which many believe to exceed UL specifications.
Q: How long will it take for this to pay off, to save as much as the retrofit project cost? A: Savings from your current expense depends on three things: 1) The type of light you are switching from; incandescent to LED means big savings 2) The number of monthly hours your lights are on 3) The electric rates you are currently paying (ex: NY State is 3rd highest in USA)
Q: Like other technologies, LED prices come down with advancements; why not wait longer? A: Why wait and continue to pay today’s high cost of light? Will the reduced price of next year’s LED bulb offset today’s electric, replacement and labor savings? Also, we do not know how long today’s utility rebates or state and federal incentives will remain available. That’s why business owners and facility managers are taking advantage of the savings available today.
Q: Are there any government incentives, rebates or tax benefits with a LED retrofit project? A: Yes. Please consult your tax advisor to confirm your eligibility for: 1) Incentives offered by your state(s): visit http://www.dsireusa.org2) There is a federal tax deduction (CBTD) available through 2013 if you achieve a 50% decrease in lighting kWh. The tax deduction is based on the square footage of your business premises. visit http://www.lightingtaxdeduction.org/tax_deduction.html 3) Local energy reduction incentives or rebates in your community
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