There are several distinct advantages to using LED (light emitting diodes) lighting instead of halogen or HID (high intensity discharge lighting—used primarily on commercial projects).
First and most impressive is the considerable energy savings. LED lighting uses approximately 75% less energy to operate than other lighting systems currently in place. Not only is this significant to life on our planet, but the dollars saved can be quite substantial and will continue to make a difference as the cost of electricity goes up in the future. This alone makes LED look very good.
Second, LED lasts a very long time. The excellent quality of LED products used by NightScenes are rated for 40,000 hours of use. This means that the LED fixture will last approximately eighteen years when in use from dusk to midnight every day of the year. On the other hand, halogen lamps are rated for approximately 2,500 hours of use. If you do the math, you realize that a halogen lamp will have to be replaced about every other year under the same usage conditions.
This brings up the maintenance issues. The typical low-voltage halogen lighting system needs maintenance at least twice a year to replace burned out lamps, adjust aiming of fixtures, clean lenses, check voltages, etc. LED fixtures do not contain lamps (light bulbs) which might burn out. LED are Light Emitting Diodes, not light bulbs. The LED fixture's light does not suffer catastrophic failure like other lighting fixtures and lamps. It diminishes over a very long period of time instead of burning out altogether. At the point of average life (40,000 hours for the premium products we use), the light output of these LED fixtures should be approximately 70% of their original output. (It is at that time we recommend they be replaced.) While a halogen lighting system requires you to spend money to replace burnt out lamps, an LED system allows you to save most of those dollars. There will be some maintenance needs with an LED system such as cleaning lenses and adjusting the aim of the fixtures from time to time, but these services are fairly quick and inexpensive. There should be little need for additional materials, an expense that can really add up. The average cost of a quality halogen MR16 lamp is about $12.50 each today and will surely increase in the future. If you replace lamps every other year, it would cost approximately $112.50 for each fixture just for light bulbs (not including labor) over the eighteen-year life of the LED system.
Next there is the question of the color. We are asked about the color of the LED light more than anything else. We are all familiar with the blue, green, red, and other colors of LED lighting that have been around for many years. All too often we have also seen the very characteristic white LED lighting that borders on the color blue. We find that very few people like the color of most white LED products on the market today. The biggest reason that you see so much of the bluer colored LED lights is because they are cheap. It is much cheaper for LED lamp and fixture manufacturers to get the LED chips that produce this cold blue-white; consequently there are more of them out there. NightScenes uses only the very highest quality LED products with specific color "binning" to achieve a much warmer, more pleasing color of light. The color of the light output from our fixtures is the same color as halogen: warmer and more golden. We have actually placed some of these fixtures on properties and asked the homeowners to identify the LED fixtures from the others and found them unable to tell the difference! We may occasionally use a whiter light LED when we want to bring out the color in a specimen plant, but even in this instance, the LED products we use will be of the highest quality, and we will always stand behind them 100%.
"I got home a little after 10pm last night and was thrilled with what I saw. I have to admit that I was worried that the LEDs wouldn't provide enough light. My worries were put to rest as soon as I turned into my driveway and saw how well the driveway and sidewalk were lit up. They provide a very pleasing white light that looked great as an accent against my house and in the canopy of my trees. I am so glad I ran into your comments on that contractor forum. Thank you."
–Gary Mink, Austin, TexasHigh quality products should have excellent warranties to support them. The fixtures used by NightScenes are covered by the manufacturer for fifteen years. There is no other LED product on the market today that carries a warranty so substantial. Most LED products are covered for up to two years—and that's it. Our choice of LED retro-fit replacement lamps (light bulbs only) are also backed with a two-year warranty, but our distributors will actually extend lamp warranty for us for at least five years—perhaps longer if we ask them. Because we have cultivated such good relationships with our distributors and manufacturers, these businesses are willing to help us take better care of our clients than the average lighting company.
Installation of an LED lighting system will cost a little more than the common halogen system when installed the first time. But the value of an LED lighting system is far superior. We use smaller transformers, smaller wire, and less time to install LED lighting, so the complete installation actually costs only about 25% more, despite the fact that LED fixtures cost more than twice the halogen counterparts. Because of the advantages in longer life, lower maintenance expenses, and greater energy savings, the investment in an LED lighting system will essentially cost 50% less over the life of the system than a halogen system.
NightScenes has not installed a halogen lighting system since 2008. We feel that we would be doing our clients a disservice by selling them a system that will end up costing so much more money over the years when we have access to such superior LED products. Having been in this business for over six years, we have been asked by some of our clients, "Why didn't you install this stuff originally?" The answer is simple: these high quality products were not available for us to use before that. The technology has advanced quickly in a short time. Although some LED has been around awhile, it was important for us to be convinced there was an advanced product out there that would do all it claimed and look great too. We are now retro-fitting many of our originally installed halogen systems, and these same clients are thrilled with the results.
Our designers and technicians are knowledgeable and well-trained. At NightScenes we are always available to answer questions about LED lighting or any of your lighting needs. If you are looking into LED and your preferred contractor cannot answer questions about color, heat sync, binning, or other matters that deal specifically with LED, you need to talk to us. We can answer all of your LED questions. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Plaxo. Send us an email, or give us a call.