Oct
12

LED for Green, Sustainable Lighting

Green and sustainable lighting may have been just a trend a decade ago, but now it’s a response to a real need in the industry and in every lighting system in the country. One of the leading concerns for architects and lighting designers today are rising energy costs and tightening energy codes that have made traditional lighting solutions difficult to work with. What buildings need is a lighting solution that can deliver high energy efficiency without allowing visual quality to suffer, and that’s exactly what they can get from LED lighting.

LED lighting is the leading green or sustainable lighting solution today because of its ability to significantly cut down on energy consumption while still delivering optimal light levels. It also has the advantage of being easily incorporated into lighting control systems that are designed to manage and optimize lighting systems. More than being an ideal solution for saving energy, LED has a lot of benefits to offer, including:

  1. Long Life

More than delivering high energy savings, LED lighting outlasts all other lighting solutions in terms of service life. Leading LED products like those from Acuity Brands can deliver as much as 50 000 hours of service. This effectively eliminates the constant need for lamp replacement and maintenance which adds to LED’s cost effectiveness. The reduced wastage also enhances its role in sustainable design.

  1. Durability

LED is also highly durable and can withstand an increased amount of vibration and accidental contact. That’s because LED is encased in tough resin and utilizes a semiconductor instead of a filament to emit light. A higher resistance to damage translates to a longer service life, less wastage and an ideal green lighting solution.

  1. Free of Toxic Materials

One of the traits that make LED lighting a truly green and sustainable lighting solution is its complete lack of toxic materials, during manufacturing and in the final product. Other leading lighting solutions in the industry utilize mercury which can pose as a health hazard.

There are plenty of reasons to make the switch to LED for a more sustainable and visually comfortable environment that will also reduce costs long term. It’s no wonder that LED has become the leading lighting solution in the market today.

Oct
12

The Advantages of Using LED Lighting in Commercial Applications

Commercial lighting applications have suffered the most from rising energy cost and tightening energy codes simply because they often have to work with budgetary constraints. Dealing with high energy consumption usually means having to sacrifice the system that eats up the most electricity, which is lighting. In an effort to cut down costs, a lot of commercial buildings have had to sacrifice visual comfort, but energy costs continue to rise. With these problems with energy and lighting, the demand for energy efficient lighting solutions have skyrocketed. The largest demand is for LED lighting, an energy-saving and high quality lighting product that is leading the market today.

LED lighting has a lot of benefits to offer, but what stands out the most in the eyes of architects, lighting designers and building owners is its energy efficiency. It can meet or even exceed the lighting levels delivered by leading traditional lighting solutions while using a lot less energy. In fact, the use of LED lighting can reduce energy consumption by 33% to 50%, depending on how widely it is used. It is even more effective in saving energy and delivering quality lighting when used with lighting controls.

While energy efficiency is already enough to make LED lighting the most wanted lighting solution in the market today, it also offers durability, flexibility and long life. Encased in a tough resin, LED can withstand a lot of vibration and accidental contact. Its flexibility in design also allows it to be used in a wide variety of settings, including both indoor lighting and outdoor lighting. Leading LED products in the market can also deliver over 50 000 hours of service which virtually eliminates lamp replacement and maintenance.

With its overall cost effectiveness and sustainability, LED products are often heavily featured in sustainable design. It is likely that we will see LED as the most prevalent lighting solution in the not so distant future for commercial applications.

Sep
27

Qualifying for LEED with Sustainable Lighting Design

More and more buildings are striving to qualify for LEED certification which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is an internationally accepted green building certification system. There are a lot of advantages to getting certified by LEED, including tax exemptions, tax credits, tax breaks, density bonuses, reduced fees and many more; but these incentives are not the only reason why buildings design by LEED specifications. LEED buildings feature sustainable design which means that it is designed to promote water efficiency, indoor environmental quality and, most importantly, energy efficiency.

For most building owners, designing for energy efficiency has become a need, especially with the continuously rising energy cost and constantly tightening energy codes. In sustainable design, promoting energy efficiency usually means having a green lighting system that can deliver a high performance visual environment without consuming too much energy. The demand for energy efficient lighting has made green lighting solutions more available in the market, making it easier to design a lighting system that reduces energy usage while also boosting performance.

In most buildings that feature sustainable design, some of the heavily featured lighting solutions usually include LED lighting and lighting controls. LED lighting is a favourite in sustainable design because of its ability to deliver high quality lighting for a fraction of the energy that traditional lighting solutions would consume. It is also free of any toxic materials in both the final product and in manufacturing, and is easily recyclable. Lighting controls are also often used because of their ability to optimize functionality and energy efficiency. A wide range of lighting controls are available for an equally wide range of settings, but they are most effective when used in conjunction with LED lighting solutions and vice versa.

There are many other factors to getting a LEED certification, but one of the main advantages of the sustainable design needed for LEED is the significant energy that is saved. Not only does it give you a more visually comfortable building interior, it also promotes cost effectiveness and significantly reduces your overall costs.

Sep
19

LED Lighting for LEED Qualification and Renovations

When it comes to renovations or designing for LEED certification, LED lighting has become the top choice for most architects and lighting designers and with good reason. LED solutions have been consistently outstripping all other lighting products in the market today in energy efficiency, lighting quality, service life and durability. While LED definitely offers a unique and highly beneficial convergence of features, the high demand for this breakthrough lighting solution is based mostly on its ability to deliver optimal lighting levels while keeping energy consumption to a minimum. In fact, using LED lighting for your building can reduce your energy costs by 33% to 50%, depending on how it is utilized.

For buildings that have been grappling with rising energy costs and tightening energy codes, lighting renovations have become a much-needed investment. Lighting is usually responsible for half of the energy consumption of any given building, and making the switch to a sustainable and high performance lighting solution like LED lighting is just the thing that any building needs. After all, LED lighting not only cuts down on energy cost, it boosts productivity by delivering a high performance visual environment. And since it lasts for a very long time, you can definitely get a return in your investment plus a lot more in this long term lighting solution.

LED lighting is particularly crucial for buildings that feature sustainable design and want to get a LEED certification. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a prestigious certification that more and more buildings are vying for. One of its top qualifications is an energy efficient lighting system; buildings that qualify usually feature a combination of LED lighting and lighting controls. More than prestige, LEED certification also makes a building eligible for incentives like tax exemptions, density bonuses and reduced fees.

 

Sep
12

LED Lighting for Sustainable Design

More than any other lighting products in the market today, LED lighting has stood out as a modern lighting solution that might just solve all of our energy-related lighting problems. With rising energy costs and tightening energy codes, energy efficiency has become the leading concern in most structural and architectural projects. In fact, it has become the norm to design buildings along the principles of sustainable design which emphasizes energy savings, functionality and quality. These efforts to create working and living environments that are cost effective but are also productive and visually comfortable have come to heavily feature LED lighting solutions, largely due to the multi-benefits that they can offer.

LED lighting outperforms just about every traditional lighting solution today in many different ways. Some of the benefits that it can offer include:

  1. Energy Efficiency

LED has got a lot to offer, but its leading feature has got to be its ability to deliver optimal lighting levels while only consuming a fraction of the energy that other lighting solutions would. By using LED lighting, you can cut down on energy costs by as much as 33% to over 50%, depending on how extensively it is utilized. When combined with lighting controls, it can reduce energy usage even more while also boosting visual comfort and quality.

  1. Long Life

Other than being the most energy efficient lighting solution in the market today, LED lighting is also notably long lived. Leading LED solutions can deliver over 50 000 hours of service life. By virtually eliminating the need for lamp replacement and lessening maintenance requirements, LED becomes even more cost effective and ideal for sustainable design.

  1. Durability

As if its remarkable energy efficiency, great lighting quality and long life weren’t enough, LED is also the most durable lighting solution in the market today. That’s because it utilizes a semiconductor to emit light which is covered by a tough resin in turn. Unlike most lighting solutions, it takes a lot more than accidental contact or vibration to get LED into trouble.

  1. Sustainability

There are a lot of features to recommend LED lighting to an architect, lighting designer or building owner, but one of its most valued long term benefits is its sustainability. It contains zero toxic materials and is easy to recycle. This makes LED a perfect fit for sustainable design and for just about any lighting modern lighting application.