LED Light and Solar Energy: A Promising Combination
Energy consumption is one of the highest operating costs in a building, and this applies to homes and businesses. LED light and solar power are two promising technologies for reducing energy costs. Both have a relatively simple installation and are not demanding in terms of maintenance.
You could say that LED lights and solar panels are opposites. While an LED bulb converts electricity into light with high efficiency, a solar panel converts light into electricity. Both are electronic devices that use semiconducting materials to perform their function. This article describes some expected benefits offered by LED lighting and solar photovoltaics.
LED lamps and solar panels offer easy installation and short-term savings.
Advantage #1 – Long Shelf Life
LED lamps and solar panels perform their function without the need to move. For this reason, they do not suffer any mechanical wear. LED lamps generally offer a lifespan of between 25,000 and 100,000 hours, depending on the type of lamp. On the other hand, good quality solar panels continue to produce electricity after 25 years of use.
When buying LED lighting products or solar panels, it is essential to check the manufacturer’s guarantees. Leading LED lighting providers generally offer a warranty of 5 years or more. In the case of solar panels, a quality product generally has a 10-year warranty against manufacturing defects. In the case of energy production, solar panels now have guarantees of up to 25 years.
Advantage #2 – Safety for People
Motionless operation of solar panels and LED lamps are also a safety advantage. As these devices have no moving parts, there is no risk of injury to the user.
Other forms of renewable generation or energy savings involve heavy machinery or flammable substances. For example, wind turbines have blades that rotate at high speed, and biomass generators use biofuel. These technologies are also recommended but require additional security measures.
Good quality LED lights, and solar panels are very safe for the user.
Advantage #3 – Short Term Return on Investment
Being technologies that are easy to install and maintain, LED light and solar power come with low labour costs. Generally, the most significant expense is buying the lamps and the panels themselves.
An LED lighting system generally has a payback period of fewer than three years. When ancient and inefficient lamps are replaced, it is possible to recover the investment in less than a year. The return of LED lighting is also short in buildings that operate 24 hours, such as maquilas and call centres.
Solar panels recover the initial investment in 4 to 8 years in most projects.
However, the return may be faster in sunny places with expensive electricity. It is also worth mentioning that solar panels last more than 25 years, and the payback period is a small fraction of their useful life.
Latest Post
- Why do LED Spotlights Burn?
- What is the electricity consumption of LED Christmas lights?
- What are LED lighting towers, and What are their Applications?
- Using Natural Light in LED Lighting Designs
- Use of LED Lights in Domestic Houses
- Three Ways to Apply LED Light in Buildings
- Savings in Air Conditioning with LED Lighting
- Replacement of Halogen Spotlights by LED
- Recommendations when Buying LED Lights for Cars
- LED Lighting Connected to the Internet: A Promising Technology
