LED Lighting has changed drastically over the past few years and there are many affordable and excellent quality products available that actually live up to their advertising. The key is finding the correct company to spec the products that will work for all your applications and usage. Retrofitting your existing home has never been easier with many items being as simple as screwing in a lamp! But, to many LEDs are still completely foreign. Here’s a easy list discussing pros and cons:

Benefits:

• Saves more than 70% energy usage compared to Incandescent.
• Eliminates maintenance and replacement for 10 years or more
• Provides more design options than any other light source
• Reduces cooling costs due to much lower operating temperatures compared to both Incandescent and Fluorescent
• More landscape and exterior lighting options and better bug control due to reduced heat
• No more tall ladders or expensive electrical contractor charges for at least 10 years.
• Cuts existing lighting loads by a substantial amount allowing for more circuit expansions.

Drawbacks:

• Must pick the proper products and professional organization to efficiently take advantage of the benefits of using LED lighting.
• All LED lights are not created equal and many factors can render the incorrect choice causing a substantial loss in investment.
• LED lighting’s price tends to scare homeowners away. But, it’s important to take in account all costs involved. We as homeowners tend to have no problem buying cheap incandescent lamps 3 to 6 times a year, hire expensive electrical contractors to change light bulbs in our high ceilings and think nothing of paying that electric utility bill each month. We scrutinize all our other monthly bills but always forget the one monthly bill that does nothing but increase annually. So the next time you’re faced with changing a light bulb, do not look at the cost on the price tag look at the long-term costs involved and you will easily see that picking up that LED lamp is a no brainer.

What if I’m building a new home, does it make sense to use LED lighting?

Absolutely! The benefits are not only the same as retrofitting an existing home but there are additional energy rebates available for you and your builder. There are also more advanced lighting design options and fewer circuits needed due to lesser loads.