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11.06.2019 Feature Article

Energy Saving Tips 102

Energy Saving Tips 102
11.06.2019 LISTEN

Hello guys, the energy saving series continues with a vivid explanation and energy saving advice on another key energy consuming item in a household/office; and that’s is lights in our homes/offices. Indoor lights at home and offices often stay on for quite a long time than any other unit. It is therefore paramount to be circumspect on the kind of lights you use at home or office.

There is a massive energy conservation practice going on around the globe that you need to be part of. Yes, you heard me right, save out big time on your yearly energy consumption on this timely information I am about to share with you. Electrical engineers have resorted to optimizing residential and commercial energy consumption using this simple but essential trick. The trick I am about to show you doesn’t require that you cut down on the daily usage time to save energy. You get to enjoy electrical energy fully for as long as you want for a relatively cheaper consumption rate than its other counterparts.

A magical three letter word device is making a significant impact on the history of energy conservation.

I am sure most of you have heard about it but haven’t given it the optimum attention it deserves. Have you heard about LEDs? If you haven’t, just relax, I will feed your ignorance soon and if you‘ve already heard about it, hang on for more information.

Let’s get some technical knowledge on it first before we proceed to why you need to make a switch to LEDs.

LED is an abbreviation which means “Light Emitting Diode”. I am sure during your basic school education, most of you came across the word; semiconductors. LEDs are a type of semiconductors. When sufficient voltage is applied, it releases energy in the form of light. In simple terms, they are a special type of semiconductors that have the ability of emitting light with less loss of energy. Compared with conventional light sources that first convert electrical energy into heat, and then into light, LEDs convert electrical energy directly into light, delivering efficient light generation with little-wasted electricity.

Why make the switch to LEDs?

LEDs have several benefits but these are four main ones.

#1- Energy Savings

LEDs require less energy because they draw far less electricity than other lighting technologies, such as fluorescents and halogens (conventional light sources). LEDs only lose 5% of the generated energy to heat, and the rest is converted into light. In fact, because of their reduced energy consumption, LEDs emit less heat. This makes them the perfect choice to use in buildings that can get hot — an issue that restaurant and manufacturing industries have to deal with all the time. Less heat means less demand for air conditioning systems and cooling systems. This also makes LEDs a safer option, as they are very unlikely to overheat. Compared to CFLs (curved/folded tubular-type energy saving bulbs), LED lights are up to 80% more efficient and 75% more efficient when compared to a halogen lamp.

#2- Longevity

LED lights last much longer than other lighting products. LED bulbs and diodes have a superior operational life — some can last up to 200,000 hours.

LEDs typically last up to 25 times longer than halogen and incandescent bulbs, and up to three times longer than CFLs. Additionally, LEDs do not have filaments or glass bulbs, which makes them very durable.

#3- Environmentally Friendly

Unlike fluorescents and CFLs, LEDs do not contain highly toxic mercury. This helps to reduce toxic waste when the LED bulbs are disposed of.

LEDs also last a very long time. Using fewer LED lamps means less waste in the form of packaging, transportation, and disposal. Switching over to LEDs is a simple way to dramatically lower your carbon footprint thereby reducing environmental pollution

#4- Aesthetically Perfect.

LEDs come in numerous varieties of architectural designs, sizes, and shades to suit all desired lighting decorations and settings. Majority of the beautiful light designs you see at shopping malls, restaurants and hotels are LEDs because they provide adequate lumens (a measure of perceived brightness) with low energy consumption and a wide variety of choices.

Choosing LED Bulbs

Always read the package to choose the desired brightness level. You can use wattage to compare bulb illumination. For example, a 9 watt LED is equivalent in output to a 45-watt incandescent. However, wattage measures energy used, not the light output. The best method for comparing bulbs is lumens. The higher the lumens, the brighter the bulb. Bulbs with similar wattage may vary in lumens.

Additional info

LED usage is not limited to only lights. Flat screen LED-backlit LCD TVs and monitors are also a good choice to go in for. These TVs will help you save big time on your electricity bill. There is a substantial 34% energy saving benefit from using LED-backlit LCD TVs compared to the conventional TVs and plasma TVs.

Purchasing LEDs have become much simpler now than it used to be. For my readers in Ghana, Novich electric’s online store ( www.novichelectricstore.com ) has quality LEDs of different varieties to suit all your needs and they all come with 1 year replacement guarantee. You can also invite Novich Electric for an energy audit of your home or office. Make the switch to LED and Save on your energy consumption.

How long have your LED bulbs lasted? Share with me.

Prince John Abakah,

MSc. High Voltage Power Engineering.

Managing Director, Novich Electric Ltd.

www.novichelectric.com

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