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Contrary to the lament of a famed Muppet frog, it is easy bein’ green — especially when it comes to lighting choices.
HitLights owner and CEO Bin Yu says LEDs are good for both the environment and the bottom line: “Because they’re extremely energy efficient, made of nontoxic materials and offer so much flexibility, there’s never been a better time to go green by upgrading your lighting.”
Here are some of the “green” credentials for LED lighting.
Energy Efficiency
Let’s start with the biggest advantage LEDs offer over traditional fluorescent and incandescent lights — they can use up to 75 percent less energy! LEDs also can last up to 25 times longer than incandescent and halogen lights, and up to three times longer than most compact fluorescent lights.
That energy efficiency means big savings. According to Energy.gov, replacing a home's five most frequently used light fixtures or bulbs with energy-efficient options like LEDs could save you $75 each year.
And if more people used LEDs it could add up to significant energy savings. Energy.gov estimates that by 2027, widespread use of LED lighting in the U.S. could save the equivalent electrical output of 44 large electric power plants — a total savings of more than $30 billion at today's electricity prices.
No More Feeling the Burn
Another way LEDs are more energy efficient is because they emit little heat, which means less money spent for cooling costs.
The electricity moving through an LED light is directly responsible for putting out the light it emits, with little wasted in the form of heat. By contrast, traditional incandescent, fluorescent and halogen lights waste a tremendous amount of energy as heat. Up to 85 percent of the energy of incandescents is released as heat — meaning you’re using energy to light up the bulb, plus additional energy to cool the surrounding environment to offset the extra heat generated.
Minimal Environmental Impact
Reducing energy consumption is one way to go green. Another is to reduce the amount of toxic materials released into the environment.
It’s a well-known fact that compact fluorescent lights contain mercury. Break a CFL and you have to worry about proper disposal of the hazardous material. No one wants mercury leaching into our landfills and water supply.
LEDs are “green” by their very nature, containing no hazardous materials. LEDs eliminate the cost and worry of proper hazardous material disposal — and help keep further toxic waste out of the environment.
Low Maintenance
Yu notes that the average LED lifespan is a whopping 50,000 hours. “With this long lifespan, we tell our customers LED lights used an average of eight hours a day can be expected to last nearly 18 years.”
LEDs make it easier to save on lighting maintenance and replacement costs. A longer LED life equals less ongoing maintenance, and less ongoing maintenance means reduced labor costs.
So, for example, in the gaming industry where every slot machine is equipped with constantly running lights, LEDs bring big maintenance and labor savings to manufacturers and operators because of their low energy usage and low maintenance.
Ready to upgrade to more efficient, longer lasting LED lighting options? Shop HitLights to go green.
About HitLights
HitLights delivers LED lighting solutions for event exhibits, displays, signs, theater and film productions, and manufacturing. CEO Bin Yu formed the company through the Louisiana State University Business Incubator Program in 2010. Since then HitLights has grown to become a major player in the LED industry. Customers come to HitLights for quality products, helpful customer service and creative solutions.