LED lighting solutions are on the rise. There are more LED products and alternatives available on the market already than there ever have been for traditional incandescent and compact fluorescent (CFL), energy-efficient bulbs.
While some LED products might just look like any other light bulb or fluorescent tube, the variety of products, new terminology introduced by the lighting industry, and the fact that LEDs are a different technology from what we have been used to for decades can make the switch to LED lighting quite challenging.
This article explains the “must-know” terms that homeowners or contractors should be aware of when buying LED products, provides guidance on how to choose products for different areas in a residential environment, and points out some of the pitfalls to avoid and be aware of to make the switch to LED lighting a success.
Why make the change to LED?
Besides being much more energy efficient than incandescent and CFL options, thus able to provide significant energy savings, they last much longer, don’t contain Mercury like CFL’s, and provide a lot more options for brightness and light appearance (warm vs. cool).
When living in California, every new construction or renovation project is subject to the 2013 California Energy Efficiency Standard, also known as Title 24. LED products are a very good solution to meet or exceed the stringent energy consumption requirements outlined in this standard.
In addition, LED’s don’t only come in a traditional light bulb shape. Due to their compact shape, LED lighting solutions come in all forms, shapes and sizes, providing an almost unlimited amount of ways light can be used and added to a home environment.