In the emerging market for sustainable technology and the growing demand for energy efficiency in businesses, solar panels, efficient boilers and on-site generation are all potential options to help cut down on the cost of annual energy bills.
However, breaking into the market with some force is LED lighting technology, providing businesses a brighter and more sustainable future.
While it might just seem like a small change, LED lighting can make a remarkable difference to your business operations.
For a start, the technology is extremely cost effective, with the ability to reduce energy bills by a remarkable 60 per cent for average installations.
In larger office developments and other major commercial properties, the need for constant lighting is a must – regardless of the time of day or the weather outside.
Pursuing energy efficiency and increased productivity
A well-lit environment has been found to increase productivity amongst workers. For example, research from Jeff Tsao of Sandia National Laboratories and Harry Saunders of The Breakthrough Institute found that this was in fact the case, whilst also predicting that LED lighting is set to take over from the Edison light bulb as the most efficient light source of choice.
Furthermore, a case study from Sheenly Lighting echoed these findings, adding that poor, inefficient lighting could even lead to injuries such as eyestrain and musculoskeletal injuries.
Whereas a conventional energy saving lightbulb will take a long time to get to full beam, LED lights are instantly at full capacity, providing your workplace with the best possible lighting solution in the shortest time.
According to National Geographic, LED lighting is more efficient in regards to the fact that they emit light in one specific direction, making them better suited for energy-efficient properties than other incandescent or fluorescent light bulbs. These types of bulb waste energy by sending light in a number of different directions.
Energy efficiency is also achieved by the fact that LED bulbs work at much lower temperatures that conventional lightbulbs.
We’ve all been in a situation when we’ve touched a hot lightbulb after turning on a lamp, or trying to remove a lightbulb that has just blown. LED lights, however, remain cool. Normal incandescent lightbulbs emit 90 per cent of their energy as heat while flourescent lightbulbs do this at a rate of 80 per cent.
With so many of these in an office or other business environments, imagine how that increases the temperature of a room. You’d be surprised at how significant this is. Cutting down on this wasted heat means that air conditioning is not as necessary to make the environment a more comfortable and workable temperature.
Furthermore, as LED lights have no glass components, they are not as vulnerable to breakage, unlike normal lightbulbs.
LED lighting also has a longer lifespan than other more widely used bulbs. While incandescent bulbs last between 750 and 2,000 hours, and compact fluorescent bulbs can be used between 8,000 and 10,000 hours, LED lighting positively eclipses the competition.
Lasting for an incredible 35,000 to 50,000 hours, there is a reason why LED lighting is gaining in popularity, especially among commercial users.
Takeaway
In order to increase profit margins, cutting costs at every available juncture is vital for future business success. A simple change like adopting LED lighting in a premises can potentially save hundreds of pounds on annual energy bills, increase worker productivity, and reduce the need to spend money on replacement bulbs.