Early adaptors are luxury homeowners and commercial, industrial users

DENVER, CO - The latest buzzword in construction is “green” and just in case you’ve been hiding under a moss-covered rock, this type of lighting known as LED is long on efficiency and short on energy consumption.

Early adaptors using LED lighting tend to be commercial and industrial users as well as being used in luxury residences. That’s because the cost of the LED fixtures and light bulbs are still considered expensive, says Gary Stone, president of Allstar Electrical Services, electrical contractors serving Denver, Colorado and the Front Range.

This pricier form of lighting—a 120 LED light for interior cans can be found for a discounted $25 per bulb on the internet—has a longer life span than traditional bulbs. Using only 7 watts (10% of the 75 watts in a traditional can spotlight) this LED bulb can burn 100,000 hours, about 100 times longer than an incandescent bulb. The cost of going the LED route has its impact on the front end of installation. Sometimes that initial investment is prohibitive for mid- to lower-income brackets.

Because of its solid-state design, LEDs are much more resistant to vibrations and shock which extends their life span tremendously. LED technology uses 1/30 the power of a standard light bulb with one bulb outlasting 30 incandescent bulbs and 6 compact fluorescent bulbs. Between the life span of the LED bulbs and the savings in your electric bill, the inflated price becomes less of an issue for owners who are inflation-resistant and able to expend the extra amounts on the front end of construction or remodeling.

The good news, according to Stone, is “like all cutting edge technology, the price of LED fixtures and bulbs will come down in time.” Allstar Electrical Services is a leader in LED installation and maintenance. Allstar is the electrical contractor of choice for commercial and residential new construction, remodeling and tenant finishes, service upgrades and repairs, and service contracts for ongoing maintenance.

LED stands for light-emitting diodes, an energy-efficient alternative to traditional incandescent or fluorescent light bulbs. LED lights differ because they are “solid state” lighting meaning that the light is emitted from a solid block of semiconductor instead of from a gas tube. Because LEDs do not require that the filament be heated to generate light, it uses less energy than other bulbs, making LED a safer form of lighting.

Even the most modest home is likely to contain LED technology of some sort. The numbers on the modern alarm clock that wakes you up every morning is probably LED. LED remote controls operate most modern television sets and they light up our wristwatches. LEDs are also what illuminate traffic lights.

LED lighting works best as a directional lamp such as a reading lamp, mood lighting or porch lighting. LED is effective as security lights on the perimeter of a home or commercial building. While they have a lower output, LED lights are more focused than incandescent lighting.

While LED lighting comes in a multitude of colors, making it ideal for outdoor signs and digital clocks, the downside to date is that the shade of white light emitted from LED bulbs is not yet developed to the point that it can replicate the hue of incandescent bulbs. Currently LEDs come in two shades of white—cold and warm. Cold white has a bluish tint and warm white appears more yellow. The promise of the future is that future LED lighting will be developed to be truer to the color of traditional incandescent bulbs, making LED even more appealing for use in residential settings.

Contact Gary Stone at www.allstarelectrical.com or call (303) 399-7420