30 Jul How to Choose LED Bulbs for Infrastructure Lighting
LED bulbs are becoming the number one choice for infrastructure lighting. But to fully maximize its advantages of cost-efficiency, longevity, and durability, you need to select the best LED products that suit your project’s needs. We lay down our top tips to help you choose LED bulbs for your infrastructure.
Lighting is a crucial part of modern infrastructure. They provide illumination for workers, pedestrians, and motor vehicles, which ultimately helps orientate people on hazards and increase safety, make a place more visually appealing and contribute to the development of cities.
But simply providing lights for buildings, roadways, and other facilities won’t cut it. There’s a pressing need to select the right lighting options that suit the needs of different infrastructures. LED lights have been in the spotlight in the infrastructure lighting industry, with decision-makers attracted to their longevity, energy efficiency, durability, and more.
LED bulbs can come in different sizes, color temperatures, lumens, and energy standards. Choosing the right option for your project can go a long way in making your investment count. Here are some tips on choosing the right LED bulbs for your infrastructure.
1. Create a list.
Like any new venture, choosing LED bulbs for your infrastructure lighting would require proper planning. Start with creating a list of how many bulbs you need for your facility, transport infrastructure, roadways, etc. If you already have lighting fixtures installed and you want to make the switch to LED alternatives, note the shapes and sizes of your current bulbs so you can find LED equivalents.
2. Determine the ideal color temperature.
The color temperature of your lights will make all the difference in the visual appeal and ambiance of your environment. Light colors are described using the Kelvin scale. A lower Kelvin degree means that the color temperature is warmer and appears in yellow, while a higher Kelvin degree emits a cooler blue-white light.
The best Kelvin degree for your infrastructure would depend on the function of your lighting. Neutral white lights at 3500 Kelvin are best used in wide, open areas. On the other hand, task lighting, detailing, or industrial applications would require a Daylight white light at 6500 Kelvin.
3. Determine the ideal brightness or light output.
Bulb brightness or light output is measured by Lumen (lm) rating. The higher the rating, the higher the amount of light the bulb gives off. This is in part what contributes to the cost-efficiency of LED bulbs — even LEDs with a high Lumen rating and light output have low wattages and use up less energy.
4. Consider longevity.
Traditional light bulbs have a relatively short life span. Incandescents, for example, burn out after 1,000 hours of use, while CFL bulbs can last as long as 5,000 to 8,000 hours. LED bulbs well exceed these life spans, capable of maintaining their initial Lumen output for 10,000 to 25,000 hours. When used for 3 hours per day, LEDs can last for over 20 years before they dim.
5. Calculate financial and environmental savings.
A lot of people are hesitant to switch to LED bulbs because, at first glance, they seem to be more expensive compared to traditional bulbs. However, it’s well worth it to look at the long term. While LED bulbs require a higher initial investment, they are extremely energy efficient, which means they have the lowest total cost of ownership among the different bulb types.
6. Know where to install LED bulbs.
Installing LED bulbs in the proper places will allow you to maximize their benefits and enjoy their long lifespan. While LED bulbs emit less heat compared to other lighting options, they are very heat sensitive. Hence, it’s not ideal to place them in fully enclosed fixtures. Instead, LED bulbs can achieve a more optimal heat dissipation in open areas. If you want to replace lights in enclosed fixtures with LEDs, make sure that the bulb you are buying is made for that purpose.
Another thing to note is that LEDs are best utilized in places where you use lights the most. Installing them in places where the lights are left on regularly will allow you to maximize your savings and reap a good ROI immediately.
7. Replace dimmers and transformers
While LED bulbs are innovated to suit different applications, there are some technicalities that make them unique from traditional bulbs. Hence, there may be dimmers and transformers that are not compatible with the features of LEDs. For infrastructure lighting, you may want to replace dimmers created specifically for LED applications to reduce dimming range and buzzing.
Your transformers may also require a minimum wattage to work, which makes them incompatible with low-power-consuming LEDs. In this case, you’ll need to replace your track system or add more LED bulbs to meet your existing transformer’s wattage requirement.
Invest in the Most Reliable LED Bulbs
Stealth Ventures has a collection of LED bulbs that well exceed the standards of reliability and energy efficiency. We have products that can suit different applications, including those required for your infrastructure project. Browse products from our partners and find the best LED bulbs for you.
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