While light bulbs on their own are not exactly massive energy sinks when you have a number of them operating in a business at one time, they add up ‒ especially when you have lights that are on all day and, in many cases, exterior lights on at night, which many businesses use for security purposes.
Therefore, it is very much worth your time to investigate the potential of upgrading your lighting solutions to something more energy efficient. There are various options available on the market today.
Let us take a look at some of the most common types of bulbs that you can find and assess which one is the best.
Incandescent Light Bulbs
The incandescent light bulb is amongst the oldest light bulb technology to exist. These bulbs are in the process of being phased out in South Africa and won’t be available to purchase before long. Incandescent light bulbs work by having a fine element heat up from electricity and, in doing so, cause it to glow brightly and provide light. These types of light bulbs are not energy efficient at all and generate a lot of heat. They are generally considered unsafe and not environmentally friendly.
Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs
These lights are considerably more efficient than incandescent light bulbs. However, they are not very environmentally friendly and are toxic to humans because they contain mercury. Therefore, it is very important that they be handled with care, and if a compact fluorescent light is broken, it should be disposed of properly. This means that responsible disposal protocols must be implemented as a company if you are working with compact fluorescent light bulbs. On the upside, these light bulbs have a considerably longer lifespan than incandescent light bulbs and don’t get nearly as hot.
Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)
LEDs are the most attractive lighting option for several reasons. The most important reason is that they are extremely energy efficient ‒ by far the most energy-efficient light bulb technology available on the market. They also last considerably longer than both compact fluorescent light bulbs and incandescent light bulbs and are thus a more cost-effective option, as you will not need to replace them often.
They are also more environmentally friendly because they do not use as much energy and are more long-lasting. The other benefit of LEDs is that they generate very little heat, which means that they are definitely safer and preferable to use when lighting sensitive items or when lights need to be left on for extended periods.
They also turn on instantly because they don’t need time to warm up. They run silently and do not have any humming or buzzing to go along with them. LEDs are also programmable and can be attached to any number of digital systems that can create arrays, change colour temperatures, dim the lights, and so much more.
The fact that they can be digitised and programmed also helps reduce energy because you can then easily set them on a programmed schedule. Having a lighting system that can be turned on and off automatically via a programmable schedule can make a big difference to your energy consumption as it does not depend on employees to remember to turn things on and off at the right times. This eliminates human error and further cements your energy-saving capability as a company.
To get more help in making your business energy efficient, contact us at Energy Management Solutions today! Our team of experts and specialised equipment can reduce your energy consumption significantly.