What Is LED Lighting?

FAQ: What is LED?

What is LED? LED is short for Light Emitting Diode, a solid state electronic device that is capable of emitting light when an electrical current passes through it. See our new NodeSwitch™ Arduino and Vera compatible LED controller.

LED lighting is rapidly replacing conventional lighting methods such as incandescent bulbs, CCFL fluorescent tubes, and halogen lighting because of advances in technology that result in low energy consumption, high brightness, low heat conversion, low lifetime cost, and a compact form factor.

LED lighting was not very popular as a room light alternative at first because the brightness was low, but that is no longer the case. Some of the more advanced LED packages put out over 4,000 lumens (lumen is a unit of light intensity, similar to candlepower) and are actually replacing metal halide projector bulbs in HD projection systems. This is far more light than you need for average lighting conditions.

Color temperature was an issue too. The light that was typically produced by early LEDs was actually a very pure white light which has a cold feel to it, since most of our incandescent light has some yellow in it.

This is no longer the case and LED lighting is now available in 'warm white', the industry term for color adjusted light that feels more natural. LED light color is referred to as 'color temperature' and is measured in 'degrees Kelvin (K)'. Warm white is in the 2800 - 3200 °K region (area shown inside square on the scale at left).

LED: Flexible Form & Installation for Cove Lighting

LED lights come in various forms and can be installed in a variety of different ways. For instance, it can be formed into strips that can be cut to size and concealed behind a valance or fascia to produce a warm, distributed, indirect lighting system like the installation above the bed. Because the strips are flexible, they can be formed around curves to make many different shapes of cove lighting.

The LED light element itself is very small as it does not need to be in a vacuum enclosure, and it generates very little heat. Thus the final size of the housing can be very small too.

You can also have recessed ceiling pot lamps, spotlights, floodlights and all of these lighting types can be indoor or outdoor, and all units can be controlled with dimmers and home automation systems.

There are also direct replacement screw-in bulbs for regular AC household lighting fixtures. They are able to handle a wide range of AC voltages, and 110v or 220v is not a problem.

LED: High Efficiency, Safe Voltage & Long Life

LED lighting typically runs on 12 volts DC, so if you are inclined towards DIY, they are safe to handle for children and adults.

They are an excellent complimentary product to go along with our 12v DC window shade motors. The LED strip lighting can be easily concealed in a typical window blind valance or fascia.

They are very efficient, affordable, use only a relatively small amount of power, and can easily be adapted for off-the-grid solar systems, like our blind motors. They are also perfect for use in RV, motorhomes, campers, boats, etc.

See the LED lighting section in our online store

We sincerely hope you enjoy using these advanced light systems and motors; if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at any time!