The Benefits of LED Lighting and the Origins of Daylight Savings Time
The benefits of LED lighting can be better understood in the context of the origins of Daylight Savings Time (DST).
DST is the practice of changing clocks by one hour so that there is more daylight in the evenings. DST was first implemented during World War I. Since then, we adjust our clocks forward one hour on the second Sunday of March and one hour backward on the first Sunday of November. One goal of the adoption of DST was to reduce lighting energy usage in the evenings.
Fortunately, lots of progress has been made in lighting efficiency since DST was first implemented. At the time of WWI, lighting fixtures utilized incandescent lamps as the light source. Incandescent fixtures waste about half of the light they produce. By comparison, modern LED lighting efficiently uses all of the light they produce.
LED stands for light-emitting diode, small light sources that illuminate when electrons move through a semiconductor material, producing white or colored light. We are increasingly specifying energy efficient LED lighting for commercial and industrial applications. The rapid adoption of LEDs has revolutionized the energy efficiency, appearance, and quality of modern lighting fixtures.
Still, the largest user of commercial energy is building lighting. Energy codes have been adjusted to specifically address the energy that can be consumed by commercial lighting systems. Our building lighting designs must satisfy the energy codes in order to be approved for construction and occupancy.
Since the time of the adoption of Daylight Savings Time, we have many more options for attractive lighting fixtures that provide the appropriate illumination. LED fixtures now also have improved color rendition, are more energy efficient, durable, longer lasting, and are produced with less energy.
When setting your clocks forward for Daylight Savings Time on March 10th, take a survey of your building lighting, check your electricity bill, and consider the benefits that can be achieved by installing LED lighting and give us a call.
