LED lighting technology has recently faced huge advances as the market braces itself for a surge in demand. Market research has shown the LED lighting market is expected to be worth over $5billion by 2012 thanks to the huge energy and long-term cost savings LED now offers compared to conventional lighting.
Energy efficiency is one of the hottest topics on the table as environmental issues become ever-urgent. And the rising costs of general housing bills and utilities means the long-term cost efficiency of LED offers an attractive alternative. LED has also come on in leaps and bounds when it comes to quality and performance, offering a more creative approach to lighting homes and gardens over the traditional incandescent and compact fluorescent light bulbs.
There's a range of LEDs on the market from specialist manufacturers offering neutral and warm white LEDs that are suited for indoor use. LED lighting is already common in office blocks and retail centres where long-term, enduring lighting solutions are central to their business. Less power is needed with LED bulbs helping reduce lighting bills drastically by lowering costs over a lifetime. Technology is increasingly evolving at a fast rate delivering more efficient, powerful and high performing LED lighting in readiness for the predicted LED boom.
Already in major cities around the world, cities are going LED. In Singapore, Jurong Town Council became the first town council in the country to use LED lights in its common areas in public housing estates. They changed 95,000 fluorescent light tubes for LED light fittings with the aim of consuming less power and reducing maintenance costs - the lights can operate up to 50,000 hours - offering the town council a saving of up to 1.1 million in electricity bills annually. The project is hoped to be registered as Singapore's first Programmatic Clean Development Mechanism project in the United Nations. Many more towns and cities across the world are preparing to flick the LED switch.