Conventional LEDs have been used for indication and display applications for several decades. The inherent benefits of LED technology are well-known and documented, and include, maintenance and power savings, as well as performance features that are taken for granted by electronics-savvy consumers such as durability, reliability, longer life span, and consistent color and brightness levels. These benefits, combined with society’s growing environmental concerns and subsequent demand for green, energy-efficient products, have continued to drive the development of LEDs for challenging new industries and markets, such as general illumination for commercial and residential buildings. With the escalating demand for solid-state lighting, LED manufacturers are motivated to develop high-lumen LEDs while LED lighting companies are working hard to integrate the latest technology into retrofit packages and luminaries. However, new perspectives may be necessary for people to adopt LED technology as an illumination source in new installations, or incorporate LED technology in existing light fixtures.

Are LEDs suitable for commercial and residential lighting applications?

LEDs are arguably the most energy-efficient light source available. Case in point, LEDs have created upwards of 80 percent energy savings in the traffic signal industry. However, in this application, the LEDs had two natural advantages:

1. LEDs are monochromatic, so almost all of the light generated is used. In contrast, the white light generated by an incandescent bulb needs to transmit through a colored filter. Light outside of the frequency of the colored lens is wasted.

2. LEDs are directional, so almost all of the light generated was emitted towards the lens. In contrast, light from an incandescent bulb needed to be reflected toward the lens, resulting in loss of efficiency.

Commercial and residential lighting applications stand to gain similar, if not more, energy-savings by converting to LEDs. However, most applications are not as straight-forward as stuffing a PC board with a bunch of directional red, amber or green LEDs. LED light fixtures and retrofit packages have to be designed to distribute the directional light generated by the LED over wide areas. Moreover, white LED technology, while continuously improving, does not yet have the optical color and brightness that consumers have become accustomed to with incandescent lights. However, the power savings can be significant, for example, in California the energy commission has adopted efficiency standards for residential and commercial buildings. These standards, Title 24, have accelerated development of LED illumination technology.

Manufacturers of new boats are always in a constant race to bring to market the latest and best in performance and reliability enhancing marine technology in order to stay ahead of the competition. Among the many new technologies boat builders have embraced to make their vessels more practical and efficient, LED lighting systems have proven to be one of the most effective. LED lighting has proven to be far more efficient than the traditional incandescent lamps once standard on new boats, and their cooler operation and extremely long operating lives have also served to further add to the savings potential they provide. The end result has been that new boats equipped with LED lighting systems are more efficient, cost less to operate, and require less maintenance to keep operating at their most efficient.

LEDs are primarily known as a "green" technology: that is, LEDs use far less energy to operate and as a result less fuel is needed to run engines and generators to replace the power they consume. Additionally, LEDs have no toxic materials such as mercury in their design, making them more environmentally friendly when it comes time to dispose of or recycle them. A quality LED light can require up to 80% less electrical power to produce the same amount of light as a comparable incandescent lamp. A typical 40 watt incandescent light bulb for instance produces about 500 lumens of light output and draws about 1.5 amps of current. A 10 watt LED light on the other hand can produce 600 lumens of light output while drawing as little as.45 amps, making it far more efficient. Even better, if installing LED lights inside an area such as the cabin, LEDs will produce only a fraction as much radiant heat, which means your onboard air conditioning systems will have to work less as well to maintain a comfortable cabin temperature.

Some boat manufacturers take the installation of LEDs a step further and add solar power options as well. Some solar power systems harness the power of sunlight to help replenish battery banks during sunny hours, and when combined with the extreme efficiency of LEDs provides a one/two punch that really puts a dent in the cost of producing onboard power. In fact, some smaller LED fixtures like those used for walkways or deck illumination can even be completely independent of the electrical system and run off their own built in solar charged battery, much like those trendy solar powered landscaping lights many homeowners have become fond of using. This last option is particularly attractive to owners of sailboats who have to rely almost entirely on gensets and power stored in battery banks for their lighting needs.

One of the really great things about LED lighting is that it is not only available to builders of new boats. Owners of older boats built before the introduction of LEDs can benefit as well and can greatly improve the efficiency and performance of their vessel in less than a day with an upgrade to LED fixtures. Most LED fixtures designed specifically for boating applications are intended to be direct replacements for many types of existing incandescent fixtures. Because of this, it is possible to find LED fixtures that will bolt up and wire in without the need for any modification to your existing mounting setup at all. Because LEDs draw so much less power, you wont need to worry about running heavier wires or increasing the load carrying capability of your breaker systems either.

LEDs can be used in pretty much any place a standard light fixture is installed. They can also be used to create some innovative and unique lighting setups to provide a custom lighting system. For example, many boaters like to use dim red lights in the cockpit while navigating at night because they feel it helps to protect the eye’s ability to acclimate itself to dark conditions. If you’ve ever gone from a dark room to a very bright room, or had a camera flash go off in your face unexpectedly, you can understand how easily a bright light can momentarily blind you once your eyes have become used to dark conditions. LED cockpit lights are available that can be connected to a multi-position switch and toggled between a choice of colors for just this purpose. These lights can produce either red light for night time navigation, or normal white light when preserving your natural night vision isn’t so important.

Another way boaters take advantage of LEDs is by using the wide variety of available fixture designs to produce lighting that is hidden yet effectively illuminates a galley or cabin area. LED strip light designs are ideal for this type of application and allow you to mount the fixture under the lip of cabinets or along the base of moldings, thus providing a well diffused source of illumination that isn’t directly visible when the lights are switched on or off. The fixture itself remains hidden, yet the light is spread much as you would expect the light from a typical fluorescent tube lamp to be distributed. Many boaters are getting very creative with LED strip lights and installing them along stair edges, under gunwales, and even in engine rooms to provide a well light path that is almost impossible to miss even when all other illumination is switched off.

Lest you think LEDs are only for normal lighting applications, you should also understand that LEDs are quite powerful and are also available in spreader and spotlight designs. There are LED spreader lights that can illuminate hundreds of square feet using a single fixture drawing less then half the power multiple halogen lamps would require to illuminate the same area, and LED spotlights capable of throwing an intense and tight beam over 2,000 feet in length.

Overall, LEDs offer a far more efficient and durable alternative to traditional incandescent boat lights that can benefit just about any boat of any size regardless of its age or design.

LED lighting is truly the next generation technology which features numerous benefits to not only consumers for Home LED Lighting, but businesses alike, with LED Downlighting products and LED Tubes which can replace out-dated, buzzing fluorescent lighting. LED lighting offers such benefits as a higher energy efficiency than CFLs and fluorescents, lower power consumption, lower maintenance costs, longer lifetime (50,000 hours compared to less than 10,000), durability and brighter light output than conventional fluorescent lighting. LED lighting is slowly filling the Home Lighting and Business Lighting market place with such innovative products as LED T5 and LED T8 Tubes, Flexible LED Lighting, and LED Down Lighting.

Fluorescent lighting contains toxic materials such as mercury which is harmful to environment and human body. Did you know that if you drop or break a fluorescent bulb you must leave the room for 4 hours, due to the toxic materials floating in the air, which could cause respiratory damage, or Asthma in the long run for workers who have to deal with these fixtures daily. For workers and personnel who replace fluorescent tubes at work such as electricians are the most impressed by LED tubes, since they are not only easier to install, requiring no ballast, but they are worry-free, as they can last upwards of 10 years, on for 24 hours a day, and do not contain any toxic materials like mercury dust that fluorescents do. For quick installation, LED tube lighting can be placed and installed directly into existing fluorescent T5 and T8 sized sockets, you only need to remove the ballast, plug the LED bulbs in, and you’re done! Contrary to popular belief, LEDs are very easy to install in this day and age, and the bulk of LED products are now "plug-and-play" while still offering a slick look with unmatched energy savings.

Although fluorescent lighting is more energy efficient than incandescent lighting, it is still an energy wasting monster when compared with LED lighting. For businesses who have a large electric bill, switching to LEDs could cut your energy bill in half, while still keeping all of the brightness, and no fluorescent flickering! Even with the most advanced state of the art CFLs, fluorescent lighting accounts for a high percentage in existing lighting all over the world, switching from fluorescent lighting into LED lighting can greatly reduce the global lighting power consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Now let’s do some detailed analysis to compare LED and fluorescent lighting, and there is no doubt that LED will defeat fluorescent lighting.

First of all, LED lighting is more energy efficient than fluorescent lighting due to the high efficacy of LEDs. LEDs for interior lighting have already broken the efficacy record of 100 lumen per watt, while fluorescent lighting only has an efficacy of around 60 lumen per watt. LED has a power factor of 0.9, which means most of the power is converted into light, but when fluorescent lighting works, a huge amount of power is converted into heat which will be dispersed finally. LED lighting consumes only 30% energy as fluorescent lighting to deliver the same lumen output.

Secondly, Flexible LED lighting has a much longer lifetime than fluorescent lighting since LED lighting is solid state lighting which more stable and reliable. LEDs can last over 50,000 hours which means 17 years under normal use. Whereas fluorescent lighting only has a lifetime of around 5,000 hours, which means you have to replace them as often. Using LED lighting can greatly save your expenses which are used to buy new light bulbs and pay for the labor.

In addition, the light quality of LED down lighting is much better than that of fluorescent lighting. Fluorescent lighting is always flickering when start up, while LED lighting is quick to start up without any flickering. We all know and have seen or live with flickering fluorescent tubes on a daily basis. They’ve actually been proven to cause headaches, due to the micro-pulse wavelength they emit. Using LEDs can reduce workplace strain, headaches, and increase efficiency, with workers at top performance, minus the migraines from CFLs!

When on for hours a day, for a long period of time, fluorescent lighting may have some hot spots due to heat it generates, which does not happen to LED lighting. These hotspots cause the rest of the light to become dimmer, and quickly results in a dead CFL tube, a perfect reason to switch to LED T8 Tubes or T5 tubes, depending on the socket size. Fluorescent lighting / CFL pigtails can cause eyestrain, but LED lighting does not as a result of its uniform and unparalleled balanced light output, and does not flicker or emit a low pitched humming like the earlier fluorescent technology. Today, Flexible LED Lighting, Home LEDs, and Downlighs / LED Tubes are more eco-friendly than ever, beating fluorescent lighting by upwards of 500% - Translation: Savings on your energy bill for both your home and office lighting fixtures. And of course, Fluorescent lighting contains toxic materials such as mercury which can cause air pollution if broken, and when thrown out and can cause permanent damage to the lungs and throat / skin if contact is frequent, or daily.

In contrast, LED lighting is solid state lighting which does not contain any filaments that could break (like incandescent) or hazardous materials like CFLs. Someone may say that the upfront costs of LED lighting is too high, due to the technology used to achieve such a high lumens per watt (efficacy) rating, it is true. However, think about the long term energy savings, and savings you will get from not needing to replace the lights, for up to 5 or 10 times as long, depending if the light replaced was incandescent or fluorescent. Either way, the more high energy halogen, incandescent, or fluorescent lights you replace, the more money you will save every month. Some towns and states even have a tax-rebate / government program that pays you / reimburses you for energy saving LED bulbs. Check with your local town, half the bill could be on them due to recent energy grants and programs setup by President Obama in early 2010. Over the full life of the LED fixture / tube or bulb, the money saved by using LED lighting will be enormous? Why’s that? When factoring in the true price of lighting, you must include all 3 variables: Upfront costs, maintenance costs, and a maintenance main to routinely replace your lights.. that is of course, if you aren’t using LEDs!

In my opinion, LED lighting will replace fluorescent lighting since it meets the requirements of sustainable development, incandescent lighting, due to energy savings and durability, and halogen lighting due to the heat, safety factor, and of course energy usage! Replace your money hungry lights at the home, office, hotel, casino, college, dorm, or even your RV to save battery power! Go green and truly be eco-friendly with LED lighting, and don’t forget to PROPERLY dispose of CFL lights in a sealed garbage bag (or two, or your garbage mans health).

It’s been a short time-line from invention of LED lighting to direct industrial cost saving applications for this highly energy-efficient and rapidly improving technology. This supports the Nobel committee finding that LED will be as revolutionary to the 21st century as the incandescent bulb was to the 20th century. LED is superior in every measurable way.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that by 2027, widespread use of LEDs could save the annual equivalent, electrical output of 44 large electric power plants (1000 megawatts each). A total savings of more than $30 billion at today’s electricity prices.
LEDs cut energy use by more than 80%.
LED bulbs last more than 25 times longer than traditional bulbs. With a useful life of 25,000+ hours, LEDs last over 3 years when running 24/7/365. Quality LEDs used with quality fixtures have an expected lifespan of 30,000-50,000 hours or longer.
LEDs don’t suddenly burn out - they only dim over time.
The combination of extraordinarily long life and not burning out further achieves a low-cost lighting system by reducing bulb replacement labor.
LEDs aim light in a specific direction. Light emits hemispherically rather than spherically. This reduces lighting requirements by delivering light where needed rather than in all directions.
LEDs are highly resistant and immune to vibrations and impact. Instead of glass enclosures, LEDs mount on circuit boards.
LEDs work at cold temperature and come on instantly without a warmup cycle. Rapid cycling (on and off) has no effect on LEDs, but shortens the life of traditional lighting. This makes LED ideal for industrial applications such as refrigerated display cases, freezers, cold storage spaces, outdoor and so much more.
LEDs are much more controllable with a dimming range from 100% to 10% light output compared to a low-end limit of 30% for fluorescent lights. Dimming is also continuous and smooth rather than tiered.
LEDs emit virtually no infrared or ultraviolet radiation and do not contain mercury.
Common Applications
Just as commercial LED technology continues to advance, so does the commercial uses. Not only are LED lights highly efficient but also attractive in appearance. Making such lighting system ideal for shopping malls, showrooms, offices, and even improving factories’ cosmetic appearance.
LED lighting is also utilized for spotlighting, downlighting, in tube lights, strip lights, and even to retrofit light bulbs and in pre-existing lighting fixtures.
The time for commercial LED lighting is now with virtually unlimited applications. What innovative use do you have: elevator lighting, task lighting, street lighting, emergency lighting, accent lights, occupancy sensor lighting? The list is endless.

1.Q: What are the advantages of LED Lights?

A: LED (Light-Emitting Diode) Lights offer a multitude of advantages over traditional light sources including lower electricity consumption, much longer lifetime, higher durability, no ultraviolet and infrared radiation, low heat and smaller size.

2.Q: Can I directly replace my existing lamps with LED lamps?

A: The LED Lights we offer are direct replacement of incandescent, halogen and compact fluorescent lamps. This means that you do not have to do any changes to your existing system.

3.Q: Why should I choose LED lamps over the cheaper traditional lamps?

A: Consider not only the initial price of the lamp, but the true cost of light, which includes the cost of energy, replacement and maintenance costs.

- LED lights use much less energy. When installed at applications with long work hours the saved electricity cost can bring the payback time to less than 2 years.

- LED lights have much longer life, from 30,000 to 50,000 hours. Imagine that you do not have to change your lamps for the next 20 years, especially those hard to reach light fixtures.

For commercial applications long life LED Lights mean lower replacement costs and no more group relamping. Taken into consideration reduced maintenance costs, the ROI (Return Of Investment) time for LED Lamps can be less than 1 year.

LED lamps produce very little heat thus reducing the power used by your air conditioner.

LED light has no harmful UV (ultraviolet) and IR (infrared) rays.

LED lamps contain NO mercury like the fluorescent lamps. LED Lights are completely safe for the Nature and can be disposed as ordinary waste.

4.Q: Will the Low Voltage LED lamps work with my existing transformer?

A: Low Voltage LED lamps are compatible with magnetic transformers used with VAC lighting. If you have an electronic transformer one LED lamp may not work due to its very low power consumption. To work properly most electronic transformers require a minimum load greater than the 3-watt used by our LED Spot Lights. When connecting a few LED lamps to one transformer the load increases to a point where the use of an electronic transformer is acceptable.

5.Q: How does a LED work?

A: The LED (Light Emitting Diode) is an electronic light source that works by the effect of electroluminescence. When a semiconductor diode is turned on electrons recombine with holes and energy is discharged as light.

6.Q: What is the color of the light from a LED?

The light color of LED Lamps is measured by Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) in Kelvins. Contemporary High Power LEDs are covered with phosphor to convert light from a blue LED to a wide spectrum white light. Most common LED Light colors used are:

Warm White (Soft White) - 2,700 - 3,300 K - the color of the light of a traditional incandescent light bulb

Cool White - around 4,000 K - similar to moonlight, xenon lamp light color

Daylight White > 5,000K - looks like flashlight, or typical daylight.

7.Q: What is Color Rendering Index?

A: The Color Rendering Index (CRI) is measuring the ability of a light source to simulate the colors of different objects accurately in comparison with the sunlight. Although there are critics of the subjective color rendering in practice, the CRI is widely used as a measurement of the quality of the light. Higher CRI corresponds to etter quality light, in scale from 0 to 100.

8.Q: What is the CRI of LED light?

A: Generally LED lamps score above CRI 80, which is higher than many other light sources. LED Lamps with CRI above 90 are used for visual inspection tasks.

9.Q: How efficient LED lamps are?

A: The output of light sources is light and heat. The higher the ratio light to heat, the more efficient the lamp. Today’s high efficient LED lights have efficiency of about 50 %, compared to standard incandescent lamp with 2-3% and fluorescent lamps with 15-20% efficiency.

LEDs naturally have directional light, this means that the light is easier to manage with less losses. That presents an even greater advantage in regards to LED lamps’ high efficiency over all other existing light sources.

10.Q: What is luminous efficacy?

A: The luminous efficacy is the light output per unit power input. It is measured in lumen per watt (lm/W). Nowadays commercially available LEDs have efficacy of 130 lm/W for cool white and 107 lm/W for warm white light (CREE XLamp MX-6). This is much higher compared to incandescent bulb that produces 15 lm/W and fluorescent lamp with 60-70 lm/W.

However, the efficacy of a single LED should not be mixed with the efficacy of the lamp. Many manufacturers and resellers state the LED Lamp Light Output as sum of the output of the individual LEDs. This is not correct because there are always losses from light trapped inside the lamp. The efficacy of a LED Light Lamp, also called LED Light Engine, can be increased by better design and using high quality materials.

11.Q: Is the lumen per watt the only aspect I should consider when choosing a LED Light?

A: No, you should consider also the CRI (quality of light) and your individual visual preferences. Some people like the more yellow Warm (Soft) White light that resembles the light from the incandescent lamp. Other prefer the brighter and more true-color rendering Cool / Daylight white.

12.Q: What is the lifetime of a LED Lamp?

A: When properly installed and well ventilated, LED Lamps will very rarely burn. However, the brightness of the LED light fade over time, so LED Lamp’s life is measured by 2 characteristics - how much will it fade after 1,000 hours of exploitation, and when the brightness will reach 70% of the initial value.

Quality LED Lamps are rated at less than 3% light output decrease for the first 1,000 hours, and 30,000 to 50,000 hours for the 70% decrease, which is the standard for commercial lighting applications.

Again, compared to traditional light sources, LED lights are superior regarding lifetime.

13.Q: Does the lifetime of a LED Light Bulb shorten by frequent on/off switches?

A: Unlike the fluorescent lamps, lifespan of LED Lamps is NOT influenced by frequent switching.

14.Q: What certifications your LED lights have?

A: All of our LED Lights are CE certified and RoHS compliant. Most of the LED Lights we offer are also C UL US certified.

Because there are so many variables that need to be considered, making a quick and easy recommendation about transitioning to white LEDs is not possible. To get a jump start on the future, consider every lighting source in each room and establish what it’s primary purpose is. Once you have done this, review the following items to help determine where on the priority purchase-list each replacement should be. Here are a few general guidelines to help you determine if an LED upgrade is the right choice for you:

1.) Is the lighting located in a home where the primary resident is older or has mobility issues?

If the LED replacement produces adequate light levels, LED alternatives are perfect for use in homes where safety is a top priority. Knowing that an ill or older person will not need to change a burned-out light bulb again can provide peace-of-mind.

2.) Is initial cost a primary factor in determining if you are going to upgrade?

The current nature of the white LED market means that prices are still relatively high, especially compared to traditional lighting. Being an early adopter means paying a premium; are you comfortable with knowing you could have paid less for the same technology if you had waited?

3.) Is the light located in bright daytime sunlight or an area of high heat?

High levels of heat will noticeably shorten the lifespan of any LED, especially white LEDs. When considering LEDs, try to ensure that both the fixture and the location allow for adequate passive cooling to avoid color-shift and longevity issues. This is a much bigger concern when considering retrofit bulbs versus considering a "total package" LED fixture and lamp.

4.) Are you needing to reduce the heat output from a traditional light source?

In bathrooms, laundry rooms and small spaces, conventional lighting can produce uncomfortable heat. LED lighting is great for these areas because they produce no heat and because affordably illuminating smaller areas with LEDs presents much less of a challenge.

5.) Is the lighting located in an area of rough service or environmental extremes?

Garage door openers, unheated/cooled utility rooms and outdoor workshops place extreme demands of lighting equipment. Vibrations that can break a light bulb filament and cold temperatures that can cause a fluorescent tube to flicker are of no consequence to LED lighting, making these replacements a fairly easy decision.

6.) Is the brightness critical to the application?

LEDs are directional by nature, so trying to meet a specific brightness expectation over a wide area is not the best use of LED lamps. The current crop of standard fluorescent tubes or high-bay lighting will probably be more efficient for these applications.

7.) Are you trying to retrofit an existing lighting fixture to accommodate an LED replacement?

Most current lighting fixtures are designed to capture and reflect as much light as possible from conventional light sources that produce light from all 360 degrees. Because LEDs emit very directional light, there are often many compromises that must be made by manufacturers in order to make LEDs "work" for the greatest number of retrofits. When possible, instead of retrofit bulbs consider a "total package" LED lighting fixture that has been designed from the ground up to efficiently use LEDs.

8.) Is the light output and quality of the LED version acceptable compared to your existing lighting?

With the variety of lighting technology available (incandescent, fluorescent, LED, etc.) the only way to get an accurate idea of how the lighting will perform is to compare the light output or lumen and color temperature specifications instead of the wattage as is typical of most of us raised with traditional lighting in the home. The US Department of Energy has devised a standardized "lighting facts" label similar in concept to the nutrition label found on foods, to help consumers compare lighting.

9.) Are the bulbs you’re considering replacing difficult to access or reach?

If they are, LED replacements are great candidates because once they are changed, you will likely never have to change them again since LEDs do not "burn out" like a conventional bulb.

10.) Are you replacing all the light bulbs in a particular area or just a single bulb?

Unless you know the color temperature of all the lighting in the room, try to be consistent in whatever lighting technology you choose. For example, if your room uses primarily halogen lighting, it is likely a warm color temperature and changing a single reading lamp to LED with a cooler lighting temperature will not only be noticeable, but may also be distracting.

11.) Does the energy savings and/or return on investment (ROI) make it worthwhile at this point?Prepare an energy audit using free web calculators to determine how much money you will save on energy and what the potential return on investment is. Just enter your energy rates, the total wattage of your conventional lighting and the total wattage of the LED lighting that you are considering and the calculator will tell you exactly how much money each technology will cost you per year.

As you can see, every lighting situation should be considered individually against the above checklist. Doing so will help you to determine LED upgrade plans that fit within both your budget and your expectations. In general, LED lighting will continue to improve in both output and efficiency every year similar to the way the personal computer market has evolved. What could be considered a "middle of the road" LED lamp today, was very likely considered a premium product a year or two ago. Prioritizing your LED lighting purchases so that the basics are covered first and delaying your more demanding lighting requirements as the technology improves will ensure a comfortable transition to tomorrows lighting technology.

How to Choose a Quality Marine Grade LED Bulb Replacement


The confusion takes root in the fact that all low voltage LED lighting products are not made equal. There is a multitude of sources for LED lights on the market, very little honest technical information is available on them and the price range is extremely wide.

At first, it would appear to us that LEDs were made with a boat in mind. They have a great life expectancy, don’t mind vibrations, give off much less heat than their incandescent or halogen counterparts and use a lot less energy - about a tenth of the wattage of a halogen - for a similar output. So, where is the problem you ask? Why don’t they work on my boat?

Historically, it was simple. The color output was BAD! Nobody liked the dull, low-output blue color of the early LED’s. Well, that has changed and LEDs now have a similar light output and color to that of low-wattage halogens we find on our boats.

The problem these days is different. The marine environment with its various power sources is very hostile towards electronic components, especially LED lights. Voltage variations that we witness on our yachts are the greatest enemy of LEDs. Being VERY SENSITIVE TO VOLTAGE VARIATIONS, MOST LEDs found on the market are NOT SUITABLE for use on our boats.

All LED’s are semiconductor diodes. They create their light at the junction of their positive and negative sides. When power is applied to an LED, the electrons jump from one side to the other releasing light in the form of photons in the process. Different types of semiconductors produce different wavelengths and consequently produce different light colors. The warm white lights that we prefer in yachts is produced by Indium Gallium Nitride (InGaN). Add other materials, like phosphors and you get a pleasing incandescent light color.

Now, what happens when we apply voltage to this semiconductor is what we really need to look at. Apply the right voltage - in our application 12V - and the right amount of current will travel through the semiconductor and we get a beautiful, energy-efficient, bright light that will glow for thousands of hours. But, we need the right voltage, precisely 12V.

You and I know for a fact that boats do not offer lab quality power! Start the engine, the generator set or connect to shore power and your environment has suddenly become hostile to your LEDs.

Why is that? Simple! When the generator, alternator or inverter kicks in, we often see the voltage reaching upwards of 15V or higher. The higher the voltage, the more current goes through the semiconductor, the more electrons jump from one side to the other, the more light is generated and MORE HEAT is generated. And, guess what is the enemy number one of LEDs? HEAT! We need to either control the heat produced or dissipate it. Apply a lot of current to an LED and you will get a very bright light for a very short period of time. Apply to little and you get a dim, useless light.

To produce light, a Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamp draws on light-emitting diodes and is considered as very handy alternatives for regular bulbs. When compared to incandescent and compact fluorescent lamps, the level of light that is emitted by a lone light-emitting diode is quite small. Therefore, numerous diodes are required for producing additional light. The LED lamp is operated on the technology basis of solid state lighting which involves the creation of light, not from gas or vacuum, but a solid object.

Various kinds of light-emitting diodes that are utilized by LED lamps are polymer LEDs, organic LEDs and traditional semiconductor diodes that are light emitting. The development of diode technology has resulted in high-powered LEDs that have higher output of lumen becoming quite popular. The commercial high-power light-emitting diode lamps, like the LED Eagle Eyes, are able to emit up to 7,500 lumens with electrical power of 100 watts. The diodes run on DC (direct current) electrical power. They are able to operate also on regular AC electrical power with the aid of internal or external rectifier circuits. When operated at temperatures that are high, the light emitting diodes generally become damaged. Therefore, features of the LED lamps include elements for heat management like heat sinks and cooling fans.

There are different applications of these LED light bulbs. They are used for special purposes as well as general lighting and generally used in homes, commercial buildings, hallways, small rooms, agriculture industry as well as gardening. Persons also use them as reading lamps, bicycle lights, signal lights for traffic, flashlights and walkway lights among others.

LED Eagle Eyes, like all LED lamps, comes in many different sizes, colors and shapes. They are in great and ever increasing demand recently because of their high energy effectiveness, short reaction time, friendliness to the environment and cost effectiveness. LED lamps are known to have several welcomed benefits when they are compared to traditional incandescent lamps:

Energy-Efficient - Several reports have stated that LED lights use from 50% to 80% less energy than the conventional light bulbs. They are able to emit more light using less electricity than the regular bulbs. Size or shape does not affect the capability of these lamps.

Longevity - Under adequate current and voltage, these lamps can last between 20,000 and 100, 000 hours. They are also rusting proof, mechanically strong, and are durable.

Another great feature of these lamps is that, unlike regular lamps, they do not use materials like mercury or other materials that are considered toxic on many levels. They are totally recyclable and do not give off dangerous fumes that can affect the user.

LED Eagle Eye Lamps for Fog Lights, Backup Lights and Parking Lights

This extra bright white xenon high-powered LED Eagle Eyes was designed to fit any car, trucks, SUVs, motorcycles or trucks. The LED Eagle Eyes may be used as additional parking lights, puddle lights, fog lights, backup lights as well as interior lights. Each of them is available with double-sized 3M tape at the back section and wiring of 3ft to facilitate easy and simple installment.

Great features of the LED Eagle Eyes include: High-Powered LED (1.5W); lighting output-120 lumen; Xenon White-6500K; diameter - 0.97" length 0.75"; water resistant for outside purposes; easy installation with 3ft wiring; is able to replace the regular filament lamps; bright appearance with clear lens; low consumption of power; more durability; long life; modern SMD ultra bright chipset technology; vibration resistant; custom-made shape design; maintenance free; ultra bright lighting offers high levels of safety on the road at nighttime.

How efficient is the LED lamp?

Answer: The output of the light source is light and heat. The higher the ratio of light to heat, the higher the efficiency of the lamp. Compared with standard incandescent lamps (2-3%) and fluorescent lamps (15-20%), today’s high-efficiency LED lamps have an efficiency of about 50%.

LEDs naturally have directional light, which means that the light is easier to manage and has fewer losses. Compared with all other existing light sources, this has a greater advantage in the high efficiency of the LED lamp.

What is luminous efficacy?

Answer: Luminous efficiency is the light output per unit power input. The unit is lumens per watt (lm/W). Today, the cold white light efficacy of commercially available LEDs is 130 lm/W and the warm white light efficacy is 107 lm/W (CREE XLamp MX-6). This is much higher compared to incandescent bulbs that produce 15 lm/W and fluorescent lamps that produce 60-70 lm/W.

However, the efficacy of a single LED should not be mixed with the efficacy of the lamp. Many manufacturers and distributors express the light output of LED lights as the sum of the output of individual LEDs. This is incorrect because there will always be losses due to light trapped inside the lamp. Through better design and the use of high-quality materials, the efficiency of LED lights (also known as LED light engines) can be improved.

When choosing an LED light, is the only factor I should consider lumens per watt?

Answer: No, you should also consider CRI (light quality) and your personal visual preferences. Some people prefer a warmer white light that is yellower, similar to the light emitted by an incandescent lamp. Others prefer to use the brighter, more realistic color "cool/daylight" white.

What is the service life of LED lights?

Answer: When installed correctly and well ventilated, LED lights will rarely burn. However, the brightness of the LED lamp will fade over time, so the life of the LED lamp is measured by two characteristics-how much will it fade after 1000 hours of use, and when it reaches 70% of the initial value.

High-quality LED lights have a rated light output reduction of less than 3% in the first 1,000 hours, and are rated at 30,000 to 50,000 hours for a 70% reduction in light output, which is the standard for commercial lighting applications.

Similarly, compared with traditional light sources, LED lights are superior in terms of service life.

Will frequent on/off switches shorten the life of LED bulbs?

Answer: Unlike fluorescent lamps, the lifespan of LED lamps is not affected by frequent switching.

Nowadays, high-power LED light sources are vigorously promoted and practically applied, and LED light sources have many advantages such as long life, high light efficiency, energy saving and environmental protection, so we almost all use LED light sources as the main light source in modern garden lights. What power LED light source do we use in led courtyard lights? Because LED modern courtyard lights are mostly installed in the trail lighting or squares in various garden landscapes such as residential quarters, industrial parks and parks, the brightness of the lighting does not need to be as high as street lights, and the height of the courtyard lights is generally 2.5 meters- Between 5 meters, if the setting is too bright, the effect is not as good as expected. The power wattage of the LED light source for the conventional courtyard lights of different heights:
① 2.5-3m garden light, we install 15W-20W LED light source
② 3m-4m we use 30W-40W LED light source
③ For 4m-5m we use 40W-50W LED light source
What are the styles of LED modern garden lights?
The main styles of modern LED courtyard lights are relatively simple, elegant and modern courtyard lights. Unlike traditional Chinese courtyard lights or European style courtyard lights, modern LED courtyard lights mainly use LED light sources as the main light source. Some LED corn lamps and LED bulb lamps replace traditional halogen lamps or energy-saving lamps, and most of them are the structural designers of Dongguan Qidu lighting fixtures to design more personality through the luminous characteristics of LED lamp beads and the free combination of LED lamp beads. The modern style of courtyard lamp makes the size of courtyard lamp smaller and more beautiful;
LED modern courtyard lamp application places:
City squares, administrative cultural squares, commercial streets, shopping plazas, courtyard villas, residential quarters, parks, garden courtyards, etc.

The LED light source is called a green light source. It has the characteristics of energy saving, environmental protection, long life, small size, fast response speed, good shock resistance, high color brightness, etc., and can be widely used in backlights of monitors, mobile phones, etc., automotive lighting, and various functions Lighting, landscape lighting, commercial and civil lighting, advertising instructions, traffic instructions and other fields. Compared with traditional light sources, it has long life, high luminous efficiency, pure light color, high stability, good safety, and no radiation. The advantages of low power consumption, shock resistance, impact resistance, etc., are known as the revolutionary technology of the new light source in the 21st century.
Through the efforts of global LED technology leaders to improve materials and packaging technology, the luminous efficiency and performance of high-brightness LEDs have been significantly improved. In addition to the traditional mobile phone and TV markets, high-brightness LEDs have begun to move toward indoor general lighting and outdoor street lighting , Car interior and exterior lighting, searchlights, traffic lights and other new applications.
According to the function of lighting fixtures, LED light sources can be divided into public lighting and consumer lighting. Public lighting generally includes street lights, traffic lights, tunnel lights, etc. Consumer lighting mainly includes commercial lighting, office lighting, home lighting, hotel lighting, catering lighting, hospitals Lighting, residential lighting, etc.