Why You Should Get A Houston Landscape Lighting

Amazing Benefits Of Landscape Lighting Services In Houston

There are numerous benefits of installing or even improving your current landscape lighting. Some of these include making your home more beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, increasing safety, and even increasing the property value.

By installing outdoor lights, you can actually make your home look more beautiful by simply highlighting certain features. Strategically placing these lights will make your home look its best that it can improve its curb appeal. This certainly adds a great deal of value and security which means you’ll get a good ROI from installing landscape lights.

We will now look at some specific benefits of landscape lighting that should help you understand why they’re so important.

1. Visually Appealing

Landscape lighting can create a very beautiful home as it accentuates your home’s best features. For example, if you have just put in a new door but the beauty can’t be seen in the day, then you can use lights to accentuate it in the night. By strategically using lights, you can highlight all of the architectural details that were not noticed before.

You can even use lights to highlight trees and plants in your yard. Downlights and other lights can be used to highlight garden walls or even make them the focal point. You can also use floodlights which actually help to fill up space and give it more interest and texture.

2. Offers Security

Dark homes are quite attractive to burglars since they can easily move and hide in the dark. However, by having landscape lighting, this will certainly help to reduce the likelihood that a burglar would attempt to get into your home. Even if they did, they would be easily seen. Also, by having lighting outside, it would be very beneficial to you and your family since you would be able to easily move around your home at night and detect any intruders very easily.

3. Safety

Next, landscape lighting will not only help you to easily move around your home at night but also help your guests do the same. This is great when you have guests over or even have a house party. Night activities can be quite dangerous without adequate lighting and you may be liable for any accidents or damages that happen in your home. So, by having good lighting in your yard, this will help prevent any of the accidents from occurring.

4. Increases Property Value

Lastly, it doesn’t matter what type of home you have, once you install landscape lighting, it will enhance your property and add a great deal of style. So, even if you have a small or modest home, you can use lighting to highlight its best features and make it a lot more engaging than before. This would result in your home being even more beautiful and it would also increase its overall value. This is definitely a huge advantage if you plan on selling your home in the future since a well-lit property is a lot more appealing to buyers. As a result, installing landscape lighting is a very sound financial decision.

Give us a call or contact us today if you need help with your landscape lighting and for more pieces of information! Please feel free to visit our blog for more related topics and articles.

Lighting Designers In Houston: Why They Are Badly Needed? Part 2

The Cost & Payback Of A Skilled Lighting Services In Houston

As a profession, architectural lighting design has proven to be successful due to the numerous solid answers to this particular question: Why would an owner or architect pay to get lighting design services whereas it can be done by a salesperson or in the house at no extra cost? The charge fee for a lighting designer is tough to justify when the value and extent of the services rendered aren’t recognized. However, those architects and owners who have gained from independent and skillful lighting design understand there are short and long-term paybacks outweighing the fee. Lighting designers can be a value-added and unique resource. In most cases, a lighting designer will minimize project construction and operation cost. Here are some instances where this is demonstrated repeatedly.

1. Equipment Cost Control

Lighting designers can give a design meeting a set budget but will be more useful when planning the budget. They will choose equipment from various manufacturers to assist in keeping bids competitive and make recommendations on lighting techniques or equipment to help in reducing installation costs. Their presence will only encourage competition. But some lighting fixtures are ‘one of a kind’ in which case the price can be acquired directly from the manufacturer. To identify gross anomalies, the unit pricing obtained during the design development can be compared to the unit pricing the bidding contractors give. The design might also recommend distributors for them to get additional competitive bids. Lastly, the lighting designer will work alongside the owner’s representative and contractor(s) to attain budget goals without sacrificing the design.

2. Operations Cost Control

Minimizing the operations costs the owner may prove to be an integral part of design decisions with such measures benefitting the project practically and aesthetically. Lifecycle cost evaluation compares the Return On Initial Investment of different technologies or techniques. Usually, costs can be mitigated if the space isn’t over-lighted. Over-lighting can occur if the specifier utilizes rote horizontal footcandle prescriptions or does not understand visuals and task issues of the project. Many a time, the specifier is dependent on recommendations from the equipment’s salespersons. There are hundreds of ways a pro designer can minimize costs and improve the project in general. Enhancing the reflectance of surfaces can assist in reducing operating costs and lighting equipment. Selective spotlighting is essential to retail sales. Incorporating daylight with electric lighting will save on energy and offer a satisfying connection to the world.

3. People Costs

Light quality impacts people on a variety of levels. New studies suggest that lighting affects safety and security, retail sales, wayfinding, and the productivity of employees. Professional lighting designers are conversant with such issues and the methods needed to achieve those results. The cost incurred for poor lighting that just meets the standard code simply isn’t worth it in locations where the ‘people factor’ is key.

4. Aesthetic Costs

Skills can easily be acquired and learned, whereas talent cannot. Architects are fully aware of how the value-adder for creative and brilliant design is challenging to evaluate and is contingent on the decision-maker’s appreciation. Bu the difference a sufficing lighting design and another that brings the architecture to its realization is more or less felt.

If you would like to discover more tips and tricks from Robert Huff Illuminationsvisit our blogCall or contact us today if you need a professional lighting designer with your outdoor lighting design. Missed the first issue of this article? Click here!

Lighting Designers In Houston: Why They Are Badly Needed? Part 1

Knowing Why A Diligent Houston Lighting Designer Is So Essential

When drafting a new project, there are some basic questions that you need to consider and answer, specifically: Is illumination essential to your project? What is defined as good lighting design, and how can it be realized?

Lighting is a technically challenging but astonishing medium that needs mastery of varying and continually evolving disciplines. A lighting design combines the sciences, arts, and illumination business design and implementation far beyond the concerns of horizontal footcandles and visibility.

Lighting designers are part and parcel of the design team and, just like the architects, charge you for services delivered. Expert lighting designers bring to the table solid technical ingenuity and sensitive design methods to landscape and architectural projects. However, the value-added services they offer can make or break the project’s success and, thus, hugely outweigh the impact of their service fee.

A project designer or owner might be oblivious of the benefits an independent lighting consultant has to offer in today’s construction and design processes. For instance: what’s the difference between services delivered by a lighting professional compared to that of an interior designer or electrical engineer? The interior designer’s responsibility was selecting decorative lighting equipment while the electrical engineer was tasked with the lighting since it’s part of the electrical grid. Right? So what has created a profession that solely specializes in the lighting?

1. Technology

Lighting control technologies and equipment are developing at a break-neck speed with hundreds of products getting introduced to the market every year. Lighting professionals should consider attending national trade shows and continuously update product info and samples from various manufacturers. That is if they want to deliver proper design solutions that utilize the newest and most cost-effective technologies. Staying updated with the latest weapons in the lighting armory is time-intensive but has never been more essential. Note that independent lighting consultants don’t install or sell equipment, nor are they dependent on recommendations done by lighting salespersons. Therefore, the client will receive a lighting design based on expertise and research – free from any conflict of interest.

2. Technique

Illumination is architecture’s transient partner. The light remains invisible until it strikes a surface or object. Controlling this difficult, ephemeral medium gives the lighting designer the chance to make dynamics, hierarchies, and mood. Lighting design is a creative extension of the architecture, enhancing visibility and complementing program, form, and color. Talent, coupled together with experience, creates illumination patterns that will support the overall project goals seamlessly.

3. Education

Knowledge of electricity, construction, optics, codes, physics, ergonomics, vision, business, the art of design, and construction are all integral to creating impressive lighting solutions. To deliver the best possible services, lighting pros must generally be well-grounded individuals who constantly educate themselves. They can do this in a variety of ways, including reading journals and trade magazines, networking, attending and presenting seminars. This give-and-take scenario, alongside healthy competition, boosts the profession forward as a whole.

If you would like to discover more tips and tricks from Robert Huff Illuminationsvisit our blogCall or contact us today if you need a professional lighting designer with your outdoor lighting design. For the rest of this article please click here.

A home in Houston, TX, with landscape lighting

Incredible Benefits of Lanscape Lighting You Need to Know

In recent years landscape lighting has become all the rage. People are seeing the increased benefit of spending time outdoors. With crazy work schedules and shortened daylight hours in winter months, a lot of this time maybe after the sun has gone down. Here you will find just a few of the major benefits that landscape lighting can provide to you and outdoor lighting ideas to make the most of your space.

People that wish to commit crimes prefer areas that aren’t well lit. Additionally, you will be reducing the number of bugs that gather near your entryways. Insects are attracted to the light source, and having it further away from your homeless will enter when you do. There are many ways to approach this style of lighting, but the best way is to experiment and plan. Illuminate your yard with landscape lighting and think of how the light affects your home’s appearance so that you can have all three benefits at once.

Lighting can also be used to increase personal safety. By strategically using light along various paths in the front or back of your home, you are reducing the chances of someone being injured. It also enhances the appearance of the walkway. One option is to use solar lights for this so that there is no wiring required. You also don’t have to worry that by using it, you will be increasing your energy bill or carbon footprint.

Patio and porch lighting options have come a long way as well. Instead of having to have a large overhead light to increase visibility, you could use other options that are now available. There are recessed lighting options that can be installed into a deck to create a soft light that still illuminates the space. You can also purchase fixtures that can be rotated in various directions so that you can have it pointing in the exact direction that you want it without having to have fixtures through the entire space. There are landscape lighting you’ll love in 2020 and can help to make your space just as enjoyable at night as the indoors.

While landscape lighting can increase the enjoyment that you have in your backyard, it can also increase the value of your property. People can see that you have put in this effort in enhancing the living space of your home and then imagine themselves enjoying it. It also can be used to increase security, which is a major selling point these days. The lighting itself can be extremely affordable, yet increase the overall value of your home due to street appeal. Whether you are considering selling your home sometime soon or may in the future, it is an investment that is worth making.

Some may feel that they do not even know where to begin with enhancing their outdoor space. Fortunately, countless resources are available online as well as through retailers. Take the time to look at your outdoor space and consider what you would like. From there you can search to see if there are products that can meet your needs, on outdoor lighting Houston. Chances are you just a few clicks away from having an amazing outdoor space.

Visit our blog to discover more tips and tricks. Call or contact us today for more information!

Outdoor Lighting Can Enhance Your Houston Home’s Appearance

Landscape Lighting In Houston Can Make Your Home Look More Beautiful & Safe

Outdoor lighting can make a big difference in the appearance of your home after the sun goes down. Creating a well-designed lighting plan for your outdoor space can make your home seem more inviting at night.

Lighting up a landscape involves more than just sticking a few lights in the ground. A lot of times, people mistakenly believe that they can take on outdoor lighting projects themselves. As a general rule of thumb, however, working with a professional is usually a far better option. A skilled landscape lighting designer can create a plan that beautifully enhances your home and your outdoor space. Best of all, they can usually do it for a fraction of what you would have spent if you tried to do it yourself. The right outdoor lighting can transform your space, creating a safer and more attractive home.

The Top Reasons To Install Landscape Lighting

  • It makes your home more attractive by brightening up your outdoor space and enhancing key features in your landscape.
  • Good outdoor lighting increases safety.
  • Professionally-designed landscape lighting can transform your outdoor space, making it feel much more like a resort.
  • Landscape lighting can boost the resale value of your property.
  • Well-lit properties are less likely to be burglarized than properties with dark outdoor spaces.
  • Lighting can help keep unwanted pests like insects at bay.
  • You can work with a professional to create a lighting design that you love that still fits within your budget.

Landscape Lighting Can Make Your Home Much More Beautiful

Imagine how much more inviting your home would seem after dark if the pathway or sidewalk leading up to your entry was beautifully lit. Not only does this type of lighting improve safety by making it easier to see where you are walking but it also makes your home more attractive and welcoming.

Up-lighting can be used to enhance the features of your landscape or your home’s architecture. Lights like these can be placed next to walls, under windows, or near trees or shrubs. After dark, these lights draw attention to special features in your outdoor space, making your home look much more beautiful.

Like many other home-improvement projects, adding landscape lighting can boost the resale value of your home. Buyers are naturally drawn to properties that have this type of lighting in place. When people are shopping for a new home, they often visit after dark. If your home is beautifully lit, it will make it seem much more appealing to potential buyers, increasing the likelihood that you will get an offer right away.

Turn To Robert Huff Landscape Illumination For Landscape Lighting In The Houston Area

Robert Huff Landscape Illumination has been serving customers in the Houston area for more than three decades. Our outdoor lighting company, which is properly licensed and insured, is based in Houston. We also provide services for customers in Austin, Texas and the surrounding area. All of our team members put the needs of our customers first, helping to ensure that you get a beautifully-designed lighting plan that is attractive, practical, and reasonably priced. When you work with our company, you can rest easy, knowing that you are in good hands. We work hard to ensure that every customer is fully satisfied with the results we provide. Allow us to transform your outdoor space into something more beautiful today.

Contact or call Robert Huff Landscape Illumination lighting professionals now for a FREE estimate! Visit our blog for more related articles.

A Guide For Hiring A Houston Landscape Lighting Expert

Things To Consider When Looking For A Landscape Lighting Professional In Houston

You have taken care of everything to ensure your home and landscape look their best. All that is left is the outdoor lighting that will illuminate and accentuate your landscape while providing some extra security. Working with a landscape lighting expert is recommended, but you need to choose the right expert to help you decide on your needs, budget and lighting desires. Before you start looking for an expert, there are some questions you need to ask yourself.

What Is The Purpose Of Having Outdoor Lighting Installed?

Think about the sole purpose of having the lighting. You might be looking to update the landscape or enhance a special feature. You may want to add security to your landscape along the paths and patio.

What Is Your Budget?

The budget is very important when it comes to landscape lighting. However, you will want to get the best for your purpose. Some companies have very affordable options on the market, but they will not always be the best quality.

What Look Are You Aiming For?

Do you want to illuminate the entrance to your home with pathway lights or do you want some LED lights for trees and bushes? There may be another purpose for the lighting that will help you determine what you want and need from your lights.

The Purposes Of Outdoor Lighting

There are a lot of reasons why you will want to install outdoor lighting. If you have a commercial property, you might need them for added security. Landscape lighting can deter potential criminal activity around your business. If you travel often for business, the lighting can also increase the safety for when you return.

While the location is often the most important aspect of real estate, landscape lighting can help with curb appeal. If you have a beautiful landscape you have spent a lot of time on, you will want to highlight it with low-voltage LED lights. If you have a water feature, you can use reflecting pool lights to make it stand out. The lighting can also be practical as you illuminate stairs leading to our home.

Water feature lighting is not restricted to fountains as pools and ponds can also benefit from the right lighting. An outdoor lighting expert will be able to design and install lighting that enhances the water feature without being too harsh. Creating a soft glow around the water feature can create a different atmosphere to space and invite you to spend more time outside.

The most practical purpose of outdoor lighting is to illuminate a pathway. When you are coming home or if you have guests over, you want them to be safe as they move around the house. Pathway lighting is the best way to ensure this as the lights guide people toward the house and you never have to worry about someone slipping on a paving stone because they did not see it correctly.

What To Look For In A Landscape Lighting Expert

Once you have considered your lighting needs, you need to look for a lighting expert to help you. As you will not buy a home without some research, you should not hire a lighting expert without doing your homework. The expert should not only have experience installing light fixtures, but they also need to know how to make them look good. Experts need to have knowledge of design and understand how lighting can provide the security you want.

When you research the experts in your area, you should consider the warranty offered on the lights they install. This will be the warranty offered on their work and not the manufacturer’s warranty. Any reputable expert will offer a prolonged or lifetime warranty on their work.

The expert should also be willing to work with you from the design phase to beyond the end of the project. They will want your home to look as beautiful as you have envisioned it. They also want to highlight all the hard work you have done to get your landscape looking its best.

While it is important that the expert and their team are skilled, they should also be creative in their design for your property. To determine their creativity, you should look at past work they have done. A creative approach can completely change the lighting design.

You also need to see how well they know their products and what to look for when installing outdoor lighting. They should consider light pollution and detail the steps they can take to reduce this. They should also understand what lighting works best with the plants you have as well as the features in your landscape.

When looking at their experience, you should try to find out how many commercial and residential landscapes they have worked on. Their website should provide you with some of this information and testimonials from past clients. The website also needs to detail the services that they offer.

The last step you should take when choosing an expert is to talk to people who have worked with them. People who have good experiences will be more likely to refer the company to people they know. Getting recommendations from friends and family is a good start, but you can also look online for reviews. Many experts have a list of references who you can contact, but they are unlikely to have any issues with the service provided.

If you want to spend more time in the outside space of your home, you need to look at hiring a landscape lighting expert. They can also help with the lighting around commercial properties. The expert should ask you about the purpose of the lighting or help you work through everything to determine your needs. Before you hire anyone, you should research them and consider an appointment to get to know them better.

If you would like to discover more tips and tricks from Robert Huff Illuminationsvisit our blogCall or contact us today for more information!

Why Outdoor Lighting Is So Important In Houston

Knowing The Importance Of Houston Exterior Lighting

Spring is here with us, and summer is just around the corner in a couple of months. And with the warm weather brings with it longer days – the ideal time for outdoor BBQ get-togethers and outdoor house parties! Entertaining people entails much more than offering good music, vibes, and food. You must consider your outdoor lighting, especially if the party you are hosting is at night. Possessing proper lighting to your deck or patio can add significant value to any household.

Basic Knowledge

As compared to how nighttime light is seen, the day’s lighting is different. Of course, t is essential that you have proper lighting during the night, especially in outdoor spaces and pathways. When selecting the right type of lighting, there are various principles you should keep in mind. For instance, light varies in color, emitted quantity, and intensity.

Regardless if you are using outdoor or indoor lighting, it is basically divided into three layers:

  • Overall: This illuminates an entire room or space.
  • Task: Utilized for a specific reason _I.e. lighting up a pathway)
  • Accent: Shines attention to an object or area – often accomplished with spotlights and floodlights.

There are several bulbs perfectly suited for outdoor fixtures:

  • Incandescent Bulbs: emits brilliant light but has a shorter lifespan; also consumes a lot of electricity
  • Halogen Bulbs: are similar to incandescents but are way more efficient; they use less energy and have a longer life.
  • Fluorescents: have a longer lifespan and are offered in more colors; energy efficient
  • LED Bulbs: have a long life but are more expensive; consume considerably less energy

Advantages Of Outdoor Lighting

  • Beauty: Having the proper outdoor lighting forms pleasing ambiance patios and decks. It also assists in making the home’s exterior aesthetic more appealing. It for sure adds a dash of elegance to it.
  • Security: By having outdoor lighting, you will be keeping your house secure. If your garages, entryways, and dark walkways are adequately illuminated, you see prospective anomalies and intruders easily.
  • Safety: Another essential advantage of having an outdoor lighting system is safety. By having your pathways properly lit during a house party, it will be easy for your guests to get around without losing their way or their step.

Robert Huff Landscape Illumination has more than 30 years of experience in landscape lighting scene in Houston. We are insured and a fully licensed outdoor lighting company situated in Houston, TX, and also offer outdoor lighting in the Austin, TX area. Our commercial and outdoor home lighting team is friendly and will work alongside you to make sure they tailor-make a lighting design that’s functional, affordable, and aesthetically pleasing. For every job we do, we maintain a high level of responsibility, consistency, and high-level professional care. You can expect to get quality services each step of the way, as we change the ordinary to something special.

Contact or call Robert Huff Landscape Illumination lighting professionals now for a FREE estimate! Visit our blog for more related articles.

Why Is A Houston Lighting Design Important?

The Importance Of Lighting Design In Houston

Light can be a very powerful tool when used right. If used carefully, it can truly enhance any constructed environment. It does this through interplay on many different levels. They include how light interplays with space, form, surfaces, texture, color, and perhaps most crucially, people. An effective lighting scheme can be used first to enhance a space, and even later to reinterpret one. Specific uses of effective lighting include improving wellness, offering drama, dictating ambiance, improving productivity, and even supporting brand values. A deliberately crafted lighting scheme can enhance even the most boring and tedious spaces. For all its power, what exactly is lighting design then?

Behold The Artistry

Seeing as how science is always something that gets simply borrowed, it’s imagination that proves more crucial than anything else. The best lighting specialists let creative ideas push their design process. Only after we have come up with a vivid vision for a certain environment, space or building do we start thinking about the practical implications involved in actually achieving it. Our process typically happens as a collaborative result of many suggestions, concepts, and ideas coming together in a beautiful mental melting pot. When the creativity of many come together, it paves the way for the comprehensive design narrative or broader project philosophy.

Witness The Scientific Side

It’s crucial to also comprehend how lighting works, in particular with the reactions it has with various surfaces. A good lighting designer has a thorough understanding of the scientific side of this, as well as certain technical properties related to both artificial and natural light. This comprehension and knowledge go a long way in establishing the definition of a design solution.

Trust The Technology

Artificial lighting is something that has shown substantial progress in the last 10 years, particularly in terms of LEDs. Light-emitting diodes have come a long way in terms of technological development and mass production. LEDs are certainly going to be around for a while, but that’s not to say other kinds of lamps and technologies aren’t also useful. Lighting designers are adept at staying current with these developments, as an industry necessity, if they are going to keep manifesting desired effects using the field’s most cost-efficient options available at the time of any project.

Regardless of what a particular project is going to be, great lighting schemes are a result of a lighting designer that is a master of their medium, since they can meld technology, science, and artistry into one impressive package.

We Are The Best In The Local Landscape Lighting Industry

We bring decades of landscape lighting experience to the table. Our outdoor lighting company is both licensed and insured, and our friendly commercial and residential lighting teams work directly with you to come up with customized lighting schemes you can afford, meet your needs, and are visually appealing. We handle every job with the same professional and reputable care as any other. Trust us to turn something rudimentary into something extraordinary.

For a free estimate, answers to questions, or just to learn the possible options, contact our outdoor lighting experts right away or call us at (713)861-2000!

residential and commercial led low voltage landscape lighting

How To Save Energy On Your Outdoor Lighting In Houston

5 Tips On How To Save Energy On Your Houston Outdoor Lighting

Outdoor lights are a favorite for many households. They are great for front and back yard aesthetics and decorations. Besides, outdoor lighting provides the perfect setting for arranging evening parties in your backyard and also secures your home. However, outdoor lighting has a major disadvantage, the amount of energy spent and the related bills. But, as experienced outdoor lighting professionals, we understand that homeowners can utilize outdoor lighting that saves energy, leading to energy efficiency and cost savings.

1. Pick LED OR CFL Bulbs

Incandescent bulbs fitted on the front yard are mostly left on for the entire night, meaning a lot of energy is used up. Instead of using incandescent on your front porch, we recommend you switch to light-emitting diode (LED) or compact fluorescent lights (CFL) bulbs.

2. Use Timers With Your Lights

Your electricity costs will drop significantly if you set your outdoor lights with a photocell to sense daylight or a motion sensor, or both. By doing this, your outdoor lighting will only be turned on when it is necessary. We advise that you avoid using CFLs with sensors since the sensors will reduce the life of your CFL lights. The electrodes in a CFL are negatively impacted by each instance of starting voltage which leads to gradual deterioration and eventual breakdown. The key factor that influences the longevity of a CFL bulb is the number of times that it is turned on. On the other hand, LEDs cope perfectly when used with sensors.

3. Always Clean The Lights

Ensuring that your outdoor light fixtures and bulbs are always clean will prolong their life. Any dirt that settles on the bulbs will absorb light and reduce the efficiency of your lights. To clean your lights, turn them off to allow the bulbs to cool, then spray them with a cleaning spray before wiping them with a microfiber cloth.

4. Solar Lighting Fixtures

The sun will do you a huge favor on saving the energy consumption of your outdoor lighting. Though Houston experiences rain in some periods, the majority of the days are sunny. So, make maximum use of the sunlight, and experiment with outdoor solar lighting. Solar lights are designed in several unique styles and perform effectively when used to line pathways to your house or the driveways.

5. Twinkly Lights

Twinkly lights radiate a welcoming ambiance and warm glow that is perfect for patios. The common twinkly string lightings have LED and solar versions, besides, LED lights to consume 50-80% lower energy than incandescent bulbs. This assists them to have a longer life and remain cool, which also helps in reducing fire risk.

In the Houston landscape lighting field, Robert Huff Landscape Illumination has more than 3 decades of experience. Based in Houston, TX, we are a fully insured and licensed lighting company that also provides outdoor lighting within Austin, TX. Our warm commercial lighting and outdoor home lighting team in Houston will liaise with you to deliver a customized lighting layout that is effective, affordable, and beautiful to look at. We guarantee a superior level of professional service and responsibility for every project we handle. Throughout every stage of our service, we will provide quality that will transform your ordinary home into a magnificent place.

If you would like to discover more tips and tricks from Robert Huff Illuminationsvisit our blogCall or contact us today for more information!

LED Lights In Houston: The Present & Future Of Energy-Efficient Lighting

Is It Good To Switch In A Houston LED Lighting?

The LED technology has made significant strides over the past few years. Today’s LEDs have a longer lifespan of more than 400,000hrs. And some of the best models are available with custom CRIs, Kelvin temperatures, and unique optics. Overall, all the LEDs are energy-efficient solutions.

The LED Difference

LEDs are distinctively directional, which means they emit a light that travels in a specific direction. With fluorescent and HID lamps, the light flows in all directions; as such, there is a lot of wasted light. The directional lighting synonymous with LEDs thus limits the wastage of light, and this translates to higher efficiency and lower wattage consumptions.

The lack of a filament means that LEDs, and unlike the HID and Fluorescent bulbs, are more resistant to damage. They are categories in the group of solid-state lighting solutions. They can withstand bumping and jarring. LEDs do not contain any mercury and generate little heat compared to their predicator technologies.

What Are LEDs?

LEDs rely on semiconductor diodes mostly known as light-emitting diodes that radiate electroluminescence when electricity passes through in a forward motion. The flowing electrons in the current move through the semiconductor and fall into other energy levels while on transit to the P-N junction. The electron transition into a lower energy level that causes them to emit a photon of light. The photo might be infrared, with that spectrum, into ultraviolet light, or anywhere on the visible light spectrum.

Incorporating LEDs Into Luminaires

Initially, the LEDs were made with the diodes that were wired in a line and mounted onto a heat sink. However, this set up face numerous performance limitations and issues.

The diodes were mostly installed permanently onto a solid, pre-drilled surface with holes that are specific to the LEDs being used. If one LED failed, then the entire fixture would not work. Moreover, doing upgrades was not possible, meaning there was no effective means of changing the faulty LEDs.

Currently, the technology has morphed into something more practical. The LED modules used are customizable. They are retrofittable and replaceable. The housing for the light fixtures is customized to support and enhance the capabilities of the LEDs to ensure the delivery of more lumens per watt.

LED Light Engines/Modules

The latest LEDs are upgradeable; you can change an LED module that fails just like how you would with a light bulb. As such, manufacturers can utilize the component they want in LED fixtures.

LED Module Manufacturers

Different companies are producing light modules for various applications. That is why these modules are adaptable since they are available in changeable optics and multiple wattages.

LED Drivers

For the LEDs to work, they need a transformer instead of the standard line voltage. The transformers or drivers convert the current into usable energy. It the same principle applied in HID fixtures. Many manufacturers produce these drivers, hence the need to research and know the driver that suits your LED installation.

LEDs & Glass Lenses

The older luminaires were made with a protective lens; this is old technology but was meant to protect the ballast, light source, and driver from dirt. However, the optics used in these early LEDs cannot work the same as the latest LED lighting technologies. In as much as these luminaries are the best lighting solutions, their efficacy can be limited by poor position or the type of glass cover or lenses used.

If you would like to discover more tips and tricks from Robert Huff Illuminationsvisit our blogCall or contact us today for more information!