LEDs' Dirty Little Secrets

LEDs obviously have a bright future with their many advantages over traditional lamps. In fact, they have been around for decades, but only recently became a player in mainstream commercial lighting with the push for energy efficiency.

EC&M's May issue features an article that list pros and cons to consider when working with LEDs. For example, high heat and humidity levels can lower the product life span. Color matching, installation challenges and adhesive issues are other concepts to consider.

LEDs' Dirty Little Secrets also exposes applications concerns that the author's electric supply company has faced. The early hype was that LEDs could be put into inaccessible locations because, it was claimed, the light source would last forever — the luminaire wouldn't even need servicing. Lately, however, the manufacturing community is backing off this claim. "In many cases, these luminaires have not proven to be any more robust than the familiar lamp-based luminaires they're replacing," the article reads.