LED lighting is one of the biggest things to hit lighting since Thomas Edison first invented the light bulb
. LED lights (LED stands for Light Emitting Diode) are made possible by technology that utilizes semiconductors to convert electricity to light. The result is a softer, more energy efficient way of lighting up almost any room in your home.
LED lighting that can be purchased in the stores currently is not yet the most energy efficient lighting type that prize still goes to fluorescents but only just, and LED technology is being tweaked and improved every day. Still, the average LED already has a watts per lumen rating six times that of a regular incandescent bulb and the actual light they emit is far easier on the eye than the stark glare of a fluorescent strip.
LEDs have other benefits as well. They never "burn out" like regular bulbs do. Instead, LED lighting simply loses brightness gradually over its lifetime so, although they will have to be replaced eventually, when they do begin to fade you will have plenty of warning and never find yourself left suddenly and unexpectedly in the dark.
The current state of LED technology may not make it the best blanket lighting source for your home just yet but as a source of accent lighting it is an excellent choice.
In the kitchen LED strips are an attractive and economical solution for under cabinet lighting and they are also perfect as task lighting that illuminates cutting boards and countertops. LED lights also make great accent lights elsewhere in the home and they are especially useful in areas that need to be lit most of the time like a dark stairwell.
Outside the home LED lighting works even better than it does indoors. LED lighting strips are perfect for lighting up decks and railings as well as for providing a soft glow to highlight landscaping features or for lighting up the driveway .
These are just a couple of the ways switching to LED lighting can improve your home, but there are many more. Talk to an electrician about how you can use LEDs to save money on your energy bills and add new lighting to your home.