Answering 10 frequently asked questions

BY MICHAEL SCHRATZ, Dialight

Light emitting diode (LED) lighting solutions have gained significant attraction over the past few years as a safer, more efficient and more cost-effective alternative to traditional high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting sources like high pressure sodium, mercury vapor and metal halide, or even fluorescent lighting, in industrial applications.

Particularly in heavy industrial, harsh and volatile environments, like steel manufacturing, oil and gas, mining and chemical processing facilities, LED lighting can provide a more reliable and safer lighting solution than HID solutions that often fail in mere months due to excessive vibration and extreme operating conditions.

In many cases, LED lighting  can deliver up to a full decade of high-performance, maintenance-free lighting that not only eliminates the time, cost and safety risk of routine lighting maintenance, but also significantly reduces energy consumption and cost.

As a result, LEDs can deliver a return on investment in less than two years and continue to deliver ongoing bottom-line savings for many years to come. However, not all LED fixtures are created equal. If you are considering LED lighting technology for either new construction or retrofit projects, there are several things you need to know.

Electrical Source Magazine and Dialight have pooled together some of the industry’s most frequently asked questions and will shed some light, so to speak, with answers that can help you make wiser decisions when it comes to new construction and retrofit projects.