Due to ever-stringent UK energy efficiency regulation, businesses are becoming more environmentally conscious than ever before. With issues such as global warming increasingly top of the news and political agenda, ‘going green’ has never been more relevant.
With so much contradictory information flying about, reducing your carbon footprint may seem like a daunting task. However you can help reduce your carbon footprint – and cut costs in the process – by making simple changes to the way your business consumes energy.
One of the simplest ways of reducing energy whilst helping protect the environment, is by switching to an LED lighting system.
Whilst environmental campaigners and news anchors may be focused on the clean energy ‘hot topics’ of wind and solar power, the humble LED light bulb is quietly doing its bit for the environment – with almost 50% of UK businesses now using the technology.
According to research carried out by climate analysis website Carbon Brief, energy efficient lighting products such as LEDs have a significant impact in cutting CO 2 emissions, and by consuming far less energy than traditional Incandescent Bulbs, Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) and Halogen Lights, LED lighting has had a more beneficial impact on the environment than renewable energy.
Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) have been used in electronic equipment for decades, but it’s only relatively recently that LED light bulbs have been commonplace throughout homes and workplaces. By emitting the same amount of light as traditional Incandescent Bulbs but consuming far less power, they are fast becoming the leading form of lighting throughout the UK and wider world.
Did you know that LED light bulbs consume up to 90% less energy than traditional Incandescent Bulbs? They also last up to 20 times longer, providing significant cost savings – both in terms of your energy bill and the cost of replacement bulbs. What’s more, unlike energy-saving Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs), LED Bulbs can be recycled which is good news for the environment.
As a business owner, the distribution of your lighting is key in terms of showing off your facility and products effectively to create a pleasant, well-lit environment for both staff and customers.Unfortunately, traditional light bulbs have a bad habit of wasting energy by emitting light in unprecise directions, often illuminating areas where light isn’t needed, and often not providing enough light in the areas that do.
LED lighting, meanwhile, is much more precise and as a result, less lights are needed to provide the same level of brightness emitted by traditional Incandescent and Fluorescent light fittings. As well as saving you money, fewer lights also saves energy providing environmental benefits.
As LED bulbs are made using more modern processes than older types of lighting – helping to lower manufacturing, distribution and storage costs – moving to an LED lighting system can reduce the effects of greenhouse gasses associated with light bulbs by over 50% each year.
Coupled with the fact that traditional CFL and Halogen Light Bulbs contain toxic materials that can contaminate the environment if not disposed of correctly, it’s not surprising than switching to an LED lighting system can help significantly reduce your carbon footprint.
As 95% of the energy used in an LED is transferred into light, LED lighting systems are up to 80% more efficient than older forms of lighting, including CFLs, Incandescent and Fluorescent lighting which all waste significant amounts of heat.
Modern LED lights also require far less power than traditional lighting. For example, an 84W Fluorescent light produces the same amount of light as a 36W LED. Less energy means less need for power, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
LEDs are much more resilient than traditional forms of lighting, since they do not have fragile filaments or tubes that can be easily damaged. They are made using sturdy and durable components. Unlike most Incandescent lights, LEDs can withstand tough weather conditions, bumps, shocks, abrasion and vibration, making them the ideal lighting solution for a wide variety of industries. For instance businesses operating outdoors such as construction and the automotive industry.
As they are tougher than more traditional forms of lighting, LEDs can also be used in environments featuring extreme temperatures such as freezer rooms and refrigerated vehicles.
Due to the toxic and harmful substances found within traditional Incandescent, Halogen and CFL Light Bulbs, disposing of them with normal business waste can cause serious harm to the environment. LED lights, however, do not contain any damaging materials. As a result of this they can be disposed of normally whilst giving your business some environmental kudos. Once more, as LED lights require a smaller amount of electricity than traditional bulbs, they’re much more energy efficient.
At Arius, we have provided systems for a range of leading brands in a wide variety of industries. From leading supermarkets including Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s to high-street banks and international car manufacturers.
As we’ve discussed, there are numerous environmental and cost-saving benefits of switching to an Airius LED lighting system, including:
At Arius, we supply a wide range of market-leading LED lighting systems that are used by a variety of large and small businesses in a number of industries throughout the UK and beyond.
Get in touch with our knowledgeable and friendly team today. Why not contact us By calling 01202 554 200 and we’ll be happy to provide you with further information on our range of market-leading LED lighting products.
