The Environmental Advantages of Using LED Lights in Your Trade Show or Museum Display

When looking for a lighting solution for your trade show or museum display or exhibit, you have many options to choose from. However, as the desire to go green and take steps to protect the environment becomes more important for many businesses and their customers, understanding the environmental impact of your lighting choices is crucial and can help guide your lighting decision. With that in mind, here are four key environmental advantages to using LED lights in your display or exhibit.

Increased energy efficiency

One of the most obvious environmental advantages of LED lights is their energy efficiency. Compared to either incandescent or compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs, LED lighting uses up to 80 percent less energy. This energy savings is due to the ability of LED lights to transform energy into light more efficiently. In other words, an LED light is able to convert as much as 80 percent of its received electricity into light while a traditional incandescent bulb can only convert about 20 percent of electrical energy into light.

Because of this increased energy efficiency, a lower wattage LED light can replace a higher wattage fluorescent or incandescent light, reducing the amount of electricity used. This lower energy use directly translates into lower power plant usage and thus decreased greenhouse gas emissions.

Longer life spans

LED lights are well-known for their long life spans. Indeed, many LED lights are capable of lasting for almost 20 years with eight hours of usage every single day. This translates to a life span that is 40 times longer than the average incandescent bulb. The longevity of LED lights can help dramatically reduce the environmental impact associated with the disposal of old light bulbs and the manufacture and transport of new products.

All of the fossil fuels used by shipping and waste removal companies, the packaging material needed to transport new light bulbs and the energy used in the manufacturing process are drastically reduced, leading to direct environmental benefits.

Fewer lights needed

Compared to incandescent and CFL bulbs, LEDs distribute light better and are capable of focusing light more clearly in one direction as is needed in a trade show or museum display. Displays that utilize LED lights are able to use many fewer bulbs to achieve the same brightness level than those that rely on CFL or incandescent lights.

This reduction in needed bulbs helps to amplify the environmental effects of LED lights' energy savings and longevity. Because fewer bulbs are needed, the negative byproducts of the manufacturing and transportation process are reduced. A decrease in the number of bulbs used also directly translates to lower energy use, bolstering the already-impressive energy saving capabilities of LED lights.

No toxic components

While many conventional light bulbs contain a multitude of toxic materials, LED lights are completely free of harmful and environmentally-damaging toxic chemicals. For example, florescent lighting typically contains high amounts of mercury that is difficult to dispose of properly and can present a danger to the environment.

Mercury can build up in landfills over time, and disposing of fluorescent lights takes special effort and extra cost to mitigate the potential environmental impact as much as possible. On the other hand, because LED bulbs contain no toxic materials, these earth-friendly lights are entirely recyclable with no danger of contaminating landfills or ground water with dangerous chemicals.

Indeed, a study funded by the U.S. Department of Energy concluded that LED lights have fewer negative environmental side effects to the air, soil, water and other natural resource than either incandescent or CFL bulbs. In short, LED lights are the most well-supported choice for environmentally-friendly lighting and can easily be worked into your next trade show or museum display.

As a LED display lighting specialist, Light Craft Manufacturing can help you with your trade show lighting design; please visit our website for more information.