Z'Electrical Gazette
December 2007
Volume 6
Z'Electrical GazetteDecember 2007Volume 6 |
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December 2007 Volume 6 http://www.zotzelectrical.com/ Zotz Electrical 612-501-2012, 320-983-2500
Cost Savings. Based on the recent national average cost of electricity, it will cost the average household $9.00 for a 30 day holiday season to illuminate a single Christmas tree with 5 strings of 25 lamp incandescent string lights. In contrast the cost to illuminate the same Christmas tree for the same period of time with LED string lighting would be $.90. This may not seem like a lot of money but the average household typically illuminates more than just a Christmas tree. Many homes will use in excess of 50 strings of lighting during the holiday season. This would increase the cost savings to nearly $90 per season.
Perhaps more importantly is the cost of the lights themselves. Because LED string lighting will last nearly 10 times longer than standard incandescent string lighting, this means the consumer will have to replace Christmas lights much less frequently. At an average cost of $5.99 per 25 lamp string of incandescent string lighting, this would mean that the average household would spend approximately $300 for lighting to last that same period that would cost only $100 if LED string lighting were used.
Durability. Unlike incandescent lighting, LED string lighting is very durable and rarely fails. This is because LED lighting is constructed of solid state components which are not easily damaged by external shock. LED string lamps are encased in a nearly indestructible epoxy shell which has proven to withstand the weight of a tractor-trailer. Incandescent bulbs can be damaged or broken if simply dropped on the ground.
Safety. LED string lighting produces very little heat and remains cool to the touch even after hours of operation. As a result, LED lights are much safer to operate in close proximity to combustible materials such as Christmas trees. This is because LED technology directly creates light simply by the movement of electricity through the circuit. Very little heat is produced.
Basically, LEDs (Light Emitting Diode) are just tiny light bulbs that fit easily into an electrical circuit. But unlike ordinary incandescent bulbs, they don't have a filament that will burn out, and they don't get especially hot. They are illuminated solely by the movement of electrons in a semiconductor materials, and they last just as long as a standard transistor. They use less energy, are more durable and last a lot longer than incandescent and fluorescent lighting systems, which means two things, they save you money and help preserve the environment. You find LED lights in such places as radio & DVD player displays, remote controls, flashlights, string lighting, automotive 12v lighting, traffic semaphores, sign lighting and now you can find light fixtures & light bulbs that illuminate with LEDs for your home.
Two types of semiconductor materials are used in a LED. One type that has an abundance of free electrons and the other that has a deficit. When enough energy is supplied in the form of electricity, a threshold is reached that pushes some of the free electrons in the abundant material to jump to the attracting material. When that electron takes its place in the new material, a photon or particle of light is released.
The color of the released light is dependent on what kinds of materials are used and how much energy is required for the electrons to make the jump. If a low amount of energy is required the light emitted will be in the infrared or red wavelength. If a comparatively high threshold much be reached, the light emitted will be up in the blue/white wavelength.
This article was not meant to be comprehensive, to learn more about the science behind the LED technology, here are two places to learn more, How Stuff Works and ACEPT. To see some of the LED products that available, go to LEDLight.com. I am not giving an endorsement of LEDLight.com but am using it only as an informational resource for products available.
East Central Energy is giving rebates for LED Christmas lighting. Basically, the rebate rules are $5 per minimum 50 bulb string and at a maximum of 5 strings or a maximum rebate of $25. They are doing this to encourage their customers to use energy efficient products and help curtail the electricity usage demand during the Christmas season. I have found that ECE is very concerned with their customers and have many programs to address electricity usage and trying to keep costs down for their customers. To see the ECE LED rebate information, click here.
Zotz Electrical has helped many realtors and homeowners with repairs after an home inspector has done the inspection. Many times a prospective home buyer will request an home inspection, invariably, the home inspector will find things wrong, repairs need to be done. We can help you with those repairs and get the home ready for sale. I have also seen when an inspector is wrong about something (they can't know all the codes or approved applications) and we have provided a letter of explanation under the approval of the National Electrical Code to appease the home buyer and have aided in the sale of the property. Give us a call if you need help making electrical repairs to your property that is for sale.
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