LED Lighting Comparison to Fluorescent Lighting
Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and Fluorescent lighting are finding their way into homes, factories, schools and hospital facilities that want to cut energy costs and reduce their impact on the environment. On the surface, switching to fluorescent makes perfect sense: changing to fluorescent lighting cuts energy usage for buildings by up to 75%, saving money and because of lower energy usage, cutting pollution from power plant carbon emissions.
But there is a tradeoff made for the energy and cost savings when utilizing fluorescent lighting that not everyone is aware of. Inside each fluorescent bulb there is a small amount of mercury, a toxic element that can adversely affect human and environmental health if released into the air or water table. When fluorescent bulbs are in use they are perfectly safe, no mercury is released when the lights are on or off in a building. The risk for mercury pollution starts when the bulbs break and this can happen in the installation, replacement or at the time of disposal. Whether it is when the bulbs are smashed in a dumpster or later when they break at the landfill, the mercury eventually finds its way into the environment. The vapors can stay in and around a facility after breakage for quite some time, getting breathed in by employees or others who are in the building. If bulbs are broken in a landfill the surrounding groundwater and land can be contaminated, harming all who come in contact with it. It is estimated that around 500 million lamps are sent to landfills each year, resulting in more than 30,000 pounds of mercury being released. Additionally, lamp breakage itself releases up to one ton of mercury vapor into the atmosphere each year.
The negative effects that mercury has on people and the environment are diverse. Here are just a few facts: as a potent neurotoxin, mercury exposure can adversely affect the brain, kidneys, and liver in humans and can be a source of developmental problems for children. When introduced into the environment, mercury can contaminate large areas of land and water, accumulating in wildlife (usually fish), which in turn are eaten by humans. Mercury is so potent that just one gram of it from the atmosphere can contaminate a 20-acre lake for one year.
Because of the dangers of mercury contamination, the following states have banned all mercury-containing lamps from landfills:
- California
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Minnesota
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- New York
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Parts of Florida
It is only a matter of time when all fifty states will ban mercury from landfills due to its toxicity. The cost savings of fluorescent lighting will be adversely impacted by this. Why, you may ask? What will be the risk of medical lawsuits for an employee exposed to the fumes if a fixture is broken in their presence? Will maintenance costs increase for the installation and handling of fluorescent lighting because of safety issues? Will employees handling fluorescent lighting be required to wear special clothing and breathing protection? How much will it cost to dispose of the used Fluorescent lighting? What facility changes will be necessary for the storage and handling of fluorescent lights? You might say that it is not a concern now because your state is not on the list, but what about in 2-3 years when you need to dispose of the fluorescent lighting? How well can you predict the future and what it will cost is always prudent in your companies planning?
There is an alternative and it is already introduced to the market, LED Lighting.
LED Lighting contains no toxic chemicals, is even more energy efficient than fluorescent lighting and has a product life that is equal to and many cases better than fluorescent lights. So let's put this in perspective, you can reduce your energy requirements, not add any pollutants Into the environment, not have to worry about handling and disposal and get great light output as you currently have.
So why is LED lighting not widely used in place of fluorescent? It is perceived that the initial costs of the LED Lighting are currently higher than fluorescent lighting. Is this true when the environment, disposal and employee safety are considered? Are we being short sighted in looking at the total cost of ownership?
There are a many overseas companies producing LED lighting. They offer low prices but with inferior product quality and misrepresent the light intensity. However, Electro-Matic offers a Michigan made LED lighting solution with excellent quality that is backed by a 3 year warranty. The light intensity is published, documented and will stack up against equivalent filament or mercury lighting. So why not lower your energy bill, save the environment and lower your overall costs? Visit our website Electro-Matic Visual Products Website or email us at clgunn@electro-matic.com to get more information on LED Lighting, your environmentally safe, green alternative lighting product that will ultimately save you money and hassle free use.
