What is an LED? (the basics):

• Consume much less power. 75%+ less than Incandescent, 50% less than CFL (compact flourescent lights)
• LED's do not require a ballast like fluorescent. They run on low voltage DC power so only require a simple wall or in-line transformer for AC line to DC conversion (LED's do not like AC power!)
• 50% more efficient in light output from the fixture (In the case of a downlight fixture, Incandescent/CFL spread light in all directions resulting in light loss in the fixture. LED produces a focused light output.)
• LED lifetime is much longer at 50,000+ hours. Typical Incandescent is only 2000 hrs while CFL is 8-10,000 hrs. (One year is approximately 8700 hrs so this can be many years before replacement is required!) 
• LED’s produce no harmful UV light which can damage photo’s and artwork while traditional lighting does. (LED lights can be ordered for specific applications where UV is required, such as grow lights)
• CFL’s, unless carefully chosen, can produce harsh cool white or blue-white light. CFL bulbs also contain mercury and a ballast which are a problem for safety and disposal. Many LED lights are available and, like CFL's, can vary significantly in light quality---care in choosing lamps is required.  Vertelight LED's are carefully chosen and utilize technology from leading manufacturers. Vertelight LED's come in a "warm" light similar to incandescant but are also available in "cool" colours where more light output is required.

• Accent lighting for home/office hallways, stairs, floor, room perimeter
• Cabinet lighting and lighting artwork (no harmful UV)
• Outdoor pathway and accent lighting. Marine and signage. 
• ANY situation where frequent bulb changes are a problem or inconvenient (LED fixtures last several years depending on use)
• Environments with vibration. Due to solid-state construction, LED’s are very durable. CFL and Incandescent are prone to failure.
• Use "Warm White" for most indoor applications for superior light quality (similar look to a high quality incandescent or CFL)  Use standard White or "Cool" where maximum light output (lumens) is required.

LED Power Requirements:

• LED's are DC Voltage devices and require a Driver (also referred to as a transformer or ballast) to convert AC line power to DC. In automotive or marine applications Vertelight LEDs can drive directly from 12 or 24V supplies but Transient (load-dump) suppressors would be required to protect the lights from the power spikes in those environments.
• LED requires a Constant Current source to operate. For Lighting Class LED's this typically ranges from 150-700mA depending on the manufacturer and power rating of the LED.  The CC method is also the simplest and lowest cost method to power them but is often not as efficient and can be confusing for the user to select the correct drivers.
• Vertelight offers its LED products in a 12V or 24V DC , Constant Voltage, power input. There is some extra circuitry added to the light that does the conversion and provides the LED elements with their required constant current.  This input method is simpler and often allows the LED driver to operate more efficiently. Finding the correct driver for the application also becomes simpler---just determine the total power (in Watts) of the lighting circuit then choose the appropriate Wattage driver. Note:  Although not absolutely necessary, It is a best practice to load a driver to only 80-85% of its rated capacity. Running a driver at 100% capacity can lower its life expectency in some applications.

Color Temperature

• White LED's (and some traditional incandescant)  are typically rated in scale called "Kelvins" (K).  Vertelight chooses lights in the "Warm White" range (typ 2800-3800K). "Cool White" is available (typ 4500-5500K) and these will produce a brighter light (more light output). However, the Warm range produces light which is easier on your eyes for room lighting---the Cool range may be suitable for outdoor or commercial applications where max light output (Lumens) is required.
• White LED light is not typically the same as traditional lighting. Incandescents tend to produce a warm yellow-range light while LED's produce a whiter light (closer to daylight/sunlight).  As a general comparitive, our lights produce similar light to traditional MR16 style Halogens.  Our 3W lamps produce approximately same light as a 25W MR16; the 3X3Watt and 10W downlights would produce similar to a 50W MR16.

Costs:

• Initial cost outlay for Solid State LED lighting is higher than incandescant and CFL fixtures and bulbs.  More fixtures may also be required in some areas to acheive desired light output.
• These initial costs are recovered over time (depending on hours/use) with the large savings in power consumption. Also the LED bulbs last thousands of hours longer (years) which provides significant savings over costs of buying and replacement of standard incandescant and CFL bulbs. This is also better for our environment!
• To Compare: an MR16 Halogen at $3-$4 each would have to be changed 10+ times (so $30-$40) to equal the lifetime of a single LED MR16 ($23).  This does not factor in the additional power cost savings over that period for a 3Watt LED vs. 25Watt Halogen.

Dimming LED's:

• LEDs CANNOT be dimmed using standard AC dimmer switches found in hardware and supply stores. They are a solid state digital device driven by DC voltages and must be dimmed with a specialized digital dimming circuit. Vertelight is currently evaluating dimming devices and we plan to offer a standard LED dimmer soon. If you require dimming circuits for your installation please contact us for more information

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