LED Technology is Disruptive Innovation

LEDs Are a Disruptive Technology

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are compound semiconductor devices that convert electricity to light. Invented by GE scientists in the 1960s, LEDs are vastly different from traditional incandescent, fluorescent and neon light sources.

LEDs stand out because -- unlike lamps that can shatter -- they are robust and highly resistant to shock and vibration. Due to the solid-state nature of LEDs, there are no filaments to break, no moving parts to fail and no glass components of any kind. With LEDs, breakage during transportation, installation or operation - a common problem of traditional light sources - is virtually eliminated. This robustness speeds installation times and installer training.

The benefits of using LEDs vary depending on the application, but typical technology features include:

• Up to 90 percent energy-cost savings
• A long life of up to 50,000 hours
• Minimized maintenance hassles and costs
• Low-voltage operation
• Excellent cold-weather performance

Environmental friendliness is also a factor, as LEDs do not contain mercury, and they save very significant amounts of energy that is frequently generated with non-renewable energy sources such as coal, natural gas and petroleum.