Conventional lighting systems are being replaced by LED powered systems at an accelerating rate. There are plenty of reasons for this, but firstly, what is an LED? LED stands for Light Emitting Diode - a semiconductor device that exhibits properties to create light when electrically stimulated. Most people are familiar with the common red, green and blue LEDs, but more recently the semiconductors that produce these different frequencies of light are combined to produce white light. The properties of LEDs used singly or clustered make them ideal light sources for diverse conditions. So why should you choose LED lighting over alternative lighting technology?

1. They have an extremely long lifespan. A typical figure is 50,000 hours but you can acquire LEDs now with lifetimes in the region of 100,000 hours. If you use an LED light for say five hours a day, this results in a lifetime of around 28 to 56 years. That's a long time between replacing light bulbs! This is far superior to replacement frequency for other light sources.

2. They are very efficient. A LED will generally transform 80 - 90% of its energy into usable light - the rest dissipating as heat. With many conventional lights the figures are the other way around with up to 80% of the applied energy being lost as heat. You can do the rest of the maths to figure out how much this means in terms of real savings on your energy bills.

3. Following on from the previous point you can appreciate that LEDs offer less of a fire risk than many traditional lighting sources due to their low operating temperatures. Only when large numbers of LEDs are clustered would you need to consider heat sinks to dissipate any heat.

4. They are robust and durable. Their construction renders them ideal for hazardous locations where more fragile lighting systems could be easily broken. LEDs have no filaments or fragile glass enclosures to break.

5. As a result of several previous points they require little to no maintenance over their lifetime. This makes them particularly useful for situations where accessibility is difficult or costly. Street lighting is an example. Significant maintenance cost savings can be realized.

6. They are low voltage devices. This means that they are much safer to handle and work with. The risk of electrical shock is minimized if not eliminated completely.

7. They light instantly but can be dimmed if desired, and they can be found in a variety of colors for specific 'mood' lighting effects or even traffic signs. They are also silent in operation and free from flicker.

8. They have a small design profile making them useful for deployment in tight spaces. Additionally they can be clustered and easily retrofitted into standard fittings of traditional lighting enclosures. For example a clustered LED array can be easily retrofitted into a standard halogen or incandescent fitting - plug and play!

9. They are friendly to the environment. Their materials and construction make them 100% recyclable and they contain no harmful chemicals. Their extended lifetime alone results in less greenhouse emissions because not so many need to be manufactured.

10. Finally, they offer the best return on investment. Though they cost more than conventional lights initially, the difference is quickly eroded by all the previous advantages of LED technology. Watt for Watt you achieve a far better light output with LED lighting.

So there it is, maybe time to put your hand in your pocket for one last time to convert to LED lighting, and then forget all about replacing light bulbs for the rest of your life.