New LED Lighting Developed for Vendor

[Uncle Sam]

Our vendor supplier has just released new lighting systems for the vendor that are made of white LEDs. This is one of the latest trends in lighting because of the low voltage and low power usage. That should lower operating costs for power use by the vendor. We are waiting to see if the lighting is as bright as the fluorescent lighting we have used for many years.

Another advantage of LED lighting is longevity of the bulbs used. The initial cost of the lighting is more than the present fluorescent fixtures, so we'll see if the power savings and years of service will recoup the extra cost of this new light system.

We will be getting some LED fixtures soon so we'll report our findings after we try them out in a vending machine.

Uncle Sam

 

[MEP001]

LED lighting has other benefits besides low voltage, low power use and longevity. It produces no UV radiation, which can yellow or break down plastics, and almost no heat, a big advantage in refrigerated machines. Fluorescents produce a large amount of UV and waste at least 60% of the energy consumed, still better than the 90% wasted by incandescents, but poor compared to LED that's 98% efficient.

Some day advancements will be made to electroluminescence, like that used in an Indiglo backlit watch, which is 99.99% efficient in converting energy to light, but right now the amount of light it can produce is insufficient for any other task.

 

[Uncle Sam]

MEP,

Thanks for the additional info. The UV light coming from the fluorescent must be the reason the plastic lenses in the fixtures turn dark over time. They dark lenses block the light from the bulb, we suggested customers remove the lense and throw it away.

The lack of heat generation will help the refrigerated units, but may cause some problems in the northern climes where the heat from the lights keeps the vendor warm during very cold weather. We'll just have to see how it works.

Uncle Sam