What is the difference between HID lights and LED lights? Many looking into buying heavy duty lighting for the first time may not be sure. HID lights are in actuality high intensity discharge lamps, and they create light through high intensity arcs between electrodes within translucent or transparent tubes made of fused quartz or fused alumina. An LED light, on the other hand, is a semiconductor light source. It emits light when a current flows through it, and during that process, electrons combine with electron holes, and they release energy in the form of photons. For those that aren’t overly familiar with these processes, the differences may seem difficult to understand, but they will shine through in the results. When looking at different types of industrial lighting, however, the choice will often come down to LED versus HID.
LED high bay light fixtures offer a number of different benefits as opposed to HID lights, as do other types of LED light fixtures. For that reason, it’s important to understand the benefits of led lights, not just in terms of their intensity but their longevity and efficiency. Let’s look into the differences between LED and HID lights, and why in the long term LED lights are usually the best options overall.
LEDs Versus HIDs: What Is Brighter?
The brightness of lighting is always important, particularly when it comes to industrial purposes. LED high bay light fixtures, in particular, are valued for their intensity. Though LED lights are newer to the market than HID lights, they’ve gained popularity quickly in part due to their intensity levels. HIDs are bright; and indeed, some specific HID lights may almost reach the level of illumination provided by LED lights. However, due to their overall structure LED lights tend to be brighter. Both types of lighting are brighter than halogen lights, but as the newer models, LED lights offer more illumination in general. In an industrial setting, this can be incredibly important. Often, LED lights are used to brighten a workspace in the darkness, sometimes outdoors. The reason why LED parking garage lighting and LED roadway lighting are so favored is due to the intense brightness provided by LED lights.
LEDs Versus HIDs: What Lasts Longer?
Longevity is crucial for lights used in any sort of industrial setting. For example, parking garage lights are required by law to last 24 hours a day. While replacement lamps will always be necessary eventually, it’s important for lights to last as long as possible to keep costs down. If your LED high bay light fixtures break down quickly, you’ll end up spending a ridiculous amount of money on replacements over time. Fortunately, you won’t have to. LED lights tend to last much longer than HID lights. They’re certainly much more long-lasting than halogen lights. With that being said, the longevity of LED lights, despite their remarkable intensity, belies the convenience that they offer as well.
LEDs Versus HIDs: Convenience
It’s important to remember that the biggest factor to consider when comparing LED lights to HID lights on an industrial level is convenience. LED lights are much more convenient than HID lights, in part because they simply light up faster. While HID lights take some time to reach their full brightness, LED lights are instantly at capacity. You can go from total darkness to complete intensity when using LED high bay light fixtures, and that in itself cannot be dismissed. Those working outside, for example, cannot ignore the convenience of LED illumination acting so quickly. When you’re trying to keep a crew safe when doing roadwork, for example, you’ll want to see full capacity brightness as quickly as possible.
When it comes to efficiency, longevity, and brightness LED lights clearly offer a lot of advantages over not only HID lights but halogen lights. With that being said, moving into the future it’s advisable for those seeking industrial lighting to prioritize LED lights. While they at times might be initially more expensive, they’ll certainly prove their worth in the long term.