LED Explained

LED stands for Light Emitting Diode.

First, what is a diode? It is in fact a single piece of material that has a varying ability to conduct electrical current. So one minute it acts like copper and lets lots of electricity through. The next it flips and acts like rubber and stops electricity passing through. This property on the material is then used in a clever way to create light.

Light is created by electricity passing through a special semiconductor material. This material contains atoms whose electrons get excited when you switch the electricity on. The material also contains a means for letting these excited electrons calm down. Essentially electrons are excited and jump to a higher energy ring, when they drop down to their original level a photo of light is released.

This light emitted is what a light emitting diode is all about. It is because we can make light from a solid material that the robustness of lighting solutions can be raised by an order of magnitude when compared to conventional lighting. You see LED displays in the signage around football pitches now, well able to take the force of being hit by a ball.

This robustness makes LED’s the ideal choice for signage makers illuminating their work.

LED’s were invented by General Electric GE back in the 1960’s. 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.