LED Lights: A New Way to Sustainably Brighten the Holiday Season

In the past, holiday lights were incandescent bulbs encased in painted glass. They were large, fragile, and their colors would fade with age. Luckily, today there is a safer and more efficient lighting option to brighten your holidays — LED lights. LED lights are quickly replacing incandescent bulbs due to the numerous benefits they offer consumers with regard to electricity usage, durability, safety, versatility, and environmental footprint. Now you can decorate for the holidays using sustainable, energy-efficient LED lighting.

So what is an LED light?  

An LED or light-emitting diode is a type of solid state lighting (SSL) technology that emits light when an electric current passes through it. In solid-state lighting, the light is generated from a solid object that is illuminated by the movement of electrons through a semiconductor like LEDs. From an energy savings point of view, nothing beats LED holiday lights. They use around 75% less energy than their incandescent counterparts, and according to the US Department of Energy (DOE), the largest savings on energy costs can be realized if LED lights were to replace older inefficient lighting like incandescent bulbs. By 2027, widespread use of LEDs could save up to 348 TWh (compared to no LED use) of electricity—that’s as much electricity as 44 large electric power plants (at 1000 megawatts each) produce in a year. Additionally, the US can save up to $30 billion (based on current electricity prices) by using LED lights.

What are the other benefits of LED holiday lighting?

• Safety: Less energy is radiated from LED lights, making them cooler than incandescent lights. This makes them less likely to catch fire or burn your fingers as you install them.

• Brighter: LED holiday lights shine far brighter than those made with incandescent bulbs. In addition, the brightness of LED lights does not fade over time.

• Weatherproof: LED lights function just as well outdoors as they do indoors. They are constructed in such a way that they are impervious to moisture, heat and cold.

• Longevity: Unlike incandescent bulbs, LED bulbs do not contain delicate filaments that inevitably burn out in producing light, making them last for a long time. If you take care of them properly, they will last for years.

• Easy installation: Because they use less electricity, you can connect up to 25 strings of LED lights end-to-end and rest assured that you will not overload a wall socket. 

Do you think you’re going to break your holiday budget by buying LED holiday lights? Actually, you won’t. If you look at the life cycle economics of LED lights versus that of incandescent lights, you will realize more cost and time savings in the long run. If you compare the two kinds of lights over the same time period, you need to purchase replacement bulbs more often for incandescent holiday lights becuase they burn out more easily. Add to that the maintenance time you’re going to spend and the bigger electric bills you’re going to pay as incandescent bulbs have shorter lifespans and use more energy. Eventually, you will find that LED holiday lighting is the better choice!

Ultimately, the best benefit of purchasing sustainable and energy-efficient LED holiday lights is its positive impact on the environment. Using at least 75% less energy in operating your holiday display also means that you have reduced the carbon footprint of your holiday lighting by up to 75%. Moreover, manufacturing LED holiday lights help lower your carbon footprint due to their extensive life cycle; as LED lights have a long lifespan, they do not need to be remanufactured as often as incandescent bulbs, resulting in less resource use and emissions.

Whether you’re looking to buy pre-lamped strings, net and icicle lights, craft lights, or rope light; or you prefer purchasing bulbs and stringers separately, you can find the perfect holiday lights for you with LED. The more LED you light up, the more energy you save. Here’s to a happy holiday season and may your holiday displays shine sustainably with LED lighting!

FirstCarbon Solutions (FCS) is a world-wide provider of environmental sustainability business solutions to help you reduce resource usage and associated cost, thus resulting in environmental and bottom line benefits. FCS offers a variety of utility account auditing services to help you reduce your electricity, water, and other utility costs, ensuring that you improve your bottom line as you lessen your environmental impact. For more information, click on the button below.