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 The benefits of using LED lights versus more traditional light bulbs are quickly becoming apparent. LED lights offer several advantages that make them the ideal choice for lighting applications at every level, including the industrial level. The following article was written to profile the superior LED lighting technologies that are being developed, manufactured and distributed by Greenhouse Strategies. These products are now being implemented in many different applications and are considered by many as the best available lighting option.
The Company
Greenhouse Strategies is a 100% U.S. manufacturer and a leader in the manufacturing and distribution of green technologies. Their Head Office is located in South Hackensack, New Jersey and they have over 68 years of manufacturing experience. They are currently providing LED lighting options to various clients located in many parts of the world including energy, retail, mining, security and construction companies as well as government and military groups. With a focus geared towards the environment, this company has developed some of the most energy efficient lighting technologies available. They are also affiliated with many noteworthy companies and groups. These include the Solar Energy Consortium (TSEC) and StarTrak (About Greenhouse Strategies).
Applications
As mentioned above, the lighting technologies produced by Greenhouse Strategies have several applications. These include being used as street lights, parking lights and on light towers. These light towers provide light for many construction and mining operations. In fact, Greenhouse Strategies is the first company to develop an LED light tower. That tower is displayed in the picture to the right and was implemented at a Freeport McMoRan sand and gravel pit. The advantages that this tower offers when being compared to traditional towers are listed further below. Also, many of the lights being produced by Greenhouse Strategies are being used to retrofit equipment. This includes heavy duty equipment such as a road paver.
LED Advantages
The advantages of using LED bulbs versus traditional bulbs are tremendous. The most significant of these advantages is likely their efficiency. LEDs traditionally use 75%-80% less energy than metal halide bulbs. This efficiency can greatly reduce the amount of electricity that a company is consuming as part of their lighting system. This decreases the operating cost of a site and reduces its environmental footprint. In the case of a diesel or gas powered light plant, this also results in much less fuel consumption. In fact, the 260W panel displayed below (made up with 100 LED lights) is commonly used to replace 1000W halide lights. Furthermore, these bulbs have incredibly long lifespans. The average run times for these solid state LED panels is roughly 50,000 hours.
 That means they could run 12 hours a day for over 11 years. This is between 5 and 8 times longer than traditional bulbs. Although they have a higher initial purchase price, they result in tremendous savings over the life of the light with a payback period as low as 12 months. In addition to that, the LED lights are also much more durable than traditional bulbs. The LED bulbs have no filaments and are not made with fragile glass. This makes them ideal for plants that will be moved frequently. Traditionally, moving lights plants with halide bulbs would result in broken bulbs. This issue is further compounded by the fact that many traditional bulbs are made with toxic items. If the bulbs break and the glass reaches the ground, they must be contained according to hazardous materials protocols. Contrarily, LED lights manufactured by Greenhouse Strategies are made with non-toxic materials and can also be recycled. The light that these LED panels produce is also much more desirable.
Firstly, LEDs provide a better focus of lighting. This light can be directed downwards and out in order to properly light a working environment. Older bulbs have less “focus” and typically waste energy lighting the sky. The panels also provide much less glare. The picture above is taken to illustrate this feature (the light plant to the right is the LED plant). In fact, many of the Department of Transportation offices within the U.S. are looking into mandating LED towers for many applications due to the much lower glare. This results in a much safer working environment. The LED lights are also cool to touch which further increases safety. Another item that makes these lights a popular choice in many applications is the fact that they have no re-strike time. Traditional light plants require up to 15 minutes to become fully illuminated while the LED plants become fully illuminated instantly.
Overall, the panels are available in both DC and AC. They can be configured to almost any voltage rating and can likely be implemented in any project very easily. Finally, these panels can readily be configured with many new forms of technology. For instance, these panels are offered with a StarTrak option. Essentially, the light plants powered by these LED lights can be installed with a cell phone or satellite communication system. This system can relay live information to a project manager including usage, location, condition and fuel consumption. These systems can also be configured with motion sensors and GPS locators. These latter features also increase the safety regarding theft of the unit. Furthermore, these systems can also be powered for many hours using batteries alone. This is ideal for applications which are noise sensitive. Finally, solar panels can be used to power these batteries. This further decreases the environmental footprint of the LEDs.
Conclusion
The LED lights that are provided by Greenhouse Strategies are clearly a revolutionary form of lighting that has many advantages when compared to older lighting technologies. As a result of this, their products will likely continue to be further implemented in industrial and construction projects. Python Mining Consultants would like to thank Richard Keating, Mike Morris, Steve Alonso and Jeff Martin for providing us with the information required to complete this article. In order to learn more about Greenhouse Strategies and their products visit their website or see them on Facebook (see references below).
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