There are many choices for each warehouse lighting scenario, however, not all of the lighting options are equal. When we look at the options available for tube lighting we will see there are two, one being LED and the other being fluorescent. When looking at the two options available for tube lighting there are some noticeable differences that are definitely worth considering before choosing LED or fluorescent. This article examines the differences between the two so you can make an informed decision.
Wattages and Lumens
Efficiency has to be top of the list when comparing LED and fluorescent tubes. It is crucial to find lighting solutions that provide high lumen output and low wattage usage. LED lighting solutions do just that, in fact, they provide the highest lumen output and lowest wattage usage over any options on the lighting market today.
Light Quality
Fluorescent lighting wins when compared to incandescent, however, LED tubes are the winner. there are a few factors to consider when comparing light quality. Examples are; flickering, this can be a problem with any type of tube lighting fixture. Fluorescent tube lights are quite well known for their flickering and most tube lights tend to lose their lumen output when they reach around 70 percent of their shelf life. When looking at the LED light, they are flicker-free and do not lose any lumen output until the end of their shelf life. Another example is that LED lighting has the quickest startup times. Most fluorescent tubes take time to warm up this is because they operate on ballast, whereas LED tube lighting works immediately.
Dimmable
Both fluorescent and LED tubes are dimmable, however, fluorescent tubes tend to lose quality when they are dimmed. This is mainly because they function using a ballast, on the other hand, LED uses an internal driver to operate. When a fluorescent tube is dimmed it may experience flickering and the quality of light may be of less quality. LED tubes cope with being dimmed quite well and can hold more levels of brightness than fluorescent tubes without losing light quality.
Life Expectancy
The lifespan of lighting fixtures is crucial when deciding which is the better option. When comparing LED tubes to fluorescent tubes LED wins hands down. An approximation of how much longer LED tubes last compared to fluorescent is four times longer. Certain LED tubes provide up to 50,000 hours of illumination. This means that the LED option provides a longer shelf life, this will not only save you money in replacements but also cut down on associated mainteance.
Colour Rendering and Colour Temperature
Colour temperature is quite important as it is how warm or cool the lamp is in the appearance of the glow it provides. LED tube lighting provides a scope of warm to cool so you can decide between choices, fluorescent tube lighting tends to be quite limited in warm and cool choices. And colour rendering is important as it makes different colours easier to see, LED provides better colour rendering than fluorescent.
More Information
If you would like further information regarding LED tubes please contact one of our team who will be happy to help.
