LED lighting has come to the forefront of common use around the world. Beyond just the exciting colors, LED helps in your ‘green effort’ and is a substantial electrical savings. Schools and organizations are focused on every possible method to contribute to a continued green effort and participate in technology that supports this process. Electronic sports scoreboards have adopted LED lighting for quite some time, offering a savings over board systems that use standard lighting. The ability of the LED to withstand changes in weather, shock, extreme temperature and vibration make LED’s the perfect lighting technology for indoor and outdoor electronic sports scoreboards.

LED (light emitting diodes) are devices that use solid state technology using semiconductor materials; small in stature, but powerful. LED’s operate on a completely different precedence than fluorescent bulbs, and have longer duration and are stronger when compared other lighting materials. LED’s do not use filament or glass components, and are therefore stronger and sturdier than standard light bulbs. Made from non-toxic materials, the LED light is earth-friendly, recyclable, and don’t contain mercury, which is found in standard light bulbs.

LED lighting lasts around 60,000 hours, which is substantially longer than incandescent (15,000 hours), neon or compact fluorescent lighting. This saves on the costs of maintenance and replacement as well as the problem of trying to recycle old light bulbs. The LED light is 90% more efficient which saves on energy requirements (and the electric bill). The lifespan of an LED light, used consistently, is around seven years. While the initial cost is a bit higher than any of the other lighting choices, the overall savings is quickly returned on the investment due to its longevity.

From a safety factor, LED lights do not generate any heat and are therefore cool to the touch and don’t pose a fire factor due to heat. Incandescent bulbs use 85 btu’s per hour and expels ninety percent of the energy it uses as heat. Compare this to the LED, which used 3.5 btu’s per hour. This creates a safer environment for installation, for more extended time duration than standard lighting.

LED lighting offers an array of brilliant colors that bring a whole new excitement to the visual world. Standard incandescent bulbs make use of filters to create colors and the process is inefficient and costly. The popularity of LED lighting has grown so that they are being used in a variety of presentations. What may have started out in the entertainment and advertising worlds has expanded to residential homes, architecture, traffic, transportation, aerospace, and gaming.

There is a return on investment for the electronic sports scoreboard that has LED lighting: lower cost in maintenance and repair, less cost and use for electricity, the ability to be recycled and longer lifespan. The extravaganza of colors offer enhanced advertising abilities which, in turn, attracts more crowds and sponsors. LED lighting has become the preferred lighting, as we move our society into more earth-friendly choices. Schools and organizations are recognizing the safety, longevity, and dollar savings as they add LED scoreboard lighting to their green efforts.