Understanding the Differences: Normal LED vs. Full Spectrum LED Lighting

Just like Amazon, LED lights are everywhere. From your car headlights, parking lots, and cell phones to exhibits, the wide range of applications of these magical light bulbs can be witnessed almost everywhere.

Commercial LEDs -- especially Phlizon Full-spectrum led Grow Lights -- use at least 75% less energy and last up to 25 times longer than incandescent lighting.

So, what makes these LEDs rapidly developing lighting technology? The reason is their ability to save substantial energy costs, superior lighting performance, and less heat-generating properties.

According to the latest study, Normal LEDs produce light 90% more efficiently than standard incandescent bulbs and generally last between 12 and 22 years. That’s a lot of savings on replacement bulbs!

And if it's a full spectrum LED, you’re lucky to have natural brightness that allows you to illuminate your spaces closest to how they appear in natural light.

Through this, you can save 348 TWH of power in 15 years. That’s enough to power 44 electrical plants.

Now. if you’re convinced to buy one, don’t forget to know the difference between Normal and Full-spectrum LEDs. Obviously, the basic concept behind both technologies is similar, but there is a significant difference in how each possesses a different light wavelength and frequency.

When shopping for LED lighting options, understanding these differences is essential, especially for those who are replacing existing traditional fixtures.

Basics of LED Lighting

The LED Technology

LEDs, short for Light-Emitting Diodes, are optoelectronic devices designed to produce a lot of light from a small form factor while maintaining outstanding efficiency.

Today, they’re the only preferable choice of light because they require much less power to light up and are much more efficient in producing high light outputs.

Their efficient light generation with litter-wasted energy relies on the principle of converting electrical energy directly into light. Unlike conventional light sources that first convert electrical energy into heat and then into light.

Since their introduction, they’ve received exploded popularity and gained widespread demand for commercial applications.

Decades back, it was used as a simple indicator light for items such as control panels, stereos, and various other types of electronic equipment. Today, LEDs have developed to the point where they are fulfilling some of the most demanding lighting applications on the planet.

Historical Development and Technological Advancements In LED Lighting

We all know that the Sun has remained the only light source, and people have mainly relied on this medium for years. As soon as the development of the electric power industry came into the 19th century, the first artificial light appeared, which introduced incandescent lamps and fluorescent lamps… …to the present LEDs…

In the early 60s, the first LED was developed. Initially, it was thought to be used as indicator lights for circuit boards, which stood for their durability and energy savings. That huge success gave birth to the second generation of LEDs, which became available in the 80s and 90s as replacements for the traditional incandescent bulb in streetlights.

Finally, we have got the third generation of LEDs, which have a longer lifespan, are more durable, perform better, and are more energy-efficient than any other lighting source. Many industrial, commercial, and residential facilities now use LEDs for various applications.

As more People have been chasing artificial light, manufacturing full-spectrum LED light similar to the solar spectrum has become a hot spot in the industry in recent years.

General Characteristics of LEDs

Among the most promising technologies for illumination in optical microscopy is the light-emitting diode (LED). These versatile devices are efficient enough to be powered by low-voltage batteries or relatively inexpensive switchable power supplies.

The energy efficiency of LED technology holds the utmost credit for changing how organizations brighten their facilities by reducing the cost of electricity and overall energy use.

The reason why LEDs are considered everywhere is their incredible compact size and adaptability that perfectly fit into an infinite number of lighting applications. Different LED uses include a wide spectrum, from their roots in circuit board lighting and traffic signals to modern mood lighting, residential and commercial property applications, and even major stadium lighting.

Regarding LED lighting, its safety feature is the topmost advantage that often becomes overlooked. The emission of heat in many light sources becomes the reason for many hazards. But as far as the LEDs are concerned, they emit almost no forward heat, and 90% of the total energy is actually used for light. Additionally, LEDs can operate effectively on low-voltage electrical systems because they consume less power. These are generally much safer if something goes wrong.

Normal LED Lighting

Characteristics and Features

Normal or standard LEDs are the basic and most affordable lighting diodes that don't usually come with any extras, like being able to color change or connect to a smart connectivity system. However, they make them a brilliant choice for basic home lighting.

It typically consists of two terminals, allowing the flow of current in one direction only. The current passes through an anode (+) and flows out of a cathode (-). LEDs don’t even have wire filaments like a lightbulb does.

Its application is everywhere, from TV Backlighting to LED displays, Automotive Lighting to Smart Phones. Due to its compact size, low energy consumption, extended lifetime, and flexibility, it’s the most major power-consuming light source.

LED light bulbs for general use around the home will typically have a wattage between 5W-15W and will emit between 300-500 lumens.

Advantages and Limitations.

With a rising concern for companies to choose environmentally friendly options, LED light sources are a win-win situation.  On one hand, LEDs help companies to reduce their energy use while attracting a socially conscious consumer base on the other.

Not only this, but the environmental benefits of LED lighting also stretch to their manufacturing process. The old traditional lighting sources, like mercury vapor lights and fluorescent lighting, contain mercury content as part of their structure. Because of this, when they reach the end of their lifespans, they require careful disposal. But with LEDs, You don’t have to worry about any of these issues.

Another astonishing feature of LEDs is that they better operate under cold conditions. From this we mean, no reduction in light intensity and high voltage usage during cold temperatures. This makes LEDS an even better option in terms of lighting needed in freezers, meat lockers, cold storage spaces, or refrigerated display cases.

While the advantages are countless, there’s a primary concern about its blue light hazards. Blue LEDs and cool-white LEDs are capable of exceeding the safe limits of the so-called specified eye safety specifications

Full Spectrum LED Lighting

Characteristics and Features

Full-spectrum LED lighting, commonly called white lights, encompasses all wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum, including infrared, visible, and ultraviolet spectra (measuring wavelengths of 380-779nm).

The definitive feature of full spectrum LED is that it greatly enhances the continuity and integrity of the spectrum by complementing the short-wave green, missing short-wave violet, cyan, and long-wave red light spectra, making the color range broader and closer to the full spectrum of sunlight.

The color rendering index of full spectrum light is close to 100, and a color temperature measuring between 5000K and 6500K. However, these sources' temperature and light intensity change with the change of morning, evening, and four seasons.

Unlike traditional LED lights, full-spectrum LED lights contain a phosphor coating comprising red and blue monochromatic LEDs. Phosphor coating is helpful in full-spectrum lights as it converts light of a narrower wavelength (460 nm: blue) into a longer wavelength that is around 600-700 nm: red.

Full spectrum Grow lights mimic natural sunlight and significantly aid in plant growth and nourishment, especially in the absence of actual solar light. These grow bulbs yield better harvests by contributing the right amount of light intensity to plants that they need for photosynthesis.

Not only are Full spectrum LEDs a smarter choice for the environment, but for your wallets as well. Phlizon LED lights will last about 100,000 hours. Phlizon mentions that if you were to keep an LED light source on for 12 hours each day and had a lifespan of 100,000 hours, you’d get over a decade of use out of it. That’s actually pretty good!

Key Benefits: Health And Wellness, Plant Growth, Improved Mood And Productivity.

Managing to have natural daylight in an office environment is a positive planning. However, in most cases, you can’t knock holes into the wall to create windows after the building is already made.

In such cases, installing Full-spectrum is a feasible choice to go with. Because Full-spectrum LED lights have high-quality output and good color rendering, they’re good to go for all indoor lighting.

In areas with extreme darkness or insufficient lighting, especially at night, the full-spectrum lights make objects and environments look fresher and more real. The full spectrum lamp is the solar spectrum familiar to the eyes, which makes the indoor environment more soothing, comfortable, and pleasing.

In comparison to regular LEDs, full-spectrum lights manage to produce more natural, flexible, and 10 times brighter light with even lesser wattage. They are a perfect mood setter as they help to uplift your mood in a matter of seconds. Whether low or high, it fits your mood and creates a wonderful aura at your home or workplace.

In indoor applications, especially greenhouse gardening, where greenhouse light and led grow lights full spectrum are the sole light source, they perform far better than targeted LEDs by emitting a wide range of wavelengths for your crop throughout the different growth stages.

Like natural daylight, Phlizon full-spectrum LED lights aren’t as bad for your eyes as any other light. The flexibility of adjusting the temperature and color of the lights with dimmable switches gives you a warm, restful bedtime.

Comparative Analysis

Ordinary Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are solid-state semiconductors that convert electric energy directly into the light of a visible color. Because they employ “cold” light generation technology, in which most of the energy is produced in the visible spectrum, LEDs don't waste energy in the form of non-light-producing heat.

In comparison, full-spectrum LEDs deliver energy, including the infrared and ultraviolet (the non-visible) portion of the spectrum. These lights combine diodes in the right ratio and provide

Better visual performance keeping the color of objects closer to the original.

Side-by-Side Comparison Of Normal LED and Full Spectrum LED.

To make you clear about the two types of LEDs, the chart below would add a significant contribution to your knowledge.

Practical Applications and Case Studies

When considering the different practical applications of LED lights, you’ll notice that they’ve perhaps undergone the greatest changes in recent times. Most notably, these include the phasing out of inefficient incandescent lighting with the rapid development of Smart LEDs or full-spectrum light technologies and associated systems.

In today's age and time, LEDs are found to be at the forefront of every display, healthcare facility, and on a range of equipment and installations because of their low upfront costs, low energy consumption, and compact size, plus they’re almost maintenance-free.. Stadium displays, dynamic theatre displays, and message signs on highways are all practical applications for large-area LED lights.

As far as the commercial field is concerned, studies demonstrate how today museums, photography studios, and art galleries achieve extensive energy by using energy-efficient LED technologies.

Even for residential and workspace applications, LEDs are all-sufficient. Due to their compact shape, they come in all forms, and sizes, providing an almost unlimited amount of ways light can be used and added to a home environment.

From your everyday lighting for illumination to specific outdoor landscapes, under cabinets, indoor accents, or task lighting, it can be well set in fixtures such as ceiling-mounted LED downlights, LED strip lights, LED bulbs, or even chandeliers.

These Light Modules are incredibly versatile and easy to use; they’re even safer and accompany you for a long time. Given that LEDs have longer lifespan, the maintenance costs shrink to almost nothing over the years when you only have to replace the bulbs once every ten or fifteen years. That’s very amazing!

Surprisingly, Full-spectrum LEDs expand their outrageous benefits to plant growth and development. Each stage of plant growth thrives at different light wavelengths, With the help of full spectrum LED grow lamps, growers can fine-tune to generate the most desirable form of light in order to make plants optimize their growth cycle.

All in all, the long-lasting capability of LEDs as well as the low power requirement, fast switching capacity, and rapid response time, the lighting industry is heavily relied upon.

Real-Life Examples

Hefty Energy bills are a massive issue for most companies, so a major part of their strategy planning is to find ways to reduce them. One way many companies are reducing their energy bills is by upgrading their current lighting to energy-efficient LED lighting.

Companies like Marks and Spencer, Google, Walmart, Starbucks, Domino’s, and many others have integrated LED luminaries to save a major chunk on their electricity expenses.

Also, The high efficiency and directional nature of LEDs makes them effective for many agricultural purposes. Commercial gardeners worldwide have brought these light sources into their grow rooms so that plants can yield greater output all year long.

Choosing the Right LED for Your Needs

So far, we’ve learned that LEDs have got different variants, so choosing the right one for your space can sometimes become quite tough.

What to do when you simply need a new LED bulb for your bedside lamp; how do you know you’re making the right decision? Which LEDs are designed to be better for the environment and to help us cut back on our electric bills?

For this, you need to read this part of the blog. Obviously, it’s your choice based on purpose, budget, and environmental need, but a general criterion is still helpful.

Understanding Parameters from Watts to Lumens

To replace your incandescent bulbs with LEDs, you need to know the watt and lumen theory. Generally, a watt is the unit measurement of energy consumption, while lumen is the measure of light being produced.

If your bulb reads higher lumen, it means you’ll have brighter lighting. To measure a bulb's efficiency, you need to test the lumen per watt measurement. A traditional incandescent bulb roughly produces 15 lumen/watt, while LED lights generate 75-100 lumen/watt, which is clearly 6 times better than the former.

So, now you’ve got a 6:1 ratio. To replace your incandescent 60-watt bulb, just divide it by the number 6, and you’ll get an equivalent LED of 10 lumens.

Choosing Color Tones from Warm To Cool

Luckily, full-spectrum LEDs have a diverse color-ranging spectrum, meaning color appearances with regard to different temperatures that make all the differences. This LED feature allows you to customize the lighting quality according to your needs. Usually, the unit measurement for this is Kelvin. A lower Kelvin ranging between 1000K-3500K is termed “Warm Light”--- perfect for table lamps and living room light fixtures; anything above 3500K is cool white, and light quality greater than 6500K is daylight appropriate for task lighting, detailing, or many industrial applications.

To have warm, cozy, and relaxed room lighting, warm tone lighting goes well. Similarly, if you intend to put your lights in the bathroom, kitchen, or laundry, a brighter LED is what we recommend.

Examining Different LED Shapes and Sizes

Be mindful that LED light comes in four distinct shapes and sizes. A-shaped, Reflectors, Decorative or specialty. An A-shaped LED which is usually thought of as a typical light bulb, is the most common and frequently used LED for home lighting. Another is the reflector LEDs used for outdoor lighting, such as spotlights or floor lighting.

Then comes the decorative LEDs to be suitable for decorative fixtures like chandeliers, wall sconces, or other exposed bulb fixtures to complement any home décor style. Lastly, the efficient specialty LED is designed for your ovens, microwaves, and even fridges.

Ideally, choosing the right LED depends on the applicative nature and the size of your lighting fixture. Obviously, your round light fixture won’t accommodate an A-shaped LED, so select wisely.

Assessing Dimmer Switch Compatibility

While selecting an LED light, the primary concern is the compatible nature of your dimmer switches with LEDs. Those older switches already working for your incandescent bulbs don’t always work for your LEDs either, so be specific about looking into this detail too.

Before you actually choose the LED, go through the light specs sheet, or you may ask the manufacturer directly.

Watch Out For Enclosed Fixtures

Among all other factors, you sometimes need to look into the type of fixture in which you will fit your LEDs. Not all LEDs can be housed, especially if it's an enclosed fixture. Although LEDs can dissipate heat on their own, in situations when it doesn’t, they will destroy the internal electronic system and will surely be premature as a result.  

Read the packaging carefully to make sure it’s approved for a fully enclosed fixture. LEDs designed for enclosed fixtures have a more efficient thermal structure and are manufactured using components that will withstand higher temperatures.

Check the Color Accuracy

Does it happen to you that you went to a store for shopping and found your eyes failing to recognize the true colors of the object? It’s not that you’re color-blind, but probably you’re experiencing a poor color rendering ability of the light fixture inside the store.

Next time when you invest in an LED, don’t forget to check the color accuracy of these light sources. Remember that LEDs differ in their ability to display the colors of objects “correctly”. And by correctly, we mean compared to a natural light source like the sun or an incandescent bulb.

The color rendering is measured as short Ra or CRI. The scale goes from 0 to 100. A value above 80 is considered a good CRI and sufficient for most applications. However, for some areas, better color rendering of 90 or above can be desirable,

Conclusion

If you’ve recently stepped into the market for new LED bulbs, you’ve likely faced what seems like infinite options. Recent innovations have brought us all kinds of new LED light technology. From standard LEDs, dimmable to full-spectrum, the types are endless.

Although standard LEDs are one reliable option for basic home lighting and diverse lighting applications such as smartphones, TV backlighting, traffic signal lighting, and status indicators, their ability to provide high-quality output is limited to high-end commercial applications.

The color inefficiency of standard LED lights gives rise to full-spectrum lighting diodes that optimize the light spectrum according to the surrounding needs.

With an aim to replicate natural daylight and avail its countless benefits, full-spectrum lights come as a major alternative so that they can help you feel better, see better, and grow better.

With recent innovations in LED technologies, Phlizon Grow Lighting has succeeded in creating some of the most advanced full-spectrum light spectra that truly replicate natural daylight.