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Reasons Why LED Lighting Beats Metal Halide

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Metal Halide lamps came into the lighting world around the 1960s, and for years they were the designated “Go-To” for lighting in countless locations such as outdoor sporting venues, parking lots, highways, etc.

This was changed however once new LED lighting technology started emerging in the early 2000s. Since then, LED lighting options have been seen and used all over in applications ranging from runways at airports, to inside homes and offices. Here are some reasons why.

The efficiency of LEDs, like our LED Security Lights, are far greater than the Metal Halide lamps for outdoor lighting. Large areas such as parking lots consume significant amounts of electricity when the sun goes down. If this electrical usage were cut in half or even less, this would save hundreds of dollars, which is exactly what LED lights are doing. While LED lights typically generate the same or more light output than their old Metal Halide ancestors, they only need (at most) half of the electricity to power them. Even though the up front cost of these fixtures and their installation may be a bit costly depending on the project, most see their Return on Investment in under a year!
The durability of LED fixtures is far beyond what Metal halide fixtures can compare to, as Metal halide fixtures need consistent maintenance and bulb and ballast replacements to keep them functional. New LED fixtures are designed to last 50,000+ hours before they ever start to slowly diminish their lumen output. This means that if you power your fixtures on for 8 hours daily, your LED fixtures/bulbs would last well over 16+ years! In that timeframe, Metal Halide bulbs would have to be replaced at least 5-6 times, not even including the ballast, reflectors, and don’t forget the labor costs!
LED’s provide a better quality of light as they have high color rendering index (CRI) ratings, which is the measurement of how a light source renders the color of objects in comparison to a natural light source, like the sun. The CRI of a light source is very important in many ways, as the closer the rating is to 100 (Natural Daylight), the greater clarity you will perceive! In workplaces such as an office or a warehouse, it is important that the employees are working under LED lights with high CRI ratings so that they stay focused, don't have any visual imparities, and can perform their tasks at the highest levels of accuracy. Color-Correlated Temperature (CCT) measured in Kelvins (K) has a lot to do with this as well, as if you are under a bright true white light source, you are more likely to pay closer attention to detail and stay motivated, whereas dark orange glows or tints in lighting tend to cause people to be sluggish, have greater eye strain and headaches, etc.
LED lights are instant on/off with no buzzing or flickering, in comparison to Metal Halide lights that need to warm up before they reach their full illumination, are known to make buzzing noises, and tend to flicker once they've been on for a little while. All of these annoyances are forever eliminated when LED products are installed.
No hazardous materials are used with the manufacturing of LED lights. Metal Halide lights include mercury vapor, which can contaminate the surrounding environment if the fixture is broken. LED lights have no such chemicals or hazards, so you can dispose of them just in the trash if needed and are much more environmentally friendly! LED fixtures and bulbs are typically not made using glass so they are much more durable and are shatter resistant. Even the LED products made with glass might shatter though, but they will not have any harmful contents that pollute the area released. Lastly, LEDs operate at much lower physical temperatures than Metal Halide lighting, thus making them safer operating conditions for anyone near or in contact with them.

Questions or comments? We always have ears open to any new input and suggestions, as we enjoy learning from others and sharing knowledge. Contact us today for your complimentary quote on any project or to provide us with any input at (813) 649-8899 or sales@htm-lighting.com.

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