As purveyors of nascent yet demonstrably helpful technology, those of us that sell LED lighting solutions have a responsibility to act as an ambassador to the field. LED technology, technology about which we obviously care strongly, is clearly making inroads with the public, but it has yet to reach true universal adoption. The reasons for this are many in number and can be debated elsewhere, but the fact is that there is a lot of misinformation about LED among the public, a fact that’s harmful to the industry.

As proponents of LED, that’s why we have an obligation to provide the kind of products and insight into the technology to ensure that we’re presenting it in its best light, making obvious its advantages not just because it personally benefits us, but also because it’s a technology that is objectively both cost- and energy-saving.

As the owner of an LED Source franchise, my job is to demonstrate the many advantages of LED to businesses interested in retrofitting their existing lighting, correcting falsehoods about it along the way. This misinformation has lead to a few common questions I get from clients, questions I’m more than happy to answer but that often have unspoken assumptions built-in.

When will LED pay off for me?
This question, in its many forms, is the most common one I receive and for good reason: businesses most often approach me for the advertised financial benefits of switching to LED lighting. The question behind this question, I feel, is that most people believe that LED lighting will take a long time to pay off. This could not be further from the truth; most clients, I’ve found, notice that their solutions pay for themselves in as little as two years, with energy bill savings apparent soon after the installation.

How expensive are LED solutions?
Like the previous question, this one touches on the finances involved in LED lighting use. Because LED is still considered state-of-the-art, it is often thought that the technology is expensive right out of the gate. Beyond the fact that LED prices have dropped precipitously since the technology first started to hit the shelves, grants and rebates are made available on a state-to-state basis that can help offset the cost of LED technologies. With bulbs as cheap as $20 that save $10 a year over their incandescent counterparts and last for years, combined with incentives from the government and utility companies, this myth is pretty easily put to bed.

Since LED technology is so new, all providers are the same, right?
This question is predicated on the belief that new technology is not easily mass-produced by less credible sources. This, as we well know, is false. Cheap wholesale LED lighting from overseas is more prone to failure, lacks the substantial warranty provided by respected LED providers and simply doesn’t compare to technology provided by authoritative industry leaders. The old chestnut about getting what you pay for definitely holds true in this case.

As ambassadors to the industry, disabusing would-be LED users of myths and fallacies pertaining to the technology does more than sell them a product. By getting rid of those notions in individuals, the facts that foster our passion for the technology spread, helping both the industry and those who would most benefit from LED lighting. That’s good for business, and it’s good for the world at large.