LED Competition

If LEDs were a high school varsity basketball team, its biggest competition would be its junior varsity team.

Here's what I mean. I fully and freely admit that LED technology and products are not yet available to replace all types of existing lighting. But from what is available, it's clear that fluorescent, CFL, metal halide and incandescent are really no competition for LEDs. All things considered, with it's typically high CRI, low wattage, robustness, and ability to be digitally controlled, a good LED product (where one is available as a replacement) will beat out those competitors hands down.

But the JV team, the not-as-good LED products, the under-tested LED products, the sub-par LED products, the too-quick-to-market, that's where the competition is. This is where manufacturers selling good quality LED products and salespeople representing good quality LED products will find customer hesitation, distrust, skepticism.
Try to sell LED downlights to a homeowner who spent $150 last year on an LED light bulb that he was told would last his lifetime that didn't end up lasting 6 months. Try to sell an LED 2x2 troffer to the building owner who has bought LED landscape lights at the local hardware store only to see they're not bright enough and are too blue. Try to sell LED cove light to the university that bought LED replacement bulbs off a sales guy three months ago only to have the staff complain that they don't look right and they want the old lighting back.

Like with any new (or new-ish) technology, you have to do your research before making an informed decision. But then the question becomes, are you really informed correctly? Is the information the mfg. is giving you correct? Is it being gathered the same way other manufacturers are gathering their information? We may be seeing a light at the end of the tunnel for just this dilemma. Stay tuned for more info!