Wednesday, June 3, 2009

My challenge to you: Be open to change

As an LED guru I spend a lot of time reading about, blogging about, hearing about LEDs and LED products. Guess it's a great thing I like what I do, or else what fun would this all be!?!

Here's my challenge to you: Be open to change.
Here's what I mean...
If they come out with an all electric car, would you expect to take your car to a shop and have them replace your car's guts with electric car guts and you drive away with a brand new-to-you electric car? No, likely you would have to buy a new car.
If you want a flat panel tv (if you're like me and don't already have one), do you take yours into the store and they modify it to be flat panel? No, you want new technology, you'd have to buy a new TV.

This is going to be very true with LED technology. Often times we will have to change a fixture, and not just a light bulb. LED light bulbs have their place and we need to be sure we're using them where they make sense and we pass on them when they're not the right choice, but all the while we're thinking about the bigger picture.

You have a flood light and you are tired of changing bulbs. The quick thought may be to switch to an LED bulb The right answer will likely be to change the fixture. Sure, it sounds like more work, I totally get that, but I'm not asking you to go change the fixtures...just be open to the possibility that it may take a little extra investment, that a fixture made for LED lighting is always going to be the better fit.

You have a 2x4 troffer and a guy stops by your office trying to sell you a T8 replacement bulb lined with LEDs. Probably not the right choice, not that I've seen yet anyways. Instead of buying 3 bulbs at $100 each, maybe we change that fixture to an LED 2x2 downlight and avoid the interim/quick/swaparoo and get you into something actually built for LED lighting, all for about the same price.

It's not a demand...just a friendly challenge. If some us were able to try or tolerate the curly CFL bulbs, we can certainly give LEDs a little more respect (they deserve it) and think of it as more of a technology swap out than just a bulb change.

1 comment:

  1. Hello,

    My name is Bill Hawthorne, and I represent maacenter.org, a leading web resource for asbestos exposure and mesothelioma cancer information. Our organization is dedicated to increasing awareness of the terrible health consequences of asbestos exposure through the distribution of the best informational materials and public outreach efforts.

    I found your site through a search and decided to contact you because of its high environmental, sustainable and green presence which is extremely important in our movement. Your viewers are extremely savvy and motivated. The promotion of how buildings should now be built using sustainable green products to avoid asbestos and mesothelioma as well as the awareness of past buildings and preventative steps in avoiding asbestos exposure are extremely important. My goal is to get a resource link on your site/blog or even to provide a guest posting to be placed.

    I look forward to hearing from you. Please feel free to check out our website at www.maacenter.org. Thank you for your time and consideration.

    Please contact me back at bhawthorne@maacenter.org

    Bill

    ReplyDelete