Electricity and lighting are a crucial part of the modern world. We cannot imagine our life without light bulbs and lighting being everywhere. And as science evolves every day, light reflecting products also develop. A few decades ago we used the same light bulb for everything, then slowly LED lights conquered the lighting market as more efficient and economic lamps. But in the recent years more and more options and innovations have entered the market. Therefore we now have an option to choose from a very large variety of lights, with different advantages and disadvantages. So now when we are going to buy lights, we have to consider our wants and need in order to choose the right one. In order, to clear up the picture a little bit, I will be exploring and comparing two types of lights – induction lighting versus T5 lighting.
Induction lighting
Induction light is a gas discharge lamp, which does not have any internal electrodes. Its design and structure are very complicated. Briefly, induction light works by transferring power. This process is needed in order to generate light from the outside envelope of the lamp by using an electric or magnetic field. In comparison, ordinary gas lamps use internal electrodes to generate light.
There are two major advantaged to this new design of using outside electrodes. Firstly, lamp life is extended, because internal electrodes usually are the reason for limiting lamp life length. Broadly speaking we have come to creating indefinite lamp which has a lifespan of around fifty thousand hours. And secondly, we can now use higher efficiency lighting, which uses less energy and lasts longer. Therefore, induction lighting is more environmentally friendly, as it uses less energy, and less mercury per hour to provide light.
These two factors show that induction lighting can save costs compared to already commonly used commercial and industrial lamps, as it uses less energy, for which you have to pay and lasts longer, therefore you have to change them less often.
Only disadvantages induction lighting has is that some types contain a chemical called mercury, which is highly toxic if it goes into environment and air. Therefore when using certain induction lamps we have to be very careful how we handle them.
T5 lighting
T5 lighting lamp is relatively new development, which is gaining popularity very quickly. T5 lamps entered the market only in 1995 and today the major lamp manufacturers all market these lamps. T5 lighting lamps are fluorescent lamps, 5/8 inches in diameter. They use the innovation of fluorescent lighting and provide it in a specific size, which is designed and adapted to aim to the best efficiency.
“T” in the name represents the shape of a lamp, which is tubular. The number following the “T” represents the diameter of the lamp. Therefore, now when looking at the name itself we can already kind of sense what we are getting. But if we are considering efficiency and life span, then it is quite similar to the induction lighting. Therefore, it is again important to be noted, that when choosing lights, you have to consider how large is the area you need illuminating, for how long the lights will have to stay on and etc.
Differences
The first difference is the life length. Induction lamp has been designed to have the longest life length on the market, therefore T5 lamps will serve you for shorter periods, even three times shorter. However, new improved versions of T5 have been designed with longer lamp life, but still, it is not nearly as long as for induction lamp.
Secondly, T5 lamps are designed to be switched on for long periods of time, thus are not appropriate for motion sensors, where you constantly switch the lamps on and off. It will make them less economical and lamps will have reduced life. However, for induction lamp, it can be switched on and off as often as needed, without interfering with its life span and economy.
Next, when comparing ceiling height, T5 lights will be more cost efficient when there are lower ceilings, however, for larger warehouses, induction lighting can compete with T5 lights.
Lastly, when comparing end of lamp life and how to successfully and safely recycle them, we have to consider the fact that induction lighting has a toxic component called mercury. Therefore T5 lighting will be a safer option in this case.
Overall, both choices have their advantages and disadvantages, both induction lighting and T5 lamps are economic and efficient if used in the right places. Therefore, when choosing your lamps, we have to really take into consideration every single detail, in order to get the best results.
