Efficacy------LEDs produce morelumens per watt than incandescent bulbs ; this is useful in battery powered or
energy-saving devices.
Color------LEDs can emit light of an intended color without the use of color filters that traditional ighting methods
require. This is more efficient and can lower initial costs.
Size------LEDs can be very small (>2 mm2) and are easily populated onto printed circuit boards.
On/Off time------LEDs light up very quickly.A typical red indicator LED will achieve full brightness in microseconds.
LEDs used in communications devices can have even faster response times.
Cycling------LEDs are ideal for use in applications that are subject to frequent on-off cycling , unlike fluorescent
lamps that burn out more quickly when cycled frequently, or HID lamps that require a long time before restarting.
Dimming------LEDs can very easily be dimmed either by Pulse-width modulation or lowering the forward current.
Slow faliure------LEDs mostly fail by dimming over time, rather than the abrupt burn-out of incandescent bulbs.
Lifetime------LEDs can have a relatively long useful life.One report estimates 35,000 to 50,000 hours of useful life,
though time to complete failure may be longer . Fluorescent tubes typically are rated at about 30,000 hours, and
incandescent light bulbs at 1,000–2,000 hours. [citation needed]
Shock resistance------LEDs,being solid state components,are very difficult to damage with external shock , unlike
fluorescent and incandescent bulbs which are fragile.
Focus------The solid package of the LED can be designed to focus its light.Incandescent and fluorescent sources
often require an external reflector to collect light and direct it in a usable manner.
Toxicity------LEDs do not contain mercury, unlike fluorescent lamps.
High power LEDs
High power LEDs (HPLED) can be driven at more than one ampere of current and give out large amount of light.
Since overheating is destructive, the HPLEDs must be highly efficient to minimize excess heat ; furthermore , they
are often mounted on a heat sink to allow for heat dissipation. If the heat from a HPLED is not removed, the device
will burn out in seconds.
A single HPLED can often replace an incandescent bulb in a flashlight , or be set in an array to form a powerful
LED lamp.
LEDs have been developed that can run directly from mains power without the need for a DC converter . For each
half cycle part of the LED diode emits light and part is dark , and this is reversed during the next half cycle . Current
efficiency is 80 lm/W.