LEDs have been around for years, but recent advances have led to new applications for the solid-state lighting devices. Brighter and longer lasting than standard bulbs, LEDs have become the new standard for traffic signals.
It’s reported that Storbakken, a 1997 Westby graduate, attended Western Technical College before heading to New York to study acting, opened The LED Store at 123 S. Fourth St., a retail operation that sells exclusively LED lighting. Now Storbakken is ready to bring them into homes, offices and factories. He’s not aware of any other exclusively LED retailers in the Midwest but is convinced there is a market.
The 29-year-old entrepreneur said his concern for the environment motivated him to sell LED lighting, which is about four times more efficient than traditional incandescent lighting. And unlike new energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs, LEDs don’t contain mercury. Such as household LED bulbs sell for about $9 to $25 apiece. That may be a sticking point for price-conscious shoppers, who can buy a regular tungsten bulb for about $1. But those LED bulbs are designed to last about 50 times as long as a standard bulb.
Storbakken’s office in the back of his store is cave-like. A traditional 400 watt high bay light like the ones used in factories or big box stores sell for around $200 apiece. A comparable LED version costs $500 to $700. But it uses only a fifth as much energy and lasts up to five times as long. A 5-watt LED bulb bathes Storbakken’s desk in a cool blue light equivalent to that produced by a 40-watt incandescent bulb. He leaves the fluorescent ceiling lights off for now. Although there are LED alternatives for those fixtures, he hasn’t gotten around to swapping them out.
The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that if every 60 watt bulb in the country were replaced with LEDs, the energy savings would be nearly double the annual electricity consumption of Las Vegas. Last year, the department announced a prize competition to spur development of LED technology.
It’s disclosed that Sentry Equipment Corp. opened a new 51,000 square-foot factory in Oconomowoc, Wis., outfitted with LED lighting. The lights cost about $13,000 more than traditional alternatives, but the company is saving about $7,000 a year in electricity costs, said President Michael Farrell. More significant is the cost of maintenance. The LED fixtures have a 55,000-hour lifespan, making them ideal for applications like outdoor lighting, where a hoist is required for replacement.
The City of La Crosse uses LED bulbs in its traffic signals and is currently looking into LED lighting for its municipal parking garages, said Tony Hutchens, assistant director of public works.
