IKEA to Sell Only LED Lights

IKEA has announced that they will be upholding their 2012 commitment to sell only LED lighting by 2016.  In fact, the company has met their goal early, as the transition will be made officially with the release of new products and catalogs on September 1st of this year.  IKEA will be the first major US retailer to sell only LED bulbs.

As reported by Joshua Hill for CleanTechnica.com, IKEA's Chief Sustainability Officer, Steve Howard, states, "LED is a light revolution. With household electricity bills continuing to rise rapidly and global energy consumption increasing, the LED lighting will have a big impact. Building on our belief that everyone should be able to afford to live more sustainably at home, we will make sure our LED prices are affordable for the many."

Additionally, IKEA U.S. President, Lars Petersson, adds, "At IKEA, we believe that everyone should be able to afford to live a more sustainable life at home and save money on their energy bills... Also using less energy reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Changing a light bulb may seem like a small action but many small actions can lead to a big change. Note that if one million people changed one bulb each into an LED this would be equivalent to taking 6,700 cars off the road or planting 17 million trees per year. That’s significant."

IKEA has been a leader in renewable energy and efficiency over the last several years, (see: Largest Rooftop Solar Array In Kansas Coming to Merriam IKEA Store, and Kansas City IKEA to Use Geothermal Heating and Cooling System.)  Another goal of the global retailer is to produce as much renewable energy as the company uses by the year 2020.  In the U.S. alone, the company already produces four times more energy than they consume in this country.

For more information on the LED revolution in America's households and businesses, as well as details on IKEA's renewable energy commitments and investments, read Hill's article.

Ideal for most environments, light emitting diodes (LEDs) provide longer life, enhance visibility, and reduce energy up to 70% compared to other light technology. LED lights are warranted up to five years and provide 50,000 lifetime hours.

Most LED technology features small light sources that illuminate from the movement of electrons through a semiconductor. This produces a bright light that can be white or colored, that emits in a specific direction and produces no heat. Worldwide Energy stocks a variety of LED products that all offer great performance and innovative technology.

For more information on LED lighting for your facility, contact our energy specialists.