As you may know, we’re huge proponents here at TLC Inc. of using LED bulbs in landscape lighting systems. It’s not exactly a radical position to take; LED bulbs are far superior to the old incandescent bulbs in just about every possible way.
So recommending LED bulbs for landscape lighting over incandescent bulbs is kind of like recommending a modern car over a Model T Ford; unless you’re into nostalgia, the newer and vastly superior technology easily wins out.
That’s Why There’s a Huge Boom in LED Sales
Right now, the LED market is huge. People are scrambling to change out their old incandescents for LEDs. (In case you didn’t know, most existing landscape lighting systems can be retrofitted with LED bulbs – a very smart move. Call us if you want more info.)
That’s because LEDs last for thousands of hours longer, deliver a better quality of light, and consume electricity in dainty sips compared to the huge gulps of incandescents. And those are just some of the benefits of LEDs.
So LED manufacturing is going great guns, with people snapping up LED products about as quickly as the manufacturers can produce them.
For now, at least. Apparently there’s a big slowdown looming not too far down the road.
LEDs Too Good For Their Own Good?
According to an interesting article I recently came across, LED manufacturers are enjoying an unprecedented boom in sales. Revenues from sales of LEDs for outdoor lighting alone are expected to hit $1.4 billion by 2021.
And then the good times are expected to come to an end as sales begin to decline year after year.
But why are sales expected to slow?
Is a new and better technology going to come along? Are consumers going to decide that LEDs aren’t that great after all? Why should sales of such a wonderful product begin to plummet?
It’s very simple: LEDs are too good!
Because of the incredibly long service life that LEDs offer, the bulbs purchased during the ongoing big boom of LED sales are going to be in service for a long time – years and years and years. And at some point, far fewer new LED bulbs will be needed because the old ones just won’t die and go away.
It’s an interesting twist – a great product becoming the victim of it’s own greatness. There’s no planned obsolescence taking place in the LED market, apparently.
Just another verification of what we’ve been telling you for some time now: LED bulbs are the best bulbs to use in your landscape lighting system. Get ’em now while you still can!