infocus #64 December 2021 LED microscopy illumination: a win-win for performance and sustainability

LED illumination systems offer significant performance advantages compared to traditional metal halide and mercury lamps, but did you know they are also much better for the environment? This is largely down to two factors: saving energy and avoiding mercury.

DOI: 10.22443/rms.inf.1.214

An independent study comparing an LED illumination system and traditional mercury lamp found that the mercury lamp consumed more than 10 times more energy over 25,000 hours of use.1 These numbers might seem surprising, but this considers the warm-up and cool down times required for traditional lamps. In reality, mercury-based illuminators are often left on all day to ensure availability when required. On the other hand, LED illumination systems switch on or off instantly, and need only draw power when illumination is required.

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