The article is a great resource on LED lights.  Thanks, Curtis, for posting it.  Let me copy and paste the summary for those who do not want to read the whole thing, which is somewhat technical.

There are many reasons to be wary about LEDs for museum applications. It is still a new technology in terms of main stream applications. Manufacturer claims regarding such factors as energy efficiency, lumen output, CRI, color temperature and anticipated lifetime sometimes fall short in actual performance.

LED lamp technology continues to improve at a rapid pace. As was the case in the early days of computers and digital cameras, a product that was avant-garde when first introduced may seem like ancient technology within a year or two. As with any rapidly changing technology, the decision to buy now, later or never, should be based on whether improvements over previous technologies justify the cost. While it is possible to select excellent and safe LEDs for the illumination of light-sensitive artifacts, criteria for knowing how and what to select are not well-defined. It is very much a case of Caveat Emptor (let the buyer beware)! Hopefully, through such programs as CALiPER, it will be easier to judge the merits of different lamp options.

As far as the UV issues, they vary from bulb to bulb.  But in general, Weintraub found that the overall damage potential from LED lights (which includes both UV and visible radiation) is slightly less than from MR-16 bulbs, even SoLux bulbs that are designed for museum and other critical purposes.
 
Marc

American Conservation Consortium, Ltd.
     4 Rockville Road
     Broad Brook, CT 06016
     www.conservator.com
     860-386-6058
 
Marc A. Williams, President
     MS in Art Conservation, Winterthur Museum Program
     Former Chief Wooden Objects Conservator, Smithsonian Institution
     Fellow, American Institute for Conservation (AIC)
 
 
----- Original Message -----
From: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">Curtis Morris
To: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]
Sent: Monday, May 16, 2011 3:59 PM
Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] LED lighting

LEDs are a step in the right direction, but they aren’t perfect.  Here’s a paper about a year old on the subject:

 

http://www.conservation-us.org/_data/n_0001/resources/live/Response%20from%20Steve%20Weintraub.pdf

 

Steve Weintraub does a very good job discussing the strengths and foibles of LED lighting.  I hope he doesn’t mind me disseminating his work like this!

 

Curtis Morris

Shiloh Museum

Springdale, Arkansas

From: Cass Karl [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Monday, May 16, 2011 12:58 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] LED lighting

 

Really?  LED lights produce *no* UV?  I have never heard that...

On Mon, May 16, 2011 at 12:04 PM, George Harris <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

We just purchased led lights.  We are happy with the quality of light they
produce and Vermont Efficency reimbursed us for most, if not all, the
cost.  If you're buying them outright, they still cost more initially than
CFL or incandescent bulbs, but they use less electricity, produce little,
if any, heat, last much longer, and produce no UV light and have no
mercury in them.




> Hi all
>
> Is there any new information (within the last 6 months) about use of LEDs?
> I've gone through archives and want to know if anything has been published
> recently.  How about any cost analysis versus other types of lights?
>
> Thanks
>
>
>
>
> *Melissa de Bie*
>
> Associate Registrar
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