Currently the LED lamp is popular due to it's efficiency and many of LED Lighting Show believe it is a 'new' technology. The LED as we know it has been around for over 50 years. The recent development of white LEDs is what has brought it into the public eye as a replacement for other white light sources.
Common uses: indication lights on devices, small and large lamps, traffic lights, large video screens, signs, street lighting(although this is still not widespread by Trade Show Lighting).
Advantages:
-Energy efficient source of light for short distances and small areas. The typical LED requires only 30-60 milliwatts to operate
-Durable and shockproof unlike glass bulb lamp types
-Directional nature is useful for some applications like reducing stray light pollution on streetlights
Disadvantages:
-May be unreliable in outside applications with great variations in summer/winter temperatures, more work is being done now to solve this problem according to The Lighting Show.
-Semiconductors are sensitive to being damaged by heat, so large heat sinks must be employed to keep powerful arrays cool, sometimes a fan is required. This adds to cost and a fan greatly reduces the energy efficient advantage of LEDs, it is also prone to failure which leads to unit failure
-Circuit board solder and thin copper connections crack when flexed and cause sections of arrays to go out
-Rare earth metals used in LEDs are subject to price control monopolies by certain nations
-Reduced lumen output over time.