Use LEDs for Exit Signs

Affordability

The lasting power of LEDs decreases the risk of having exit signs out of service, increasing safety and reducing maintenance requirements.

Cost savings

LED exit signs can offer lifetime savings of up to $300 per sign in reduced energy, materials and labour for bulb changes, compared with standard incandescent models. Upgrading your exit signs qualifies for incentives under the Product Incentive Program as well.

Environmental considerations

With notable energy savings and long life, LED exit signs benefit the environment. Consider upgrading your existing light with a retrofit kit to reduce waste while you save energy.

What you need to know

• Canada’s Energy Efficiency Regulations require that all internally-lighted exit signs manufactured since November, 2004 consume no more than five watts per word (Exit or Sortie). At present, this means that most qualified signs use LED technology. LED exit signs consume between one and five watts – a fraction of the energy used by incandescent-based signs – and last about 100,000 hours. You can buy new LED signs, or install LED retrofit kits to upgrade your existing signs.
• Not all LED products offer equal performance. Exit signs using the newest LED technology start out brighter and maintain their brightness longer than those using older technologies. Look for products that use aluminum, indium, gallium and phosphorus LEDs, referred to in the trade as AlInGaP.

FAQ

My LED exit sign has a 25-year warranty. Does that mean I will never need to replace or maintain it over the life of this building?
No. Do not pick a product only because it boasts a long warranty. LED brightness does fade over time, depending on the component materials and the temperatures and humidity they are subjected to. In some situations, the brightness of a sign may diminish in a few years to the point that it no longer meets the code. In the past, some manufacturers offered long warranties on their products – 25 years or more – leading buyers to expect they would last for the life of the building without any maintenance. Although the newest LED products are expected to last longer than earlier signs, reputable manufacturers are now offering shorter warranties. It is likely that the LEDs will last longer than the warranty but no 25-year tests have yet been conducted.