CE Pro, a leading audio/visual trade publication for the lighting and performance industry, recently named LED lighting as a top trend for 2012. I can’t say I’m surprised, as it seems that LED fixtures—from color-changing LED installations to puck lights and LED wall lights—have become essential business and artistic tools for nearly every industry.

CE Pro claims the reason for this continued upswing in LED popularity is two-fold: ambiance and energy savings.  In terms of efficiency, CE Pro says,  “The ROI on LED bulbs is well chronicled, and the return is becoming increasingly attractive as prices continue to drop.”

ROI is an important factor for any business owner, and Jim Sweeny, founder of ROI-tracking firm Eco-Tronics, says “he can demonstrate a two-year ROI on LED replacement for most commercial facilities – in an environment that usually requires a five-year payback on such outlays,” according to CE Pro.

And, as we all well know by know, LED technology is so versatile, it makes designing any artistic lighting scheme much easier than before. For that reason, “Manufacturers of colored LED fixtures and controllers were seen in record numbers at the CEDIA Expo in September 2011,” says CE Pro.

And finally, thanks to the incandescent ban that went into effect this year, consumers are finding it much easier understand the information presented to them on lighting fixture labels. “On Jan. 1, 2012, new FTC-mandated labeling for LED lights went into effect. The new labels allow consumers to gauge a bulb’s brightness, longevity and efficiency.”

“Wattage was traditionally the best way to make your buying decisions when it came to selecting light bulbs in the past,” explains Martha Delgado, product-marketing manager for Bulbrite. “However, now that more efficient bulbs can produce similar light levels while consuming less energy, the old theory that ‘The higher the wattage, the brighter the lamp’ isn’t true anymore,” she says

Thanks to Info Barrel for the image and CE Pro for the quotes and graphic