Do Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) Produce Heat?

Light-emitting diode (LED) is one of the world's most popular lighting technologies. Found in backlights for TVs, smartphones, human machine interfaces (HMIs), tablet computers and other display devices, it's characterized by the use of many small LED bulbs. The unique design of LEDs makes them highly efficient. According to some reports, a typical LED bulb uses about one-tenth the energy of an incandescent lamp. Aside from being energy efficient, though, LEDs are also known for producing little or no heat.

LEDs Don't Produce IR Heat

With the exception of special infrared (IR) LEDs, LEDs don't produce heat from IR light. This is in stark contrast to incandescent bulbs, which do produce heat from IR light. In a device with an incandescent bulb (or bulbs), IR heats the internal compartment in which the bulb is enclosed. Not only does this shorten the lifespan of the device, but it also creates a fire hazard. LEDs typically don't produce IR light, though, so this isn't a problem.

LEDs Produce Minor Heat From Electricity

Although they don't produce heat from IR light, LEDs still produce some heat from electricity. As electricity flows to the LED bulb, it creates heat. With that said, the heat produced by LEDs is significantly less than that of an incandescent bulb. LED bulbs are often cool to the touch, even after hours of continuous usage.