On the Las Vegas strip itself, the only place in the world most famous for its neon lights, many are switching to LED screens instead of neon. In fact, neon signs that are being replaced by their LED equivalents can now be found preserved in neon museums.
LED is much more efficient than neon in many ways. First, and most obviously, it uses less energy than neon. LED signs use only 10 watts of electricity, while neon signs can use up to ten times that amount. Also, gas in neon signs needs to be replaced after a decade or so, which can be expensive along with other maintenance costs. On the other hand, LEDs are known to last much longer than other forms of lighting.
For neon signs, key ingredients like argon and mercury are themselves toxic. Any damage to the signs can cause these poisonous gases to leak into the environment and the companies that own these signs may even be held liable for the damage they cause.
Finally, in today’s fast-paced hustle and bustle, LED displays are much more practical than neon signs. Rather than having to manually change the sign with each new ad and producing more waste materials in the process, LED signs can be programmed to change on the fly. They can even make use of scheduling software to show different ads that are tailored to different crowds that pass by at different times of the day or different days of the week.
There is no competition when it comes to LED vs. neon when it comes to the environment. LED is the way to go.