Sylvania LED light bulb

There is a shortage of light emitting diodes (LED) in the USA due to increased consumer uptake as people rapidly begin to use them in place of power hungry incandescent bulbs. According to a recent Department of Energy report on LED technology it states that 7% of electricity used America is to light our homes and businesses. Although that number is down significantly in the last few years due to the adoption of efficient lighting, there is still a great deal of ground to be gained. Further adoption will be because of continued innovations in more subdued color LEDs which will begin to make their way to the market. The DOE expects this further adoption to result in even larger decrease in energy use.

A small change like using this technology has a BIG impact as the cumulative savings of the continued adoption of LEDs over the next 20 years could lead to saving 1.500 terawatt-hours which based energy prices today is around $120 billion. The savings would eliminate the need for 24 new large power plants, to say nothing of the decrease in carbon emissions. So don’t delay get the LED out today!

A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits incoherent monochromatic light when electrically biased in the forward direction. This effect is a form of electroluminescent. The color depends on the semiconducting material used, and can be near-ultraviolet, visible or infrared. LED bulbs use less energy than your standard incandescent bulb, a whopping savings of 96% energy means a very low electricity bill. LED bulbs are the safest and the most cost-effective artificial light source in the world.

Many LED bulbs now fit into standard sockets and they work well with all types of light.     Advances have been made to make the color temperature of LEDs more of a traditional warm white. Applications for use include shops, bars, offices, show rooms, homes and more.

The leading LED manufacturer is Long Life Lamp Company which has been around for more than 15 years. Its latest high power LED, the 3rd generation, is designed to become a replacement of fluorescent tubes and halogen lamps, which is the future direction of the lighting industry. Although the price of these products are higher than current lighting sources, LED is better than other available lighting technologies due to its dramatic energy savings of up to 96% with higher luminance, therefore, the overall cost of using LED is less than others. Keep in mind that LEDs last up to 60,000 hours and produce virtually no heat making them highly cost effective over the long term especially when you factor in additional labor costs needed to replace conventional bulbs more often.

For additional information on these products and where to buy them, see www.longlifelamps.co.uk .

Different energy-saving light bulb technologies, halogen (left), compact fluorescent (center), light-emitting diode (right). (Credit: Osram Sylvania)

Is 2010 the Year of the LED?

Many consumers this year will have their first experience this year with LEDs when stringing lights on the Christmas tree or adding a decoration that incorporates them in its design. As a result, many people will begin to start screwing in LEDs for general lighting next year based upon this initial experience and corresponding cost savings on their holiday electric bills.

This week a semiconductor research company iSuppli forecasted double-digit sales growth in the next three years for all types of LED lights, that are used in everything from street and automobile lights to flat-screen TVs. The study claims that although LEDs are still mostly used for other lighting applications, LEDs have started to penetrate the residential market as a replacement for incandescent bulbs.

“While the retail prices for LED light bulbs are still an order of magnitude higher than those traditional incandescent lamps, customers increasingly are becoming aware of the power savings and long life benefits of solid-state LED lights,” according to iSuppli.

Many LED light manufacturers have released a 40-watt replacement bulb with the traditional Edison shape. However Lemnis Lighting, has jumped ahead and is marketing a somewhat pricey 60-watt replacement that consumes only 6 watts. The high entry price of LEDs has temporarily stalled mass market acceptance for now, however people have begun understand the benefits of switching by making a using more cost efficient alternatives like CFL lighting for the time being.

Consumers will increasingly consider LEDs for more efficient lighting as the US passes a law in 2007 to phase out Edison’s incandescent bulb design in the U.S. by 2012. According to an Osram Sylvania study, “two-thirds of people will consider lower-energy options for replacements, although more than half said the price is a key consideration,” according to company representative Stephanie Anderson. They plan to also introduce a 60-watt replacement in the spring of 2010, which is a more popular lighting wattage choice that could draw more people because of an anticipated lower cost than Lemnis Lighting.

The path to consumer acceptance will clearly be an evolutionary one as people become more acquainted with the various technologies and the type/color of light they shine. For more information on alternative lighting technologies see Department of Energy’s Lighting Facts Web site.