LED Lamps Come Home

09/13/07 16:24

CREE have produced the first single-LED that gives the same light as a standard household bulb and have set a new record for the most efficient LED light at 130 lumens per watt. How does this measure up?

High-brightness LEDs are lighting nirvana...

7 to 10x more efficient than incandescent bulbs which are really heaters that happen to emit light
2 to 3x more efficient than fluorescent and CFL bulbs
No mercury content
50x more life than incandescents and 5-10x the life of CFLs
Maintain their color when dimmed
Available in warm and cool whites, as well as most other colors

Where are we going?

LEDs, like all semiconductors become much cheaper over time. Ten years ago, no LEDs were used in car tail lights but today they dominate. Flashlights are going LED and household bulbs are now available albeit expensive.

The future is so bright, I gotta wear shades...

ReferencesLighting, CFL, LED