The Sustainable LED Light Bulb Gains Popularity

The LED Bulbs May Replace the Compact Fluorescent Bulb

Dec 17, 2008

Used in electronics such as DVD players and more recently used in traffic signals, the light emitting diode (LED) as a light source in the home is becoming a reality.

Consumers "going green" have already begun switching out their incandescent bulbs for compact fluorescents, which are miniature full-sized fluorescents. In a May 3rd 2007 article entitled "Incandescent vs. CFL vs. LED Light Bulb Challenge," Robert O'Neill says that compared to the incandescent bulb, the compact fluorescent "costs less over the long term and burns more efficiently."

Compact Fluorescent Issues

But, there are problems with the compact fluorescent bulb. Limiting its popularity are issues such as its large size, the unappealing light color, and the five milligrams of mercury within each bulb, according to Eric A. Taub in the July 28th 2008 article "Fans of L.E.D.'s Say This Bulb's Time Has Come." Although the compact fluorescent bulb is fine while intact, if broken, handling and disposing of the bulb must be done carefully.

LED Light Bulb vs. Compact Fluorescents

The LED light bulb contains no mercury, therefore requires no special handling when broken. This bulb is smaller and contains no filament, making it more durable. The bulb does not get hot, and it uses less power than the compact fluorescent -- about 15 percent of the energy needed for a standard bulb to create the same amount of light, according to Taub. Among the many benefits of LED use, this bulb requires less maintenance, having a lifespan of 60,000 hours compared to the compact fluorescent lifespan of 10,000 hours, according to O'Neill.

Adapting the LED Bulb for the Home

One challenge keeping the LED from breaking into the mainstream as a home lighting source is the production cost, which then trickles down to a higher cost to the consumer. Home Depot currently lists one standard white LED light bulb at $10.99. One 27 watt compact fluorescent light bulb is $6.97. But, according to Taub, the lighting industry "seems convinced that new lower-cost LED bulbs, with their improved efficiency, will eventually become the chief substitutes for incandescent bulbs in homes."

Another challenge is that LED bulbs are not as bright because they have a direct field of light. This type of light is useful if you are pointing a lamp directly at your book like a flashlight, but not so helpful as a light source for an entire room. One solution manufacturers have applied is grouping as many as 180 bulbs into a cluster and encasing that grouping within diffuser lenses that spread the bulb light into wider beams, according to the Eartheasy.com article “Energy Efficient Lighting.”

Techniques such as nano-imprint lithography have also been developed to improve the bulb's brightness. This production technique makes microscopic holes on the surface of the bulbs, allowing more light to escape without increasing energy consumption, according to the January 10th 2008 article "Brighter LED Lights Could Replace Household Light Bulbs Within Three Years," from the University of Glasgow's ScienceDaily.

As production of an efficient, brighter LED light bulb becomes more mainstream, look for the LED light bulb to replace the compact fluorescent bulb and the incandescent bulb in the home.

The copyright of the article The Sustainable LED Light Bulb Gains Popularity in Energy Conservation is owned by Susan Murray. Permission to republish The Sustainable LED Light Bulb Gains Popularity in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.