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LEDs—You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby

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For decades, our choice of light bulbs has mainly come down to incandescent versus fluorescent bulbs. Even though CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lights) are making inroads, incandescents still have the lion’s share of the market, because CFLs cost more up front and, despite recent improvements, still don’t give off the natural-looking light we’ve come to expect.

Enter the LED.

Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) have been used for over 40 years, making their first commercial appearance in watches and small clocks. But early LEDs gave off too little light and were of limited color to be useful for home illumination. No wants to read by a dim red light!

But LEDs have come a long way in recent years, producing natural-spectrum white light that can illuminate a medium-sized area with one bulb. (Actually, the bulbs are made of multiple LEDs in one enclosure.)

Now that LEDs have passed the natural light test, they have two major advantages over incandescent bulbs: they last practically forever—60,000 hours—and they consume far less power—30 times less than a 60 watt bulb. Now we’re talking!

For the math-inclined, here’s a little food for thought. An LED in use for 10 hours per day (4 hours/day is closer to average) will last for 14 years. In comparison, incandescents last only 750-1,000 hours. It’s human nature to shy away from a $50 purchase, when you can have the ‘same thing’ for only $1. But the LED lasts at least 50 times longer, so you break even on the cost of the bulb alone.

Now factor in the power costs. A $50 LED bulb produces the same amount of light as a 60-watt incandescent bulb. Yet it consumes only 2 watts of electricity, versus 60 watts for the incandescent. At 10 cents/kWh, the total savings over 10 years is about $350. Taken together, the long life and power savings of LEDs are powerful advantages.

In addition, LEDs run cooler, so they’re safer. A 100-watt incandescent bulb placed in a socket designed for a 40-watt bulb is a fire hazard. And, unlike fluorescent bulbs, LEDs contain no mercury, which is hazardous if the bulb breaks. More importantly, mercury poses a long-term risk to the environment when you throw it away. Remember, there is no ‘away’.

Still, LEDs have some drawbacks, apart from the higher up-front cost. Today’s LEDs don’t produce as much light as incandescents, so you may need more than one bulb for some lighting applications. Since LEDs are more directional, they perform better in reading lamps, recessed ceiling lamps, and other applications that require direct light rather than general ambient light.

So look at the whole story about LEDs, and resist your natural tendency to cringe at the $50 price tag. Let the economist in you rule the day.

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10 Responses to “LEDs—You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby”

  1. Alan says:
    October 21, 2008 at 3:40 pm

    Are there any manufacturers that make white LED bulbs that screw into a conventional incandescent socket? I have some very high ceilings in my house where I’d love to install bulbs that have a very long life.

    Thanks!

    Reply
  2. Sam Leppanen says:
    October 21, 2008 at 4:06 pm

    Go check out http://weloveleds.com … They have a selection of LED lights from $13 to $45.

    Reply
  3. Tom says:
    October 21, 2008 at 6:12 pm

    I found and purchased a over the desk under the counter LED light that is cool and gives excellent light. I have another desk lamp that I found on the street and repaired that also gives excellent light and both have not burned out, yet.

    Reply
  4. Martha says:
    October 22, 2008 at 9:35 am

    Here are two more sources for LED lighting I found at West Coast Green this fall:

    Led Green Power
    http://www.ledgreenpower.com
    2400 Chanticleer Ave
    Santa Cruz, CA 95062
    (831) 464-7344

    Cooper Lighting
    HALO LED product line
    cooperindustries.com
    Cooper Industries Ltd.
    600 Travis, Suite 5800
    Houston, TX 77002-1001
    (713) 209-8400

    Reply
  5. Anna says:
    October 24, 2008 at 9:32 pm

    One of the best ones I have seen for general illumination is the LLR 6 which is made by Cree. It is $125 and does not work with all lighting fixture so check it out. It is “screw-in” bulb.

    Martha, this interesting that Cooper Lighting now is making a LED product. Everyone, just make sure it is for general illumination if this is what you are going for.

    Anna http://www.green-talk.com

    Reply
  6. eugenio ibarrola says:
    December 7, 2008 at 10:35 am

    any dealer for ropes leds (flexible) in houston area ? thanks i need about 700 ft
    orage color thanks eugenio ibarrola eibarrola@hotmail.com

    Reply
  7. Mark Ostendorf says:
    March 5, 2009 at 11:39 pm

    LED Technology has been a fantastic investment in my home. As a bit of a nerd, I counted all of the bulbs used throughout my apartment, 23, and did some comparison. Currently, by an assortment of LEDs and CFLs in standard light sockets, I’d use 213 watts if every light were on. If I replaced all 23 bulbs with 40 watt incandescents, I skyrocket to 920 watts.

    Highly recommend:
    http://www.ccrane.com
    http://www.ledlight.com
    http://www.earthled.com

    Reply
  8. Martha says:
    March 6, 2009 at 2:30 pm

    Thanks, Mark, for doing the math on this. With LEDs and CFLs, you’re using only 23% of the energy of incandescents.

    OK, even if you’re a bit of a nerd, you’re leading the way for the rest of us who need to move off incandescents and onto LEDs and CFLs. At best, I’m at about 20%, and you’re at 100% already.

    I appreciate the links, too.

    Martha

    Reply
  9. Buy acai berry says:
    May 22, 2009 at 3:47 pm

    Your blog is very interresting for me, i will come back here..

    Reply
  10. Mike Rogers says:
    November 22, 2009 at 11:58 pm

    Check out the CREE LR6. Perfect for a high ceiling application–and GREAT light output, color rendition, and only 12W. They come with an integrated trim, though, so you have to light it. The HALO LED is also very good (I like the CREE better) and have a variety of trim options. You may never had to change them! See discussion at http://greenhomesamerica.wordpress.com/2009/11/06/halo-led-lighting/

    Reply

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