A new age of more efficient, cleaner lighting has been an unfulfilled promise for many years. Now thanks to some innovative new technologies the revolution might be closer than ever and its name is LED.
|
LEDs, or Light Emitting Diodes, are widely used today in a variety of devices including remote controls, toys, and many street and traffic lights. However, so far, LEDs have not become popular in the mainstream consumer market and more specifically for use as main lighting for homes, probably because LED lights sources are significantly more expensive than traditional incandescent light bulbs and more importantly emit less light than more conventional CFL or incandescent light.
However, recently several companies have made an important step forward in terms of making LED lighting a viable option for home users. At the LIGHTFAIR International, the worldâs largest annual architectural and commercial lighting trade show and conference, which took place in Philadelphia earlier this month, several key lighting manufacturers revealed new LED solutions that might change the face of the lighting industry and the way we light up our homes in the next few years.
Osram Sylvania demonstrated during the expedition a prototype of a LED bulb that gives off 1,500 lumens or approximately as much light as a 100-watt incandescent light bulb. The prototype only requires 14 watts of electricity. No price or availability were set for this model. However, according to the company a cheaper, less powerful (75-watt equivalent model) will be available this July.
Osram was not the only company to announce a 100-watt equivalent LED light bulb during LIGHTFAIR International; Switch Lighting displayed a 100-watt equivalent A19 LED replacement bulb which it claims has a unique self-cooling technology for the LED â this system that allows the LEDs to produce their full brightness but still maintain a relatively low cost.
TFOT covered many LED related stories in the past including: âLED light bulbs to take over?â, a cheap 100,000-hour LED light, and the rechargeable lightglobe.
