Will LED lights supplant compact fluorescents in home lighting applications?
Gerbil asked:
In flashlights they make an incredible amount of light per battery, are very bright, and last about forever.
In flashlights they make an incredible amount of light per battery, are very bright, and last about forever.
Are they being adapted to use as household lighting? If so, when will they become widely available?
Are they more efficient than and less polluting (mercury, manufacturing waste etc?) than CF’s?
Maybe. I personally think they are a MUCH better lighting technology. But they are still too expensive. In time that may change. [who]
They probably will, the problem is that a small transformer must be used to convert the household AC current to the low voltage DC current that LED lights require. Miniturization of this circuitry must be put through extensive testing to ensure that there are no potential electrical fire issues with the technology. [who]
They are being used in some household lighting and I believe they will eventually replace CF’s. The only problem is they’re trying to get the slightly blue tint out of them [who]
At 100 W incandescent bulb puts out 1700 lumens and costs less than a dollar. Compact fluorescent generate similar lighting with less power and cost about $3. A very bright LED ie Luxeon Star gives 60 lumens for $6 and can heat by 80C in ten minutes without proper cooling. As LED’s get hot, they draw more current and produce less light. High power LED’s require a current regulator, a heat sink and possibly a fan. A properly cooled LED will last 100,000 hours, but the lifetime of a hot LED is no better than a CF bulb. LED clusters designed for home lighting are currently available, but not widely used due to cost. Until costs come down, LED’s are likely to serve niche markets rather than general household lighting. [who]