Will L.E.D.’s Light the Future?

July 30, 2008

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Lighting Science Group Corp. announced it has acquired Lamina Lighting Inc., which develops light emitting diodes (L.E.D.) engines and modules for $4.5 million in cash. This comes just as the New York Times reports L.E.D.’s are gaining serious traction.

Some lighting executives are convinced that new lower-cost L.E.D bulbs with improved efficiency, will slowly substitute incandescent bulbs in homes, and that compact fluorescents are just an interim technology because of their large size, the unpleasant color of light, and the five milligrams of mercury in each bulb. Waste Management recently launched an online program to deal with the possible mercury leakage during recycling by offering a special bulb safe box for the price of $14.95.

While a compact fluorescent bulb typically uses about 20 percent of the energy needed for a standard bulb to emit the same amount of light, L.E.D.’s uses only about 15 percent.

L.E.D.’s dominated the lighting industry’s annual trade event, Lightfair, in May in Las Vegas and is rapidly replacing older products. The New Year’s Eve ball in Times Square on New Year’s Eve is illuminated with L.E.D.’s. and so is a factory in Wisconsin.

But some industry insiders think the high cost of L.E.D.’s will put off consumers. It costs $1 for a standard 60-watt incandescent, $2 for an equivalent compact fluorescent. But a new L.E.D. bulb to be introduced this September by Philips will cost $107 a bulb.

Philips is in high gear to develop efficient light bulbs but is faced with the problem that politicians wants incandescent bulbs phased out faster than the industry can deliver alternatives.

According to The NY Times, Philips is throwing its considerable weight behind the research:

Philips is working to decrease the penetration of compact fluorescent bulbs. “We are not spending one dollar on research and development for compact fluorescents,” said Kaj den Daas, chairman and chief executive of Philips Lighting. Instead, the bulk of its R.& D. budget, which is 5.2 percent of the company’s global lighting revenue, is for L.E.D. research. Philips is betting the store on the L.E.D. bulbs, which it expects to represent 20 percent of its professional lighting revenue in two years.

Over the next 10 years, China, which makes 70 percent of the world’s lightbulbs, has agreed to phase out incandescent bulbs in favor of more energy-efficient ones.

EU leaders have decided that The European Union’s 490 million citizens will have to use energy-efficient lighting by the end of the decade.

Australia has announced it would phase out incandescents and Greenpeace has asked India to follow Australia’s lead.

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Reader Comments

Yes, I think the LED are way to cool to be missed. The flat ones look great on the wall. I think people will buy them for their decorative effects, just if they see how awesome an LED panel can look.

Marko Trivioli | July 31st, 2008

$107 for a LED light? You can find them cheaper on the internet. For instance Upscale Lighting offers the Pharox LED lights by Lemnis Lighning for $ 39.95. And I’m sure you can find other cheaper LED lights in the USA too, maybe not from an A-label. But whith such price differences considering a different label may be worth it.
Source: http://upscalelighting.com/show.php?pid=4523

Krispijn Beek | July 31st, 2008

I am a manufacuter of LED LIGHTS in HK.(ELECOSN INC.)

I have ideas about LED light:

LED light will be the future of lighting , turely
It is with advantages:
1. Low power consumption, saving up 80% evergy than traditional halogen bulbs
2. Green, no pollution. It is solid state lighting
3. Long use life. Up to 100,000 hours
it is means that for years, there will be no any addtional maintenance cost

For the heating problem, there are many solution so solve it. The powe of LED light is enough to light home, office, even street, it is no problem

The only problem now is the cost. Its cost is still high. For example, our 4.5W LED Bulb (its lum equal to 24W halogen bulb), the cost will be about USD20 including freight charge form Hong Kong to the wolrd. How about this price? Can afford? I hope LED COST could be down soon, so the world will use LED lighting, that will make our earth more green and clean.

I have a report about LED LIght Vs Halogen bulb at website, http://www.elecosn-led-display-screen.com/about/news_detail.asp?newsid=45

if you are interested in it, please read it, and hope it useful to you

Ryan | August 1st, 2008

there is a small potentiality of leds in near future.
they are costing too much i think this industry possibly cannot compete with the financial crisis in the world

aaditya bhargava | July 6th, 2009