Research team "near production" of a cheap lightbulb, lasts up to 60 years
By Laura June 
posted January 30th 2009 4:42PM
posted January 30th 2009 4:42PM
We've seen plenty of high-efficiency lightbulbs rolling around, but this new one -- if it ever sees the light of day (groan) -- has impressive potential. Cambridge University's team of researchers are apparently quite close to bringing to production an LED bulb that can last up to 100,000 hours (about 60 years), and which -- unlike some other eco-friendly lighting -- contains no mercury. In the UK, where sale of some incandescents has been phased out, the team estimates they could reduce carbon emissions by about 40 million tons. The team has also significantly cheapened production by growing the LEDs on silicon wafers rather than the sapphire ones normally used, thereby bring the cost to... wait for it: $2.85. So when can we expect to see these badboys on the market? "Soon."
[Via Switched]
[Via Switched]
Yes, but most people don't leave their lights on 24 hours a day. The original article makes a lot more sense in this regard.
The only thing "new" in this announcement is the low price. LEDs are already being manufactured and sold. I expect them to rapidly replace both incandescent and compact fluorescent bulbs in the next few years as prices continue to come down. The science is there, the challenge now is to continue to bring down the cost of manufacturing. For info on one company that is a leader in the field, look at Cree (cree.com).
If you've bought a flashlight lately, it probably uses LED's. As does your car (dashboards use them a lot). So do new traffic lights plus all those big displays in Times Square.
What's cool about LEDs:
1. Very low energy use for the amount of light put out.
2. Long lifetimes.
3. Low environmental impact, especially compared to compact fluorescents.
and one that's mentioned less often, but is one of my favorites:
4. Goodbye to the standard lightbulb form factor. Incandescents need to be the size they are. Compact fluorescents try to mimic that size so that they will fit into our lamps and light fixtures. But LEDs can be VERY small, so are not limited to the "light bulb shape." Imagine, for example, adhesive strips of lighting, a couple of millimeters thick, that you stick on the ceiling or wall, or under a kitchen cabinet. I expect that within a few years the whole way we use lighting (currently: mainly ceiling fixtures or standing lamps) will change.
I already have strips of adhesive/screw clip LEDs under my cabinets. They change between 6 colors with the press of a button. You can buy them at Ikea.
Why do we need LEDs to last 60yrs? Surely everyone will want OLED lighting well b4 then:)
OLED still has longevity issues. Until and unless these can be resolved, LED remains king in this area.
BS they will get sued back to the stone age by GE.