Potential of LEDs

[Matthew_Ung]

With the drastically longer runtime, unbreakable bulbs, and softer light, how long to you think it will be before LEDs will overshadow incandescants? Also, how do people make LEDs brighter, and why haven't they done it already? I mean, as soon as LEDs are brighter than incandescants, do incandescants really got anything over LEDS?

 

[paulr]

LED's are semiconductor devices and they get brighter through improvements in semiconductor technology, the same way CPU's get faster. The answer to "why haven't they done it already" is "they're working on it".

I think LED's will replace incandescents in typical consumer flashlights over the next couple years. For higher power applications (household lighting) and maybe some really cheap consumer flashlights and some very bright ones (Surefire), incandescents will stay around.

Right now a 1W Luxeon LED puts out as much light as a PR2 incandescent flashlight bulb. The LED costs maybe $5 in large quantity and the PR bulb costs about 10 cents. You do the math.

 

[dougmccoy]

It is interesting how some see the direction of LED technology going. Some people believe that LEDS will almost certainly replace most incandescent flashlights within a couple of years and for most uses I believe that to be true. Car manufacturers are already using LEDS in tail and indicator lights and computer manufacturers and some domestic appliance firms are using them for lighting and comstic purposes.

It is in the field of industrial and domestic lighting that the most eagerly awaited developements are yet to take place and where the initial purchase costs will be set against the savings in energy costs and longlife will be determining factors.

Unfortunately until those benefits take place we will still have to put up with the existing incandescent technology. Incidentally the problem IMO there is that third world countries such as China, India etc have acquired the ability to make light bulbs, flourescent tubes etc at such cheap prices that domestic consumers do not have great incentives to buy more expensive but better products! But there you go I am off on a soap box again!

Doug

 

[PhotonBoy]

In office buildings, the cost of fluorescent tubes is negligible compared to the cost of union labor to replace them periodically. If LED technology can develop 10 - 20 year units with equivalent brightness and lower power consumption, they'll supplant fluorescents quickly despite potentially higher up-front cost.

 

[INRETECH]

Currently LEDs are 18-20L/W, and FL is 40L/W, as soon as get close to FL eff, things will happen

FL have ballasts, which get hot and waste electricity

 

[bwcaw]

Five watt leds are brighter than thier incandecent counterparts I believe. Correct me if I am wrong but I thought that leds are brighter per watt than any incandecent.