Posted on 01/10/2008 3:14:22 PM PST by blam
Brighter LED Lights Could Replace Household Light Bulbs Within Three Years
ScienceDaily (Jan. 10, 2008) Researchers are developing new technology that could replace the household light-bulb within three years.
Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), already used in electrical equipment such as computers and mobile phones, are several times more energy efficient than standard light-bulbs. However, because of their structure and material, much of the light in standard LEDs becomes trapped, reducing the brightness of the light and making them unsuitable as the main lighting source in the home.
Now researchers believe they have found a way of introducing a new generation of LEDs into households that are brighter and use even less power than standard energy efficient light-bulbs.
Dr Faiz Rahman, the researcher leading the project at the University of Glasgow, said: By making microscopic holes on the surface of the LEDs it is possible to extract more light, thus increasing the brightness of the lights without increasing the energy consumption. As yet, LEDs have not been introduced as the standard lighting in homes because the process of making the holes is very time consuming and expensive. However, by using world-class facilities at the University of Glasgow we believe we have found a way of imprinting the holes into billions of LEDs at a far greater speed, but at a much lower cost.
LEDs not only use less power than current energy efficient light-bulbs but they are much smaller and can last years without needing to be replaced. This means the days of the humble light-bulb could soon be over.
The team of researchers use a technique called nano-imprint lithography to directly imprint the holes, imperceptible to the human eye, onto the LEDs allowing more of the light to escape.
The project is being developed in conjunction with the Institute of Photonics, University of Strathclyde, Mesophotonics Ltd and Sharp Laboratories of Europe, as part of the BERR Technology Programme.
Adapted from materials provided by University of Glasgow.
Thanks!
GO LEDs
I studied solid state electronics in college. I cannot see any problems, health, environmental or other, with LED technology. Corrections welcome.
They do. Even faster than incandescents.
If they are bright as soon as they come on rather than waiting for them to warm up...
They are. And you can dim them with a standard dimmer switch. (Although the color doesn't change to yellow/orange and they dim down like an incandescent lamp)
If they don't have a "hum" when they are on...
Less hum than some incandescents, no filament whipping around in it's own current induced magnetic field.
And the classic LEDs were rated for 100,000 hours (About ten years continuous use). Newer ones? 200,000 hours...
Just what I am looking for.
Like fluorescent lamps, the newer ones are offered in a variety of 'warmths'
Thanks!
$22 for a bulb.
True, but they are subject to Moore's Law. Expect the price to halve and the performance to double every 18 to 24 months...
Not all over, certain lights yes.
We have LED down lights in the eaves of our house. We have them only because the incandescent fixtures didn’t fit, but we would never know the difference. The under and over cabinet ones are useless, though. They are nothing but accent lighting.
We have LED down lights in the eaves of our house. We have them only because the incandescent fixtures didn’t fit, but we would never know the difference. The under and over cabinet ones are useless, though. They are nothing but accent lighting.
We got two strings of LED lights for the tree this year and they are very cool. Super bright! And they throw these colored spots on the ceiling. You can aim them at ornaments like little spotlights.
No problem!
Full disclosure: I made LEDs back in the 70’s. I have a warm spot in my heart for them.
At one time, for a few brief hours, I was the only person on earth who knew how to make the brightest LEDs ever seen...
http://www.lehmans.com/jump.jsp?itemType=CATEGORY&itemID=669&iMainCat=669&iSubCat=669
Agreed. Two years ago, we decided to "save money" by decorating the outside of the house with those things (white). We are talking the entire two-story house...extension ladders were involved.
We waited eagerly for nightfall to turn them on; I've never seen such a hideous sight. It was so abhorrent to us, that my husband got the ladders back out; took them all down...and replaced them with regular Christmas lights.
The colored lights aren't quite as bad...but they look like a Lite-Brite.
Obviously you don’t have these in your house.
LED bulb you linked to 30-40 LUMENS
Average 60W bulb = 840 LUMENS
So at current power/efficiency, you need ~ 20 of the bulbs to match the “brightness” of a 60W incandescent.
BTW, better LEDs are on the way - they are SOOO bright they are proposed for use as car headlights!
My suggestion, wait until the new generation arrives before spending $$$$
If they turn on as soon as you hit the switch...
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They turn on faster than a standard light bulb.
Over-voltage?
Nope, a simple processing technique. 70% brighter under the same drive conditions.
I got an attaboy...
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