When Thomas Alva Edison gifted the world with the first electric lamp in 1880, he might not have paid much attention to its efficiency or efficacy. The invention of the first electric lamp was after all, a hugely successful endeavor and a giant leap forward for science. Further, the environmental conditions in those days were far better than they are now for them to care much about such trivial issues!
However, things are now much different. In these times of global warming and energy scarcity, incandescent lamps are proving to be way more costly both in terms of environmental impact and energy efficiency. Many developed nations have begun to phase out energy-inefficient incandescent bulbs, because suitable energy-efficient alternatives are now available.
Currently, there are two types of energy-efficient lighting technologies available in the market – CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lamps) and LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes). A light-emitting diode (LED) bulb is a semiconductor light source that uses DC current of low-wattage. A LED light is several times better than other light sources like fluorescent lamps or incandescent lamps due to its longer lifespan and higher energy efficiency. Further, LEDs light up into maximum brightness without any warm-up time, unlike fluorescent ones. They are now preferred by users across diverse fields such as domestic, industrial, commercial and advertising.
LED lights in India have been around for quite some time now, but they were only used in gadgets like remote control, decorative lights, digital clocks etc., due to their high cost. LED bulbs differ from traditional incandescent bulbs in the way they produce light. While old fashioned incandescent bulbs emit light when electricity is passed through a metal filament, LEDs produce light by using a semiconductor that illuminates when electrical current passes through it.
Since LED lamps have been recently employed for household lighting, they are slightly costlier than other types of energy-efficient lamps like CFLs and are also only available in focused brightness. However, with increasing popularity, advancements in technology and an increasing need for eco-friendly products, these difficulties have been overcome.
LED lights are expensive, but they offer massive benefits over others:
- Use 90% less energy than incandescent lamps (CFLs use 60-80% less than incandescents, and halogens use 20-30% less)
- Last around 10-15 years, dependent on usage
- Emit light instantly at start-up unlike CFLs that flicker and take time to light up
- Do not contain mercury or other toxic chemicals (CFLs do, though it’s only a minute amount)
- LED lights, like halogens, works fine in low temperatures, whereas CFLs don’t
- Although a standard incandescent lamp emits much brighter light at about 840 lumens, LEDs are evolving fast to perform on par (the Philips L Prize emits 940 lumens)
Tech specsÂ
Comparison chart for different types of lights based on energy efficiency and lifespan:
| Incandescent | Halogens | CFL | LED | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power used (watts) | 60 | 43 | 14 | 10 |
| Lumens (mean) | 860 | 750 | 775 | 800 |
| Luminous efficacy | 14 | 17 | 55 | 80 |
| Color rendering index | 100 | 100 | 82 | 82 |
| Lifespan (hours) | 1,000 | 1,000 | 10,000 | >25,000 |
| Bulb lifetime (years)* | 0.5 | 0.5 | 4.6 | >11.4 |
Source: Wikipedia | *Comparison based on 6 hours use per day
Although they are still expensive to produce, LED lights in India are becoming cheaper, as predicted by Haitz’s Law. Aided by technical advances and economies of scale, LED lamps are also getting brighter, which means manufacturers can use fewer LEDs per bulb, further driving down costs. Roland Haitz believes that sometime around 2020, bulbs built for the conventional infrastructure will max out, since at some point additional brightness from a single socket would be an overkill.
Click here to know more about LED light brands available in India
