Tuesday, December 12, 2006

The US non-Energy Policy produces some non-results

LED lighting is THE wave of the future. It is available today in limited form factors. Power consumption is roughly 1/5th that of Compact Fluorescents for equivalent light output. CF's are roughly 1/4th the power consumption of incandescents. The LED lights are expensive though compared to CF's or incandescents. This RPI development should start to increase the economic viability of the LED units.

Imagine having your whole house lit up like Times Square for the cost of burning an ordinary 100W incandescent bulb...and not having to change a light bulb for 10 years? That day is coming very very soon.

Can a significant reduction in US energy usage be as simple as changing some light bulbs? Yes, yes it can. Here's a flood light that only burns 6 watts.

RPI News
[...]compared to commercial white LEDs, prototypes of the new SPE LED technology produced 30 to 60 percent more light output and luminous efficacy — light output (lumens) per watt of electricity. This means more visible light is produced without increasing energy consumption.[...]

[...]The research was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nutbag.

Purple Avenger said...

Sorry, I ain't that way. I'd suggest trolling in a bath house or highway rest stop bathroom is you want that kinda thing.

Unknown said...

What a tool.

jimsonite said...

Have you bought any of these bulbs? How do you like them?

They certainly have potential, but at the current price points, I have difficulty justifying their purchase. A few quick calculations indicate that at my current electrical rates, it would take about six years of use to reach the break-even point. If the bulb lasts another 4 to 6 years after that, then it's not a bad deal, but I'd be willing to bet that by the time you reach that break-even point in six years or so, that bulb that you paid $60 for way back in 2006 will probably cost $20 or less.

I like the idea, but I think I'm going to wait until the prices drop a bit before I consider buying any.