The N.Y.Times has an interesting article this weekend entitled “Fans of L.E.D.’s Say This Bulb’s Time Has Come” here on their website. It’s an interesting article about how many think LED lighting is set to finally replace incandescent light bulbs as well as compact fluorescent bulbs. LED (light emitting diode) bulbs have already replaced most of the nation’s traffic lights and many more companies are beginning to opt for this technology over traditional ones. Above is an example of LED lighting in use over at the Marcus Center in Milwaukee.

Another example? Sentry Equipment Corporation’s new factory utilizes LED lighting for exterior and interior lighting needs. While it cost Sentry $18,000 to install LED lighting (that’s $12K more than the $6K needed for a combination of incandescent and fluorescent lighting), the company will save $7,000 a year in energy costs which means it will only take two years for the company to recoup it’s costs – plus these bulbs will last 20 years folks!

People are finally noticing LED bulbs primarily due to three things – brightness, energy efficiency, and long life. All three characteristics put LED bulbs ahead of traditional lighting technologies. The main problem? Cost. While LED bulbs are certainly energy efficient, a single LED bulb can cost upwards of 100x the price of an incandescent bulb. Thus a standard 1 dollar incandescent bulb could cost as much as 100 dollars for an equivalent LED bulb. Of course, consumers would eventually recoup the cost in terms of lower energy bills (which also helps the environment of course) that’s still a tough premise to sell initially – especially if you consider how much it will cost you to simply light up a single room! Yet as with all technologies, one can expect prices to eventually come down and then we can finally kiss the incandescent bulb goodbye!

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: LED lighting,