For years we have been watching as LED technology has improved and the cost of LED replacement bulbs has gotten lower and lower. Compact fluorescent bulbs have become commonplace, which has been instrumental in saving energy and lowering electricity costs for millions of consumers. But still, we've been waiting for LEDs to reach the point where they start being widely used. And now, it looks like that point may be here.
By the middle of 2011, a new 12-watt LED bulb from Osram Sylvania is scheduled to be available from all Lowes stores.
The Osram Sylvania Ultra A-Line LED bulb produces 810 lumens. This compares quite well with a standard 60 watt bulb (the one I checked is listed at 830 lumens). The LED bulb uses 12 watts, versus the 60 watt incandescent, wich is an 80% energy savings. And the LED bulb should last 25 times as long as a conventional bulb.
The biggest remaining question will be consumer acceptance. Does the LED bulb provide an adequate distribution of light, without the "hot spots" and dim areas characteristic of some earlier LED bulbs? And, is the color rendering of the LED good enough to make it an acceptable substitute for an aincandescent bulb? The A-line bulb has a color temperature of 2700 Kelvin and a color-rendering index (CRI) of 91. (An incandescent bulb has a perfect value of 100.) Most fluorescent bulbs have a CRI ranging from the low 50s to the high 80s, so the quality of the light should be quite good.
LED lights may have some end-of-life issues with circuit board materials, as do compact fluorescent bulbs, but, especially with RoHS regulations in place in many parts of the world, those are minor compared with the question of mercury in compact fluorescents. Of course, it's not a problem if the CF bulb is recycled (and more and more places are now taking those bulbs for recycling so that is becoming less of an issue, as well). And the total amount of environmental mercury is lower when considering the amount of mercury put into the atmosphere by burning coal to produce all the additional electricity that a conventional incandescent bulb requires as compared to the amount that would be spilled if a bulb was broken rather than being recycled, so concerns over CFLs should already be pretty well settled.
The 8 watt A-Line bulb is around $20 and is available right now. The 12 watt A-Line bulb should be in stores in the first half of 2011.
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Comments (30)
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written by Scott, November 28, 2010
The big question, can you use a dimmer switch with them?
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written by cliff harris, November 28, 2010
Pretty sure we already have these in the UK, In fact I think I've got one in my office. It's AWESOME, more than bright enough, and just fantastic.
The only (v minor) downside is they are heavy. Not normally a problem, but I had to adjust the springs in an anglepoise lamp
The only (v minor) downside is they are heavy. Not normally a problem, but I had to adjust the springs in an anglepoise lamp
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written by Doc Rings, November 29, 2010
The Sylvania website has a long list of "dimmable" LED lights...
http://www.sylvania.com/BusinessProducts/Innovations/LEDLampsandRetrofits/
http://www.sylvania.com/BusinessProducts/Innovations/LEDLampsandRetrofits/
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written by Kevin, November 29, 2010
These lamps have been on the market for some time, it is strange that they are just now being marketed in the US.
The lamps themselves are OK, but the price is still too high to encourage widespread adoption. It is not as if there is a massive amount of R&D costs to recover since the R&D for LEDs was done over 20 years ago.
The only other noteworthy thing about these lamps is a peculiar garlic and hot plastic smell when they are at operating temperature.
The lamps themselves are OK, but the price is still too high to encourage widespread adoption. It is not as if there is a massive amount of R&D costs to recover since the R&D for LEDs was done over 20 years ago.
The only other noteworthy thing about these lamps is a peculiar garlic and hot plastic smell when they are at operating temperature.
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written by Matt, November 29, 2010
You can get a CFL equivalent that uses 13 or 14 watts for about $1.50. Why would I pay 15 times more for this one?
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written by Ananda Chatterjee, November 29, 2010
Low Electricity Consumption with Higher Light Emission
will help to world save natural resourses and lesser pollution as well.
will help to world save natural resourses and lesser pollution as well.
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written by Green Electricity, November 29, 2010
You're right that consumer acceptance may be the stumbling block to LED bulbs. They are still too pricey for regular folks. But then again, many people consider it their investment for a greener future whenever they purchase green products, so buying this bulb won't involve a major mind-shift on their parts. One concern that's also valid is that LED lights are dimmer before. If this won't be an issue, then this is a step towards green electricity than ever before.
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written by Mladen Kalinic, November 29, 2010
Erm, In UK you can buy low energy fluorescent bulbs in some stores here that are 11w which equals 60w for 10p, or in some stores 3 for a £1.
From the hype over these LED bulbs, (like it was the 2nd coming of Christ) I was under the impression that 5w = 100w light.
From the hype over these LED bulbs, (like it was the 2nd coming of Christ) I was under the impression that 5w = 100w light.
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written by Francis, November 29, 2010
After replacing every incandescent light bulb in the house with CFL's over the past 3 years it's doubtful that I will be jumping on the LED bandwagon any time soon. The measurable decrease in electricity consumption realized by switching from the incandescent bulb to the CFL is significant and far greater than that realized between a CFL and LED and the cost difference between the two doesn't justify switching at this time.
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written by Hortron, November 29, 2010
The big question for me is: does the light still have superior longevity even when being turned on and off all the time? I imagine it does b/c it's an LED, but some CFLs end up dying young when they're in an application with a lot of on-off cycles.
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written by Patrick O'Neill, November 29, 2010
LEDs may have been invented 20 years ago, but it is definitely not true to say that all the R&D was done long ago.
It has taken a tremendous amount of recent R&D to increase brightness, get better spread, create different color variations to increase color correctness, and especially to do all of the above while continuing to get production costs under control so that these new lights can be produced at an affordable price point.
It has taken a tremendous amount of recent R&D to increase brightness, get better spread, create different color variations to increase color correctness, and especially to do all of the above while continuing to get production costs under control so that these new lights can be produced at an affordable price point.
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written by Amy Thomson, November 29, 2010
If these new A-line bulbs are really dimmable, I will certainly buy 1/2 a dozen. The only incandescents left in my house can be replaced.
What I'd really like, is an LED replacement for my halogen bulbs. That would be a nice energy savings right there.
We recently purchased two LED wall-mounted reading lights that only use 2 watts of electrity. They work very well and the light is easy to read by.
What I'd really like, is an LED replacement for my halogen bulbs. That would be a nice energy savings right there.
We recently purchased two LED wall-mounted reading lights that only use 2 watts of electrity. They work very well and the light is easy to read by.
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written by Karkus, November 29, 2010
The big selling point of LED vs CFL is not energy cost, but intstand ON (no warm up) and dimmable.
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written by hyperspaced, November 30, 2010
+ less health concerns (mercury)
+ many on-off cycles
+ dimmable
+ better light quality
- more expensive (10 times more?)
= same consumption
+ many on-off cycles
+ dimmable
+ better light quality
- more expensive (10 times more?)
= same consumption
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written by Scott Z, November 30, 2010
Perhaps I missed something but I thought the big promise of LED was even more power savings over CFL? I can get a 12 Watt CFL that gives off the same amount of light. Don't get me wrong I am all for dimmable and so far every dimmable CFL I have purchased has preformed poorly.
If I can get good color, good light spread and real "dimmableity" I am sure I will switch but I will not feel the need like I did to get rid of the dang heaters incandescents were.
If I can get good color, good light spread and real "dimmableity" I am sure I will switch but I will not feel the need like I did to get rid of the dang heaters incandescents were.
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written by Jenna Loren, December 05, 2010
Please watch my new environmental song video and consider voting for it! Go to: http://www.inventthefuture.ca/songs.php#31
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written by sarah, December 07, 2010
i think led's should last longer a lot longer and they are made of an array of small lights so even if one burns out the bulb should still work for a while just putting out less. Cfl's get all the hype for lasting longer then incandescent lights, lasting 5 years longer etc. But they simply don't I've lived in my apt for about 5 years replaced incandescent bulbs with cfls as they burned out...however, I still have a few incandescent bulbs going strong where I have gone through 3 and 4 cfls in the same time using them about the same amount of time. I change brands. I use different sockets, I use different lamps. The CFLs still go faster then incandescent bulbs... so I'm hopeful that the LED's will last longer. I've seen them int he stores since summer. It was exciting but I dind't have a reason to get one yet... still have a pack of CFL's to use up 
so in about 4 months I Imagine I'll burn through the CFL's)
so in about 4 months I Imagine I'll burn through the CFL's)
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written by Simmons Buntin, December 09, 2010
I'm curious as to whether CFLs produce "dirty electricity" as one Canadian study apparently has suggested. (See http://www.reddit.com/r/asksci...ent_light/). Thoughts?
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written by Marci, December 09, 2010
Well, if they don't perform any better than the LED nightlight bulbs that I bought several months ago to replace my incandescent night light bulb, then the answer is no. My 7 watt incandescent bulb actually made it possible to see what I was doing in the bathroom at night, including taking pain medication. The LED "night-light" bulb isn't any brighter than a jar of lightning bulbs. In fact I think I could see more with the lightning bugs. I could at least move the jar around and hold it up to the medicine cabinet.
I was originally trying to find a CFL night-light, but thought the LED would be fine. NOT. I am perfectly happy with my CFL's and even came up with creative ways to get more light when needed at the cheapest price by buying 5 fixture floor lamps and putting 60 and 40 watt equivalent CFLs in them. With 3 light levels I can go from 80 to 300 watt equivalents and if I wanted to go blind I could use 100 watt equivalents in all five sockets and get 500 watts of light for little more than the 100 watt incandescent.
I will wait until my CFLs start burning out before I reconsider that. I've only replace the two most frequently used CFLs in two or three years, once each.
I was originally trying to find a CFL night-light, but thought the LED would be fine. NOT. I am perfectly happy with my CFL's and even came up with creative ways to get more light when needed at the cheapest price by buying 5 fixture floor lamps and putting 60 and 40 watt equivalent CFLs in them. With 3 light levels I can go from 80 to 300 watt equivalents and if I wanted to go blind I could use 100 watt equivalents in all five sockets and get 500 watts of light for little more than the 100 watt incandescent.
I will wait until my CFLs start burning out before I reconsider that. I've only replace the two most frequently used CFLs in two or three years, once each.
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written by Garreth Wilcock, December 09, 2010
The price point has to come down by an order of magnitude in my opinion. And that should be the price point to include lifecycle costs - producing and recycling
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written by Nyak, December 10, 2010
Does anyone remember what happened when the CFL first came out and there were all these claims of seeing crazy savings? Well then shortly after CFL manufactures had to issue rebates on purchases just to get people to buy them cause no one seen any savings. Just dissapointment in the lighting quality.
The savings is in the return on investment and if you’re replacing a standard bulb in your house that is not on for more than ten hours a day it could take longer than ten years to pay itself off depending on your cost per KWH.
LED’s are great for large energy consumers like street lighting, public facilities (Schools and Universities) and office buildings. We put exterior LED light fixtures on several buildings for security lighting and cause of the higher wattage of the old fixtures and longer hours of operation the savings was seen immediately and ROI is only three years. They have been working for over two years now with no issues.
I would stick to the CFL for your low use lighting.
The savings is in the return on investment and if you’re replacing a standard bulb in your house that is not on for more than ten hours a day it could take longer than ten years to pay itself off depending on your cost per KWH.
LED’s are great for large energy consumers like street lighting, public facilities (Schools and Universities) and office buildings. We put exterior LED light fixtures on several buildings for security lighting and cause of the higher wattage of the old fixtures and longer hours of operation the savings was seen immediately and ROI is only three years. They have been working for over two years now with no issues.
I would stick to the CFL for your low use lighting.
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written by SherryGreens, December 10, 2010
I thought that LED would be more efficient than CFL. I guess not... does anyone know if they available in Canada? I would like to buy one, just to try it out.
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written by Arthur Corbin, December 14, 2010
CRI is not the same for an LED as for incandescent and CFL lights.
And CRI is not a scoring system that guarantees better light, many LEDs with a CRI of >70 are positively rated by users.
LEDs are more efficient than CFLs. Most LEDs dim to 20% or 30% (the eye only sees dimming of more than 20%).
One measure of efficiency is lumens per watt and LEDs are rapidly increasing their lumens per watt.
The key to CFL and LED failure is most often too much heat. Manufacturers do give recommended temperature ranges for best operation though you may have to search for this information.
Many CFLs and LEDs will not produce full output of light and / or will not have a long life if they are in enclosed or semi-enclosed fixtures.
LEDs are a technology product using diodes and electronic power supplies. Both parts need to be good quality for the best performance and life.
These parts are costly to design, and manufacture. LED fixtures need to vent heat away from the diode and from the power supply for best performance. Many LED fixtures on the market are of poor quality and will fail in the first 3 years of operation. Make sure you have a 3 to 5 year warranty and a reputable supplier that will be there should you have a failure.
And CRI is not a scoring system that guarantees better light, many LEDs with a CRI of >70 are positively rated by users.
LEDs are more efficient than CFLs. Most LEDs dim to 20% or 30% (the eye only sees dimming of more than 20%).
One measure of efficiency is lumens per watt and LEDs are rapidly increasing their lumens per watt.
The key to CFL and LED failure is most often too much heat. Manufacturers do give recommended temperature ranges for best operation though you may have to search for this information.
Many CFLs and LEDs will not produce full output of light and / or will not have a long life if they are in enclosed or semi-enclosed fixtures.
LEDs are a technology product using diodes and electronic power supplies. Both parts need to be good quality for the best performance and life.
These parts are costly to design, and manufacture. LED fixtures need to vent heat away from the diode and from the power supply for best performance. Many LED fixtures on the market are of poor quality and will fail in the first 3 years of operation. Make sure you have a 3 to 5 year warranty and a reputable supplier that will be there should you have a failure.
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written by Steve, December 28, 2010
Cost of LED's is a Formidable Barrier to Overcome.
Would I spend 20 bucks for a light bulb? No. Get the cost down and we're golden. Are comparable LED's more efficient than CFL's?
Would I spend 20 bucks for a light bulb? No. Get the cost down and we're golden. Are comparable LED's more efficient than CFL's?
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written by Peter, December 29, 2010
LED lights still have times less lumen output than CFLs. For example: a 25W CFL (100W incandescent equivalent) will output approx. 1700 lumens, while an average 4W LED light will output less than 300 lumens (the 12W A-Line bulb in the article has a similar output of 810 lumens). In terms of light output, it will take six 4W LEDs (24W total) or two A-Line 12W LEDs (24W total) to perform on par with one 25W CFL, so efficiency of CFL and LED is about the same. As you can see in the photo of the article above, the manufacturer conviniently "omits" the lumen output from the package, but instead diverts attention to percentages of saved energy and longevity. Light distribution is also important factor and CFLs still have better flooding than current LED bulbs.
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written by Alex Luc Taylor, January 12, 2011
I hate CFL with a passion for high emf output, line noise and because they contain mercuy. I use full spectrum (daylight) incandescents to avoid these problems. If those problems were resolved - then I have no problem conserving electricity.
Is there a 100 watt replacement bulb as well? I like me some light
Is there a 100 watt replacement bulb as well? I like me some light
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written by Betty Pappas, January 13, 2011
Went to Home Depot today to replace some chandelier bulbs. Needless to say, I left the store without purchasing anything but had the opportunity to talk with salesman about LED lighting. I was impressed and immediately came home to my MAC to search for the same. My search led me to various websites, and LED companies and eventually to your youtube video.
Thank you for confirming my purchase of 5 LED bulbs! It was definitely the right thing to do even though expensive. I will replace all my lightbulbs a little at a time and will check back here to let you know how I like them.
Thank you for confirming my purchase of 5 LED bulbs! It was definitely the right thing to do even though expensive. I will replace all my lightbulbs a little at a time and will check back here to let you know how I like them.
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written by Michelle, January 17, 2011
I'm so glad to see LED lighting gain the recognition it needs! About 10 years ago I had this chotchky little LED night light. The packaging stated that it only took mere pennies a year to power. Now I am trying to replace LED light bulbs for everything. I purchased some LED flashlights on the http://www.ecodirectstore.com
As for bulbs I was not too sure if they would work out so i got them at a local store first. But EVERYTHING is brighter than the fluorescents and since it lasts longer I can't complain
As for bulbs I was not too sure if they would work out so i got them at a local store first. But EVERYTHING is brighter than the fluorescents and since it lasts longer I can't complain
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written by KenZ, January 25, 2011
I had dimmer switches using 100W standard bulbs for which I couldn't use CFLs (no dimming). I ended up going high end and buying recessed lighting dimmable LEDs from www.qnuru.com (got the 75W equiv, "Agate" line). They're fantastic. REALLY expensive for now, but super nice. Compared them directly to my original bulbs, and like these better. Yes, they cost a ton, but for early adopters it isn't about price. It's about what I want. Leather seats in a car don't make economic sense either (much less a new car in the first place), but that doesn't mean that people don't pay a ton extra for leather seats.
Give it a few years and the price will plummet (just like CFLs did: I was paying $15/bulb in the early days). Until then I can report that for early adopters, they're great bulbs. Can't speak for any company other than qnuru for now though.
Give it a few years and the price will plummet (just like CFLs did: I was paying $15/bulb in the early days). Until then I can report that for early adopters, they're great bulbs. Can't speak for any company other than qnuru for now though.
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written by James, January 28, 2011
CFL's are poisonous, extremely! LED's are the only alternative that really makes sense to me.
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