LED lighting for the home is now a reality, for those of you interested in the most advanced technology available. A few months ago, I wrote about Compact Fluorescent Lighting (CFL) for the home, and this is my follow-up to that.
LED stands for “Light Emitting Diode”, and LEDs illuminate when electrically biased with an electric charge passing through their underlying circuitry. While Compact Fluorescent Lighting is light-years (no pun intended) ahead of the 100 year-old incandescent light technology, LED lighting is a new beast altogether. Take lifespan for example:
| Light | Incandescent | CFL | LED |
| Lifespan | 1500 hours | 10,000 hours | 60,000 hours |
Examples of an LED replacement bulb and spotlight.
Besides the extraordinary advantage in lifespan, LEDs have other advantages over conventional lighting technologies:
+ LEDs produce more light per-watt than CFLs or Incandescents, beinging markedly superior in power efficiency
+ Solid-State design provides superior durability against external impact damage
+ Dimming capabilities without loss of color tone
+ Frequent on-off cycles do not decrease LED lifespan like they do in other forms of lighting
+ LEDs usually fail by dimming over time, instead of sudden failure
+ Start-up time is very fast, within 100ns, making LEDs ideal for vehicle brakelamps
Some disadvantages of LEDs:
+ Price. LEDs cost significantly more than conventional forms of lighting initially, and their price competitiveness is only realized when you factor in energy-saving and lifespan costs
+ The light produced from LEDs are easy to focus, but difficult to disperse for illuminated an entire room. Recent advancements in LED casing design have reduced this problem
+ Blue and White LEDs are approaching intensities that raise concerns regarding the “blue-light hazard“, as defined by retinal injury caused by radiation exposure within the wavelengths produced by these lights
As a person that loves to be at the forefront of technology, I have great interest in LED lighting for homes. But when it comes to most people, I recommend filling your home up with energy-saving CFLs first, as they are abundant, fairly cheap, and extremely efficient already. LED lighting still has a ways to go before becoming a standard for the home. Use it sparingly, when you want to show off a particular room or lighting project. LED lighting for the home is a reality, if you have enough time, money, patience, and creativity.
A beautiful example of LED home lighting.
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