Are LEDs the New CFLs?

They are the ornamental fixtures that light up your Christmas tree and the back light on your cell phone. They use just a quarter of the energy of incandescent light bulbs and they last six times longer. They provide natural looking white light, and unlike CFLs they don’t contain any harmful mercury. With all of these benefits, it’s no wonder that lighting companies are feverously working on designing affordable Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) for household use.

Annually, lighting accounts for about a quarter of the energy used in the United States. This figure is mostly due to inefficient lighting technology. In 2007, California lawmakers considered a bill that would ban the use of incandescent light bulbs—the bill eventually failed but the state has mandated improved lighting efficiency.

The private sector has been quick to respond to the demand for energy efficient light sources. According to Cleantech group, a San Francisco based environmental research company, venture capitalist investments in lighting technologies reached $100 million in the first quarter of this year; just third to biofuel and solar energy. With technological advances LEDs are looking better then ever. They provide a more natural looking source of light (compared to CFLs), and they cost a lot less. Companies both big and small are adopting LED technology. It’s only a matter of time before LEDs become widely available in stores.