LED lights are doomed to replace incandescent and compact fluorescent lights in the near future. LED lights first appeared years ago as the glowing red and green lights on computers and other electronics. These lights are extremely useful for the tasks they perform, and they consume almost zero electricity, but they could not be improved for household lighting use. The recently invented white LED lights is much brighter, however, it is quickly revolutionizing the lighting industry. White LED lights first appeared in flashlights, using so little power that the batteries now last up to a hundred times longer than with incandescent bulbs. For the first time in my life I actually like having a flashlight.
The first LED lights for AC lighting fixtures seemed to be handmade and cost about $600 per bulb in 2005. By 2010 the price was down to about $50 a bulb, with companies like Phillips mass-producing the first high-quality bulbs. Hopefully, the cost will drop down to about $5 a bulb in the coming years. LED lights use about two-thirds as much electricity as a CFL, and one-fifth as much electricity as an incandescent bulb, to produce the same amount of light. LED bulbs are often rated for 50,000 hours of use. Keep in mind that the most energy-efficient approach to lighting is to design your home to utilize LED lights as much as possible.
