Now I come to the part of the green building wave that I am really excited about-lighting emitting diode (LED) lighting. I see LED lighting as one of the best opportunities-in terms both of energy conservation and investment opportunity-in the green revolution.
Referred to solid-state lighting, LED lighting technology creates light with less heat than either incandescent or fluorescent bulbs. Unlike incandescent and fluorescent bulbs, solid-state lighting uses a semiconducting material to convert electricity directly into light. This high-tech approach is known to immensely improve energy efficiency. LED lights are generally three to four times more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs, which means your green home, building or even local traffic signal-something LED lighting are increasingly being used for power grid reduction.
The best part of the LED lighting thesis is the pure-play investment options in the space. Once again, I am looking to be green both socially and financially. Let's take a look at two standout companies in the efficient lighting space. The first company doing big things in the space is Cree, Inc. The company develops and manufactures semiconductor materials used for LED lighting. The company's niche is that its semiconductor materials are based on silicon carbide, gallium nitride, silicon, and other related compounds.
