The term LED TECHNOLOGY stands for Light Emitting Diode. Modern electronics relies heavily upon LED light bulbs. For instance, LEDs transmit information from remote controls, are used in traffic lights, digital LED clocks, flashlights, and to form images on jumbo television screens. LED light bulbs are miniature bulbs that do not use filaments to produce light. Therefore, the life of an LED is much longer than that of a regular incandescent bulb, because there is no filament to get burn out.

Incandescent bulbs also tend to be much larger in size due to the filament, which must be housed in a vacuum inside the bulb. LED light bulbs last as long as a standard transistor used in modern electronics, and are lit purely by the movement of electrons. The simplicity and long life of the LED make its use very desirable for various technological applications. LED light bulbs are housed in a durable plastic rather than glass and perhaps most importantly, are much more efficient. In traditional incandescent bulbs heat is generated when activating the filament to produce light. This causes energy to be wasted on the production of heat rather than the production of light. In order to produce the same amount of light as an LED, an incandescent bulb would have to work even harder. LED light bulbs save electricity and lower electric bills.

Despite this positive scenario, incandescent bulbs are tailored to home lighting and will continue to be used until affordable, household LED light bulbs are available. At present, LED light bulbs are expensive and recommended for low-light applications such as porch lights or subdued corner-lighting. (An exception are chandelier LED light bulbs, which can produce a brighter glow because there are so many lights working together.) As semiconductor prices have decreased steadily over the past twelve years, the time for affordable, brighter LED bulbs is approaching. Prices will be offset in the long run by savings in electricity and the lifetime of the bulbs, which is reportedly 30,000-50,000 hours on average. Until LED light bulbs become more prevalent in the house, they will continue to light watches, traffic signals, and jumbo television screens at the local ballpark. Switching to energy-efficient bulbs would seem so easy, and yet there are many people who haven’t stopped buying incandescent lights. One reason for this is the upfront expense of CFLs, as they do cost more. However, consumers should know that not only will these energy-efficient bulbs save money on electricity bills, but they also may be longer lasting than standard bulbs. It’s also possible to find deals by buying these in bulk at warehouse stores likes. Some electricity companies provide a rebate if a person buys CFLs.

Other concerns some people have are that the bulbs won’t fit in older lamps, or that they can’t be used with three way lamps or light dimmers. It is very easy and inexpensive to purchase socket extenders for lamps that won’t accommodate a CFL. People can also find three-way CFLs and those that are appropriate for use with dimmers. These may be a bit pricier, but can be a good investment in the long run.  There is another form of energy-efficient bulbs that many may find especially helpful around the holidays. LED or light emitting diodes are now common replacements for the average Christmas or holiday lights. These also cost a bit more to buy but are typically brighter and will save money on holiday electric bills, in addition to using less energy. Each bulb uses less than one watt, per hour, while the standard Christmas light uses about eight watts. It’s easy to see how quickly energy use goes up when employing standard bulbs instead of LEDs.