LED Light – Our Word of the Week

LED Light – LED light is not the light above your Led Zeppelin poster. That is a black light. LED stands for “light emitting diode.” An LED light bulb is the next generation light bulb. It has a lifespan and electrical efficiency that is many times better than incandescent lamps, and significantly better than fluorescent lamps. LED light was initially branded with some shortcomings (like unnatural colors, a constant flicker, and a much higher cost). The light was cold and bluish. But in a few short years, the technology has been refined, primarily led by Cree and Philips, and in many ways the versatility of the light has surpassed older technologies. The initial cost of the lights is a little more. But the tremendous efficiency (a small fraction of the power consumption of incandescent lights) and long life (30,000+ hours!) easily make the investment worthwhile. They generate way less heat. And when it comes Christmas lights, the time to switch to LED is now.