Low energy LED bulbs to last 100 years

Graeme

emersonbiggins

The "long-lasting" LEDs used in traffic signals these days ain't werf crap.
Very few (<20%) of the lights I've seen are 100% lit; many have banks of 20-30 LEDs that aren't working at all, and this is not just one city, it's dozens that I travel through all over this part of the country.

So, will this be more of the same?
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Concerned · Light Sweet Crude Joined: Sep 23, 2004 Posts: 1548

SoothSayer

Bas

and unlike fluorescent bulbs, LED's will probably turn out to be much cheaper than incandescents Rolling Eyes

it's indeed a big step towards energy efficiency considering that lighting is still a very big part of our overall electricity bill.

A good LED thread always brightens my day.... Smile

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vision-master

I'm using LED lighting right now, mostly. Kind of a cold light.

Bas

WisJim

We've been using LED exit lights at the university where I work, for about 10 years (major campus wide retrofit, plus use in all new construction), and I have seen only a couple failures out of thousands of units. Haven't noticed ANY traffic light failures--maybe cooler Wisconsin temps makes a difference? We are now using a few LED lights in specific locations in the house where they make sense, and have gotten some "warm white" LED lamps that are a pleasan yellower light.

But there is also new CFL technology becoming more available--smaller diameter tubes in the spiral of the lamp, dimmable on "regular" dimmer switches, and a very nice light color. I'm getting some of them, will use the 5 watt in bedside reading lamps to replace the 25 or 40 watt incandescents that we have been using because we need the style of lamp to hold the lamp shade in the fixtures that my wife likes.

emersonbiggins

Bas

If you expect the grid and everything to go down, it might be wise to stock up on these though, a long with solar panels I suspect they will become priceless in such a scenario (I'm not an adherent of the total collapse soon -scenario myself though)
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gnm

buzzard · Heavy Crude Joined: May 31, 2004 Posts: 105

This "solution" to the coming herd of crises facing industrial civilization is like all other high tech gambits for mitigation-- spitting into the wind. The cost of money intensive and infrastructure intensive little "fixes" only distract us from what should be our real endeavors: Making large changes in our lifestyles; learning low tech and sustainable survival techniques.

Post some of those.

yesplease · Fission Joined: Oct 03, 2006 Posts: 2490

Minvaren

I'd be more than happy to switch to these, as soon as the price comes down a bit.

CFLs just hit the price I'm willing to pay (and are available in 5500K color temperature locally), so I'm switching to those a couple a month.

FoxV

There are also a few places working on "LED Flourescent Tubes"

Although nice an convenient (although you have to remove the ballast to run 120V AC straight to them) and not ridiculously priced (they do have a ROI) take note of the light output. These things produce about half the light of a regular fluorescent tube. This is also typical of most LED replacement bulbs. They often only have half the brightness of the bulb they are suppose to replace.

My experience with the new generation of LEDs has shown me that the technology has to mature a bit more. I often find the bulbs to be inconsistent in their specifications, and my whites are burning out all over the place (despite driving them below their maximum current)

There is also a matter of cost effectiveness. CFLs already have long lifespans and reduce power consumption by 75%. How much is that extra lifespan and power savings really worth.

That being said they certainly have good role to play in off grid, Emergency and portable lighting.

Also to mention as far as EROEI and stuff like that goes, LEDs are one of the simplest of electronic components to produce. The cost of Superbright LEDs ($1.00ea) should eventually come down to the cost of regular LEDs ($0.01ea). Add a capacitor, limiting resistor and a base (no glass required) and viola, you have a bulb.

actually just looked around and found some on ebay for pennies each. A hell of a lot less than what I've paid for them Embarassed

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