There are several reasons why consumers can expect LED light for homes to be the future of home illumination. LED light bulbs save consumers money by using less electricity, they are environmentally friendly, and governments around the world are beginning to mandate the prohibition of incandescent bulbs leaving a substantial vacuum in the home lighting market.

Pronounced el ee dee, LED lights for homes are the big brothers to those little lights on stereos, cellphones, and many other electronic devices. LEDs have been used in many applications over the years but they were never a viable replacement for the incandescent light bulb until recently. Innovations in LED manufacturing has seen LED outputs which more closely approximates modern incandescent bulbs. The technology has progressed to the point where we are at today, and that is, ready to use LED light to illuminate our homes. The article below explains why.

Cost Savings

LED light for homes makes sense because of the overall cost savings associated with their use. Traditional incandescent lighting is warm and inviting but most of the electricity is lost in the form of heat. Only A small fraction of the electricity is actually converted to light. This isn’t the case with LEDs. Close to 100% of the electricity used is converted into light; there is virtually no heat loss.

LED light is far more efficient than incandescent light and more efficient than Florescent lighting. Efficiency means consumers use less electricity for the same amount of light.

Below is a practical example. The simple calculation will demonstrate the costs associated with a standard 100 watt bulb and a 3 Watt LED bulb that produces an equivalent quantity of light.

Let’s assume a incandescent light bulb and an LED bulb stay on a total of 8 hours a day. American electric companies charge per kilowatt hour (KWH), which means, they bill per every 1000 watts used. This figure varies by state. A complete and current list by state can be found here. I’ll use Tennessee’s rate in the example, which is $0.19 per KWH.

Incandescent Bulb

How much does it cost to light a 100 watt bulb 8 hours a day for a year?

100 watts x 8 hours x 365 days = 292,000 watts

TN charges $0.19 per KWH, so now, convert 292,000 watts to kilowatts

292,000 watts / 1000 = 292 kilowatts

292 kilowatts X $0.19 = $55.48

It costs $55.48 to light a 100 watt light bulb 8 hours a day for a year.

LED Light Bulb

How much does it cost to light a 3 watt LED light bulb 8 hours a day for a year?

3 watts x 8 hours x 365 days= 8,760 watts

TN charges $0.19 per KWH, so now, convert 8,760 watts to kilowatts

8,760 watts / 1000 = 8.76 kilowatts

8.76 kilowatts X $0.19 = $1.66

It costs $1.66 to light a 3 watt light bulb 8 hours a day for a year. Compare that to the cost of an incandescent light and the cost savings becomes clear.

The LED light bulb saves homeowners a significant amount of money in electricity bills, but there is also another cost saving benefit. LED light bulbs are rated for 50,000 hours of use. That is an enormous figure when compared to the relatively short life span of an incandescent bulb. Not only do homeowners save money by using less electricity but they would save money on replacement bulbs because of the long life span of the LED light bulb.

Environmentally Friendly

Fewer replacement bulbs means less to throw away, so using LED light bulbs also help conserve and protect the environment. The next best energy saving option would be to use Florescent bulbs, but they are still less efficient than LEDs and they are criticized for their toxic mercury content.

Governmental Mandates

One last reason that LED light for homes is the future of home lighting is that world Governments are beginning to restrict and ban incandescent light bulbs. The EU banned incandescent bulbs a few years ago and are currently mid way through their planned, progressive phase out. They started with 100 watt bulbs and the 75 watt bulbs are next on the chopping block. The United States will follow suit in 2012.

Homeowners may not be entirely sold on the cost savings of LED light for homes, or the significant energy savings and homeowners may choose to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the environmental benefits, but a governmental mandate can’t be ignored. LED light for homes is the future of home decor.

Eric Crouch has a degree in Electronic Engineering and has followed the progression of the LED light bulb from its infancy through to where the industry is today, on the brink of a commercial ground swell. LED light for homes is not only the future of home decor but the future of lighting in general.

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