Light Bulb Acronym Soup
Now that I replaced nearly all of my standard light bulbs with compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs, all the cool kids are switching to light emitting diodes (LEDs). The Minneapolis Star Tribune recently reported on the costs and advantages of LEDs. Many of the large national retailers are carrying LEDs along with their supplies of CFL bulbs.
CFL bulbs use only 25% of the electricity of an equivalent incandescent bulb but LEDs use even less – about 10%. Unfortunately, LEDs also cost more. Most are in the $9-20 range but some are $70 per bulb. They last 20 years, so you won't need to buy many, but that is a long payback time for a light bulb. Like CFLs, one big complaint about LEDs is color (blue vs. traditional yellow). LEDs also emit light “directionally,” meaning they aren't available for all types of fixtures. Unlike CFLs, LEDs do not contain mercury.
If you're not quite ready to switch, commercial building owners are starting to buy LEDs in bulk (e.g., Wal-Mart). Large commercial purchases will start to drive down the cost of the bulbs and make them more affordable for you and me.
I'm buying my first LED Christmas lights this year. I'm going to slip them onto the tree and see if anybody notices. I'll report back on cost and appearance.
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