Brief description

Light emitting diodes convert electricity to light in a tiny chip that's enclosed in clear plastic. Being 7-8 times more energy efficient than standard incandescent light bulbs, they are very cheap to run. The flip side to this is the fact they are very expensive to buy. Although LED designs vary, each LED produces relatively little light compared to traditional incandescent light bulbs and halogens. Lamps are produced by combining many LEDs into round shapes or strips.

LEDs have the potential to be extremely efficient and can have a life in excess of 20,000 hours. The technology comes in many forms such as lamps to replace the much less efficient incandescent light sources or incorporated into light fittings for a wide range of applications. The technology is developing rapidly and new products are coming onto the market continuously. Some cauution is necessary when considering using LEDs. The quality of the products available varies considerably from the very good to some that fail to deliver the stated light output and may reach the end of life in a relatively short time. It is difficult for most people to know which is the good product and it it recommended that LEDs are purchased from specialist lighting stores where guidance can be obtained. It can pay to consider established brands that are known and trusted. LEDs with a warm (3000 Kelvin) colour appearance are recommended for domestic lighting applications.

Advantages

Good quality light emitting diode lamps can be extremely efficient and cost little to run. They can also have a long life, often conservatively estimated to be 20,000 hours plus. From a household perspective LEDs are a fit-and-forget proposition – good for difficult to access locations, for decorative lighting and for areas where low level of lighting is required for long periods of time – such as down stairs or along a hallway where night lighting is needed to allow children to find the bathroom in the night.

Disadvantages

LEDs are not made in the same sized glass enclosures as other household lamps, and give off a directional light – so they are less useful for general room lighting or for intensive lighting of work surfaces. General lighting applications are some way off. LEDs are also expensive to buy compared with other lighting options.

Ongoing development

No other technology has the potential to revolutionise home lighting in quite the same way as LEDs. Think continuous strip lighting, light panels and other innovative products that last for many years. LEDs are quickly finding their way into street light solutions so it is only a matter of time before we are all using them day-to-day.