The incandescent light bulb has had a good run. More than a century after Thomas Edison advanced the science of electrical lighting, it’s hard to imagine life without it.
Today, what was once miraculous is outdated and quickly disappearing into the clouds of history, eclipsed by less expensive, more energy efficient technologies.
The improved efficiency and longer life of compact flourescent bulbs continue our transition to better energy solutions, but the toxic mercury they contain makes safe disposal an issue. The race is on to find the next, better bulb.
Launched on Earth Day this year, the Philips “L Prize” LED bulb is the latest contender in the light bulb sweepstakes. It is a state-of-the-art breakthough in LED technology, yet only the beginning of what’s to come.
Will you pay $40 for a high-tech light bulb that will last twenty years, lower your energy bill,
and be better for the environment?
Incandescent lights tend to be not very energy efficient that is precisely why we have to substitute them with a lot more efficient lighting fixtures like CFL.