LED light bulbs are not a new invention but currently they are a costly alternative to the more traditional incandescent light bulbs.
A report from London based Metro newspaper indicates that scientists have discovered a new method for producing the man-made material on silicon, instead of costly sapphire. In turn the cost of the light bulbs will be cut from £20 ($28) per bulb to just £2 ($2.80).
The bulbs can last up to 60 years, burn for 100,000 hours and are 12 times more efficient than conventional bulbs and could be on the shelves in two years. The impact to the environment and the economy is that offices and homes won't need to replace them for years and that could potentially cut energy bills by 75% within 5 years the inventors claim.
"This could well be the holy grail in terms of providing our lighting needs for the future," said Prof Colin Humphreys, who helped develop the bulbs. "The five-year timescale is a conservative estimate," he said. "I'm hoping the bulbs will be on the shelves much sooner."
40 Comments - Add comment