A brief synopsis of LED bulbs
The LED lamp has been used now for a couple of decades. The application that is most memorable for LED bulbs is the indicator lamp on switches to show when an appliance is turned on. The use of LED bulbs for this application has been largely due to the inherent reliability of LED technology. Also the extremely small wattage necessary to drive LED lamps mean that the power consumption is minimal.
The main problem with the LED was that it could only produce a low lumens output light which did severely restrict its further usage. Over that last 25 years there has been a recognition of the potential of the LED which has resulted in depth research into the technology. This research has been most beneficial. It is now possible to produce high powered LED’s which has created market openings. The LED bulb can now produce light levels similar to small to medium sized incandescent light bulbs. Also the improvements now mean that the electronics necessary for the working of LED bulbs can now be fitted into the small casing needed for domestic light bulbs. The remaining hurdle for these products is the ability to manufacture at a low enough cost to make them economically viable.
Analysing the price of LED bulbs.
When LED bulbs first hit the market in around 2008 as a contender in the energy saving light bulb arena their costs where prohibitively high. Around the year 2007 at the point at which LED bulbs were launched into the energy saving light bulb market their costs were very high. It was between 2007 and 2008 when LED bulbs were initially produced as energy saving light bulbs but at this stage their costs were very high. As an example a candle light bulb which used the LED technology rated at 3watts would be over 20 pounds in cost. At this time a 3 watt candle light bulb would typically cost in excess of £20. 2 years on it is possible to buy the LED candle bulb of equivalent specification as low as £10 .
LED Bulbs are very good when it comes to electricity consumption. A 3watt LED will produce the same level of light as an old style 25 watt light bulb. Due to this incredible efficiency the LED bulbs will only consume 10% of the electricity of a traditional bulb saving a small fortune in electricity. Additionally LED’s will outlast incandescent light bulbs by a factor of 30. By performing a cost of ownership calculation then you will see that if you buy and LED bulb and run it for its long lifetime this will save you typically £108 , which I am sure you will agree is an outstanding saving. In spite of these huge savings the original purchase price of LED bulbs is high.
Cost prediction for LED bulbs in these modern days
If we draw a comparison with computing then it is plausible to see a doubling of performance every eighteen months at the same cost. In order to produce a similar lumens output level to a 100watt light bulb you would need a 12watt LED bulb. This means that a fourfold doubling in performance would be needed to produce this output which using the IT analogy would take 6 years.