LED Light Bulb to Last More Than 20 Years

Light bulbs that are said to last for more than two decades while consuming very little energy may go on sale later this year.

US firm General Electric, Dutch company Philips and Sylvania all showcased their products at the Light Fair industry conference in Las Vegas.

Using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) instead of filaments, the bulbs are meant to produce as much light as a 100-watt incandescent alternative.

However, LEDs are not usually cheap.

In April, Philips introduced its LPrize LED that will cost $60 (£37) - but consumes only 9.7 watts while giving off the same amount of light as a 60-watt incandescent lamp.

The company has arranged discounts with shops that will sell the bulb priced at around $20 (£12).

The new EnduraLED from Philips looks similar, but is said to be equivalent to a 100-watt incandescent bulb while consuming only a quarter of the energy.

Both Philips and Sylvania said their products are due to appear in stores later this year, while GE plans to sell its bulb early next year. The firm currently sells a 9-watt LED bulb that is made to replace a 40-watt incandescent, for about $50 (£31).

All three bulbs are meant to last more than 20 years, if used about three hours per day.

LED challenges

One of the main challenges faced by LED lighting manufacturers is dealing with waste heat produced by the bulb.

Although a lot less energy is wasted through heat than in the case of a traditional light bulb, some heat loss still occurs.

So that the intense heat does not degrade the long life promised by the companies, the lamps need some kind of a cooling mechanism.

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It is expected for the new Philips LED light bulb to cost even more than LPrize LED, which costs £37

GE, for example, uses what is called an active "synthetic jet" technology that produces an air flow inside the lamp, pulling the hot air out and creating a cooling air current.

Another obstacle used to be omnidirectional light - making the bulb give off light in all directions.

That is why in the past, LEDs were mostly used for spotlights and flashlights.

But now that this problem has been solved, they have to compete with other products used for general lighting, such as omnidirectional compact fluorescent lights and halogens.

Compact fluorescent lights are almost as energy efficient as LEDs, but cost a lot less.

Production of 100-watt bulbs has stopped in the US and Europe, while production of 60-watt bulbs has been stopped in Europe and is being phased out in the US.