Step Aside Traditional Lightbulbs: Here Comes the GE LED Bulb
Would you buy a 40W light bulb at $50 if it would last 17 years and save 77% energy in its lifetime operation? That’s what GE’s new LED bulb, which is due to make its debut the next year, promises.
One thing is going to work for GE though: the US government has mandated phasing out of the incandescent bulbs from 2012 onward. In January 2012, 100-watt incandescent bulbs will no longer be available, followed by 75-watt the next year, with the 40-watt following suit in January 2014.
But then the LEDs have to contend with the Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) which are much cheaper. An average comparable CFL sells around $2 these days. Of course, besides longer life LED bulbs have a few other advantages over the CFLs. Unlike CFLs they do not contain mercury, scoring a major point for the environmentally conscious people.
LED bulbs also gain full brightness instantly upon switching on, an obvious advantage over the CFLs which may take several seconds to get to full brightness. GE LEDs will have uniform dispersion of light in all directions just like an incandescent bulb, and would resemble natural light much more closely.
I will not bet my money on GE LED’s instant popularity though. At 25 times the price of CFL it has to do better than about two times life span of its competitor. And I shudder at the thought of dropping a brand new LED bulb and seeing it break into pieces.
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