The LED to End All LEDs Costs $3 and Lasts 30 Years
Thanks to researchers at Cambridge University, the switch from tungsten to CFLs, and finally to LED bulbs might move a little faster than previously anticipated. These researchers have developed a new type of LED bulb that could cost as little as $3 and possibly find its way in to shops sometime in the next two years. This new LED bulb uses only a third as much electricity as a CFL, and -- unlike the CFL -- they contain no mercury. From what I can tell, what these Cambridge researchers have developed is actually a new method to produce gallium nitride, the man made semiconductor that LEDs use to emit their bright, low-energy light. The new bulbs look almost identical to any standard LED bulb, and it's not imedidately clear that there is any major difference -- except that the gallium nitride is 'grown' on silicon wafers instead of sapphire. That crucial part of the production process can reduce the price of a household LED bulb from around $39.99 down to a much more reasonable $3.
[via CleanTechnica]
Comments [2]
Tips for a Green Thanksgiving
10 Tips for Making Your Home More Energy Efficient
Green Gift Ideas: Beauty Gift Sets
