Hybrid Living

Major lighting companies are working tirelessly towards becoming the first to own the LED market.  The super-effiicient light source is the future of lighting, but so far, for most consumers the available LED bulbs have been too expensive and dimmer than the incandescent bulbs we're used to.

But that seems to be changing.  In the next few months, 60-watt equivalent bulbs in the $30 - $40 price range will be hitting the shelves.  In comparison, just two years ago, a 60-watt equivalent cost $90 and a 100-watt dimmable bulb went for $360.

Osram Sylvania is releasing an LED bulb in August that emits 810 lumens (similar to a 60-watt incandescent) that only consumes 12 watts and should last 12 times longer than an incandescent bulb.  That bulb should cost around $40.  The company is also releasing a 75-watt equivalent next year.

Lighting Science will soon start selling a 770 lumen, 9 watt LED bulb at Home Depot with a price in the low $30 range.  Other lighting companies like GE, Panasonic, Lemnis Lighting and Philips are all scrambling to hit a similar lumen-per-price ratio.

Why is $30 for a 60-watt equivalent an important milestone?  Well, first-off, the 60-watt bulb is the best-selling incandescent, so bringing an equivalent consumer LED bulb into an affordable price range is key.  Secondly, industry experts say that once LEDs hit $20, utilities could give them away to customers because the energy saved would cover the cost of the bulbs and would allow them to postpone bringing on new power plants.  So, getting the cost of these bulbs into the $30 range means that a $20 bulb is right around the corner.

via Greentech Media