Yesterday’s Nobel prize in
physics was awarded for “the
invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes which has enabled bright and
energy-saving white light sources.” Many people know the benefits of
switching from traditional incandescent lightbulbs to energy-saving bulbs (CFLs);
LEDs are an even better technology, although struggling to gain public awareness.
LEDs are much better than CFLs.
The slow warm-up time of CFLs meant some people were reluctant to switch over
from traditional incandescent bulbs; this is not a problem with LEDs. LEDs hit
full brightness on switch-on. LEDs emit less heat than CFLs, and are even more
energy-efficient. LEDs also last much longer than CFLs. While CFLs last longer
(8,000 hours) than incandescent bulbs (1,000) hours, LEDs
again trump the pack at 30,000 hours+.
LEDs are more
environmentally-friendly than CFLs, but LEDs can lead to big savings too. Switching
to LEDs could
save the nation 10% of its electricity bill, while the technology itself is
constantly improving. LED
bulbs are now available for pretty much any household light fitting. LEDs
come in warm white (a similar colour light to traditional bulbs), or cool white
(a sharper and brighter white).
Meanwhile, political debate in
the UK is centred on how spending cuts, especially
benefits cuts, can help reduce the deficit. The UK government can currently
borrow for 30 years (around the life of LED bulbs) at a cost of 3%/year. Research
by the Energy Savings Trust on LEDs in public housing suggests
a pay-back period of around nine years (p.24) – good enough to justify
investment, but a period which could be reduced further with technological
improvements and scale efficiencies. Investing in LEDs for public infrastructure
would be one way to cut the UK’s long-term deficit. Although borrowing will go
up today, since the annual cost savings exceed the interest rate, the public
purse would be significantly better-off in thirty years’ time.
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