The recent Physics Nobel Prize awarded to the Japanese scientists, Isamu Akasaki, Shuji Nakamura, and Hiroshi Amano for their work on blue light emitting diodes (LEDs) shows the extent to which the lighting technology has changed over the last forty years and the difference they actually make to the world.
Since the 1970s energy crisis, researchers have introduced quite a many efficient light sources, but they are now obsolete thanks to the introduction of LEDs.
For many years, LEDs were proving to be a very costly alternative to the fluorescent and traditional incandescent light bulbs, while also possessing problems like bad colors, poor dimming abilities and harsh light. But due to the latest innovations, the lighting abilities have enhanced and there has been a significant drop in prices as well.
Let’s get to know more about LEDs:
Structure and Design
A light-emitting diode (LED), is basically a semiconductor through which when an electric current passes it emits visible light. In simple words, LED is just a tiny light bulb similar to a traditional incandescent bulb. The big difference between them is that LED does not contain a filament that will burn out while getting remarkably hot.
LED contains P-N junction of semiconductors.
Typical LEDs are made using different materials such as aluminum, silicon, indium, gallium and zinc. They are used to produce different monochromatic colors.
The big problem faced was to create white light from LEDs because it required a combination of blue, green, and red. Until Nakamura, no one was able to create the first bright blue LED, who built it based on the work done by Akasaki and Amano from the mid-1970s.
These researches have made LEDs ubiquitous, with them now appearing everywhere from traffic signals to hallway exit signs to table lamps to computer screens.
Most importantly, the energy efficiency of LEDs continues to rise while manufacturing materials and design costs begin to fall. In fact, we even have all in one solar street light LEDs as well that run on solar energy, saving up costs.
Comparative Advantage and Benefits of LEDs
A comparison was done between LEDs, CFLs and incandescents to find out the winner in terms of costs incurred to operate for 25,000 hours at $0.12 kWh.
Here are the data for comparison and results:
Incandescent:
Price of bulb = $ 1
Average Lifespan = 1200 hours
Energy Consumption = 60W
Bulbs Required = 21
Electricity Cost = $ 180.
Total Cost = $ 201
Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL)
Price of bulb = $ 2
Average Lifespan = 8000 hours
Energy Consumption = 14 W
Bulbs Required = 3
Electricity Cost = $ 42.
Total Cost = $ 48
LED
Price of bulb = $ 8
Average Lifespan = 50,000 hours
Energy Consumption = 10 W
Bulbs Required = 1
Electricity Cost = $ 30.
Total Cost = $ 38
It is obvious that LEDs have an edge over other substitutes, and this is the main reason why LEDs are becoming so popular.
In fact, many organizations are also supporting LEDs because they do not help on individual level only, but on national level as well. They do it by reducing cost and saving energy.
You too should make this jump today and enjoy what LEDs have to offer.
