In-home lighting has come a long way throughout history, from candles and flames to incandescent light bulbs and then compact fluorescent light bulbs.  Now there is a new contender on the scene – light emitting diodes (LEDs).  However, can the benefits of LEDs outweigh the potential problems associated with them?  While the battle between incandescent and compact fluorescent lighting is over (compact fluorescents being the clear victor), the battle between LED and compact fluorescents has just begun.  Overall, LEDs have a huge potential for the future, but are not necessarily the best choice at the current time.  Here is a quick comparison of the differences between LEDs and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).

Benefits of LEDs Compared to CFLs

LEDs last about ten times longer than CFLs.  This will save you the time and effort of changing your light bulbs on a frequent basis.  Many LEDs will last for more than ten years of continuous use.

An LED light uses about half the amount of electricity as a CFL with the same lighting capability (sometimes even less).  This is even more important when you are powering your home with solar panels or other sources of alternative energy in an effort to reduce your reliance on the electric grid and fossil fuels.

CFLs contain mercury which can make them harder to recycle or dispose of.  LEDs do not contain mercury.  (LEDs are basically electrons moving along a semiconductor material.)

Drawbacks of LEDs Compared to CFLs

LEDs are directional, which means that they focus light in a single direction.  CFLs, on the other hand, are omni-directional and disperse their light in an array around them.  This means that to have the same effect of lighting a room with LEDs that you would have with CFLs, you would need many LEDs clustered together and pointed in different directions.

Currently, LEDs are more expensive than CFLs for lighting a room.  However, as technology advances, LED prices are projected to drop to more affordable levels for the average consumer.  One potential technological advance is the OLED (organic light emitting diode).  This technology consists of very thin organic materials which are then layered between electrodes.  The electrodes produce light when an electrical charge is applied.  Many people predict that OLEDs can have a significant impact on reducing the price of LED technology and might make it more affordable in the future.

LEDs have a “colder” light appearance than CFLs do.  CFLs tend to produce a more “warm” lighting effect which simulates incandescent and daylight better than LEDs do.  One possible solution to this problem is the use of OLEDs in the future.  The OLED (organic light emitting diode) produces a warmer light than a traditional LED would.