The U.S. Department of Energy is holding a contest to get companies and innovators to come up with an LED that uses only 10 watts while having the same illumination as a 60 watt incandescent bulb. You could become rich and famous and have a bulb named after you. The challenge is all yours! From lightingprize.org:
DOE launched the L Prize initiative to spur development of high-quality, high-efficiency LED replacements for the common light bulb. Every year it is estimated that more than 425 million 60-Watt incandescent light bulbs are sold in the United States alone, representing approximately 50% of the domestic incandescent light bulb market. According to DOE, an LED replacement for this could save 34 terawatt-hours of electricity in one year, enough to power the lights of 17.4 million U.S. households. It would also avoid 5.6 million metric tons of carbon emissions annually.
At the International Congress on Recent Advances in Environment Science and Technology held in India this week, scientists agreed that LED lights are on their way to replacing CFLs.
CFLs Vs LEDs
* LEDs can save up to six times energy in a year as compared to CFLs
* LEDs have better colour refractions and luminous power than CFLs
* The loss of power transmission is less in LEDs than CFLs
* LEDs do not depend on mercury, a harmful metal that pollutes the environment and is difficult to recycle
* LEDs have more longevity than CFLs
(Source: Prof Avinash C Pandey, head, department of Atmospheric and Ocean Science, University of Allahabad)
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Tags: L-Prize, LED lighting contest
