The light bulb, little changed for over a century, is due for a major overhaul, and it seems this change is on the horizon in the form of LED bulbs. LED lighting offers much greater efficiency, amongst other qualities, and will in the future be the number one choice for homes and in various devices, like flashlights.

The world of lighting has been dominated by the incandescent bulb for a long while now. While they have seen some improvements, they remain very inefficient, and less than 10% of the energy that they consume is converted into useful light. The energy which they waste is evident in the level of heat that they produce, and the heat is one of the reasons that they burn out relatively quickly.

With energy and environmental concerns on the rise, a more efficient bulb is a necessity. CFL bulbs are a lot more efficient, and are already replacing incandescent bulbs in many uses, however, they have some drawbacks, such has taking approximately a minute to reach their full brightness.

LED bulbs are a better alternative in the long-term. Their only real disadvantage is how much they cost, but their price will come down as they become more widely used. Their efficiency is a result of their their special, solid-state design and way of producing light.

LED lighting works with the movement of electrons through a semiconductor material, which consists of both negatively and positively charged components. The positive layer contains small openings that ‘free’ electrons from the negative component can pass through.

When an electric charge is applied to the semiconductor, a flow of electrons passes through the openings. Since they are passing from a higher to lower energy state, they emit energy in the form of photons, that can be directed to produce light.

LED lighting offers many advantages. Being solid-state and without filaments (which can burn out), LED bulbs will last much longer (some can last up to 50,000 hours). Also, they are significantly more durable, and can withstand shocks that break other types of bulbs.

Since they are so much more efficient, they run at a lower temperature. This reduces the risk of being burned by touching a hot bulb, and also cuts down on cooling costs in the summer, since the bulbs are not producing so much heat.

In contrast to CFL bulbs, which take time to reach their full brightness, LED bulbs come on within a second or two. They are also able to be dimmed, can produce colored lighting without filters, and create a highly directional light, which is great for task lighting.

Their efficiency and durability mean that they are great for other purposes too, such as for use in flashlights. Since flashlights must contain their own power source, and are often dropped and exposed to other shocks, the efficiency and durability of LED bulbs make a significant practical improvement.

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See ‘Best LED Flashlight‘ for information about LED flashlights, including Dorcy, Coast, and SureFire flashlights, aswell as LED bulbs.