The LED light bulb is known as an unsung hero in the world of lighting
solutions. They feature in everything from digital locks, remote controls,
watches and microwaves, and when grouped together they can create vast
television screens and traffic lights. More recently they have been used in
traditional light bulbs as a more energy-efficient way of lighting homes and
businesses. Their eco-friendly credentials mean that they reduce power
consumption whilst providing a brighter and more consistent light than their
incandescent counterparts. This guide outlines exactly how the LED light bulb
operates and why this is so effective for so many purposes throughout the home.
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are essentially very small light bulbs which
fit easily into electrical circuits. They function entirely as a result of the
movement of electrons in a semi-conductor material, which means they can easily
surpass the life span of an incandescent bulb, which will work until the
filament burns out. A diode is the simplest form of semi-conductor. It is a
material which has varying ability to conduct electrical current.
Semi-conductors which have abundant electrons are called N-type material; in
this sort of conductor, free electrons move from a negatively charged are to
one with a positive charge. P-type semi-conductors have extra holes in their make-up,
and the extra positively charged particles it possesses can jump from one hole
to another, effectively moving from a positively charged area to a negatively
charged one. Diodes are a mix between N-type and P-type materials.
The interaction that is caused as a result of the electrons jumping
between holes from negative to positive charges (and vice versa) creates light,
and a viable lighting solution for homes and
businesses. The process also emits significantly less heat than incandescent
bulbs, which gives off light as a result of heating the filament to a high
temperature.
LED light bulbs can be altered to vary the colour of the light. By
changing the distance which the electrons have to leap, the colour of the light
is altered. This is more useful in the red or green lights on alarm clocks, but
with visible LEDs growing in popularity, there are steps being made to create
the diodes that are infrared, ultraviolet and all of the colours of the spectrum
in between.
The biggest problem currently faced by manufacturers creating LEDs for
public use is the upfront costs. Currently, energy-efficient
LEDs can cost around three times as much as a traditional
incandescent bulb, but the life span and electricity savings that are
facilitated by the energy-efficient lighting source mean that money is
eventually saved in the long run. If customers are replacing bulbs for many
fixtures at the same time, the initial outlay can be costly, but with LED
production increasing and improving all the time, affordability will be one of
the key areas they target in the future.
