LED bulbs: The latest bright idea for lighting

The light bulb aisle at home improvement stores is an overwhelming display of options - CFLs, LEDs, incandescents, lumens and watts, warm light and cool light. That's not even getting into price variation.Sure, we're getting accustomed to the CFLs (compact fluorescent lighting), which are everywhere.Meanwhile, with little fanfare, higher-efficiency light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs are available for almost every application.LED is changing so fast that it's a full-time job just keeping up, says Preston Gomez, a certified lighting consultant and electrician at Sun Lighting, 4545 E. Broadway.
Products are here and more are coming all the time that have advantages over old lighting technology, he says. And, because of longer bulb life and LEDs' significantly greater efficiency - much more light per watt than incandescent or even fluorescent - he says the savings overcome the initial higher price.Porch, patio and garage outdoor lights. With lifespans up to 25,000 and 30,000 hours, these are guaranteed to last for years. If that's not a big enough plus, LEDs don't attract bugs so you can open the door without being bombarded by the swarming masses. Finally, they work well with motion and/or light sensors.
Although LEDs and CFLs are readily available to fit into standard lamps and lighting fixtures, the incandescent - despite some buzz to the contrary - will still be available.Market Research Forecasts U.S. Lighting Fixtures Market at $25 Billion by 2016.But the way you shop for bulbs changes.We've always shopped for bulbs in terms of watts which are "a function of power, not a function of light," says Levkowitz. Lumens are a measure of light and that's what consumers should be looking at no matter their choice of bulbs, he says.The oldest form of electric bulb is still the best for rendering colors accurately, though experts say LED is gaining ground. These are the bulb of choice for bathroom lighting where Preston Gomez suggests using light on the side of the mirror as well as over it. The best source of light for color rendering make them the go-to choice for applying makeup.
Popularized in the home market in the 1970s, halogen is a type of incandescent lighting, but smaller, more powerful than traditional incandescent bulbs, and sometimes dangerously hot. Halogen may still be recommended for detail lighting, making a feature - figurines or decorative objects - stand out. LED is gaining ground here, as it is also a compact light source, but much more efficient and without that insect scorching heat.