New light bulbs could provide better access to cheap energy - 29/01/2009
A new form of low-cost light bulb that lasts for 60 years could help homeowners to pursue cheap energy costs.
Constructed at Cambridge University from a technology called Gallium Nitride (GaN), which is already widely used in LED lighting for applications such as bicycle lights, manufacturing developments have cut the retail cost of the bulb to just £2 meaning they could help tackle price rises from energy suppliers.
The bulbs offer several advantages over current market products and are three times more energy-efficient than anything available at the moment. In addition they can be dimmed and they light up instantly rather than taking several minutes to reach their full brightness.
Prof Colin Humphreys, head of the Centre for Gallium Nitride at the university, said: "We are very close to achieving highly efficient, low-cost white LEDs that can take the place of both traditional and currently available low energy light bulbs."
He added that the development could bring huge benefits to both consumer costs and the environment.
Many energy suppliers have sent out free energy-efficient light bulbs to help homeowners have better access to cheap energy.
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