Commentary: LEDs for lighting, but only if it makes sense

While I was away in December, enjoying the delights of New Zealand, Europe moved a step closer to banning the energyhungry incandescent lamp. Legislation has yet to be ratified and will need to be approved on a country by country basis, but the clear intention is to remove from sale the most inefficient lamps, in a tiered manner, so that before too long it won’t be possible to buy most types of incandescent lamp.

Whether or not you think this is a good idea depends on your viewpoint. Purely based on energy consumption, it certainly sounds sensible – but only if you believe the numbers concerning relative energy consumption of incandescent lamps versus CFLs. Clearly, the mercury content of CFLs should be a concern, but apparently not to European legislators. Other groups point out that CFLs are totally unsuitable for certain applications. Their light quality can leave a lot to be desired, and can even cause problems for people with poor vision.

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This article was published in the January/February 2009 issue of LEDs Magazine.

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