Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) just got brighter. North-Carolina's Cree, the largest producer of blue LEDs in the world (it coats them with phosphorus to make white light), is increasing the light output of its LEDs by nearly 50 percent, from 47 lumens/watt to 70 lumens/watt. For comparison purposes, a fluorescent bulb emits about 80 lumens/watt, but a metal halide lamp emits less than 40. (An incandescent bulb is only 17, but it's so cheap that it doesn't matter).
About 22 percent of the country's power is sucked up by lighting today, so as the cost of LED's become more competitive, they should take over more and more applications. One of these new LEDs, for instance, could reduce the energy consumption of a 24-hour garage that uses metal ahlide lighting by 60 percent.
