LED there be light

The need for energy efficient electronics has never been so acute. In fact,the quest for energy efficient and cheap electronic products has become one of the biggest challenges of modern times. However,the good news is that technology has started evolving,discovering newer ways of conserving energy every day.

Around the world,Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) have been replacing conventional bulbs for some time. The Indian Government has also been pushing for more CFL households through campaigns and concessions. But it looks like even the CFL is ready to be upstaged by the more efficient and user-friendly LEDs (light-emitting diode).
LEDs were invented in Russia in the 1920s and introduced in the US as a practical electronic component in 1962. The technology was initially very expensive,but constant improvements and increased use mean LEDs today are not only reliable but also affordable.

The Indian market has not yet brightened up to LEDs. The first major player seems to be Philips,which recently launched a whole range aimed at taking LED technology to consumer households. The Philips range—DecoLED,LED Candle,LED Nitelite,LED Flash Light and Imageo—is user friendly and elegant with additional features such as saturated colours and digital control along with the all-important energy efficiency. These new generation LEDs have a very long lifetime,are weather-proof and UV resistant,have unbreakable plastic bulbs and are safe to use. They also come in compact sizes,can be programmed and controlled digitally and emit no Ultra Violet or Infra Red radiation. The lights also work on low voltage and produce very little heat.

“Philips is currently in the process of setting up a pan-India distribution network that specialises in decorative lighting. To begin with,we plan to cover the top 35 cities (in India) by the end of 2009,” explains Mathew Job,Senior Marketing Director (Lighting) at Philips Electronics India Ltd.

But helping the environment no longer means a compromise on design or aesthetics. People using the Philips Decorative Home Lighting Collection,for instance,can be safe in the knowledge that their homes look good while they do their bit for the environment. The Philips range will be available at leading lighting stores across the country for as low as Rs 250— the high-end products will be priced up to Rs 20,000.

Another player is GlacialTech Inc,which through its sub-brand GlacialLight has come up with the T8 Tubes,ideal for replacing CFLs and traditional incandescent lighting. Not only do the T8 Tubes offer a more green lighting solution,they are also certified heavy metal free. The T8 LED Lights ( 2 feet,8 watts ) are available for Rs 2,500 + taxes.

The GlacialLight Light Bar,another of the company’s innovations,can be dimmed without the risk of breakage and spread light uniformly across a narrow bar,similar to CFL tubes. The Light Bar has a built-in driver for voltage regulation,with special non-polar connection links,so that many such bars can be connected in series. The products come in eight different models from 30 to 120 cm. A unique feature of the Light Bar is that it includes different connectors that can be added as spacers between the bars. Each connector can be used in different situations giving the bars more form and function. A one-foot LED Light Bar is available for Rs 2,000 + taxes.

GlacialTech is also developing a comprehensive range of products under the GlacialLight brand,stretching from streetlighting solutions to all forms of industrial and

architectural lighting.
So,now you have the option to go green at home. Just switch on to LEDs when you think it is time you started erasing your carbon footprint.

WHAT ARE LEDS?
*A light-emitting diode (LED) is an electronic light source invented by radio technician Oleg Vladimirovich Losev who noticed that diodes used in radio receivers emitted light when current was passed through them.
*While early devices emitted low-intensity red light,modern LEDs are available across the visible,ultraviolet and infra red wavelengths,with very high brightness.
*LEDs are based on the semiconductor diode. When the diode is switched on,electrons are able to recombine with holes and energy is released in the form of light. This effect is called electroluminescence and the colour of the light is determined by the energy gap of the semiconductor.
*LEDs present many advantages over traditional light sources including lower energy consumption,longer lifetime,improved robustness,smaller size and faster switching. However,they are relatively expensive and require more precise current and heat management than traditional light sources.
*The compact size of LEDs has allowed new text and video displays and sensors to be developed,while their high switching rates are useful in communications technology.