Light bulb ban set to take effect

Found on CNN on Sunday, 15 December 2013
Browse Technology

Light bulb manufacturers will cease making traditional 40 and 60-watt light bulbs -- the most popular in the country -- at the start of 2014.

While LED sales are growing rapidly -- Voykovik said they doubled in each of the last two years at Home Depot -- most consumers still opt for incandescent bulbs. The percent of sales that are LEDs are in the single digits, he said.

Fluorescent lamps are still the best solution, no matter what LED marketing tells you. If only manufactures would make the actual lamp exchangeable, without throwing away all the electronics and use a little thicker glass so they won't break that easily and release the mercury inside. LED's, especially the high power versions, emit a lot of heat too, so they currently aren't a perfect solution either. Besides, there are places where a traditional light bulb is the best: like rarely used rooms. An LED there would take decades until it pays off; if it doesn't die before, that is. Of course manufactures are designing their products to last as long as possible; it's not like a Phoebus cartel would still exist.