Are Rs 850 LEDs better than Rs 200 CFLs?

Widespread adoption of LEDs in place of CFLs is being given serious thought. Delhi's CM has even raised the issue of handling CFL disposal.

While the government and the manufacturers were busy popularizing the CFL, depicting it as an energy saving alternative to common bulbs, experts were trying to figure out its effect on the environment. As it happens with most of the new technologies, the regulators overlooked the negatives of CFLs.
One of the constituents of a typical CFL is mercury, a hazardous element responsible for polluting the environment. The major problem is the difficulty to recycle or dispose off mercury in an environment friendly way.

LEDs are now being considered as the best alternative for CFLs and many think that it will soon be a passé as eco-friendly light emitting diode (LED) lights would replace them.

The LED lights were highlighted in the three days International Congress on Recent Advances in Environment Science and Technology, organized at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi (India). In this event, Prof. Avinash Pandey, Head of the  Department of Atmospheric and Ocean Science, University of Allahabad proposed to install LED lights along the country’s physical borders to prevent infiltrations as they are tough and have a longer life.

LED lights are multilayered semi conductor materials forming a lattice that helps nano phosphors to remain on the surface through solid adsorption. Nano phosphors help in allowing better scattering and illumination.

LEDs help in saving up to six times energy in a year in comparison with CFLs. They have better color refractions and have a better longevity than CFL’s. Although, the technology has a lot of advantages but the cost is much higher than that of CFL’s. A 3-watt LED bulb can cost between Rs.800 to Rs.850 but the advantages it offers include long working life of around 50,000 hours apart from being eco friendly.
While weighing the merits of LED lights over CFL lamps, Delhi government is concerned about already in use CFL lamps. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has asked the environment department to study the feasibility and viability of switching over to LED lamps in government buildings to begin with. The mater is of great concern as the city does not have a proper disposal system for broken or fused CFLs. The lamps based on nano material are encouraged to ensure sustainable development. The initiative will be conducive to provide pollution free lighting system with the help of carbon nano tubes.

NXP Semiconductors is one of the first semiconductor companies to recognize the significance of energy efficient lighting. NXP Semiconductors and Avni Energy Solutions together have agreed to develop street lighting solutions based on LED for India. The LED lighting market is expected to achieve a significant growth as the industry is undergoing a change to make energy resources efficient.

Image(s) courtesy
Flickr Zelent Kabinet