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Read the rest of this articleHome Depot gets on the LED light bulb bandwagon
Compact florescent light (CFL) bulbs have been popular with homeowners because of their lower energy costs and wide availability. CFLs can provide years of light but they also contain mercury which can make cleanup difficult if the bulb shatters. Many ignore the cleanup standards issued by the EPA and simply toss the bulb in the trash. In addition, incandescent bulbs will be phased out starting in 2012 and many people are looking for alternatives like mercury-free LEDs to light their homes. Home Depot is making a major push online and in-store for consumers to buy their low-wattage LED light bulbs.
Energy minded consumers have had to do some retail-related spelunking to find LEDs in some major home improvement stores. Cheap CFLs and incandescents still dominate the shelves while new entries in the LED market from the likes of GE may be priced as high as $50 per bulb.
Back in May, Home Depot announced their new and more affordable LED line called “EcoSmart” which included the 9 watt A19 LED bulb. Created by US firm Lighting Science Group Corporation, the A19 is rated at 40 watts and will last for about twenty two years. The bulb contains no mercury, can be recycled, and will work with a dimmer switch. With all of these features, the A19 is currently available through Home Depot’s web site for $19.97.
That lower price point may be another factor in Home Depot’s decision to bring the EcoSmart line to brick and mortar stores next month. Paying $19.97 for a light that may last twenty years is a lot easier to comprehend than shelling out $50.00 for a competitor’s bulb.
Considering that Home Depot is the fourth largest retailer in America, adding LED bulbs to their shelves could encourage a lot of curious shoppers to adopt the technology. The only problem is that a lot of household lights require a much brighter bulb than the 40 watts provided by the A19. So unless 100 watt LEDs hit the market at a
reasonable cost, shoppers may be lured by the price and familiarity of CFLs.
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Comments
Last weekend I went Home Depot looking for that LED bulb but the one I found costs $24.99 and it lasts 15 years BUT that is at a burn rate of 4 hours per day. So if you calculate using 25,000 hour spec and leave it on 24/7 it lasts only 2.85 years. After touching it I see why there is a heatsink on the bulb it's almost too hot to hold your hand on it. Five watts input give 220 lumens output the specs say.
Great Article, It's really interesting topic, i liked it. Thanks for providing this information to us.
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Good calculation and a logical point from JimO. Hopefully I'm still safely using the older CFL which I bought some years back so while reading the article I thought "this, is the bulb I'm going to invest in the next time I go bulb shopping" but the 20 years guarantee or warranty had me thinking. At what rate should we be burning the bulb if we want it to last for 20 years? If it does not contain mercury and is safer I'm sure customers will definitely buy this bulb but the company has to be specific about it's 20 years guarantee.