Light emitting diode (LED) fixtures are quickly becoming legendary in both durability and energy efficiency. Despite their higher initial price, over their lifetime, LED lights are less expensive to use than traditionally incandescent light bulbs or more recent compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).

Because LEDs are solid state, they have no internal filament wire that can eventually burn out or break down. LEDs also operate using a scant 10-20 percent of the energy needed for an incandescent bulb to function at an equal level of brightness.

It is also a fact that approximately 90% of the energy an incandescent light bulb uses goes into producing heat instead of light, which can actually force an air conditioning system to use excess electricity to maintain its set room temperature.

In contrast, a single LED can operate for tens of thousands of hours without being hot to the touch, thereby outperforming the durability of traditional light bulbs by twenty to one or more. Light emitting diode bulbs can operate continually without any dangerous heat output, which not only could singe fingers, but can avoid potential fires as well.

LEDs also have solid state circuitry, which provides for an infinitely greater option of shapes and colors making them much more versatile than either CFLs or incandescent bulbs.

One LED can outlast several equivalent CFLs as well. It is also important to note that unlike CFLs, LEDs don’t contain the toxic element mercury. No environmentally responsible consumer can toss a used CFL into the garbage. These spent lamps must be recycled by hazardous material specialists; and any broken CFL must be cleaned up carefully to avoid releasing mercury into our soil, water tables or even exposing this contaminant to human skin.

Although LEDs have a higher initial price, the fact is that consumers will definitely come out way ahead by using them. In the past, some LED bulbs have lasted from 25,000-50,000 hours without failing.

And now the very latest technology has produced an LED direct replacement light bulb that will not shatter or flicker and has the potential to last even longer than 50,000 hours. This product has also been passed by Underwriters Laboratories, which gives it access to any facility requiring lights with a UL listing.

LED lights remain the superior choice for lighting our homes and businesses in a way that conserves energy while being earth friendly. It genuinely pays to go green with light emitting diodes!