The light bulb that will save us
LIGHTS THAT DON’T SUCK
Lights use up about a quarter of our electricity; they emit about 10% of all greenhouse gases. Newer LED bulbs, which are gradually replacing incandescents. use way less energy – about 90% less.
If we replace everything with LEDs, we reduce greenhouse gasses significantly.
President Obama reached a deal with China that’s supposed to start lowering the actual level of greenhouse gases by 2030. New kinds of light bulbs are one way to get those levels down.
Are LED bulbs the best we can do?
You’re not going to believe this but Norihiro Shimoi. from Tohoku, University, has been showing around a new kind of light bulb that makes LED bulbs look like energy pigs. He and his team have a light that’s made from flat nanotube panels. It uses about a tenth the amount of energy as LEDs.
That’s right. a tenth of the energy of LED lights. A hundredth as much as incandescent lights.
The Shimoi light consists of ultra miniaturized nanotube diodes with phosphor screens. Not only are they ridiculously efficient, they can be made with a very low defect rate so they might turn out to be practical to manufacture. Mister ScienceAintSoBad doesn’t know how soon these things can show up on the shelves at competitive prices. For now, it’s all science, no impact.
I’ll keep one eye on these for me and the other for you.
ScienceAintSoBad Rating = FT for Fascinating and Too early to say.
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The drawing is mine.