LED replacements hit stores empty of 100W bulbs

Source: AP-Excite

By PETER SVENSSON

NEW YORK (AP) - Sorry to see 100-watt bulbs disappear from stores because they were energy hogs? You can now get LED bulbs that roughly match the 100-watters for size and brightness, but use far less energy.

Until recently, your only alternative was a compact fluorescent bulb, which has several drawbacks compared with light-emitting diodes. Most people see the light quality as less pleasing, and the bulbs contain a small amount of mercury that's released if the glass breaks. LEDs, by contrast, don't contain any volatile, hazardous substances and are durable. They also last longer.

Osram Sylvania, a division of Germany's Siemens AG (SI), said Monday that it's shipping the first batches of its Ultra LED bulb to some Lowe's stores. The bulb uses 20 watts of electricity and costs $50. It's slightly larger than a regular 100-watt bulb, so it may not fit in all fixtures. Osram claims 25,000 hours of use, or more than 20 times the lifespan of a standard, incandescent bulb.

Competitors aren't far behind. Royal Philips Electronics NV plans to start selling its own, slightly brighter 100-watt-equivalent LED bulb at Home Depot's website starting in a few weeks for about $55. Startup Switch Lighting Bulb Co., with its unusual liquid-filled bulbs, plans to start selling 100-watt equivalents late this year or in January.

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Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20121112/DA2GMN280.html

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This image provided by Osram Sylvania shows what the company says is the first bulb that uses light-emitting diodes that shine as brightly as regular 100-watt bulbs. The bulbs provide an alternative to compact fluorescents. The federal government banned the production of regular 100-watt bulbs at the start of the year. (AP Photo/Osram Sylvania)