Typical compact fluorescent lamps have an average lifespan of about 11,000 hours. LED lamps on the other hand can last for more than 30,000 hours. Compared to the ancient incandescent bulb, our lighting technologies have already become significantly more efficient.
However, this is hardly the end of the road, and developments are still ongoing to further improve our already improved lighting technologies. One good example of ongoing progressive lighting technology is the Firefly LED, the light bulb that is advertised to continue to run with a very high efficiency rate for many decades.
The Firefly LED is currently the brainchild of the company that bears the same name in Austin, Texas. According to the basic advertised technical information, it is an LED lamp that is capable of lasting for at least 40 years, and could run on a 90% efficiency rate. The bulbs can be easily fitted onto the standard incandescent bulb socket, and requires no special fixtures for installation or assembly.
Of course, as it is not your typical light bulb, it is also presented with a unique design. It features a rather large heat sink around it, which is used by the bulb to divert 32% of the heat away from the LED lamp and make it work longer. It may look like you have installed some kind of a weird turbine-like thing on your ceiling, but I think it won’t really look that bad once you are used to it.
Additionally, as mentioned in this interview by Earth Techling, it does not need recycling. This is probably the most notable thing about the Firefly LED. There is a good chance that you won’t ever need to throw it once you start using it. Yes, the LED would probably start to dim after a few decades or so, but you’ll only actually have to replace the LED bulb that is inside the lamp. For a good 80-90% of its entire structure, there would be no need to discard or throw any component. It just stays there and will continue to work as long it doesn’t get completely trashed or broken.
The starting price for the light bulbs is around $35. Pretty high for a regular light bulb, but just think about how long you would not require a replacement for this one. The investment cost that you have paid for even just one bulb could be given back to you in just a few years. The time period could even be shortened to just a few months, if you consider the energy savings that it could provide you. Of course, the 40 year lifespan is still up for testing, but their theory seems to be pretty solid and reliable at the moment.
