Europe Bans the Bulb

Long the symbol of a good idea, tungsten (also known as wolfram – but that’s another story) light bulbs have been deemed a bad idea by the European Union.

As of today the EU has officially banned the sale of frosted tungsten light bulbs with the idea of moving to more energy efficient lighting. Also, clear bulbs over 100W must be transitioned to more efficient types by 2012.

Now the question becomes: how long before the truly efficient, long-lasting solid state LEDs (light emitting diode) dominate?

A mainstay in the electronics industry, LEDs have already emerged as the solution for traffic signals and many car tail lights – and we are beginning to see some high-end cars using LEDs for their front car lights as well. And, LEDs are considered a better environmental choice than compact fluorescent light bulbs because of the mercury content in CFLs. So, isn’t it just a matter of time before LEDs and their close cousins, OLEDs, begin to shine and show their true net-worth in lowering the world’s energy light bill. Stay tuned.