ElBedewy For Modern Lighting

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Recently, I was thinking about the subject I am writing about here, and I was thinking along these lines: To successfully invest or speculate, you must understand where you went wrong if you failed, and do your best not to repeat the same mistakes. Even better, to succeed, you must purely do what works at the right time, in the right way. I, personally think that is the hardest thing about any investment of any sort.

Genuine success of any sort depends on knowing every inch of failure and how not to do it again if you did it when you attempted to achieve success. If you can understand that statement, you can genuinely get somewhere. If you depend on initial luck and the “luck of the draw” in success, you really will get nowhere. In short, reality is understanding fully how to fail and not doing it, and instead doing what makes for genuine success. After all, people judge you for real successes, not the many temporary misunderstandings and failures that led to that ultimate real success.

In that sense, “We all love to win, but who loves to train?” takes on a brand old meaning. Failure, properly used is the ultimate stepping stone to genuine success, especially in investing, futures, and that type of thing and beyond.

I remember Thomas Edison and his quote that “I have found ten thousand ways not to invent the light bulb, and one way to do it.” That is the reality of genuine success in investing, playing poker or anything requiring cognitive understanding of when to act, when not to act, when to pull back and when to go forward. In brief, there are many ways to lose, but only one genuine way to win ultimately after understanding all those ways to lose: You work through to success. You do not depend on luck, you do not worship the first time making it through “luckily”, success comes through that trial and error understanding work. For those that think I am a pessimist and not the ultimate optimist in understanding the nature of all games requiring investment and future commodities of every sort in a genuine ultimate capitalist way, there is always the Bernard “Bernie” Madoff way of faking it until you genuinely fail, or doing what it takes to really succeed (like the ultimate genuine capitalist I am), which I genuinely prefer. Doing what it takes really, consists of not so much skill, but understanding how to succeed by finding every way to fail until success is certain. Why do you think Jason “Jay” Gould died a failure technically, and Abraham Lincoln is remembered as one of our greatest Presidents of the United States, because in his life, he found every way to fail until he did succeed while Gould, though successful in business most of his life cut corners at crucial moments instead of failing smartly. I get it. Gould died of a heart attack from the stress of maintenance, Lincoln had to be taken out by an assassin of the January 6th, 2021 sort that wanted attention in a sorry way. I get it: Win the right way, or else suffer a fate “getting away with it” gives you in the mirror if nobody else immediately knows what you lied about or attempted cheating at.

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It is always advised that the light above the mirror is soft (but not very soft), enough to see your reflection properly. If the illuminance is very low, while using it for vanity purposes, there might be shadows on your face. The light should equally illuminate your face, so instead of having one it is advisable to have multiple bulbs. At the same time, you shouldn’t be using fixtures as this also makes the lighting uneven.

If the light comes from different angles, all parts of your face will be illuminated equally. For example, while applying makeup, you should be sure that both sides of the face are equally made up, but if the light falls differently on both the sides you will never be sure if it isn’t really even or the light is showing it as such.

If you have a bathtub, then you should light the area with soft lights. You draw a bath to calm your nerves and relax and with minimum lighting, you can gain the feeling of being in a spa. In case you have a shower, it is better to have lights away from the water, preferably in the ceiling. It should never be a naked bulb, recessed lighting is a good idea as well.

There should be a lot of lights in the bathroom, but you should be sure that you don’t put it in an unplanned manner. Plan what use every corner will serve and light it accordingly. LED lights are helpful in this as they are cost-effective and bright.

In terms of colours, it is always better to use yellow light since it isn’t harsh. It adds to the aesthetic and makes the bathroom warm, a place to relax. You can also install a dimmer switch to change the light according to your mood and time of the day.

The mirror should also be placed in a way that during the day you have natural lighting. Design the interiors of the bathroom accordingly. There should be ample bright light, it is always great to have an option. Some people also prefer lights over the mirror, so make sure the size of the bulb is proportional to that of the mirror.

Shades over the light may obstruct its illuminance, so if you’d still rather have them, then you should use light colour shades with bright LED bulbs of a higher voltage, probably 60-80 Watts. But the most important thing to keep in mind is all bulbs in the bathroom must be energy saving and cost-effective. Nobody likes to pay an exorbitant electricity bill after all.

While making a bathroom in business places like restaurants and hotels, the interiors are slightly different. People frequent restaurants and hotels to break away from their mundane lives at home and office.

Places like restaurants, clubs and coffee shops require lighting that are long-lasting and can run long hours in the day cost effectively. Since they require lighting at all times and only seldom are they switched off, it is best to choose a LED that is energy efficient. People prefer to have yellow fluorescent LED, however, it is best to use a bulb of 60-80 watts. It makes it easier for people to see their face in the mirror and use it for grooming or touching up. If it is a single door washroom, it is best to have high voltage lighting, but if there are multiple cubicles with a powder room, make sure that is brightly lit. Malls and shopping complexes usually prefer white light or a mix of white and yellow lights. It is best to keep the cubicle medium light and the light near the mirrors to be sharp.

In Hotels, it is preferred that bathrooms use multiple lights for different parts. The light above the bathtub or shower space should have dimmers for the guests to choose their preferences. The main idea behind staying at a hotel is to have a leisure time and relax. Concealed lights are a good idea to create an ambience of relaxation. Guests prefer to have yellow bulbs as it is soft on the eye but is still bright. Over the seat, people prefer a small, soft light, so they can switch that on in case they need to in the night and it isn’t harsh on the eyes. Near the basin and above the mirror, the light should be bright so that the face is evenly lit. It is good to have ceiling lights with covers so that the light is not direct and harsh.

Lighting can create or break an ambience. Harsh lighting in place of relaxation (like the bathtub) can change your mood drastically and not positively. While we may undermine the importance of ambience in the bathroom, it has a lot of effect on our mood. And by playing with lights and styles, you can get the perfect ambiance.

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This intense, enormous project of working with energy techniques like EFT and kids with cancer in a hospital started when I was invited to participate in a Fundraiser for Kids with Cancer. I went to the fundraiser thinking: “Let’s see what happens?” Being open to all possibilities led to a life-long project that continues to expand and fill my heart with love.

It started out with a conversation between the head oncologist and me about Energy Techniques like EFT and the needs of these children beyond the physical treatments they receive. He commented on me trying it in the hospital.

I first showed the nursing staff how to tap because they are in immediate contact with the children on a daily basis. I wanted them to know personally what I was going to do so as not to be surprised by the funny looking “tappings” and “TappyBear” I would be using. I led them through a few rounds of tapping about their work stresses and we ended up laughing and relaxing. This beautiful connection between me and these nurses who care so diligently for these children established a basis of trust. I believe that connecting with the nurses has been “key” to success because they freely allow me to work with the children.

The children’s cancer ward environment consists of a waiting room where up to 25 parents and children wait for treatments and two hospital rooms with either 3 or 6 beds.

The first day I walked into the cancer ward, I felt overwhelmed. It was as if I had been hit by a wall of sadness, pain, misery and fear, the emotions that they kids and parents felt. One mother and her child huddled together in a corner. There were about 30 others in the room in a similar state. I felt that their perception was that they were alone, huddled in their own misery. It deeply saddened me, this lonely, isolated and depressing image.

The children and parents who tapped with me began to feel relief on many levels, emotional and physical. With time, and, as more and more of the children and parents tapped, the atmosphere of the cancer ward changed significantly.

Here are a few changes I witnessed:

– Four children and their parents laughing together over breakfast. It was so noteworthy that even the doctor commented on it.

– On another visit, the children played games, did puzzles, drew and colored, or played ball and constructed things out of Legos, together or on their own. There was laughter and much chatter among the kids.

– Parents had markedly reduced anxiety, stress and fear, which allowed them to be joyful with their children.

– Parents began to talk and share experiences and help each other out. One mother explained that before learning EFT she couldn’t help anyone else. She was completely absorbed in her own problems with her son’s cancer that she couldn’t even think about what was going on with the other children and parents much less help them. After EFT she felt empowered, calm and much more relaxed in the face of her child’s cancer. She now enthusiastically goes out of her way to help the children and other parents.

– The nurse’s work is more relaxing and enjoyable because interacting with children who are calm and accepting of them and/or their treatments makes their job easier and less stressful.

– The doctor and nurses observed improved compliance in the children as they didn’t miss their appointments at the hospital and took their medications more consistently.

Walking into the cancer ward now is a different experience. The ward feels light and comfortable. The ever present and seriousness of the disease still exists, but the intense fear of it or the inability to manage it is not. Laughter is now frequently heard in the cancer ward. These shifts alone have been worth bringing the gift of energy techniques and EFT to the hospital.

See “The Oaxaca Project” to read more about this labor of love.

Namaste

Deborah Miller, Ph.D.

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If you’re looking for a cost-effective and easy way to customize your car, forget installing time-consuming under-car lighting or an ear drum-shattering sound system and don’t waste your money on an expensive paint job – see the light with LED car bulbs instead.

From headlights and tail lights to indicator/turn lights and the humble dashboard light, LED bulbs can be used all over your vehicle, making this THE go-to choice if you’re looking for a simple way to upgrade your car.

So, how do LED lights work? Well, they’re not that different to standard light bulbs; the main difference is they don’t contain a filament. An LED bulb produces light by using the electricity’s movement along its semiconductor. This creates electromagnetic radiation – some of which takes the form of visible light.

That’s the science bit over, what you really want to know is why you should change to LED, right? Well, put simply, LED car bulbs are more vivid, consume less energy, are longer lasting, have a faster response time and just, well, they just look cooler than standard car lights.

The only real drawback of LED is that is isn’t quite as bright as bulbs with a filament, but you will find that the colour is more intense.

Let’s breakdown the facts:

1) LED is more energy efficient than regular lighting which saves you running costs.

2) But it’s not all about the money – LED bulbs have a faster on/off response time which means your visibility to other road users is immediate the moment you switch your lights on.

3) With a massively long lifespan of around 50,000 hours LED car bulbs simply outperform other bulbs in terms of endurance.

4) Say goodbye to boring white! LED comes in a wide range of rainbow colours from red, white and blue through to yellow, orange, green and even hot pink, so if you want to turn the inside of your car into a technicolour light show, then go for it!

5) The range of LED bulbs out there is huge. You can literally upgrade any of your car, van or truck’s lights. Don’t just go for the headlights – your brake and tail lights, indicator/turn lights, fog lights, interior and dashboard lights and side lights can all have a piece of the action too.

Swapping your existing car bulbs for LED bulbs makes your car stand out amongst those road users who haven’t yet seen the light and are still using standard bulbs, so whether you’re after a Barbie-pink dashboard or you want vivid white headlights, there’s a huge range of cars LED lights on the internet meaning you’re sure to find the lights you’re looking for.

Upgrade to LED car bulbs today and you’ll be saving costs, increasing your safety, adding value to your vehicle and making your car stand out from the crowd – all for a minimum of time, money and effort.

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DonJoy pioneered the concept of functional knee bracing over 30 years ago. They have led the progression of performance ever since by studying the body, listening to athletes, consulting physicians and pushing the envelope of innovation. Today, DonJoy braces are standard equipment for competitors in over 44 countries.

The ARMOR represents DonJoy’s strongest patient-ready knee ligament brace and is ideally suited for extreme and contact sports. The 1/8″ 6061 T6 aircraft aluminum frame of the DonJoy Armor provides maximum strength and stability in high impact and high contact activity.

Like any brace, there are advantages and disadvantages to wearing the DonJoy Armor that should be reviewed when comparing it with the new FULLFORCE knee brace.

The advantage of the Armor of course is the rigid frame and stability factor of the brace. Many athletes with severe instability of the knee utilize the DonJoy Armor for the most extreme sports. The Armor is also used as a protective brace and preventative support, when the athlete requires maximum stability and rigidity.

The price to pay for this rigidity and support is a heavier and thicker frame that may not be suitable for certain sports such as tennis, golf and running. The brace will also have a tendency to slip down with prolonged use. The addition of the FourcePoint Hinge adds additional bulk and a higher profile brace.

The New FULLFORCE design combines the two clinically-proven DonJoy technologies in one brilliantly performing brace. The 4-Points-of-Leverage System provides ligament stability and significantly reduces ACL strain. DonJoy’s upgraded FourcePoint hinge dampens knee joint extension, which increases flexion angles and reduces anterior shear forces on the tibia.

The result – less strain on the ACL and a considerable decrease in the chance of injury. Together, these two technologies add up to ironclad confidence.

Created for all activity levels, FULLFORCE’s sleek, low profile and exceptionally light weight have made it the go-to prefabricated brace for competitive and recreational athletes of all kinds.

An Anti-Migration band on the FULLFORCE anchors on the upper calf to prevent slippage. The swooping Thigh Cuff for inner thigh clearance is ideal for bilateral brace use. The FULLFORCE is essentially the donjoy 4-Titude with the new LoPro FourcePoint™ hinges, that do not stick out as much as the traditional FourcePoint hinges. Like the Armor Extreme, it is available in a short calf version for ski boot clearance.

If your sport or knee condition requires the most rigid support for maximum stability, the DonJoy Armor Extreme is still the benchmark knee brace.

If you are looking for a lower profile and lighter weight brace, the New FULLFOURCE should be of more consideration. Not as rigid as the Armor, the FULLFORCE still provides substantial support for most knee conditions, including acl, menisucs and collateral ligament instabilities. The FULLFOURCE is more comfortable to wear, and contours better around the thigh and calf. The FourcePoint hinge is indicated for acl instability, especially in repetitive kicking sports such as martial arts and soccer.

It is always recommended to consult with your treating doctor to determine the correct brace for your orthopedic condition. The content of this article is not intended to diagnose, treat any health problem or recommend any brace.

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LED lighting is the most eco-friendly, the cleanest and the most energy-efficient way to illuminate an outdoor or indoor space. There are plenty of style, use and cost saving reasons to install this type of light. Here are six of the major benefits of using LED bulbs:

Long life

One of the easiest benefits to understand is the long life. LED bulbs have a usable lifespan in the region of 100,000 hours. This has the potential to provide nearly 20 years of use with the light in use for about 8 hours per day. The low output level is one of the reasons for the longer operational life. Also, the long life span means there is a lot less maintenance work to complete.

Energy efficient

The LED bulbs are nearly 80% to 90% more energy-efficient compared to the traditional alternatives. The incandescent lights are less efficient because of the amount of heat they produce, which isn’t a problem with LED bulbs. The ability to save energy is most noticeable in large infrastructure projects, such as airports, railroads and cities. For instance, a typical airport has the ability to save about 30% more energy compared to using traditional lights.

Eco-Friendly

LED bulbs are entirely free of toxic chemicals, such as mercury, which can have a negative impact on the environment. They are 100% recyclable and a useful option to let individual households cut their carbon footprint. Also, this type of bulb can last about 25 longer than the incandescent which means there is a lot of material saved in the production process.

Durable Quality

The LEDs are built to be tough and durable and a practical option for outdoor use even in the most difficult conditions. They are built to be resistant to external impacts, vibrations and shock. The resilient nature makes the lights practical for manufacturing and construction sites. They are also usable in low temperatures without experiencing issues with normal operation.

Low UV Emissions

The LED bulbs produce low UV emissions and low infrared light. The low heat emission makes the lights a practical choice for materials and goods that are highly sensitive to sources of heat. Also, there are plenty of UV sensitive materials in art galleries and museums that preferred this light source.

Flexibility

LEDs make it possible to create a wide range of light effects. This type of light is dimmable for complete ease in controlling its distribution and color.

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One of the challenges facing professional recruiters and coaches today is how to discover the

real person behind the mask of the person they are evaluating. Most tests depend on words.

If you were taking the test, you can analyse the test questions for their implications before giving your final answer. However, you or the test interpreter can be at a loss assessing whether the profile created is the real you or a mask, i.e., how you want to be seen by others.

This inherent weakness of a word-based personality test led to the creation of the Luscher

Colour Diagnostic Test in 1947. The creator, Prof. Dr. Max Luscher, is a Swiss psycho-

therapist who is the world’s authority on colour psychology. He wanted to design a

psychometric test that was simple, universally communicable, and accurate.

Luscher chose colours as his test medium after realizing that there will always be differences

in verbal interpretation. For example, the word cold means differently when applied to

temperature or to the way someone speaks to you over the phone. Language is only as old as

the history of mankind. Colours, on the other hand, have been in existence since the birth of

the universe. Over billions of years, the meaning of colours underwent refinement. When the

human race emerged, colours were one of the earliest media on which there was common

agreement in meaning across all tribes and races.

When you take the colour test, you choose based on your feelings, rather than what you think

is the meaning of the colour. As you look at each colour, your instinct tells you whether you

like or dislike it, in much the same way that you taste a variety of food. You don’t think

whether a food dish is good for your health or not before eating it. It is your taste buds that

you obey.

Similarly, you try and guess whether there is a pattern in a colour test but soon give

up guessing because while you have always preferred red to blue, for example, you don’t

really know why you dislike black or brown. Because you let your feelings dictate your

preferences, your colour test answers are, therefore, more spontaneous and honest, compared

to how you respond in word-based tests where you can somehow predict your psychological

profile.

Each colour, therefore, has the same sub-conscious meaning to any human being. The

universal meaning of these colours has been planted in our DNA, learned after trial-and-error,

as we evolved in our natural history.

Yellow is the colour of the sun and the herald of daytime, when our early ancestors were free to roam to hunt for food and to search for new territory. Yellow represents adventure, cheerfulness and freedom.

Blue is the colour of heavens and, especially, of the night, when the body must rest and sleep in peace. Blue symbolizes serenity.

Red is the colour of blood and blood is critical to life. Red is, therefore, the symbol of action and energy.

Green is the colour of trees and of plants and plants turn into life-nourishing food. Green

represents abundance, wealth, stability, predictability and order.

While colours have a universal meaning, they also have a subjective meaning. Your colour

combination preference is dictated by your own values and attitudes. If you are an action-

oriented person, you would probably put red as your first choice. If you like a calm and

peaceful life, blue will be high up. If you are always on the lookout for new experiences, then

yellow would be at the top. If you are a person who values prestige and status, green will

appeal very strongly to you. Your colour combination will be different from others and so

would be your psychological profile.

One of the greatest values of the colour test lies in its identification of prevailing stress,

anxiety and compensating behaviour. Everyone suffers from some form of anxiety, some

more serious than others. We spend our lives full of worrying and these stresses show up in

our health and behaviour. The Luscher test reveals the true cause of our anxiety as well as the

next step to minimizing or eliminating it altogether.

The depth of the test result can be seen in this example. A very successful entrepreneur claims

he is very tired, working on most weekends. If we were his armchair adviser, we would

probably tell him to go and have a long vacation. Reviewing his answers in the Luscher test,

however, we identified that he had a very serious problem at home. The anxiety was that of a

failed bond with a partner and the compensatory behaviour was to suppress this failure by

pouring his time and efforts into his business. So the next step really was marital counseling,

not a vacation.

Through the colour test, we are able to trace the cycle of anxiety-compensating behavior-

anxiety-compensating behaviour that people who are under severe stress are going through.

They may appear normal physically but the colour test shows a different story. Many times,

when a person takes the test, his physical appearance may show tiredness and even

exhaustion. We can predict that the test results will also reflect this physical feeling.

Various scientific tests have shown that people with a specific test answer pattern are more likely to be

suffering from a certain health problem as well, thereby proving that one’s emotional state is a

cause of psychosomatic behaviour.

Unlike many personality tests, the colour test can be taken again and again. Since your

emotional state would vary over periods of time, your answers to the Luscher test are also

likely to change.

Psychologists and psychiatrists, especially in Europe, have been the earliest adopters of the

colour diagnostic test. The test has also been used by criminologists and army and police

intelligence units who need to do extensive probing of a personality. In recent years, the test

has also caught the attention of recruiters, personnel appraisers, coaches and counselors who

are looking for a more effective psychometric test to aid them in their work.

In closing,

* The use of colours eliminates the temptation in word-based tests to rationalize one’s

response and to project a desired image rather than the actual personality.

* The colour diagnostic test, having been designed primarily for psychologists and

psychiatrists, goes deeper into the psyche than do most personality tests that are used

primarily for career counseling or inter-personal relationships.

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LED lighting, which stands for Light Emitting Diode, has become the top choice for homes, businesses, organizations and governments that want to be eco-friendly and also save some serious cash.

These lights have become recognized for their excellent efficiency, extraordinary visual advantages, durability and their longer lasting light. LED’s have long been used in things like flashlights, circuit boards and other electronics, but only in recent years have they become much more widespread and used in just about every facet of life and business, replacing other types of lights in so many areas.

Many airports now choose LED lights for their runway and terminal lights. Due to their brighter light in a smaller form factor, there are great advantages to using these handy lights in airports around the world.

For example, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), replaced their old metal halide lighting systems with LED lighting. This swap has led to vastly reduced energy consumption, which in turn saves significant money in their budget, especially over the long run. Some estimates put an energy savings of about 75% on these swap outs. Not only do they save money, but the lights are also much more durable, thereby requiring less maintenance and less need for replacement. Another advantage is the lights are brighter and more programmable.

Hotels in Las Vegas, well known for their extravagant light displays, have also made the switch to LED lighting. In fact, one famous hotel and casino recently replaced their old metal halide lighting displays with LED lighting displays and their energy costs were dramatically cut by over 80%. This results in incredible cost savings for the hotel over the long run, helping profits and allowing investment back into other aspects of the hotel.

Another example is a chain of shoe stores in the Northeast US. This store replaced their old fluorescent lighting systems in all of their stores and replaced them with LED lighting systems. This helped save a ton of money for the stores since it cut down drastically on the need for replacements. It also allowed store employees to more easily adjust the lighting from warmer to cooler tones as needed for displays and overhead lighting.

Since LED’s can last for up to 15 years, there is a huge advantage to replacing old lights with LED’s. In some instances, LED’s can be a little more expensive in upfront costs than other types of lights, but with how long they last, these small initial costs are easily made up and far exceeded.

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Technological advancements have always been a boon and a bane for human kind. There are always some people who misuse and exploit technology and create serious problems for the rest of the population. One such invention is the computer that has become an integral part of each person’s life in the recent years.

There is a growing dependence on the computers not only by the common man but also by almost all commercial and professional agencies. It is widely used by the security and intelligence forces as well as research centers. The widespread use of this device has also led to a wider misuse and abuse of the facility. The invention of computers and the continuous up gradation of the same has opened new avenues to scamsters and fraudulent people. The abuse of computer and the related electronic media has led to the emergence of a gamut of crimes that have very peculiar features.

Definition of Cyber Scams and Crimes:

Cyber scams can be effectively defined as “unlawful acts wherein the equipment transforming the information be it a computer or a mobile is either a tool or target or both.” It can also be referred as “A crime in which the perpetrator develops a scheme using one or more elements of the internet to deprive a person of property or any interest, estate, or right by a false representation of a matter of fact, whether by providing misleading information or by concealment of information.”

Cyber crime refers to any crime that involves a computer and a network. More precisely it refers to the criminal exploitation of the internet. Another definition of cyber crime refers to it thus; “Online theft of credit card number, expiration date, and other information for criminal use is cyber fraud.” It can be also defined as any type of intentional deception that involves the internet. This can include the frauds and scams that occur in the chat rooms, message boards, and fake web sites and also through emails. It usually occurs in the form of deceitful solicitations and fraudulent transactions.

Significance of Cyber Crime:

Cyber scams are emerging as a real threat to the users and have become high-profile in their nature. They can be encompass all aspects of the individual’s life and include unlawful acts like hacking, copyright infringement, invasion of privacy, child pornography as well. These crimes have a lasting effect on the victims, especially so if identification or personal information about finances is involved. At times it becomes really difficult to prove the identity of a specific perpetrator of the crime which can impact negatively on the user.

Types of Computer Crimes or Scams:

There are a host of illegal activities that come under the purview of computer crime but more broadly, it can be divided in to two classifications: Crimes that directly target computer networks or devices and secondly, scams facilitated by computer networks targeting any user that is independent of the perpetrator of the scam.

Preventive Measures:

Most scams are done through e-mails. This method is very effective as the user is enticed to provide critical information like usernames, passwords, credit card information or other types of vital information. There are still other methods of cyber frauds which are on the internet itself. To escape from such scams one needs to follow some basic things and pay attention to preventive measures like:

• Never send money to people who have contacted you on e-mail or for that matter on the internet itself

• Never disclose your identity and vital financial information to strangers

• Never reply to links from organizations of which you are not a member of

• Never reply or click on to the link that declares that you are the winner for some kind of lottery or competition which you had never been a part of

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For most people, probably the biggest single factor against low energy LED lighting as a substitute for the soon-to-be-phased-out regular incandescent light bulb is the cost differential. There is no doubt that an LED equivalent light bulb (for example a 6w LED spotlight as a direct replacement for a 35w GU10 halogen lamp) is significantly more expensive than either the original or a CFL alternative.

There are however three important points to bear in mind about the higher price for low energy LEDs as compared to incandescent and energy saving CFL light bulbs.

First, the price difference reflects the fact that the use of LED for general purpose domestic lighting is still quite novel, though increasing manufacturing levels and consumer take-up will drive the price down dramatically once both come fully on stream over the coming months.

Second, and partially related to the observation above, is that the cost of LEDs drops by a factor of twenty over the course of each decade. This characteristic is reliably predicted by Haitz’s Law (very similar to Moore’s Law for computer chips and for similar reasons, principally because LEDs are, just like computer chips, pure electronic devices). Haitz also states that LED performance (amount of light per watt of electricity) increases tenfold over the same decade.

Third and perhaps most intriguing is the fact that as far as the cost of domestic lighting is concerned, the price of light bulbs is almost entirely irrelevant. It is an extraordinary yet easily provable fact that even if regular light bulbs were totally free and LED lights cost, let’s say something outrageous like $80 each, it would still be vastly more economical to purchase LED low energy lights.

The reason for this is simple: the cost of electrical lighting is the cost of the energy i.e. electricity. It matters not one jot what the actual light bulbs cost; it’s what it costs to run them that really counts. Also, since LEDs last for tens of thousands of hours (in practice, decades of use) you only need to pay the purchase price once, unlike regular bulbs which last only upto two thousand hours or just over one year.

The second biggest gripe about low energy LED lighting is light levels and quality, or in technical parlance luminosity and light color.

The concern about luminosity stems largely from historical notions of LED lighting applications such as LED Christmas lights and pocket torches which are clearly not capable of providing anything close to useable domestic lighting. However, you could right now purchase one of the latest Sharp Zenigata LED series of light bulbs which is rated at 80 lumens per watt (measure of luminosity).

To understand what this means, consider that a standard 40w incandescent bulb delivers about 360 lumens and a 60w bulb about 540 lumens, which gives a ratio of 9 lumens per watt. Anything that offers greater than 25 lumens per watt can be classed as an energy saving light bulb. Zenigata LED light bulbs consume 6.7 watts and thus produce 6.7 * 80 lumens per watt which is 536 lumens, on a par with the standard 60w incandescent light bulb.

So you could, right now, replace all your 60w light bulbs with Zenigata LED light bulbs rated at 6.7 watts and consume 1/10th (or 90% less) electricity. And remember Haitz’s Law? Because of performance improvements, eighteen months from now you should be able to obtain the same 60w worth of lighting from just 3 watts.

LED light, in common with CFLs, has tended to be a somewhat cool blue colour, whereas we are more accustomed to a warmer yellow white colour. This is something that is now commonly addressed with the use of colored phosphors (these do reduce luminosity but this is in turn compensated for by the ever increasing lumens per watt yields for LEDs).

The third factor that might be considered to weigh against low energy LED lighting is that the light emitted by an LED is intrinsically directional and doesn’t scatter in all directions the way that incandescent and fluorescent lights do. This is actually quite acceptable in a spotlight, flood light or bright reading lamp, but it’s not especially effective for emulating general ambient lighting such as a table lamp would provide. Though again, there are LED powered general lighting light bulbs becoming more commonly available that do a reasonable job here.

Two obvious plus points for low energy LED lighting are ease of retrofit and ecological credentials (other than simply saving energy).

LED lights are widely available for all common base fittings such as mains powered GU10 and 12v MR16 spotlights and the low energy standard base GU24 as well as regular bayonet mounts and Edison screw fittings. LED lights also don’t suffer from the many inherent problems associated with CFLs such as: noticeably poor start-up times; reduced lifespan caused by frequent switching on and off; and bulky unattractive bulbs.

But perhaps one of the most widely known advantages of low energy LED lighting over energy saving CFL light bulbs is that they don’t contain toxic mercury vapour or other unpleasant materials, and thus do not pose a serious health risk or require tiresome and expensive disposal procedures to protect the environment.

To sum up, the main perceived disadvantages of domestic energy saving LED lighting are cost and application (luminosity and color). Yet as we have seen, the cost of a light bulb is actually a red herring – the true cost of electrical lighting is the price of electricity and on this score ultra low energy LED lighting puts everything else, including energy saving CFLs, completely in the shade (pun intended).

As regards luminosity and light quality, LED lights on balance deliver a cleaner, sharper light than CFL light bulbs and offer far more flexibility in terms of color choice and brightness.

Finally, the biggest advantage that low energy domestic LED lighting has over its rivals is that the lighting industry itself regards domestic LED lighting as the future and can barely disguise its contempt for CFLs. Lighting giants such as Philips are on record as stating that they will not invest a single dollar further into CFLs and that their entire research and development efforts are now directed at domestic LED lighting technology.

Those who follow eco-technology trends are well aware that there is a world-wide phase-out of incandescent light bulbs already well underway and scheduled to complete within the next couple of years. Given international legislation to ban incandescent lighting and lack of support for the already dated and unloved CFL, it’s near certain where the future of lighting lies – with low energy LED light. And as advantages go, I’d say that one’s pretty compelling.

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