Besting both incandescents and fluorescents when it comes to energy-efficiency and eco-friendliness, LED bulbs unfortunately still haven’t caught on because they’re still too expensive. And even with a sub $US5 price tag, the Pharox 200 Blu still isn’t the perfect alternative.
Does it have a life expectancy of more than 10 years? Yes. Does it consume a mere 5W of power? Yes. Is it free of mercury or lead? Yes. Does it produce as much light as a 60W incandescent bulb? Umm. A 40W incandescent? Try half that.
While the Pharox Blu 200 will cost you just under $US5, making it the most affordable LED replacement bulb to date, it only produces about 240 lumens of light. Which is almost half of what you’ll get from a 40W incandescent bulb. So Lemnis Lighting is actually positioning it for use mostly in accent lighting, and not as a replacement for every lamp and fixture in your home.
However, the tactic will certainly encourage consumers to at least give LED bulbs a shot, which despite the hefty initial investment, should provide ample cost savings in the long run. [Lemnis Lighting via Cnet]