Energy efficient lighting on a grand scale - Auckland Harbour Bridge was lit with 90,000 LEDs in this 2018 display. Photo/Supplied
Energy efficient lighting on a grand scale - Auckland Harbour Bridge was lit with 90,000 LEDs in this 2018 display. Photo/Supplied
Luminously LED or incandescently expensive? Reset magazine columnist Ethically Kate answers a reader's question on the pros and cons (and aesthetics) of new generation home lighting.
Dear Kate, I can't get used to the aesthetics of energy-efficient light bulbs. Why do they have to be so ugly (and arethey even really worth it?)
This question took me by surprise. My home is lit with several LED bulbs but not once have I stopped to think "that's hideous". Perhaps my house guests have been too polite to mention anything?
In an effort to get to the bottom of this ugly light bulb accusation, I jumped on my bike and headed straight to my local Lighting Plus. The results were fascinating. But first, a little breakdown of what light bulbs I am referring to and why they are worth it. "Normal" light bulbs, the classic incandescent bulbs (the ones Thomas Edison invented in 1879), involve filaments that glow and produce heat and light. LEDs, the energy-efficient ones that have been accused of terrible aesthetics, are a relatively new kind of light bulb that have electrons that flow to create photons - which is the light that we can see.
A lightbulb for every occasion? Kate Hall considers the aesthetics - and costs - of energy efficient bulbs. Photo/Supplied
Incandescent bulbs last just a few years and use lots of energy even though only some of it is turned into light. LED bulbs use around 75 per cent less energy and produce hardly any heat at all. LED bulbs can last several decades and even though they're generally more expensive than incandescent bulbs, the savings over time can be huge if you're lighting an entire home or workplace.
Going back to my lighting store experience - I can confirm: LED light bulbs are no longer restrictive in style nor are they ugly! As I floated around the store I enjoyed the glow of LED lights in many shapes and sizes. Big ones and small ones. Round ones and long ones. LEDs that fit into lampshades, LEDs that hang above your kitchen island, and LEDs that light up your lounge room while you play Rummikub.
Energy efficient lightbulb, circa 2010. Photo/Natalie Slade
In case you're still not convinced that energy-efficient light bulbs are trendy enough for your abode, word on the street is that light bulb manufacturers are making more LEDs and fewer incandescents - you can expect more light bulb options to spark your interest.
