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"While LED lighting has been used for years as power indicator lights in consumer electronics, for bike lights, in cars, in traffic lights and for outdoor lighting, recent technological advances mean LED light bulbs are entering our homes as a replacement for incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs. \nWhy is LED lighting growing in popularity? What are the benefits of LED light bulbs? And what's actually inside an LED bulb? We have taken a look at this potentially exciting technology to give you the answers to these kind of questions, and more. \nWhat is an LED?\nAn LED is a \"Light Emitting Diode,\" a type of semiconductor that can fit into an electronic circuit and carry an electrical current in one direction. \nHow do LED light bulbs work?\n\nLEDs are made up of two types of material \u2014 N-type material and P-type material. The N-type material is engineered to contain extra electrons with extra charge. The P-type material has extra \"holes\" it wants filled with the charged electrons. \nWhen the current is activated the electrons move from the negatively charged area to a positively charged area. This generates energy which is released as a \"photons\" \u2014 units of light. \nWhat is the benefit of LED lighting?\n\nWhile they currently cost more than ordinary bulbs, LED light bulbs can last 25 times longer than traditional bulbs. \nTraditional incandescent bulbs only convert around 10% of their energy output into light \u2014 wasting the other 90% as heat. LED bulbs lose very little energy in heat output and are approximately 400% more energy efficient.\nIn addition, LED is a much brighter light. LED bulbs can offer better intensity than traditional bulbs, and can be programmed to produce millions of colors as well as different hues of white light.\nImages courtesy of Philips Lighting"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2012/12/06/led-light-bulbs/>