Sometimes a person going out on a mission to buy all new LED light bulbs for their home will pause when they see the price tag. They cannot believe that LED light bulbs could possibly cost so much more than standard incandescent light bulbs, and the first thing out of their mouths is, Why are LED Lights so expensive? The truth is, they do cost more, but there are many reasons for this. One of the things people need to keep in mind is that LED lights are so much more efficient than standard light bulbs that they will surely earn their keep in a very short period of time. That is, the money spent on obtaining them will be made up for quite quickly in the form lower electricity bills, and the less frequent need to replace them. There are other advantages to using LED lights so asking Why are LED lights so expensive? before understanding the technology is putting the cart before the horse.
Cost of Production
Anytime a technology is in its early phases, the cost of that product will almost always be a bit higher. Take the microwave oven, for example. Some of the very first models cost over $3000.00 and now they can be purchased for as little as $49.00, and lower in some cases. This is because LED technology, while already excellent, is still in its infancy. As a result, the materials and man power hours that go into development are much more expensive. By the time the product reaches the store, it will almost always result in a higher price tag. As consumer demand is creating a need for more and more LED products, manufacturers are better able to mass produce these items, and this drives prices down. This is already happening with LED lights and the question Why are LED lights so expensive? is already a thing of the past.
New Technological Developments
There are many exciting developments being made to LED technology. For example, researchers from Purdue University seem to have found a way to utilize silicon wafers in place of sapphire technology. A lot of money goes into the equipment, man power, and facilities, whenever there is any type of technical research being conducted. According to these researchers, should this process work, it will cause the cost of production to go down, thereby, lowering the prices consumers pay for LED lights. There is no way to predict how long this research and development phase will last before the technology is perfected. It could be years before the general public realizes a significant price reduction, or it could happen next month.
Less Energy and Money Saved
With all the talk about how expensive these LED lights are to buy, some people are probably thinking there is no way they are going to go out a buy a bunch of fancy, expensive light bulbs. Well, for those people, LED lights may be expensive and even fancy, but they are definitely a better buy! LED lights use approximately 80% less electricity or battery power to function. This is a huge savings! In fact, this type of savings would more than likely make it seem as if the LED lights had paid for themselves within a matter of a few months. And the bulbs themselves will last as many as 50 times longer than an incandescent bulb. If you are tired of changing bulbs two or three times a year, try changing LED bulbs every decade or two! The initial investment is really nothing when compared to how much money having LED lights will save.
For the folks who are curious about LED lights, they are extremely easy to obtain. They are sold almost everywhere that sells standard light bulbs, in fact sometimes when they are purchased online there are additional discounts. Perhaps one day, this safe and cost effective mode of artificial light will be the standard. Why are LED lights so expensive? The bottom line is, they really arent!
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