Light Emitting Diodes, more commonly known as LEDs, operate at lower temperatures, use less energy, tolerate vibration better and last far longer than conventional incandescent bulbs. They also do not contain small amounts of toxic mercury, an environmental disposal hazard associated with fluorescent lights. LEDs cost a bit more, but are worth their premium price in the long run. Here’s why:

Incandescent Bulbs Waste Energy
The light bulb, that marvel of technology created by Thomas Edison, operates by cramming a large volume of electrical current through a resistor encapsulated in a vacuum. This resistor, the tungsten filament, gets so hot that it glows white, and only the absence of oxygen prevents it from burning up in an instant. About 5% of the energy is released as light. The rest is mostly turned into heat, as we all know from burning our fingertips when we try to change a 60 watt bulb.

After more than a century, we’re still depending on Edison’s technology, but there are now cooler, more energy-efficient, and more “elegant” alternatives. In the very near future we’ll be seeing a lot more of them, mainly because they will reduce energy use and the production of greenhouse gasses.

LED Development
LEDs, are becoming increasingly common on both land and water. They first gained wide use as indicator lights, such as automobile and trailer tail lights, stop lights at intersections, and "ON" indictors on switches and electrical panels. LEDs for illumination, for lighting rooms, streets and boat cabins, for example, have not been as practical of an alternative until recently, because the light output (in lumens per watt of electricity) has not approached that of fluorescent lights or incandescents. That situation is gradually changing.

They have been around for a long time. LEDs were first discovered in 1907 by a researcher named Henry Round, who noticed a "curious phenomenon" of a schottky diode that emitted light. Nick Holonyak built the first practical LED in 1962 for General Electric and IBM used them as status indicator lights for their 360 mainframe computer in about 1964. During the 1970s LEDs appeared in Texas Instruments calculators, and lit up the keys of an AT&T Trimline phone. Today, LEDs are replacing traditional incandescent light bulbs in a vastly expanding array of applications. Due to their thrifty energy requirements, the federal Department of Energy estimates that LEDs will almost completely supercede the incandescent bulb in the not-too-distant future.

Early LEDs measured about .25mm across, and were low in light output. More recent designs are four times that size, and much brighter. Single high-output LED lights, like the Microstar and others, are emitting enough light to illuminate small areas. Clusters of LEDs connected together in combination with reflectors, diffusers and lenses, are approaching and will soon surpass the output of incandescent bulbs.

How they work
LEDs are diodes, semiconductors that allow current to flow in only one direction. Two materials are placed very close together. One side contains an overabundance of electrons (the "n" side). The other is lacking them, and contains "holes" (the deficit of an electron ) that need to be filled (the "p" side). Run a current through the junction, and light energy is released.

LEDs emit light of one color only, and the color is determined by the chemistry of the device. There are two primary varieties: Blue, white, green and ultraviolet LEDs use indium gallium nitride (InGaN). Red, yellow and orange LEDs are built from aluminum gallium indium phosphide. The two LED "flavors" operate at different voltages, with the blue, white and green types operating at 3.3V DC, and the red, yellow and orange variety running at 2V DC.

Until recently it was difficult to produce a pure white LED, requiring the mixing of red, green and blue LEDs, blending the colors so the combined light was white (similar to how your television creates white light with red, green and blue dots). A more recent alternative (and a big step forward) uses a blue LED with a phosphor coating, which “yellows” the light so the blended color frequency is white.

LEDs require a self-contained power supply, called a "driver" to provide a current-regulated power output (constant current over the range of designed voltages). Drivers allow an LED to be dimmed using Pulse Width Modulation circuits. Unlike incandescent bulbs, LEDs don't change color as they are dimmed (with white becoming yellow).

Efficiency: LEDs are very energy efficient and consume less power, with up to 90% lower amperage draw than incandescent bulbs. Replacement of a few incandescent bulbs with LEDs reduces the load on your electrical system including your battery, alternator, and power converter.

Cool operation: LED lights are cool to the touch and can be left on for hours without incident, since they generate no waste heat.

Longevity: LEDs are rated for service lives of 50-100,000 hours compared to 3,000 hours for incandescent bulbs. Most incandescent bulbs need to be replaced within one year, but an LED light could last over 11 years before needing replacement. They don’t suddenly burn out like incandescent bulbs either, but gradually become dimmer.

Reduced wire gauge: Due to the low energy draw of LEDs, the gauge of wire used can be reduced. Caution: Typical incandescent fusing requirements are too robust for LEDs, so fusing must be sized for the low LED circuit draw. Incorrect fuse sizing can cause damage to your electrical system.

Conclusion
New technology is pushing the incandescent bulb aside, and the Federal Department of Energy estimates that within the next twenty years LEDs will take over. We are proud to offer this robust and energy-efficient new technology for your boat.