A Brief History of Light

While it may be a bit of a reach to make the statement that LED lighting has changed the world, the fact is, the benefits offered by these tiny, multi-colored bulbs are quite impressive. Just a few years ago, LED light only resided in certain electronic devices. This was mainly a result of the high cost of the bulbs. Today, light-emitting diodes can be found in a number of applications. From car headlights to holiday decorations in [city], this long lasting, affordable option for lighting has revolutionized the entire industry.

The Accidental Discovery

Development of new innovations often lead to the creation of the unexpected. The LED bulb was the result of one of these unexpected accidents. In the early 1960s, the competition among researches was fierce to create the first variance of solid state laser technology. Gary Pittman and Bob Biard, a pair of innovative researchers, began to use p-n junctions and semiconductors for controlling lasers. The discovery of the extremely bright LED bulb made its debut in the fall of 1961.

Reinventing the Lightbulb

Edison created the first light bulb, which at the time, was an impressive innovation. As more technology emerged, many scientists and researchers began to wonder if there was a better way. Manufacturers of electronics often have issues with incandescent lights, simply because they didn’t work as efficiently. The hot, dim and fragile build simply did not have the desired durability or longevity.

An engineer from GE, Nick Holonyak, was the first to build a light emitting diode (LED) that created visible light. Inadvertently, this unknowing scientist revolutionized the entire future of the light bulb and lighting. The earliest LED lights only emitted an infrared or colored light, but the stage had been set for bigger things.

When the 1990s came, LEDs were able to create visible white light and used in a number of applications. LED technology was then integrated into television screens and other types of hand-held devices.

A Better and More Affordable Option

The first LED lights were extremely expensive. These were patented by Texas Instruments and cost more than $100 per bulb. IBM then purchased the infrared LEDs for use in computer punch card readers. When the 1970s rolled around, the LED bulbs cost had fallen quite a bit, since manufacturers had discovered even more uses for the bulbs.

By 1990 the cost of LED bulbs fell to about 10 cents for each lumen from the $10 range per lumen, which was present in the 1970s. Continued innovations and the discovery of new applications for LED lights in [city] are helping to minimize the cost further, which makes this bulb a smart and efficient option for lighting homes or businesses.

There is no question LED light has moved forward quite a bit since their development in 1960. Today, they are beginning to phase out more traditional bulbs, due to their affordable cost and variety of options. There is no question that thanks to LED lighting, the future for [city] is bright.