A Canadian-made lighting technology that uses one-tenth the energy of conventional light bulbs could sharply reduce the power needed to light homes and offices.
The lights could save the equivalent of double the energy used by Toronto homes each year if it replaced incandescent light bulbs nationwide, said Group IV Semiconductor Inc. on Wednesday in Ottawa.
In testing at a National Research Council facility in Ottawa, the energy-efficient light can last about 50,000 hours, or more than 5.7 years. A normal incandescent bulb lasts about 1,000 hours; a compact fluorescent light about 5,000 hours.
To produce light, the so-called "solid state" lighting passes electricity through semiconductors such as silicon instead of gases used by fluorescent tubes or filaments used by incandescent bulbs. Unlike conventional incandescent bulbs, most of the energy used by the solid-state devices is converted to light instead of heat.
The technology was developed by the Solid State Lighting Project, a three-year, $9.1 million endeavour of Group IV, EnCana Corp., and Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC).
Sustainable Development Technology Canada is a non-profit foundation created by the federal government. Its $550 million fund develops environmental technologies for clean air, water, soil and climate change.
http://ottsun.canoe.ca/Money/2006/09/28/1911083-sun.html
The lights could save the equivalent of double the energy used by Toronto homes each year if it replaced incandescent light bulbs nationwide, said Group IV Semiconductor Inc. on Wednesday in Ottawa.
In testing at a National Research Council facility in Ottawa, the energy-efficient light can last about 50,000 hours, or more than 5.7 years. A normal incandescent bulb lasts about 1,000 hours; a compact fluorescent light about 5,000 hours.
To produce light, the so-called "solid state" lighting passes electricity through semiconductors such as silicon instead of gases used by fluorescent tubes or filaments used by incandescent bulbs. Unlike conventional incandescent bulbs, most of the energy used by the solid-state devices is converted to light instead of heat.
The technology was developed by the Solid State Lighting Project, a three-year, $9.1 million endeavour of Group IV, EnCana Corp., and Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC).
Sustainable Development Technology Canada is a non-profit foundation created by the federal government. Its $550 million fund develops environmental technologies for clean air, water, soil and climate change.
http://ottsun.canoe.ca/Money/2006/09/28/1911083-sun.html
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