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Bright idea will have to wait

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LEDs have clear advantages but the cost of making them has to fall before they can be widely adopted

The humble light emitting diode might have a bright future if backers of the technology succeed in replacing traditional tungsten and fluorescent lighting found in homes and offices with LEDs.

The advantages of LEDs are clear. They last as long as 100,000 hours, compared with about 5,000 hours for tungsten lighting. In addition, LEDs burn brighter and are more efficient, consuming about 30 per cent of the energy of a tungsten light bulb.

The key factor hindering the adoption of LEDs in homes is the higher manufacturing expense, which is as much as five times greater than tungsten lighting.

Richard Sy Yuk-tsan, general manager of Hong Kong-based LED manufacturer Cotco International, said it would be three to four years before the technology appears in the home.

'It will be like plasma TVs replacing CRT TVs in your home ... The only concern right now is the cost.'

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