$3 LED light bulbs coming soon…
Researchers at Cambridge University have come up with a method to significantly reduce the cost of creating LED light bulbs. LEDs use gallium nitride and requires being grown on sapphire wafers. The new technique allows growth on silicon wafer reducing the cost significantly from $28 to $3 per bulb. The big news for the bulbs is they use 12 times less energy that incandescent bulbs, last for 60 years, and they are far enough in their research that they could come to market in just a two years. Just imagine, in just a couple years you could be buying your last light bulb(s) of your life, unless you physically break them of course.
This this so exciting for indoor growing, my cheap LED grow box works great for the small space for seedlings. When I start thinking of expanding my growing area, the current LED prices make the start-up cost to illuminate a large space is considerable. Because of this I am forced to resort to CFLs as the more economical solution. With these innovations we could definately see indoor gardening much more accessible to a greater audience with this financial barrier lifted. via Gizmodo
Tags: cheap, garden seeds, growbox, led, vegetables
15.8 years ago
Do we get to see some updated pics of what you’ve got growing in your cheap LED grow box?
15.8 years ago
Yep, here was the last update. Since then I had some Roma/Early/Cherry tomato plants which all had to be moved into the bigger grow box but had some great dark green color when I pulled them out.
15.8 years ago
The Cambridge Professor was on BBC Breakfast News (TV) this morning, but the point about cost reduction wasn’t even mentioned, though that would have been the best point as far as most consumers are concerned.It’s criminal that it wasn’t reported! Well dome to bringing it to our attention – at least garden bloggers will be clued up on the subject!
15.8 years ago
I can’t wait. I want another grow light. LED lights are so cheap to run. Now if they would just come up with a cheap super capacitor, we’d be golden.
15.8 years ago
VP, well it did show up on engadget and slashdot yesterday as well so the geek population should know as well.Daphne, have you started anything yet with your new blue LED setup? So far I have been happy with my homemade setup and I would like to convert my larger box to LED setup when temperature warms up though worried about the number of lights I would need to keep healthy plants. Or spending few hundred dollars for more intesnse LEDs
15.8 years ago
Maybe this link would help you guys. Not really cheap, but still…http://cgi.ebay.com/FULL-SPECTRUM-225-LED-GROW-LIGHT-PANEL-110V-FREE-SHIP_W0QQitemZ180326191088QQcmdZViewItemQQptZHydroponics_Seed_Starting?hash=item180326191088&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50Regards,Soons
13.8 years ago
This is awesome. I would love to use this for grow boxes!