Website sheds light on LED bulbs

Online, January 14, 2010 (Newswire.com) - LED bulbs often overrated

Independent research by the Dutch Metrology Institute has revealed that many LED bulbs do not meet the claims. After measuring the actual light output of the LED lamps, and their supposedly equivalent incandescent counterpart, it was found that the output of the LEDs was overrated up to 300%. Such exaggerated performance of LED light bulbs will lead to unsatisfied customers, and will eventually harm the reputation of solid-state lighting.

The solution LED guide offers is an objective comparison of both price and efficiency of LED bulbs. The website calculates how much the new bulb will save over a period of 5 years, including write-off. With this information, people can find a replacement that has a good performance and will save the most in the long term.

"When shopping for LED bulbs, consumers tend to look at the price tag, assuming that the efficiency is equal for all bulbs." said Paul Vranken, founder of LEDguide.com. "By helping people make educated decisions, we believe LED guide will aid in reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions." Vranken said.

U.S. better prepared for incandescent phase-out

The idea for LED guide started in The Netherlands, where the incandescent phase-out started in September 2009 with the ban of the 100W light bulb. Though for the U.S. the efficiency standards will start in January 2012, they seem to be ahead of the EU in some aspects. Co-founder Koen Peters: "The U.S. already has a test procedure for LED-light products, including an online database with measurements of LED bulbs and fixtures. In The Netherlands the phase-out already started, but we don't have a standard yet."

The comparison service focuses on LED retrofits for the most common light sources, including incandescent bulbs, halogen spots and fluorescent tubes. They can also subscribe to the latest news on LED technology and other sustainable products.

About LEDguide.com

LED guide is a LED bulb comparison site that helps consumers with the question "Which LED bulb is the best, most efficient replacement for my old light bulb? LED guide (US) and Ledlamp (NL) are part of CUBIX concepts, founded by green entrepreneurs Paul Vranken and Koen Peters.

For more information, please visit www.ledguide.com (U.S.) or www.ledlamp.nl (NL).