Better than CFLs?

In the past few months, there has been a great deal of attention paid to promoting the use of compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). This is due to the fact that CFLs last longer than traditional incandescent bulbs, use much less electricity, and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This article talks of another technology, light emitting diodes (LEDs), that uses even less electricity than CFLs and is also cleaner than CFLs because CFLs contain mercury. As a result, CFLs have to be treated as toxic waste when disposed.

The article talks about Cree, a company in my local area (Durham, NC) that produces LEDs. They've struck a deal with the city of Raleigh, NC to use LEDs in parking garages, parking lots, outside buildings, and in streetlights. In addition to saving electricity and being more environmentally friendly, they apparently give off better quality light.

It appears the biggest issue with the LED technology diffusing the consumer market is the fact that LEDs are not bulbs and they do not go into sockets. They are actually semiconductor chips that emit light when electricity is passed through them.