If you haven’t heard, LEDs are all the rage. As a former lighting designer, I have to let you in on a little secret – it is not new technology – it is just newly available to mainstream buyers. What is funny (at least to me) is that they have to use the same old, same old “legacy” product descriptions to truly make them mainstream products.

The box on the LEDs says this 60W LED will only use 10W of energy.

Wait.

What?

Is it a 60W or a 10W bulb (lamp)?

Oh, sure… no one understands what the lumens mean, unless you are in the industry or you’re an architect or a contractor and you have to provide a certain amount of light for your room. But, we all understand 60 Watt bulbs. It is the “standard” for your living room lamp, the bedside light and the bulbs in your family room torchiere.

I’m certain Edison didn’t invent the “naming” concept (some would argue he didn’t even invent the electric light bulb, ahem…lamp.)  Instead, that was the responsibility assumed by GE or Phillips or Sylvania when they started mass producing light – as a product – for the general population of consumers and homeowners.

So, 10W LEDs???  Well, sure; not only do they use very little energy, they last FOREVER. Well, not forever, but seemingly so. Let’s face it 22+ years is a long time for the average consumer to get behind. The only other commitment in the market that we make and is supposed to last that long – besides your marriage – is your house, maybe. So, sure, I will spend about (not surprisingly) 22 times the money to buy an LED vs an average incandescent light bulb (lamp) and it will last forever. But, no, it will not consume 60 Watts…

So, how many years will it take to undo the same old description of a product that we have used for decades and generations? Let’s take a guess and say it will take 22 years…unless I can help move this concept along just a little bit faster.

~ Dawn aka Hat Girl