How Walmart Brought Low-Cost LEDs To The Mass Market

The 21^st century will witness many trends, but one trend that is already plainly evident is the efficient substitution of intelligence and technology for raw materials. One need only look at the area of LED (light emitting diode) lighting to see how significant these efficiency gains can be. The typical LED bulb consumes less than 20% of a standard incandescent bulb. Despite somewhat higher initial prices, that is an enormous economic and resource efficiency gain. Meanwhile, technologies continue to improve while prices fall. A year or two ago, LEDs typically sold for over $20. Then earlier this year,prices fell below $13, with Cree offering a 60-watt equivalent LED (using only 9.5 watts) for $12.97.