What are LED Christmas lights?
A newfangled way to save energy and money while you spread holiday cheer. LED is short for light-emitting diode, the technical term for a kind of bulb that uses less energy and lasts much longer than the incandescent ones in traditional Christmas lights.
How do they work?
Long story short, LEDs work without burning filament, the method used in incandescent lights. Instead, they release light using a semiconductor diode (don't ask), which emits light but very little heat.
How do they compare with regular Christmas lights?
They're much more efficient. LEDs use somewhere around 80 percent less energy. That makes them a good green choice — and we're not talking about pine-tree green. LEDs are often brighter and can be made with plastic bulbs. That makes them more durable, lasting up to 20 years in some cases. They are also cool to the touch, making them much safer than older Christmas lights.
How long have these been around?
The technology has evolved over years. LED Christmas lights started getting more mainstream about three years ago. The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in New York first used LED lights in 2007.
Who's buying them?
Who's not? “They're selling great, I can't keep them in stock here. And we ordered way more this year than last,” said — wait for it — Garland Frost, a sales associate at Home Depot at 72nd Street and Ames Avenue. “They're outselling regular lights 3-to-1, 4-to-1. They're just a better option.”
How much are they?
“They're just a little more than regular lights, two or three dollars more a strand,” Frost said. “But they also last way longer, so you'll get your money's worth.” A typical string of 50 lights is from $7.99 to $9.99, and many retailers are offering sales over the next few weeks.
Are there negatives?
Aside from costing more, the main complaint is that they look slightly different than old-fashioned bulbs. And with a lot of folks, a big part of Christmas is tradition. As more and more folks go with LEDs, though, the easier it is to get used to the different glow.
Copyright ©2012 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.
