Note: LEDs take a significant lead and assure their dominance over CFLs, as long as prices can be brought down. Even if 150 lumens/watt isn't attainable in the near future, a doubling to 60 lumens/watt would leave CFLs in the dust.
Based on life-cycle assessments, LEDs are about as energy efficient as CFLs when you take into account their whole life-cycle. But that seems likely to change since LED lighting technology is still maturing and improving quite fast and fluorescent technology is unlikely to improve enough to catch up.
The U.S. Department of Energy has already released a few life-cycle assessments (LCA) of LED lights (see here and herefor a Carnegie Mellon study), and LED maker Osram has just released a new LCA study conducted by the Siemens Corporate Technology Centre for Eco Innovations.
Carnegie Mellon and Osram studies found that production is a relatively small portion of the total life-cycle impact of the different lightbulb technologies. From the Osram study: "[with LEDs and CFLs] over 98% of the energy used is consumed to generate light. Less than two percent is allocated to production. This dismisses any concern that manufacturing of LED particularly might be very energy-intensive."
When comparing LEDs that produce about 30 lumens/watt to CFLs, the results are very close, and for all practical purposes, we can say that LEDs are as energy efficient as CFLs. But LEDs are still improving and they do not contain mercury, which makes their disposal less hazardous than CFLs. The Carnegie Mellon study predicts that efficiencies of 150 lumens/watt are possible for LEDs.
Gopal Krishna
Taiwan-based NuLight Corporation plans to invest $200 million (around Rs 900 crore) on setting up a light emitting diode (LED) manufacturing unit in the state. The unit will manufacture LED street lamps and household bulbs.
"Initially, we will invest $10 million and later scale it up to $900 million on the LED manufacturing unit in the state. Orissa as well as India has a vast market for LED street lamps and household bulbs. It will be cost-effective and energy-efficient", S S Lin, chairman of NuLight Corporation said at a press meet held on the occasion of 'Invest Bhubaneswar-Orissa Symposium'.
The company also intends to set up an R&D (Research and Development) centre in the state on LED systems. Lin claimed that LED lighting systems can bring down power consumption by 70-80 per cent.
Daniel Lin, director, NuLight Corporation said, "We also have plans to build a green township in the state but details have not been finalized."
USA-based Rushab Ship International has entered into talks with the state government to introduce a passenger-cum-cargo cruise from Puri to Kolkata in the next three to six months with an investment of Rs 100 crore.
Rashmikant Kamdar, president, Rushab Ship International said "We are having one or two vessels for this purpose. We are in talks with the state government and expect to finalize the deal soon." The cruise can be used for multi purpose ferrying-both passengers and cargo. There will also be an entertainment facility for the passengers.
Kamdar announced that his company is planning a ship breaking facility in the state. "The Oriya labourers are working as ship breakers in Alang in Gujarat. They can be employed in the ship breaking facility in the state", he stated.
The dignitaries participating in the Invest Bhubaneswar-Orissa Symposium' also held talks with the state Chief Secretary B K Pattnaik and IT secretary today. It has been decided to form task force consisting of officials of the state government and IT Industry leaders on framing a new IT and Semiconductor policy for the state. This policy is set to be modeled on a similar policy formulated by the Karnataka government.
The city-based C V Raman Group of Institutions has entered into an agreement with the Best Western Group to set up a hotel management college in Odisha. Best Western President and Chief Operating Officer, Sudhir Sinha said, Bhubaneswar is going to be a major destination for business activities in the near future.
"There is a huge shortage of trained staff for the hotel industry. This new institute will train professionals for the hotel industry", he said.
The state minister for tourism & culture Debi Prasad Mishra said, a delegation of the Orissa government along with the professionals of Invest Bhubaneswar will visit Silicon Valley in May 2011. Similarly, the team will visit Dallas, Dubai, Sydney, Taipei, Israel and other parts of the world to attract investors.
"More than 12 deals between Orissa's young entrepreneurs and global investors took place to set up new ventures in the state. The investors are from Silicon Valley USA, Spain, Japan, Taiwan, Israel and UK", he added.
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