Researchers at Cambridge University have been developing a new type of LED bulb which could revolutionize lighting for the home and for aquariums. Traditional LEDs are made by growing Gallium Nitride onto sapphire wafers but the new bulbs are made by using much cheaper silicon wafers. The change in base materials explains the reduced cost (about $3 for a ‘household’ bulb) but it is unclear how this current iteration of LED technology can last for decades and decades. The researcher state that prototypes will be completed soon and that the bulbs could be widely available within two years. Who knows how long t will take for high intensity bulbs are developed but given the potential of the tech and the increasingly efficiency minded reef population, we suspect these bulbs will be quickly adapted to aquarium use.
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