chinese researchers improve white LEDs

The article claims they are making them cheaper but doesn't really discuss it much other than mentioning using plastic like materials. They do state they have made them put out 50% more light (so I guess you can claim you'd need fewer LEDs per bulb and thus cheaper, though it seems a lot of the cost is in the power control circuitry)

Also of quantitative energy measurement interest, they state below that 20% of electricity is used for lighting, They also quote the DOE saying LEDs could save 30% of energy consumption.

Uhhh...

Maybe I'm not getting it, but it seems to me if you assume that LEDs use 0 energy, and replace all lights, if you believe the first number that would only reduce our energy consumption by 20%.

clipped from www.dailytech.com Chinese researchers have LED manufacturing breakthrough that could lead to new white LEDs for indoor use It's believed about 20 percent of all electricity used across the world is currently used to light homes, businesses and other buildings.  For households and buildings still using incandescent bulbs, it's possible 95 percent of the energy flowing through them is being wasted.   Furthermore, the US Department of Energy previously said LEDs could help reduce the country's national energy consumption by 30 percent by 2025.  If true, that will help households in the U.S. save $125 billion total in power bills per year. Chinese researchers are working on a new LED that consists of cheap, inexpensive plastic-like organic materials that could help boost efficiency.  The new "tandem" structure allows it to produce up to 50 percent more light as LEDs used today, including white light that is necessary in homes and businesses.