Got any bright ideas on how to speed the adoption of LEDs?

LEDs come with a lot of promises. Manufacturers claim these light-emitting diode bulbs rival the look, dimming ability, and light quality of incandescents. Unlike compact fluorescent lightbulbs, LEDs are supposed to light instantly and do not contain mercury. That's important, since the Environmental Protection Agency says harmful mercury vapors are emitted when a CFL breaks.

Energy efficiency and long life are the LEDs's biggest selling points. Some, like the Cree CR 6, claim to use even less energy than CFLs and last up to 50,000 hours—that's up to five times longer than CFLs and 50 times longer than incandescents. Consumer Reports is testing those claims by putting LEDs through our battery of tests.

But if LEDs are so superior, why do some experts predict that it will take a decade or more for just half of U.S. households to start using them? The pace of adoption is much slower than that of DVDs and broadband internet, according to the authors of "LED lighting at the crossroads," an article that appears in the current issue of LEDs magazine. The authors, who are with the McKinsey & Company management consulting firm, argue that there are five obstacles to overcome. Two directly affect consumers including the fact that  LEDs are too expensive. Weak retail presentation is another: Limited bulb choices, no dedicated LED section, and signage that fails to highlight the improved efficiency of LEDs over CFLs is no way to move LEDs off store shelves.

LEDs can cost $60 or more apiece. Even so, an LED bulb would save you about $300 in electricity over its life, compared to an incandescent. But $60 is a lot to pay up front. To speed up LED adoption, manufacturers need to make products that live up to their claims, better educate the people who sell them, and work with ultility companies to offer rebates that would significantly lower the price.
 
—Kimberly Janeway