The International Energy Agency (IAE) is going to partner with India to implement its Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) initiative globally for energy savings. IAE has been impressed with performance of India’s UJALA programme in terms of vastly improving access to LED lighting while reducing their cost drastically.
Probably everybody knows LED bulbs have a very long life, almost 50 times more than ordinary bulbs. They are 8-10 times electricity savers that of CFLs, therefore they provide both energy and cost savings in medium terms.
Do you know LEDs attract 50% more insects and could damage our ecosystem ?
Probably NOT, So here are Some Facts:
- LED bulbs use around 90 per cent less energy than incandescent lights
- But insects are more strongly attracted to the LED spectrum of light
- Scientists caught and labelled around 20,000 insects attracted to LEDs
- The attraction can be fatal, causing more flies to be eaten by predators
- Scientists say this can disrupt food chains and damage local ecosystems
- Another concern is that LED lights near ports could attract flying pests, such as the gypsy moth, that are accidentally transported by ships .
Blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have been receiving positive attention after its inventors were awarded the Nobel Prize in physics. But this discovery caused a problem for insects, which are more strongly attracted to the LED spectrum of light.
Sodium vapour bulbs, which emit yellow light, are commonly used in street lighting as they are more efficient than pre-LED lights. Insects are attracted to both white and yellow light, but it seems they are even more attracted to blue light which is generated by LED bulbs. The attraction can be fatal, causing flies to be thrown off their usual path and into the jaws of predators, disrupting the food chain.
About UJALA Scheme
The UJALA scheme was launched on 1 May 2015 replacing the “Bachat Lamp Yojana”. It was launched as LED based “Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme (DELP). It was launched as part of Union Government’s efforts to spread the message of energy efficiency in the country. The scheme’s objective is to reduce electricity bills of consumers, contribute to the energy security of India and also help in environment protection. Under it, Government has set ambitious target to replace 77 crore incandescent bulbs across the country with LEDs by 2019.
