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Newest Lightbulb Tech Combines Advantages of Incandescent, Fluorescent, and LED A new kind of energy-efficient light bulb may provide an alternative to existing compact fluorescent (CFL) and Light Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs. The new bulbs, made by Seattle-based Vu1, use a technology called electron stimulated luminescence (ESL) to produce incandescent-quality light. The ESL bulbs generate light by firing electrons to stimulate phosphor, and the whole setup is encased in normal light-bulb glass. Unlike CFLs, they do not contain mercury, which is a potent neurotoxin, and can be disposed of as regular trash. LEDs are still the most efficient bulbs, lasting 40,000 to 50,000 hours per bulb, but they are a lot more expensive. According to Vu1, another advantage of the ESL bulbs is that, unlike CFL and LED bulbs, they produce light that is nearly identical to incandescents, as seen in the infomercial below. The company plans to begin production by the end of the year, and hopes to market the bulbs by the middle of next year.

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