Its price in comparison to its incandescent or fluorescent counterparts may leave one intimidated, but buying an LED lamp may prove to be a wise choice in the long run.
No wonder that locally assembled LED lamps are a hot favourite at the annual Onam fair organised under the aegis of the Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad (KSSP) in the Muthalakkulam grounds in the city.
“The entire stock of LED bulbs was sold out on the first day, and we are waiting for the next consignment to arrive,” said a Parishad office-bearer at the fair.
LED bulbs of 3, 5, and 7 watts are sold at the fair. These are locally assembled by people trained by the Parishad in the district.
M.P.C. Nambiar of the Parishad said a 7-watt LED bulb would give a luminance equivalent to a 60-watt incandescent bulb or a 25-watt fluorescent lamp.
Long life
“While 800 hours and 8,000 hours are the expected life of incandescent and fluorescent bulbs, respectively, an LED lamp is expected to last 80,000 hours,” Mr. Nambiar, who is a trainer for the science movement for the past several years, said.
Another major advantage of LED lamps is that they can be easily repaired when damaged. Mr. Nambiar said no expertise was needed and anyone could repair them with a little guidance.
The LED bulbs of different watts assembled by the KSSP are sold at Rs.100 less than the market price.
“It is not meant to make any profit; our primary objective is to popularise the idea of LED lamps and their role in energy and environment conservation among the public,” Mr. Nambiar said.
The fair, inaugurated by Mayor A.K. Premajam on Sunday, also features a variety of products developed and distributed by the science movement, including its hot boxes ( choodarapetti ), dish-washes, hand-washes, soaps, and mushroom spawns.
Books of major publishers such as DC, Mathrubhumi, Prabhath, NBS, Lipi, Chintha, and State Institute of Children’s Literature and different publications of the KSSP are sold at the fair at a discount of 10 per cent.
