In the quest for more energy-efficient home lighting, it can be difficult to keep up with the trends. Advances in lighting technology seem to be happening constantly, and the trends are evolving at almost the same pace. The latest trend is moving toward LED lighting. It's efficient, it's affordable, and it's not just for flashlights anymore.

LED, which stands for Light Emitting Diodes, is a type of Solid State Lighting (SSL). Unlike filament lighting, which uses gas or plasma to conduct light and heat, LED bulbs emit light from electrons moving along a semiconductor. The technology isn't new; LEDs have been in use for decades, and are probably even in use in your home right now, lighting up your digital alarm clock, transmitting commands from your remote control, or even making this blog visible on your computer screen.

What is fairly new is a recent trend toward using LEDs for home lighting. Thanks to a decrease in the cost of semiconductor material, it has become much more cost-effective to use LEDs in more common lighting applications. LEDs have been showing up in Christmas lights and outdoor security lights, and are now also being used in landscape lighting designs and as indoor task lighting. With LED bulbs now being clustered together in larger bulbs made to fit standard light fixtures, the possibilities for lighting your home with LEDs are practically endless.

Though LED bulbs cost a bit more than incandescents, the advantages more than make up for the extra initial expense. Because they don't use a filament to produce light, they don't burn out like incandescents do, and they don't produce heat. This, of course, makes them much more energy efficient than even CFL bulbs, and also longer-lasting. They come in warm and cool tones, and also in various colors, providing a wide range of possibilities to add dramatic lighting to your home decor