Today, many high-quality ones are under $10, and some good ones are even starting to be sold under $5 (sometimes with rebates). But if this breakthrough from the Florida State University (FSU) pans out, we could soon see much cheaper LED lights thanks to a new, simpler way to manufacture the light emitting diodes that are at the heart of the new energy-efficient bulbs.

LED lights are already cheaper than incandescents when you take into account electricity savings, but if LEDs can get to prices similar to incandescents thanks to this, there will be no excuses left for the laggards who are still wasting so much electricity as heat rather than producing light... And if you think these people don't exist anymore, think again: 70% of lightbulbs in the U.S. are still inefficient models.

FSU's discovery has to do with replacing what is usually 4-5 layers with a single layer of inexpensive combo-organic/inorganic material that can glow red, green or blue (or all three together for white LEDs) and can be deposited at room temperature rather than at the high temperatures needed by other processes.