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Watch NowLighting is essential but often inefficient.
Lighting accounts for 15% of global electricity use - more than the electricity generates by all nuclear plants worldwide. It extends human activity into dark hours and expands the spaces that are useful beyond those that are sunlit. Lighting is essential for modern life.
But much of the source for lighting - incandescent and fluorescent lighting - is energy inefficient. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs), in contrast, are the brighter and efficient lighting choice that can help commercial and residential buildings become more energy efficient.
LEDs: efficient, brighter, longer-lasting.
LEDs are semiconductors that contain a circuit board, with a light switch acting as the keyboard. LEDs work like solar panels in reverse, converting electrons to photons instead of the other way around. LEDs have a broad range of applications, from electronics, displays, monitors, Christmas lights, and of course, lighting buildings.
One of the big appeal of LEDs is their energy efficiency. When turned on, an LED uses 90% less energy for the same amount of light than an incandescent bulb, and half as much as a compact fluorescent. LEDs transfer 80% of their energy use into creating light, rather than heat like older technologies. They also last much longer - 25 years when turned on five hours a day. This translates to 10-30% return on investment if you buy and replace older lighting fixtures with LEDs.
All of these benefits translates into cutting emissions associated with energy use. If 90% of all households and 82% of commercial buildings are lit by LEDs, we can avoid up to 17.5 gigatons of CO2 emissions by 2050.
These companies are making it happen.
In the Climate Index, we take all of the companies making LEDs, take out the ones that specialize in LEDs for purposes other than building lighting, and further exclude companies that derive a greater share of revenue from fossil fuel-dependent business than from LED lighting. And as always, we exclude penny stocks whose share prices were lower than $0.50 in our last update.
This means that the Climate Index includes all of the LED companies that are at the forefront of improving building energy efficiency through manufacturing the best lighting option there is.
If you are a Carbon Collective member, you own all of these companies through the Climate Index.
View All Climate Index Stocks →
Allocated | Company | Description | |
---|---|---|---|
5.00% |
Applied Materials (AMAT) | Applied Materials supplies equipment, services and software for LED manufacturing. LEDs help conserve energy and cut emissions |
|
0.56% |
Universal Display (OLED) | Universal Display makes organic LEDs, replacing fluorescent and incandescent lighting and improving building energy efficiency |
|
0.47% |
Acuity Brands (AYI) | Acuity makes LEDs, smart lighting and building technology solutions that can improve energy efficiency and emissions from buildings |
|
0.40% |
Power Integrations, Inc. (POWI) | POWI makes energy-efficiency products like AC-DC power converters and LED drivers. These solutions help buildings conserve energy and cut emissions |
|
0.28% |
Diodes Incorporated (DIOD) | Diodes makes a range of semiconductor products for LCD display, LED monitors and lighting. LED lighting is a key solution for cutting building emissions |
|
0.07% |
Veeco Instruments Inc. (VECO) | Veeco makes equipment and processing systems used in making high-tech LEDs. Energy-efficient LEDs help buildings cut energy use and emissions |
|
0.05% |
Magnachip Semiconductor Corp. (MX) | Magnachip Semiconductor derives its revenue in part from the promotion of LEDs and solar PVs, through the sale of LED products and products used with solar PVs. It creates no products specifically for the fossil fuel industry. |
|
0.02% |
Agrify Corporation (AGFY) | Agrify provides LED lighting and other products for high-yield indoor agriculture. Efficient LEDs are an energy-saving alternative to conventional lights |
|
0.02% |
Amtech Systems, Inc. (ASYS) | Amtech Systems makes semiconductor equipment for LED and power device applications. LED lighting helps buildings cut emissions |
|
0.02% |
AXT, Inc. (AXTI) | AXT sells semiconductor substrates used in LEDs, thermal imaging, and autonomous vehicles. It makes no products specifically for the fossil fuel industry, thus passing our revenue filter. |
|
0.02% |
Energy Focus (EFOI) | Energy Focus makes LEDs for the Navy, federal, state and local governments, and big organizations, helping them save energy and cut building emissions |
|
0.02% |
Highway Holdings Limited (HIHO) | HIHO makes electronic components, some of which are used in making LEDs. LEDs are energy-efficient lighting that can cut emissions from buildings |
|
0.02% |
SemiLEDs Corporation (LEDS) | SemiLEDs makes LED components for lighting and other applications. LEDs are an energy-efficient lighting alternative that can cut building emissions |
|
0.02% |
LSI Industries Inc. (LYTS) | LSI Industries makes LEDs for automotive, restaurant, retail and grocery store customers. Energy-efficient LEDs help buildings cut emissions |
|
0.02% |
Orion Energy Systems, Inc (OESX) | Orion offers LED lighting and custom-made energy management systems for big organizations - a solution that cuts energy use and emissions from buildings |
|
0.02% |
O2Micro International Limited (OIIM) | O2Micro International makes LED products and lighting. LEDs are an energy-efficient lighting alternative that can cut emissions |
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