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Despite lasting longer and being more efficient than both incandescent ^[4] and CFL bulbs ^[5], LED ^[6]s haven’t caught on because of their sky-high prices. But now Panasonic wants to bring LEDs to the mainstream — at least in Japan — with a 60-watt household bulb that the company claims can last up to 19 years, or 40 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

The EverLed ^[7] series of lightbulbs, scheduled to be released in Japan on October 21, are the most efficient LED ^[8]s to ever be produced, with the E26 “daytime light” model using 85 lumens per watt for 40W bulbs and 82.6 lm/W for the 60W bulbs. The E26 bulbs are also lighter than other LEDs by approximately 40g.

Panasonic’s EverLed bulbs still aren’t cheap — they will retail in Japan for approximately $40 — but the new LEDs will shine a light on the technology since Panasonic manufactures 50% of all household bulbs in the country. And while the upfront cost for Panasonic’s LEDs are expensive, the bulbs actually only cost $2 per year to run when their 19-year lifespan is taken into account. Hopefully Panasonic’s EverLed ^[7] line will help bring that knowledge to the masses.

+ Panasonic ^[7]

Via CNET ^[9]