Canada’s retail landscape is about to be lit up more smartly than ever.

The LED revolution, sparked by the federal government’s ban of regular 100-watt bulbs to accord with new energy-efficiency standards, is energizing store interiors across the land.

The light-emitting diode (LED) is a small chip that lights up when current passes through it. It uses significantly less energy than a conventional tungsten bulb (and even the former darling of the energy-efficient lighting set, the compact fluorescent bulb). It still delivers 100 watts of power, but burns only 20 watts of energy doing it.

The LEDs also produce the same amount of light and brightness as their predecessors, and they don’t give off as much heat. Best of all, they have a dramatically longer lifetime than their forerunners, with each bulb clocking in at a remarkable 25,000 hours, versus incandescents’ 1,200-hour standard (and CFL’s 8,000-hour improvement).

Oh, and the things contain no mercury, require no special handling and are entirely recyclable.

The downside? Each LED bulb is currently saddled with a pricetag of between $49 and $55. So the promise of huge energy savings is a real one — but one that won’t be fully realized until the laws of supply and demand kick in.

Here at CBSF, we’re a leader in the LED charge, with an extensive offering of superior edge-lit panels whose dimensions run up to 4′ x 8′, in addition to LED-powered strip and accent lighting. All of it sheds consistently bright light, with no hotspots.

Our paradigm-shifting LED installations can already be seen in fashion, pharmacy, grocery, electronics and hardware stores across North America. To check them out, just follow the light.