The earth-friendly home of the future doesn’t need to mean having a home with a dim, yellow glow. As the phase-out of incandescent bulbs starts to take effect, brighter, more efficient substitutes are now hitting the market.Osram Sylvania is now selling light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs that match 100-watt incandescent bulbs for size and brightness, but use far less energy. While 100-watt-equivalent LED spotlights have already been introduced, this is apparently the first bulb-shaped omnidirectional light to enter stores in the US.Production of 100-watt incandescent bulbs has ceased because they are energy hogs. Until recently, your only alternative was a compact fluorescent bulb, which has several drawbacks compared to LED bulbs. Most people see the light quality as less pleasing, and the bulbs contain a small amount of mercury that's released if the glass breaks. LEDs, by contrast, don't contain any volatile, hazardous substances and are durable. They also last longer.The new, more efficient LED bulb has a lifespan of around 25,000 hours and uses 80 percent less power, Sylvania says. That, the company says, adds up to a savings of more than $220 over its lifespan in the US — likely far more here in Bermuda.Unlike some LED bulbs, which tend to project a more focused pattern of light, the company claims the new A-Line LED models have an incandescent-style distribution.If 100W is too much, there are 40, 60 and 75W versions as well and all can be dimmed to as little as 10 percent of their brightness. Inside, there is none of the mercury or lead that other light fittings can include.Osram Sylvania, a division of Germany's Siemens AG, said Monday that it's shipping the first batches of its Ultra LED bulb to some Lowe's stores. The bulb uses 20 watts of electricity and costs $50. Competitors aren't far behind.Royal Philips Electronics NV plans to start selling its own, slightly brighter 100-watt-equivalent LED bulb at Home Depot's website starting in a few weeks for about $55. Start-up Switch Lighting Bulb Co., with its unusual liquid-filled bulbs, plans to start selling 100-watt equivalents late this year or in January.The US government banned the manufacturing of regular 100-watt bulbs on January 1 as a consequence of new energy-efficiency standards. Much the way it forces car manufacturers to improve fuel efficiency, the government is forcing the lighting industry to move away from incandescent bulbs because they convert relatively little of the electrical input into light.