Graphene's first commercial success: Energy-saving light bulbs?

The luminaires use less energy and can be priced lower than existing LED types.

The first commercially viable consumer product to adopt graphene will be an energy-saving lightbulb, which is slated to go on sale later in 2015.

The dimmable luminaire, which is said to cut energy use by 10 percent and last longer, will contain a filament-shaped LED coated in graphene. It was designed at Manchester University, where graphene was first discovered in 2004 by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, two Russian-born scientists who earned the Nobel Prize for Physics and knighthoods.

The light bulb was developed by Canada-financed company Graphene Lighting. One of its directors, Professor Colin Bailey, is deputy vice-chancellor at the University of Manchester.

The graphene-based luminaire is expected to be priced lower than some LED bulbs, which can go for about $22.36 each.

Graphene enables the traditional bulb design to conduct electricity and heat more effectively.

Professor Bailey told the BBC, "The graphene light bulb will use less energy. We expect it to last longer. The manufacturing costs are lower and it uses more and more sustainable components."

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