The good news is that LED lighting is efficient and becoming inexpensive. A few years ago you couldn't find much that would serve as useful home lighting but today you can and at fairly reasonable prices. The trick is to shop carefully.

If you have an off-grid system, take a look at what is available to run on 12 volts. Even if you have a higher voltage system, 12 volt lighting running off a DC-DC converter is likely to be the best way to go. For starters, take a look at http://www.superbrightleds.com. They are not the only supplier (and not the only one I have used) but they do have a nice assortment. In particular, look at their auto light products. You can find lots of relatively inexpensive 12 volt units. One of my favorites is their selection of automobile dome light bulbs. I have used them under kitchen counters and am very happy with them.

There are two important considerations here. First, LED light efficiency. A few watts of LED lighting can offer the equivalent of 10 times that of incandescent lighting. In addition, we have been taught that even lighting throughout a room is what you need to strive for. My question is, "why?" Take a kitchen for example. A few low-wattage lights under the kitchen cabinets will be a lot more useful than a bright but centrally located single light.

While LEDs are close to the universal answer, there are some cases where an alternative may still be desirable. For example, while there are LED-equivalents of four foot florescent tubes, the prices are still high. In addition, while there are now LED spotlights (there are even now LED car headlights), a spotlight that is seldom used may be a good choice for a much lower cost incandescent.

To me, the biggest win is to go with the 12 volt option. Auto lighting is moving to LED and that is a huge market. It is safe to assume that 12 volt LED units will continue to be the lowest cost units available.