LED Lights give off 90% less heat than the standard halogen light. They do not give off any radiant heat, and in fact are cool to the touch in the direction where light is dispersing. However, they do need to blow off some steam every once in a while. That is, behind the LED Light conductive heat is released in order for lamp life to be maximized. With proper thermal design (such as through a heat sink) this conductive heat release is automatically monitored and managed.
LEDs of the Future: LED Lights are continually becoming increasingly more efficient by enabling more light output per unit of energy. Through further development, this will cause LEDs to emit even less heat over time and will eventually reduce the need for heat sinks.