A prize-
winning, super-energy-
saving LED bulb from Dutch
electronics giant Philips said
to last over 20 years went on
sale Sunday to coincide with
Earth Day.
The bulb that won the US
Department of Energy’s
“Bright Tomorrow Lighting
Prize” was available from
retailers for $50, down from
an initial $60 price tag. The
company said it was
planning discounts to bring
the cost down to as little as
$25.
The 10-watt LED bulb (light-
emitting diode) was deemed
an efficient alternative to the
standard 60-watt
incandescent bulb, and rated
to last 30,000 hours — when
used four hours a day, that
translates to a more than
two-decade life span,
according to the company.
For consumers attentive to
cost, Philips said the price
tag was easily offset by
energy savings of $165 over
its lifetime.
The new bulb, which gives
off 940 lumens, a soft white
light, is “83 percent more
energy efficient than the
standard 60-watt
incandescent,” said Philips’
North America executive Ed
Crawford in announcing
upcoming rebates.
Incandescent bulbs are
power-sucking classics being
phased out in countries
around the world, replaced
by energy-efficient CFL
versions containing toxic
mercury that make them
hazardous to toss in the
rubbish.
Philips’ omni-directional bulb,
which contains no mercury,
began life as the sole entrant
to the US government
competition seeking ways to
replace the common light
bulb, and was submitted in
2009 after 18 months of
testing.
LED bulbs face competition
from compact fluorescent
lights that approach seek
similar efficiency levels, and
cost far less.
The symbolic choice of
Sunday’s Earth Day release
however saw Philips
branding their bulb as the
environmentally friendly
choice.
Now in its 42 year,
International Earth Day aims
to bring attention to climate
change and pollution, and
highlight ways to save
energy.
According to Philips, if every
60-watt incandescent bulb in
the United States was
replaced with their prize
winner, “the nation would
save about 35 terawatt-
hours of electricity or $3.9
billion in one year.”
A nationwide changeover
would also avoid 20 million
metric tons of carbon
emissions, said the company
— equivalent to removing
some 4 million cars from the
roads.
“Consumers are no longer
looking at a product that will
last just six months to a year,
they are looking at a product
that is much more efficient
and will be with them for
decades,” Crawford said
ahead of the release.
“With LED bulbs, we are
looking at a wholesale
change in buying lighting
technology, going from a
disposable good to a durable
good,” he added.
Philips said it has partnered
with over 280 US utility
companies for the rebates
and 230 more utility firms
are expected to join the
program in June.