Last week the DOE (Department of Energy) announced the winner of the 60-W replacement category of its Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prize (L Prize) competition, which aims to find a replacement for the 60-W incandescent bulb. Philips Lighting received the $10 million prize for its 9.7-W, 910-lumen LED bulb, which was submitted in 2009 and underwent roughly 18 months of testing to ensure that it met the exacting competition requirements. Zia Eftekhar, CEO, Philips Lighting North America accepted the award on August 3 in Washington D.C. during an event hosted by U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Lisa...


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The prospects of replacing today’s inefficient incandescent light bulbs with long lasting, low powered LEDs are increasing. Two of the industry’s stalwarts, Viribright and Lemnis, have been sell energy-efficient LED bulbs that can replace a standard 60-watt bulb incandescent. Lemnis Lighting’s Pharox is fully dimmable unlike the Viribright 60-watt replacement, which makes a slightly more appealing to consumers. Beginning in January 2012, federal law will require that light bulbs, or lamps as the industry calls them, will need to be 30% more efficient than current incandescent bulbs. Standard...


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General Electric, the company that was a pioneer of the electric light bulb, has warned that the industry is facing “dramatic change” that may dethrone long-established market leaders as energy efficiency standards drive the adoption of new technologies. These changes are coming about as the global lighting market continues to grow (it is expected to expand to $111 billion by 2015), and as the traditional incandescent light bulb is set to be phased out in the US, starting in California at the beginning of 2011, following similar moves in Europe and Australia. “The lighting industry...


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Lighting is a significant expense for many of us, and it also affects how we work, play and feel. The good news is that new advances in technology are providing more comfort, flexibility and efficiency. (1) $1 Invested in Efficient Lighting Pays Back $6 in Energy Savings The standard incandescent bulb -- what we typically think of as a "basic light bulb" -- is a pretty inefficient piece of technology, wasting 90 to 98% of its electrical use as heat rather than useful light. Much better are fluorescents, including the now-ubiquitous compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), which are roughly 75% more...


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