Philips, the Netherlands-based consumer electronics giant, is now $10 million richer, having just won the L Prize, awarded by the federal Department of Energy in a contest to invent the next generation of solid-state lighting.
Formally titled the Bright Lighting Tomorrow Prize, the award was introduced to encourage companies to create highly efficient alternatives to standard incandescent lamps.
Two categories were established: a 60-watt LED equivalent to the standard light bulb, and a new version of the large PAR 38 reflector lamp commonly found on ceilings. (That second contest has been delayed by the Department of Energy as it re-evaluates the competition’s specifications.)
Philips submitted its prototype 60-watt-equivalent lamp almost two years ago, in September 2009. As the first in, the entry was guaranteed to win if it met specifications.
The prize bulb uses just 9.7 watts to match the light output of a 60-watt incandescent, compared with 12.5 watts for the product currently sold. The new lamp is also brighter than the one marketed now, at 910 lumens versus 800 lumens. And it is closer in color to a standard incandescent.
Both lamps last 25,000 hours, compared with 1,000 to 2,000 for a standard incandescent.
“The L Prize lamp absolutely mimics an incandescent lamp,” said Ed Crawford, chief executive of Philips Lighting North America.
One way it doesn’t mimic a standard lamp is in its look when it is turned off. The lamp itself is bright yellow when it is not illuminated, which prompted Philips to clarify on its planned packaging that the lamp produces “white light when lit.” The company decided not to change the color of its off state because “this is the best way to achieve the performance,” Mr. Crawford said.
A final price has not yet been determined for the bulb, which is to reach stores later this year.
While LED lamps save money in the long run, they are not cheap. The 60-watt equivalent that is currently sold costs about $40, and the better-performing L Prize version, because of the higher cost of its materials, will be somewhat more expensive.
In an article I wrote about the L Prize, I quoted a Philips executive who was confident that the industry could get the cost of LED lamps down to the $20 to 25 range. Already the company is predicting that this will be a no-brainer.
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