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| LED bulbs should last about 100,000 hours - giving them a life of about 20 years |
A
prize-winning light bulb that lasts for 20 years is going on sale in the US on
Sunday - also known as Earth Day.
Made by
Dutch electronics giant Philips, the bulb swaps filaments for light-emitting
diodes to provide illumination.
Using LEDs
endows the light with a long life and a hefty price tag. The first versions are
set to cost $60 (£37).
Philips has
arranged discounts with shops that will sell the bulb meaning some could buy it
for only $20 (£12).
Production
ban
The bulb
triumphed in the Bright Tomorrow competition run by the US Department of Energy
that aimed to find an energy efficient alternative to the 60-watt incandescent
light bulb.
The DoE
challenged firms to develop a design that gave out a warm light similar to that
from an incandescent bulbs but was much more energy efficient.
Philips was
the only entrant for the competition and its design underwent 18 months of
testing before being declared a winner.
A cheaper
and less efficient version of the LED bulb is already sold by Philips in the US
and Europe.
LED bulbs
face competition from compact fluorescent lights which are almost as energy
efficient and cost a lot less.
Sales of
more energy efficient bulbs are being aided by official moves to end production
of higher wattage incandescent bulbs.
Production
of 100 watt bulbs has ceased in the US and Europe. Production of 60 watt bulbs
has been stopped in Europe and is being phased out in the US. From 2014,
incandescent bulbs of 40 watts or above will be banned in the US.
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