Has General Electric Solved the CFL Bulb Problem?

by Nino Marchetti

GE is definitely a big player when it comes to wanting to design more eco-friendly lightbulbs. Its latest case in point is an announcement today that in 2011 it will unveil "a unique, new incandescent-shaped light bulb that combines the instant brightness of halogen technology with the energy efficiency and longer rated life of compact fluorescent (CFL) technology." This mystery bulb, which will bring U.S. and Canadian consumers GE Reveal and GE Energy Smart Soft White varieties, will initially come in 15-watt and 20-watt configurations that are considered viable replacements for 60-watt and 75-watt incandescent bulbs, respectively. It is said they will offer "significantly greater instant brightness than current covered CFLs, while preserving the energy efficiency and long life attributes that have elevated CFLs as a lighting staple in many households." The halogen capsule inside the new bulbs, said GE, comes on instantly, allowing the bulb to operate noticeably brighter in less than a half a second. The capsule shuts off once the CFL comes to full brightness. They will operate with just 1 mg of mercury, compared to the current range of 1.5 mg to 3.5 mg. These bulbs will also be RoHS compliant and offer eight times the life of incandescent bulbs (8,000 hours vs. 1,000 hours). Pricing and specific availability will be announced later. Reprinted with permission from EarthTechling

Post originale: http://featured.matternetwork.com/2010/10/has-general-electric-solved-cfl.cfm