$50 Light Bulb Wins DOE Affordability Prize

[miles]

The U.S. government has awarded appliance-maker Philips $10 million for devising an “affordable” alternative to today’s standard 60-watt incandescent bulb. That standard bulb sells for around $1. The Philips alternative sells for $50.
Of course, the award-winner is no ordinary bulb. It uses only one-sixth the energy of an incandescent. And it lasts 30,000 hours–about 30 times as long. In fact, if you don’t drop it, it may last 10 years or more.

But only the U.S. Government (in this case, the Department of Energy) could view a $50 bulb as cheap.

The Department of Energy created its so-called “L-Prize” to encourage manufacturers to come up with energy-efficient LED (light-emitting diode) alternatives to incandescent bulbs. To be deemed the winner, a bulb had to be affordable.

But LED alternatives already on the market and comparable to the L-Prize winner sell for less than half its price.

So by what standard is the winner cheap? The federal government’s, of course. But to be fair, also by the standard of other U.S.-made LEDs. The L-Prize originally required the winning bulb to be made in the U.S.A. The components for Philips’ bulb are made in California and assembled in Wisconsin. Cheaper LEDs of comparable performance come from overseas.

 

[unregistered]

 

[miles]

These assholes have to go.

Guess where these bulbs are made!

The factories which manufactured incandescent bulbs have closed and their former employees lost their jobs.

 

[off2bed]

How much did Phillips contribute to Democrat campaigns?

 

[Saint Peter]

I want to see the color of the light before buying.

 

[JohnnySavage]

I want to see the color of the light before buying.

Lotta people in this thread need to see the light.

 

[Honey123]

$50? Thank goodness for DST..

 

[Saint Peter]

Lotta people in this thread need to see the light.

Light bulbs are a big issue for some of the wingnuts. The Powers That Be totaled up the poison released when standard light bulbs were thrown away and determined that a new design would use less energy, last longer, and ultimately poison the Earth less because of all of these factors. And it cost more.

I change my light bulbs less. I use less power. What is not to love? If the DOE can spend some cash to jump start the next technological leap, what is not to love in that?

 

[JohnnySavage]

Light bulbs are a big issue for some of the wingnuts. The Powers That Be totaled up the poison released when standard light bulbs were thrown away and determined that a new design would use less energy, last longer, and ultimately poison the Earth less because of all of these factors. And it cost more.

I change my light bulbs less. I use less power. What is not to love? If the DOE can spend some cash to jump start the next technological leap, what is not to love in that?

It's a funny issue, and not one I care a great deal about.

In other news though, three of my neighbors just installed a "whole house emergency generator" This thing runs on natural gas (which our neighborhood is a gas one) and comes on automatically when the power is out for more than 5 minutes. It's a cool little generator, but the power goes out for a significant amount of time about once every 5 years.

On the other hand... our power costs about a dime a KWh. With natural gas prices tanking, I'm wondering if it might be cheaper to run the generator full time.

 

[phrodeau]

Miles, vetteman and off2bed will have to buy those light bulbs because they are convinced that the government is telling them to.

The rest of us can get the same thing - made in America, LED, 60-watt equivalent - for less than half that price.

 

[RobDownSouth]

Miles, vetteman and off2bed will have to buy those light bulbs because they are convinced that the government is telling them to.

The rest of us can get the same thing - made in America, LED, 60-watt equivalent - for less than half that price.

About $20 on Amazon. An outrage, I tell you!

Miles and the Vettebigot are old enough to remember when digital watches first came out and cost hundreds of dollars. Now you can buy them in the dollar store.

 

[unregistered]

 

[RobDownSouth]

Being another Democrat inspired failure, it will go away after the election.

^^^ more wishful thinking.

 

[miles]

Miles, vetteman and off2bed will have to buy those light bulbs because they are convinced that the government is telling them to.

The rest of us can get the same thing - made in America, LED, 60-watt equivalent - for less than half that price.

Dude....cheap incandescent bulbs are no longer being made because of a government mandate. What part of that don't you get?

Less than half the price? What a deal....a $25 bulb instead of $.75

 

[miles]

Being another Democrat inspired failure, it will go away after the election.

Maybe they'll use them as interior bulbs for Chevy Volts.

 

[JohnnySavage]

On September 24, that classic American light bulb was switched off. Changing American preferences and looming government regulation resulted in the shuttering of the only remaining U.S. factory to make 100-watt A-line incandescent bulbs, in Winchester, Virginia. The bulbs are still being made in Monterrey, Mexico, but the empire of the classic incandescent light is in its decline. Over the past five years, says Kim Freeman of GE Appliances & Lighting, "the demand for these incandescent bulbs has declined by 50% -- and that's all customer preference."

Damn you free markets!!!!

 

[RobDownSouth]

Dude....cheap incandescent bulbs are no longer being made because of a government mandate. What part of that don't you get?

Less than half the price? What a deal....a $25 bulb instead of $.75

America haters like miles don't want America to be energy independent.

An incandescant light bulb is 10% efficient at producing light.

 

[JohnnySavage]

America haters like miles don't want America to be energy independent.

An incandescant light bulb is 10% efficient at producing light.

Nor do these dumb bastards who think they know economics, realize that there's more profit in CFLs and LEDs - that's the major reason incandescent bulbs are going the way of the buggy whip.

It's a sad thing when an ideologue gets tripped up.

 

[BoyNextDoor]

The U.S. government has awarded appliance-maker Philips $10 million for devising an “affordable” alternative to today’s standard 60-watt incandescent bulb. That standard bulb sells for around $1. The Philips alternative sells for $50.
Of course, the award-winner is no ordinary bulb. It uses only one-sixth the energy of an incandescent. And it lasts 30,000 hours–about 30 times as long. In fact, if you don’t drop it, it may last 10 years or more.

But only the U.S. Government (in this case, the Department of Energy) could view a $50 bulb as cheap.

The Department of Energy created its so-called “L-Prize” to encourage manufacturers to come up with energy-efficient LED (light-emitting diode) alternatives to incandescent bulbs. To be deemed the winner, a bulb had to be affordable.

But LED alternatives already on the market and comparable to the L-Prize winner sell for less than half its price.

So by what standard is the winner cheap? The federal government’s, of course. But to be fair, also by the standard of other U.S.-made LEDs. The L-Prize originally required the winning bulb to be made in the U.S.A. The components for Philips’ bulb are made in California and assembled in Wisconsin. Cheaper LEDs of comparable performance come from overseas.

"Of course, the award-winner is no ordinary bulb. It uses only one-sixth the energy of an incandescent. And it lasts 30,000 hours–about 30 times as long. In fact, if you don’t drop it, it may last 10 years or more."

 

[Wok]

How much did Phillips contribute to Democrat campaigns?

http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00239780&cycle=2012

2012 PAC Contribution Data
Contributions from this PAC to federal candidates (list recipients)
(17% to Democrats, 83% to Republicans) $67,660
Contributions to this PAC from individual donors of $200 or more ( list donors) $0

They even contributed money to tea party favorites like Marco Rubio.

 

[miles]

"Of course, the award-winner is no ordinary bulb. It uses only one-sixth the energy of an incandescent. And it lasts 30,000 hours–about 30 times as long. In fact, if you don’t drop it, it may last 10 years or more."

And you believe that?

 

[RobDownSouth]

And you believe that?

It always comes down to "beliefs" to people like Miles.

He and his type believe what they want to believe, facts be damned.

YCSDIAF.

 

[BoyNextDoor]

@ $9.50 / 1000 hours of light the $0.75 60 watt incandescent light costs $285 to operate over the same span where the $50 bulb costs around another $50.

 

[BoyNextDoor]

And you believe that?

If there science is there - then sure. I just went looking for the science behind the new technology to see. Nothing yet.

 

[miles]

If there science is there - then sure. I just went looking for the science behind the new technology to see. Nothing yet.

Those are marketing claims.