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The 22.8-year switch: GE's Energy Smart LED
GE's new light bulb is designed to serve as a direct replacement for the beloved but energy-wasting 40-watt incandescent light bulb used in many household fixtures.
Thu, Dec 09 2010 at 8:42 AM
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Photos: GE
As the common household incandescent bulb marches towards extinction (they’ll be completely phased out in the U.S. by 2014), the “battle of the bulb” heats up with CFLs, LEDs, and a new long-lasting contender, the ESL bulb, vying to take its place and usher in a new era of energy-efficient lighting.
Just this week, GE announced the release of the Energy Smart LED, a new omni-directional, 9-watt bulb designed to replace the common 40-watt incandescent bulb used in bedside and table lamps. According to GE, the life of the Energy Smart LED is 25,000 hours or 22.8 years (based on three hour/day usage) and offers a 77 percent energy savings when compared to 40-watt incandescent bulbs. It’s also the first A-Line LED bulb to receive an EnergyStar rating.
The price? Brace yourself: The Energy Smart LED sells for $50. It's admittedly a daunting price to pay for a single light bulb that will live (and perhaps outlive) your bedside lamp, but when you do the math (which GE has thankfully done for us) the dramatic cost becomes easier to swallow. With an estimated yearly cost of $1.08 versus $4.82 for a 40-watt incandescent (based on $.11 per kilowatt hour), a single Energy Smart LED can save homeowners $85 over the lifetime over the bulb.
Learn more about this innovative 40-watt substitute over at GE’s Energy Smart LED mini-site where you can also purchase the bulb now. Or, wait until January when the Energy Smart LED hits retail shelves.
Do you think you’ll invest in a $50, 23-year light bulb? Has your attitude on investing in LED bulbs changed since I first blogged about the Energy Smart LED back in August (when it was expected to last 17 years, not nearly 23)? Or will you wait it out until LED technology expands, consumer interest grows, and sticker prices on incandescent-alternatives drop?
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They had the same product (40W equivalent LED) for $40.
Few bought them, so I picked one up on clearance for $20.
It would be nice if someone could make a 60W or brighter equivalent.
I doubt many will sell until they are at least that bright, and $20 or less.
Why are we comparing this LED bulb to incandescents, when a much more efficient CFL can be purchased for a dollar? When you use the CFL as your baseline, the cost savings is non-existent. CFL's once costed $20 each, so I think it's worth our while to wait.
LED's are quite a bit more efficient than CFL's. They don't need to warm up to get to full brightness and they are dimmable.
CFL's are a temporary solution until LED prices come down.
$15 at target with coupon for 2.5 watt LED (40 Watt replacement) but it the not the latest LED version. Throws off about 80 lumens, not dimmable but good for fan and central ceiling lamps
I've bought a lot of CFL bulbs and I don't think one has lasted more than 2 years. I was told they only last 5 or 7 years if you never turn them off. I don't know about you but I'd like my money back or a free replacement on the current bulbs before forking over $50 for another promise of great savings. I don't know how much more savings I can afford at this point?
I believe CFLs must be on for 20 minutes minimum before turned off or their life is shortened. This may be why you're only getting 2 years.
The key to the CFL failure issue is its position. If the bulb is facing down or sideways it will fail early. Some new ones claim otherwise but I have had numerous CFL bulbs and they all fail in a year or so, and then remember they contain toxins, so how environmental friendly are they? They are a shame. In the beginning they really failed early, later they lasted a little longer but never the advertised years, EVER - I KNOW FROM YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.
If you look at the bulb, find the manufacturer's name, and go to their website [not the retailer's website], you may be able to get a refund. On bulbs that I have purchased from Home Depot, I have supplied the code number from the bulb and received $10 Home Depot gift cards.
Seems like a great product but a little too pricey!
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There are cheaper bulbs available, $35 that give off 60 watts of light. Still pricey, but I use them in places I just don't ever want to have to change the bulb again in my lifetime. You know, places where you have to put up scaffolding or rent a cherry picker to change the bulb
$50 times how many bulbs in the entire household? I stopped counting at 15 between two rooms. Not to mention that one bulb cost more than 2.5 times the lamp its going in on average. Plus, I will bet, the cost to make the bulb is not that far off from the regular bulbs on the market or even the energy saver ones currently on discount at a store near you.
Perhaps we will return to the ideas of our grandparents and great-grandparents when items were bought and handed down to be used over and over, instead of the throw-away culture we have today...
People really use 40-watt bulbs in lamps? Even a 60-watt barely gives me enough light to work, and if I'm going to read, I need 100-watts minimum. Who among you reads using a 40-watt bulb?
I will not pay $50.00 bucks for this thing. Sure, long term sounds great, but what if the one I buy only last five years? Lets get real, a five year payback would be acceptable. That would mean a $18.70 retail price. For me I will spend the $50.00 to stock up on incandescent bulbs before 2014.
The concept is great, but the common person is not going to think that long-term in regards to energy savings. $50 is way too expensive for the average consumer and they are going to go for a less expensive, and more toxic and unefficient option. Plus, the hue of the new lights are not as pleasing or comforting to be around.
50- is the retail price now. In one year it will probably get cut in half. Look at flat screen tv's to compare. The LED lights are the best quality too. They will also be made in brighter versions too, since demand will force it.