Light bulbs have always been pretty inefficient, even those that have a rep for using less juice, like LEDs. Because of the energy conversion process, they consume more energy than they actually need to illuminate. But what if we told you that there was a light bulb out there, just waiting to be invented, that could produce more energy than it consumes? A group of researchers at MIT have figured out how to develop LED lights that wildly eclipse the efficiency of any other bulb. In fact, they successfully tested a LED light with an efficiency of 230 percent!

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Post tags: "energy efficiency", 230 percent efficiency light bulb, energy efficient light bulb, green lighting, green technology, led light, led light bulb that generates its own energy, light bulb, light emitting diode, MIT, mit led researcher, science, super efficient light bulb

The US Department of Energy (DOE) just awarded Philips Lighting America the Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prize along with a cool $10 million for the development of their new energy efficient LED light bulb that uses just 9.7 watts of electricity. The award – a.k.a. the “L Prize” – challenged manufacturers to create a 60-watt light bulb equivalent that could keep up with the demands of real-world consumers. Philips’ new bulb incarnation seems to have stood up to the DOE’s standards over 18 months of testing its performance, quality, lifetime and cost. If everyone in the US were to switch to this bulb we’d save a collective 20 million metric tons of carbon emissions, 35 terrawatt-hours of electricity and $3.9 billion each year.

Read the rest of Philips Wins $10 Million Prize with 60-Watt Equivalent Bulb That Uses 1/6th of the Power

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Post tags: Bright Lighting Tomorrow Prize, cfl, compact fluorescent light, department of energy lighting competition, doe lighting competition, energy efficient light bulb, energy efficient lighting, green lighting, l prize, led light, light bulb, lighting competition, low energy light bulb, low energy lighting, philips light bulb

Not a fan of CFL bulbs but don’t want to shell out the cash for LEDs? Enter the Electron Stimulated Luminescence bulb (ESL), designed by Vu1 Corporation. The bulb just passed UL certification — meaning it will soon be headed to store shelves.

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Post tags: "energy efficiency", bulbs, cfl, esl, green design, LED, light bulb, vu1

Looking for a clever and low-impact gift for your favorite greenie? Check out this cheeky “light bulb” candle by Harry Allen and Areaware! They’ve taken this old-fashioned “technology” and remixed it to look like our modern-day sources of light. Each piece is a great conversation starter and a smart way to get your non-green friends to opt for some mood lighting in lieu of keeping the lights on all night!

+ Light Bulb Candle

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Post tags: areaware, green decor, green design, green gift, green home, green products, light bulb, light bulb candle, wax light bulb

If we want to make lighting more efficient, perhaps we should start from the beginning: with the shape of the light bulb. Illumitex, a startup based in Austin, Texas, manufactures square LED bulbs that are supposedly cheaper, more efficient and more practical than typical round bulbs.

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Post tags: eco design, green design, green lighting, illumitex, LED, light bulb

GE will soon release to the public an updated version of the LED bulb that will be omnidirectional and long lasting. Right now, most LED bulbs project light in only one direction and aesthetically, the bulbs aren’t too pleasing even if you’re all about having super energy efficient lighting. GE’s new bulb, the Energy Smart® LED bulb, will distribute light in all directions (just like the soon to-be-phased-out incandescent bulb, meaning in all directions) instead of just one. The light will also consume 9-W of energy and last for 17 years, which is 25 times longer than a 40-W incandescent bulb and three times longer than a normal CFL.

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Post tags: "energy star", eco design, energy efficient, energy star certified, GE, green design, LED, LED bulb, light bulb, long lasting

Compact fluorescent light bulbs are the light source of choice for budget-minded greenies everywhere, but they come with one big drawback:  a potentially dangerous mercury-filled center. If you accidentally drop a bulb, beware; you could be exposed to the toxic stuff. But now, finally, a company has come up with a CFL option sans the risks of mercury — the ArmorLite bulb.

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Post tags: armorlite, Bulb, cfl, clear-lite, compact fluorescent, eco design, green design, light bulb, mercury

Due to a bad drought that’s dried up the hydroelectric plants that supply more than two-thirds of its power, Venezuela has been suffering through its worst energy crisis in the last 50 years. President Hugo Chavez’s solution? Change all the light bulbs! Well, that might not be the only action the country is taking (they’ve also put electricity rationing into effect) but an army of Venezuelan soldiers has been given direct orders from the president to distribute thousands of Firefly energy-efficient CFL bulbs. The big switcheroo may not make it rain, but the president sure hopes that it can cut the energy his citizens consume in the meantime.

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Post tags: "clean energy", cfl, compact fluorescent light bulb, eco lighting, energy crisis, energy efficient lighting, green energy, green lighting, hugo chavez, light bulb, south america, venezuela

The ubiquitous incandescent light bulb has come a long way since its invention 130 years ago and is now the star of Tim Fishlock’s memorial art piece entitled What Watt? This dazzling chandelier speaks to the transition away from the widespread use of old school bulbs towards greener, more sustainable alternatives. Talk about a bright idea!

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Post tags: cfl, eco design, Fishlock, green design, green lighting, incandescent, incandescent bulb, light bulb, recycled chandelier, sustainable design, tim fishlock, What Watt?

One of the most exciting new products we found at West Coast Green this past weekend is the latest innovation by Lemnis Lighting, the Pharox 60 LED Dimmable Lightbulb, that uses just 6 Watts and has the equivalent luminescence of the traditional 60 Watt incandescent bulb. The Pharox 60 fits a standard sized household light fixture, is made of recyclable material, and is the most energy efficient bulb of comparable light quality on the market today with a light output of 300 lumens and a warm white light of 3000K. A patented heat sink keeps the bulb temperature low (we think it’s the aluminum housing surround) and it is the most environmentally safe option on the market as well, containing NO lead, mercury, or wolfram, unlike it’s compact fluorescent competitors.

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Post tags: energy efficient lighting, green design, light bulb, pharox, pharox 60, sustainable design, west coast green

Despite lasting longer and being more efficient than both incandescent and CFL bulbs, LEDs haven’t caught on because of their sky-high prices. But now Panasonic wants to bring LEDs to the mainstream — at least in Japan — with a 60-watt household bulb that the company claims can last up to 19 years, or 40 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

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Post tags: cfl, Everled, green design, incandescent, LED, light bulb, panasonic, sustainable design

Energy-efficient LED light bulbs may be more expensive than CFL’s, but Sharp‘s new DL-L60AV LED could be worth the high cost. The tricked-out bulb comes with a remote control that features a dimming function as well as the ability to select seven different shades of white… so your guests can never complain that they don’t like the ambiance.

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Post tags: "energy efficiency", cfl, DL-L60AV LED, Japan, LED, Light, light bulb, sharp

Luxim labs recently unveiled an incredibly energy efficient light bulb that packs more luminosity than a street lamp into a pill-sized form factor. Each bulb is filled with argon gas, which turns to plasma when electricity is focused through it. The energy is driven to the bulb without electrodes. The resulting light is intensely bright and mirrors the quality of light radiated by the sun, yet is produced by one of the smallest, most energy efficient light sources we’ve seen.


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Post tags: "Luxim", argon gas, eco lighting, energy efficient lighting, green lighting, halodes, LED, light bulb, lumen, Pill bulb, pill-sized plasma bulb, super bright light bulb, super-bulb, sustainable lighting, tiny pill light bulb plasma bulb