How much is too much to pay for an
electronic? Is $200 too much for a
phone? It isn’t in Apple’s eyes. The lowest price that Apple is charging for
the iPhone 4S is $200 – so it doesn’t seem to be too much! Is $60 too much for a light bulb? Philips hopes not. This Sunday (Earth Day), they will release a
$60 light bulb to the public, a light bulb that could last a consumer 20
years!
They competed (well, only against
themselves) in a competition of a Department of Energy competition: Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prize and made a light
bulb that is 83% more efficient than an incandescent bulb. There’s no mercury or glass parts involved,
making the product more easily disposable.
The Forbes article states that
interestingly enough, Philips is not a domestic brand, and because they won
this prize from the United States Department of Energy, but the US is
contributing to this funding with the prize of $10 million dollars. In my opinion, more power to them! If Philips was the only company to enter an
environmentally friendly competition and win with such a successful product, it
should not matter where their investments are coming from. I’m glad that the Department of Energy was
able to assist them.
Although $60 seems extremely
expensive for a product that will go on the shelf alongside $10 alternatives, I
think that this light bulb has a bright future (see what I did there?). Many companies have partnered with Philips
already to offer rebates, and the price is predicted to drop more after it
becomes Energy-Star certified in June.
Once I am gainfully employed, I
think that I will try out at least one of these light bulbs. For now, the price will really be the biggest
factor for me, but someday when I’m rolling in cash (ha!) I would like to try
using these for all the light in my house.
They are definitely more environmentally friendly and I’d barely EVER
have to worry about buying light bulbs!
Hickman, Matt. "Would You Buy A $60
Light Bulb That Lasts 20 Years?" Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 18 Apr. 2012. Web. 18 Apr.
2012. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/eco- nomics/2012/04/18/would-you-buy-a-60-light-bulb-that-lasts-20-years/>.
Rothman, Wilson. "Shedding Light on
the 20-year Lightbulb." Gadgetbox. MSNBC Video, 17 Apr. 2012. Web. 18 Apr. 2012.
I definitely think that the fact that the light the bulb produces is very similar to the spectrum of daylight is also a great reason to consider buying them. Though their lifespan is not much better than the fluorescent bulbs out now, this would be a good enough reason to try them, especially if the price drops down as far as it is predicted to in the next few years. And since incandescent bulbs are going to be illegal soon, it would be a great investment in the future.
ReplyDeleteReally interesting post. It seems people are willing to pay extra money for big screens and things that will entertain them, but very few people are willing to spend money if the product benefits the greater good. I have to be honest, I probably will not be purchasing those light bulbs if there is a cheaper altenrative. I feel like my thinking on that is identical to what the masses will do-- buy the cheaper product.
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