GE Energy Smart Incandescent-Shaped CFLs
May 8, 2009 — It must have happened just like in a comic strip: Some engineer was trying to think of a way to make those weird, twisty but environmentally correct new compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) look and feel more familiar and friendly, and then — bing! — it happened! A light bulb went off above his or her head! And then just like in a comic strip, he or she reached up into the thought-balloon, pulled it down and there it was — a CFL with all the weird, twisty stuff inside glass shaped like a good old-fashioned, incandescent light bulb! Talk about thinking inside the box! (Note: The manufacturer's photo here is of a prototype. The final version has standard frosted glass — see the video, further in.)
The old-fashioned profile is designed to fit in more lamps and fixtures than do standard spiral CFLs, particularly lamps with clip-on lampshades or fixtures where the bulb is visible. For certain lobbies, hallways and other common areas, such aesthetic traditionalism can be a plus.
Rolled out across national retailers in phases starting last December (at Target) before becoming widely available this past Earth Day (April 22), this new line of GE's Energy Smart model of CFL is a 15-watt (equivalent of 60-watt) bulb. A 9W and a 20W (40W- and 70W-equivalent) are planned for June, and a 100W-equivalent possibly by next year. The new CFL is rated for an 8,000-hour life.
Goodness! What'll they think of next? Rocket-powered roller skates? Oh, wait — that's Acme, not GE....
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