A 12-watt NanoLight in white.
Posted on 02/06/2013 11:03:50 AM PST by null and void
NanoLight surpasses standard fluorescents and LEDs
It may look a little funny, but NanoLight is used to the stares. The futuristic-looking light bulb has an unconventional look big enough to match its unique energy-efficiency.
A 12-watt NanoLight in white.
The bulbs look a bit like a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle, all sharp corners and seams, because that’s essentially what they are: several small circuit boards with LEDs connected that are cut to fit together. The loose, interconnected design allows the bulb to dissipate more heat than a standard bulb while also directing light in all directions.
“Most bulbs are hidden away in enclosures and never seen,” say NanoLight’s creators, Gimmy Chu, Tom Rodinger, and Christian Yan. “The look should not be important. In certain installations though, we think the NanoLight is quite fitting, offering a unique futuristic look. We can’t wait to see what people do with them.”
Currently, NanoLight comes in 10W and 12W bulbs. While the 10W uses 50% less energy than a compact fluorescent bulb with the same light output, the 12W is NanoLight’s breakthrough product. The bulb generates more than 1600 lumens, equivalent to a 100W incandescent light bulb. That works out to a little more than 133 lumens per watt — about 200% more efficient than other light bulbs on the market.
10-watt black NanoLight in a desk lamp.
Despite its incredible efficiency, both versions of NanoLight stay cool to the touch even after hours of use. And, unlike compact fluorescent lights, the NanoLight achieves full brightness the instant it is turned on, eliminating the slow, flickering effect.
The project almost immediately surpassed its $20,000 goal on Kickstarter with more than 2,000 backers pledging over $100,000. Until March 8, you can add your pledge to the campaign. A 10W bulb is available for a $30 pledge, while the 12W version requires a $45 pledge.
Despite their success, Chu, Rodinger, and Yan continue to improve on NanoLight. They’re working with a graphic designer on the possibility of printing artwork onto the bulb and are also developing a dimmable prototype of NanoLight.
To learn more about NanoLight, visit the Kickstarter page. ■
I have a couple of hard-to-reach fixtures for which I will happily pay a premium for longer-lived bulbs. I switched to CFLs long before big brother told me to. I replaced the first one with a LED bulb six months ago. Would’ve done it sooner but the lumens were still too low. A 60 watt incandescent equivalent finally arrived in my neighborhood hardware store last fall, and the clerks tell me they fly off the shelf as fast as they come in. It seems I’m not the only cranky old man who will be happy if he never has to change another high light.
That’s why I stopped at 3.8 years originally.
These really save a ton of money on power costs. In addition to using these in lamps and ceiling lights we bought forty par 38 equivalent LED's for our museum replacing all of the 75 and 90 watt halogen's. Our $500 light bill went to $200. Now after three years none have failed. A savings of $300 monthly for 36 months? Do the math.... We spent $40 each. I suspect they will last ten-fifteen years.
I look forward to trying out these new products as well.
Are you sure that it is significant enough to consider? But moreover what about heating savings in the winter? And wouldn't hot weather which needs AC be correlated with more sunshine and thus less need to have the light on...so perhaps the incandescent bulb is on more often when the building has the heating system going than when it has the ac going.
That first photo looks exactly like it was cobbled together out of pegboard.
Maybe some places. Not where I live.
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