GE planning full line of LED lightbulbs
Starting in November and extending through fall 2012, the company will be offering 60- to 100-watt LED bulbs.
General Electric plans to double down on LED home lighting over the next 16 months.
In November, GE plans to start selling a 13-watt LED lightbulb that matches the light emission of a 60-watt incandescent bulb. That option will be followed by 75- and 100-watt-equivalent LED bulbs by fall 2012, the company said. The bulbs can deliver light "for over two decades" if consumers use them for no more than three hours each day, GE claims.
LED lightbulbs are widely considered the next big thing in home lighting. And for good reason. Aside from lasting an extraordinarily long time, they also run cooler than incandescent bulbs, a bonus on hot days. Even better, unlike energy-efficient bulbs that don't use LEDs, they offer full brightness as soon as they're turned on. And those who don't like having to worry about bugs will be happy to know that some LED bulbs don't attract insects.
To help its LED alternatives attract more customers, GE said, its dimmable bulbs are designed to avoid the flickering that typically plagues LED lightbulbs. In addition, the company's researchers found that the average consumer wants an LED lightbulb that looks like an incandescent bulb, so GE said it developed "an aesthetically pleasing incandescent size and shape, and a design that allows for a soft-white appearance when turned off."
GE did not immediately respond to request for comment on pricing for its upcoming LED lightbulbs.