Watt's New: Edison Updated

 

Consider, if you will, the history of the light bulb. In 1879, Thomas Alva Edison introduced a clear glass bulb that ended the days of gas and kerosene lamps. In 1928, Edison's incandescent turned frosted, providing less light absorption, less dust collection, and more strength. And there, it seemed, the march of progress stopped -- until last year, at which time North American Philips Lighting Corp. (NAPLC) introduced a "revolutionary" new product: a bulb that promises major savings in both energy and replacement cost.

The new bulb, the SL 18, marketed under the company's Norelco trade name, is not an incandescent bulb at all; it is a miniature fluorescent folded into a compact S shape and controlled by advanced electronics. It uses about one-fourth the electricity of its incandescent counterpart while lasting 10 times longer, and it is expected to retail at about $25 per unit.

Where better to introduce a "revolutionary" product than at the restored home of Boston's Paul Revere, where NAPLC replaced 10 incandescent bulbs with 10 SL 18s. Operated eight hours a day, seven days a week, the 75-watt incandescent bulbs would cost $218.40 per year, based on the 10 cents cost of electricity per kilowatt hour in Boston. The SL 18, on the other hand, uses only 18 watts of electricity to provide comparable illumination, operating costs per annum would be a mere $52.41. Over the estimated 7,500-hour life of the bulb, total savings, including product and labor replacement costs for incandescent, would reach $317.50.

Norelco's marketing strategy is designed to ensure that, regardless of the initial cost, the SL 18 will be within reach of the small businessperson. According to NAPLC project manager Albert Vrancart, a company can obtain financing for the purchase of bulbs with no capital outlay. Repayment would be made with the money saved in electricity costs, with up to 60 months to pay.