5 of the world's smartest light bulbs

The slogan for this year’s Lightfair trade show in Pennsylvania is “The future. Illuminated.” So what does the future of illumination look like? Well, some of the newest, smartest and most energy-efficient light bulbs are getting their debut this week — take a peek:

Sylvania Ultra A19

LED (for “light emitting diode”) is going mainstream, and Osram Sylvania has unveiled a new LED bulb designed to replace the old-fashioned and inefficient 100-watt incandescent lamp. The 14-watt Sylvania Ultra A19 prototype is dimmable like the old bulbs, but can last around 25 times longer. According to Osram Sylvania, the bulb will use about 86 per cent less energy than a traditional lamp.

Philips EnduraLED

Philips is also rolling out LEDs that resemble incandescents in look but not efficiency. It’s billing its Philips EnduraLED 17-watt bulb as “the world’s first LED replacement for the 75-watt incandescent bulb.” And the new Philips EnduraLED 12.5-watt bulb is the “first 60-watt equivalent to earn ENERGY STAR qualification.” Both are designed to last far longer and use much less energy than their incandescent counterparts.

Switch 100

San Jose-based Switch Lighting is coming out with a 100-watt equivalent LED bulb with a “self-cooling environment” on the inside. Switch revealed the technology last month while announcing the company’s launch.

In addition to being cool and energy efficient, the Switch bulbs are also designed with Cradle to Cradle principles in mind: every component can be reused, recycled or reclaimed rather than tossed into a landfill. “When the bulbs are returned, they could become part of a bicycle, or could be returned to the biosphere to become fertilizer,” says Bill McDonough, co-author of Cradle to Cradle explains.

Lemnis Lighting Pharox 400

Set to hit the market in the third quarter of this year, the Pharox 400 LED yields 400 lumens of light without the energy waste of incandescents or the mercury worries of CFLs (compact fluorescent bulbs), according to Lemnis Lighting. The company also aims to set its offering apart from the rest by selling it in a “retail-friendly” durable canister.

GE Energy Smart hybrids

Unveiled in late March, GE’s Energy Smart hybrid bulbs (pictured at top) are “three bulbs in one,” according to the company. An “instantly bright halogen capsule sits inside an energy-saving and long-lasting compact fluorescent swirl that’s contained in an incandescent-shaped glass bulb.” Why combine all three? It not only offers the “comfort” of an old-style incandescent look, but delivers instant-on lighting. As GE puts it, “The halogen element comes on instantly and turns off once the CFL comes to full brightness, thus preserving the energy efficiency of the bulb.”