DOE updates the latest L Prize lamp test results, rebate offers
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has released another update of its testing of the Philips Lighting LED 60W-equivalent retrofit lamp that won the L Prize. The tests have reached what the agency considers the equivalent of 18 years of household use with no failures. The DOE also released a summary of rebates available for the solid-state lighting (SSL) product that range as high as $20 per lamp.
After 20,000 hours of operation, the full lot of 200 sample lamps are all still operating. Moreover, the DOE said that average lumen maintenance remains above 100% of their initial output. The tests are being conducted in an environment where the ambient temperature is maintained at 45°C.
Based on typical household lamp use that averages three hours per day, the DOE says that the 20,000 hours is equivalent to 18 years of residential usage. Such a lifetime makes the lamp price more palatable with Home Depot currently selling the product for $30.
L Prize rebates
Of course the price is even more attractive for consumers that can snare one of the rebates being offered by certain utilities around the US. Efficiency Vermont is offering a $20 rebate through Home Depot stores in the state. The Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency is offering businesses a $20 rebate and consumers a $15 rebate.
Puget Sound Energy in Washington State is offering consumers a $10 rebate plus a $5 discount coupon usable at Home Depot stores, as well as a $20 rebate for business customers. The L Prize website includes a complete list with other offers in Illinois, Colorado, and Massachusetts.
