General Electric announced that its LED, which replaces a 60-watt light bulb will appear on store shelves in November, followed by replacements for 75- and 100-watt incandescent bulbs by the end of 2012.
The 60-watt incandescent bulb is currently the most popular bulb for household use, but industry figures show that standard incandescent bulbs have declined in popularity by about 50% over the last five years.
Due to superior energy efficiency, GE’s LED replacement will use a mere 13 watts of electricity, offering homeowners a way to significantly reduce energy costs. In addition, GE says the bulbs will have a life span of more than two decades, based on three hours of use per day.
The arrival of the new bulbs follows the release last year of GE’s 9-watt LED, which was designed to replace a standard 40-watt incandescent bulb. The upcoming 75-watt and 100-watt replacement LED bulbs are expected to use 18 watts and 27 watts respectively.
GE says all its LED bulbs will offer smooth, incandescent-like dimming, minus the stepped dimming, flicker, shimmer and pop-on that plague some dimmable LED bulbs.
The bulbs will come in a range of colors and shapes, including those designed for flood lights, ceiling fans, globe fixtures and spot lights.
Earlier this month GE competitor Philips won the Department of Energy’s L Prize for its 60-watt replacement bulb, which uses only 10 watts of electricity. That bulb will be priced at about $40, but Philips expects the price to drop to about $10 in five to six years.
GE did not give a price for its new bulbs, however the 40-watt replacement debuted last year at $40-$50 dollars, depending on the retailer.
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