SWITCH Lighting, a maker of Light Emitting Diodes lights to replace incandescent light bulbs, is now retailing at over 350 participating Batteries Plus stores across the U.S. The company’s LED lights, a more sustainable lighting alternative to incandescent bulbs, save up to 80 percent energy compared with traditional lights.
Another innovation behind SWITCH LED bulbs is that provide the same warm, familiar glow of an incandescent light bulb, a common criticism of fluorescent lights and other types of LEDs, which tend to give off a bluish, cold light. Unlike CFL lights, they don’t contain mercury, although there has been research that says that some LEDs may contain some toxic materials, therefore it’s always a good idea to dispose of them carefully.
Besides saving energy, they last much longer, or up to 25 times longer than an incandescent light bulb, clocking up around 25,000 hours of illumination. The longevity of these lamps means they can save around $130 on energy bills over the light bulb’s lifetime and depending on usage.
All these advantages have attracted awards and SWITCH has been praised for its industrial design, having even featured as a work of art in an art gallery. One of its models, the SWITCH75, was a Consumer Electronics Show 2012 Innovations Honoree, besides being named by TIME Magazine as one of the 50 Best Inventions of 2011. It also received a silver rating in the prestigious Edison 2012 Awards.
“As federal legislation mandating better energy saving light bulbs continues to take effect – gradually phasing out most incandescent light bulbs in the marketplace by 2014 – consumers and businesses will be seeking an equivalent replacement light bulb. We’re proud to offer our retail and business customers the best LED light bulb on the market,” said Russ Reynolds, Batteries Plus CEO.
Article by Antonio Pasolini, a Brazilian writer and video art curator based in London, UK. He holds a BA in journalism and an MA in film and television.
