Philip's launches the first LED replacement for most commonly used light bulb

Royal Philips Electronics (AEX: PHI, NYSE: PHG) today launches its 12 watt MASTER LED bulb, the industry's first light-emitting diode (LED) replacement for a 60 watt incandescent light bulb.

Available for the first time in Australia, it marks an important breakthrough in the use of LED lighting technology in everyday applications. Business users, particularly hospitality industry professionals and facility managers, will now have an LED alternative to the most commonly used incandescent bulb, which will save up to 80 percent of energy and last 25 times longer than its century-old predecessor.

Sold in other markets under the Philips AmbientLED and Philips EnduraLED brands, the MASTER LED bulb uses an innovative design and remote phosphor technology to deliver the same soft white light and shape that business users are familiar with in an incandescent. The MASTER LED bulb will provide instant plug-in savings, through extended life and reduced energy and maintenance costs, in comparison with traditional bulbs.

Every year, millions of 60 watt incandescent light bulbs are sold in Australia. According to Philips, this LED replacement has the potential to save businesses a huge amount in electricity costs. For every 1,000 60watt incandescent light bulbs replaced with LED bulbs, there would be a saving of approximately $13,300 in energy related costs*, and 66 tons of carbon emissions** annually. Furthermore, this new lamp has a rated life of 25,000 hours, as opposed to a standard 60 watt incandescent bulb which is rated at about 1,000 hours.

"We challenged ourselves to come up with an LED alternative that can mimic the traditional incandescent in light quality, shape and use, in a timeframe most did not think possible," said Michael Downie, General Manager of Philips Lighting."This milestone is even more significant because we have been able to show people around the world that LED lighting can deliver energy efficiency and the warm white light people desire, without compromise to quality. This new bulb not only underscores our commitment to sustainability, it is a clear example of Philips' global leadership in lighting innovation."

Business users will be able to purchase the new lamp from electrical wholesalers and specialist lamp distributers when it becomes available in mid-March 2011. The price of the MASTER LED has not yet been finalised, but is expected to retail at approximately AUD$60.00. The lamp was launched in the US and Europe early in 2010, and the uptake has been positive.

To accelerate the MASTER LED's development and introduction to the market, Philips leveraged the expertise of scientists and lighting designers from around the globe; Philips researchers in The Netherlands created a new remote phosphorous technology and light distribution design, LUXEON LEDs were integrated from Philips Lumileds in San Jose, CA, and electronics for the bulb were built at Philips Color Kinetics in Burlington, MA and Philips Lighting Electronics in Rosemont, IL. From there, the bulbs were then sent to the Philips Quality Assurance team in Shanghai to be rigorously tested, ensuring they met exacting quality and safety standards.

*Based on 4 hours use per lamp per day at 19cents per kilowatt hour.
**CO2 gas emissions are based on .95 grams per kilowatt hour.