GE dims the light on CFLs, switches to LEDs

GE announced recently that it will stop selling and manufacturing CFLs in the US and will be shifting the focus of consumer lighting efforts to LED bulbs. CFL production will wind down end-2016.

The significant drop in LED prices is the main reason behind the shift. In the same announcement, GE said a 60W-equivalent LED bulb now sells for $3.33 at Sam’s Club. This price point contributed to the 250 percent jump in LED sales in the US last year.

LEDs currently represent 15 percent of the 1.7 billion bulbs sold every year in the US. By 2020, GE expects more than half of US light sockets will be adopting LED bulbs.

Expanding uses of LED bulbs is another factor. GE global commercial marketing manager Steve Pepe told Gizmodo that the company will “make LEDs more accessible, and we’ll start using lightbulbs for more than just lighting.

“We think that lightbulbs will be able to sense or hear. They can be nodes throughout your house.”

Gizmodo said LED bulbs can “serve as a Trojan horse to the smart home.” The light source is evolving into a consumer electronic product compatible with a range of apps that allow users to switch on or off lights or adjust brightness from a smartphone.

A few years ago, GE introduced Link, a low-cost “connected” light bulb that uses ZigBee. In contrast, the new C by GE linepairs with a smartphone via Bluetooth. The C by GE starter pack includes the C Life bulb, which can be turned on or off or dimmed using the GE app. The C Sleep, meanwhile, has the basic on/off functionality plus three color temperature settings synced with the sleep cycle.

Such capability is not limited to big-brand LED bulbs, however. China-based manufacturers offer an expanding selection of smart LED lights that can pair with Android or iOS devices using Wi-Fi or LAN. These bulbs switch on or off automatically at a preset time and have their brightness and color adjusted remotely.