Recently, Philips Lighting North America has won The Department of Energy’s L Prize for the 60-watt replacement bulb category of the Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prize (L Prize) competition.

the Philips LED bulb was submitted in 2009, and successfully completed 18 months of demanding field, lab, and product testing to meet the rigorous requirements of the L Prize competition.

Zia Eftekhar, CEO of Philips Lighting North America,believed that the L Prize challenge as an opportunity to innovate and develop an energy efficient alternative to a product that has remained largely unchanged for over a century.  He said that “The fact that we are the first and only company capable of  submitting a product and completing 18 months of rigorous testing not only underscores our commitment to innovation and quality, it highlights our ability to bring meaningful leading technologies into the mainstream.” 

As the winner, Philips will receive a $10 million cash prize as well as L Prize partner promotions and incentives. To date, 31 utilities and energy efficiency program partners stand ready to promote and develop markets for the winning product. The L Prize-winning 60-watt equivalent LED bulb from Phillips could arrive in stores as soon as early 2012.