GE has partnered with Beacon Lighting to expand the reach of its LED business in Australia and New Zealand.

Beacon, operating under Light Source Solutions, will be the sole distributor for GE's commercial and residential lighting business, leaving GE to focus on the development of smart Industrial Internet applications for industry and municipalities.

“Beacon has the reach and expertise to facilitate a rapid transition to LEDs and will be able to offer our customers localised service,” said GE Lighting Australia & NZ Country Leader Ian Killick.

GE's LED and conventional lighting products will be sold online and through more than 90 Beacon retail stores, as well as other retailers and wholesalers.

“GE has an impressive heritage in the lighting business, reaching back to its founder Thomas Edison and the invention of the light bulb,” said Beacon Lighting CEO Glen Robinson.

“Today, GE LED technology is transforming lighting, using up to 80% less energy and lasting up to five times longer than traditional lighting.

“The technology is continuing to advance, and we are excited to partner with GE to bring it to more customers in Australia and New Zealand.”

At the same time, the GE Lighting business will increase its focus on the development of smart lighting applications and services for roadways, retail environments, commercial buildings and industrial facilities. The company will further invest in building its Industrial Internet capability, using data and analytics to run lighting systems more efficiently and layer additional capabilities.

“We are working on some exciting intelligent lighting projects around the world that have great potential for this region,” said Killick.

“Lighting technology is undergoing rapid change, using LEDs and sensing technology to control light levels, predict maintenance needs, track energy consumption and manage assets. The result is less energy consumption, more efficient maintenance and a more reliable network. We plan to invest to provide this type of capability to roadways, industrial businesses and municipalities in Australia.”

In Sydney, Australia, GE Lighting has worked in partnership with the City of Sydney and UGL to replace more than 6000 street, park and plaza lights with energy-efficient LEDs. As a result, the City has saved almost AU$800,000 per year in electricity and maintenance costs and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 3000 tonnes each year.