The Vu1 ESL documentary was released on Monday. It can be viewed at
http://www.vu1.com/ESLupdate
The documentary has propagated to a number of Clean Tech blogs that have resulted in a lot of great commentary and a number of questions regarding the company and the technology. Below I will try and answer some of the more popular questions.
Vu1 has established a formal set of specifications for our first product (an R-30 reflector bulb replacement). We are currently building our prototypes to meet these specifications. The final performance of our products will be independent laboratory certified and UL, ETL certified. Our intent is to pursue Energy Star certification, although currently the EPA only provides certification criteria for CFL and LED technologies. If necessary, we plan to obtain Energy Star certification by meeting or exceeding CFL standards.
The following are our target specifications (many of these are already being achieved in our prototype products) –
Q: What is the energy efficiency?
A: Similar to a R30 CFL bulb. Approximately 18-19W for a 65W incandescent replacement.
Q: What is the rated life?
A: 6000 hours in our first products
Q: Do ESL bulbs emit X-rays?
A: No harmful or disruptive emissions of any sort (x-ray, EMI, UV, etc.) are emitted by an ESL bulb.
Q: Will ESL bulbs contain any toxic or harmful materials (mercury, leaded glass, etc.)
A: No. ESL bulbs will be certified "trash bin disposable". In municipalities that have the ability to recycle electronic components - ESL bulbs will be certified "recyclable".
Q: What is the color of the light generated by an ESL bulb?
A: ESL color temperature is tuned in Vu1’s proprietary phosphors. Initially, we will tune the color to precisely match an incandescent bulb.
Q: Isn’t ESL just a TV tube?
A: ESL utilizes many of the same principles as a CRT or TV but with a number of critical differences. In ESL, electrons are uniformly distributed versus being shot at a screen in a scanning beam. ESL utilizes proprietary phosphors that are designed to turn on, burn bright, and last for very long life times. Click on the link below and look into the back of a TV or CRT. See what it required to allow them to function. Now look at the size, shape and weight of and ESL bulb. Vu1 has created an inexpensive, minaturized, highly energy efficient electron source and power technology that allow light bulbs to be built affordably and in high volumes.
http://books.google.com/books?id=OsXBV6TX-CsC&pg=PA138&lpg=PA138&dq=picture+inside+a+crt&source=bl&ots=XPa2Yv5chu&sig=licFLUQLu4pDlSoc4coa5x9DYC0&hl=en&ei=P7qySvGvD9Gwtge-i-DADg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6#v=onepage&q=picture%20inside%20a%20crt&f=false
Q: Why do we need another lighting technology? We know the problems that exist with CFLs - but LEDs will solve all of those problems.
A: We continue to address this issue at every opportunity. LED technology will be very successful in automotive, street lighting, retail, and residential/commercial (when and if new LED-friendly fixtures are installed). LEDs will never be a viable, affordable retrofit solution in heat sensitive installations, such as recessed can lights.
More to follow ……
