Award-Winning Mobile App Helps Consumers Tackle New Lighting Standards

Changing a light bulb won’t be so easy when the new efficiency standards for lighting take effect in January 2012, but the award-winning Light Bulb Finder mobile app will help consumers sort through the flood of choices.
By: Eco Hatchery
 
Nov. 16, 2011 - PRLog -- Changing a light bulb won’t be so easy when the new efficiency standards for lighting take effect in January 2012, but the Light Bulb Finder mobile app will help consumers sort through the flood of choices. The EPA award-winning app is available as a free download on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Android mobile devices.

The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) standards, signed in 2007 under President Bush, will require light bulbs to be about 30 percent more efficient. Currently, 90 percent of electricity used by traditional incandescent bulbs is wasted as heat, while only 10 percent of the energy is used for light. The phase-out of inefficient bulbs begins with standard 100-watt incandescent bulbs in January 2012, the 75-watt bulb in 2013, and 60- and 40-watt bulbs in 2014. Specialty bulbs, such as 3-ways and reflectors, are not affected.

Consumer confusion is intensifying as new types of efficient light bulbs are appearing on store shelves. A wide variety of bulbs with new package labels and different measures of brightness are clamoring for attention. Now consumers must determine which of the new energy-efficient light bulbs are best suited to their fixtures, provide good light quality, perform well, and give good payback.

“We have a lot more choices and, of course, many more questions. When we buy energy-saving CFLs, LEDs and halogen incandescents, we think in terms of lumens and color temperature, not watts. We pay more at the cash register but less for our electricity bills,” explains Adam Borut, president of Eco Hatchery, the developer of the Light Bulb Finder mobile app.

The Light Bulb Finder mobile app cuts through the confusion, empowering consumers to make informed choices based on their lighting needs and financial priorities. Based on a few simple inputs about fixtures and current incandescent bulb styles, the app instantly recommends energy-saving equivalents with the right fit and light quality. It also displays bulb images, prices, financial payback, and environmental impact information.

Bulb recommendations on the app are based on third-party studies and internal testing by Eco Hatchery. Users can buy energy-saving bulbs directly through the app or refer to the bulb specifications provided to purchase bulbs at local stores.

“We are not a bulb retailer. We enable purchasing though the app as a convenience to users," Borut underlined. "The bulb database on the app is dynamic and is continually updated as new technologies and brands hit the market. We prioritize bulbs that give good payback and emit the warm light that people are accustomed to."

Eco Hatchery collaborates with utilities and municipalities nationwide to use the app as a platform for helping residents tap into local lighting incentives and other energy efficiency programs.

A new statewide program from Mass Save® which includes utility sponsors National Grid, Western Massachusetts Electric Company, NSTAR Electric, Cape Light Compact and Unitil, is offering instant bulb discounts through the app.

Some of the cities and counties that are promoting the Light Bulb Finder app to help residents save energy and access local incentives are Milwaukee, Madison, Eau Claire, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Frederick County, and Miami-Dade County.

The lighting standards, when fully implemented by 2020, will provide national benefits, including electricity savings of more than $10 billion per year, energy savings equivalent to 30 large power plants, and reduction of approximately 100 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

To download the free Light Bulb Finder app on iOS or Android, visit the app store and search for “Light Bulb Finder.”

Light Bulb Finder demo video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3r7byk9ZR1Q



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Eco Hatchery, LLC is a sustainability technology and services firm specializing in energy efficiency software and mobile applications. For more information on the Light Bulb Finder app and mobile marketing programs, please visit www.ecohatchery.com and www.lightbulbfinder.net. Connect with Light Bulb Finder on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/LightBulbFinder
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Source:Eco Hatchery
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Tags:Light Bulb, Lighting, Efficiency Standards, Eisa, Incandescent, Cfl, Led, Compact Fluorescent, Energy Saving, Mobile App
Industry:Consumer, Environment, Energy
Location:Los Angeles - California - United States
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