Headlight bulb design and production goes green
Sylvania EcoBright headlight bulbs are up to 25% brighter than standard, yet consume less energy, reducing fuel costs and emissions.
David Greenfield -- Control Engineering, 10/7/2009
With all the energy saving potential to be captured in global industry, the last place I expected to hear about sustainable initiatives was in relation to automobile headlights. Just goes to show, when you think you have had heard of everything ...
Along comes Osram Sylvania with its launch of the EcoBright headlight bulbs. These bulbs are said to offer excellent down road and side road visibility while reducing environmental impact.
 Osram Sylvaniaâs EcoBright automobile headlight bulbs save gas and emissions, while providing brighter roadway illumination. Source: Osram Sylvania. |
The company claims these bulbs use 9 to 21% less energy than SAE maximum design specifications, and are up to 25% brighter compared to standard bulbs. Over the life of a pair of bulbs, drivers can save from $2 to $19 in fuel costs and reduce a car's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions 9 to 21% or from 13 to 107 pounds, compared to bulbs operating to SAE standard maximums. While it might not seem like much on a case-by-case basis, these environmental savings add up. If 1% of registered cars switched to EcoBright, 21 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions would be avoided annually.
Osram Sylvania's nvironmental responsibility extends to the production of the bulbs as well. EcoBright bulbs contain no cadmium or mercury, and qualify as lead-free by automotive regulatory agencies and the National Drinking Water Regulation for Public Water Systems.
In addition, the company's automotive lighting plant in Hillsboro, NH, has an ongoing environmental program that has decreased water use by 94% over a 10-month period and reduced greenhouse gas (CO2) emissions by more than 4,410 tons over the past three years. The plant is an ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems certified facility, ensuring that there are formal environmental goals in place, systems to reduce environmental impact, careful monitoring, and independent compliance audits. These initiatives are all part of Global Care, Osram Sylvania's commitment to social and environmental responsibility worldwide.
EcoBright bulbs are available in retail stores and will retail for $29.99 for a set of two bulbs.
Access other Control Engineering content related to green/sustainable products:
- Cascade Engineering, NextLife form alliance to provide sustainable products
- How green is that product you're designing?
- PTC advances environmental product design and regulatory compliance offering with new acquisition
- Edited by David Greenfield, editorial director
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