General Electric recently introduced a new green technology, a nine watt Energy Smart LED bulb. This new energy efficient LED bulb is set to be a replacement for the regular 40 watt bulbs currently being used.

This new GE LED bulb is expected to receive the Energy Star certification as an omni-directional LED replacement lamp. The Energy Star certification requires an excellent efficiency, light output, color, life, and a uniform distribution of light in all directions surrounding the bulb (except in the narrow range of angles near the base of the bulb).

This new nine watt LED bulb has a unique fin-like design which allows it to operate differently than other bulbs, distributing light like a traditional 40 watt incandescent bulb while still being able to deliver an excellent output of life over its 25,000 hour rated life.

The fin-like design is what is able to make these new GE LED bulbs last longer. As stated in an article by Anuradha Shukla, “the fins that cradle the GE Energy Smart LED bulb look ultra cool, while performing a cooling function: they’re connected to the LEDs inside the bulb to draw heat out, keeping the LEDs cool to ensure a longer life and greater efficiency. The fins also help to keep the surface of the bulb cooler than comparable incandescent bulbs.”

Based on the LED bulb being able to operate for the 25,000 hours, if the bulb is used 4 hours each day, the bulb would work for up to 17 years! This is 25 times longer than a 40 watt incandescent light bulb, and more than three times longer than a standard 8,000 hour rated life of a regular compact florescent light bulb.

Steve Briggs, Vice President of Marketing and Project Management of GE Lighting, stated that “this new LED bulb is an engineering marvel that will deliver incandescent quality light for years upon years in any room of a home.” In a home with hard to reach lights, this would be a fantastic solution for lighting.

Briggs added that “the typical design of most LED A-line bulbs on the market has a thermal management component mounted only on the bottom half of the light bulb, while the top half is similar to a snow cone shape.” He explained that the company designed and tested several variations of the “snow cone approach” but none provided the incandescent like all around light which is required by Energy Star without overheating the LEDs.

Gary Allen, GE Lighting Physicist and Principal Engineer, invented the new GE LED bulb and perfected the design of it with the help of a global innovation team.