Lighting Brief: GE, Philips, FZLED, Magnalight

GE Lighting has announced that it will buy Lightech, a privately held lighting technology company based near Tel Aviv. Lightech specializes in LED electronic drivers and halogen transformers.  The purchase price was not disclosed.

“For our customers, this acquisition means we will deliver a more optimized, energy-efficient LED lighting system – faster,” says GE Lighting president & CEO Maryrose Sylvester. “Combining GE’s power electronics design capability with Lightech’s breadth of high-efficiency power supplies and controllability positions GE to respond to the market with complete systems and higher performance drivers and controls.”

Meanwhile, GE Energy Financial Services and The Bergquist Company have joined existing investors to make a $10 million investment in Nuventix, creator of the Synjet LED cooling technology. GE’s investment was made as part of its Ecomagination Challenge program of cleantech R&D investments.

As part of the deal, GE and Nuventix also formed a license agreement. “Nuventix’s technology can improve the quality of LED lights by making them brighter, longer-lasting and potentially cheaper,” said Steve Briggs, vice president of marketing and product management at GE Lighting.

The existing investors are Braemar Energy Ventures, CenterPoint Ventures, InterWest Partners and Rho Ventures.

Philips’ LED equivalent to the 75-watt incandescent bulb has entered the market and is on sale on the Home Depot website for $39.97, ZDnet reports. The EnduraLED A21 (pictured), unveiled at Lightfair in May, has hit the market one quarter earlier than predicted.

The bulb produces 1,100 lumens at 17 watts and is designed to use 80 percent less electricity than traditional bulbs, with a lifespan 25 times longer. It works with traditional fixtures and dimmers.

FZLED has unveiled a new model in its line of T8 LED tube lights. The latest product is five feet long and 28 watts. It replaces traditional T8 tubes and fits standard G13 sockets with an AC voltage range of 100 to 240V, the company says. Customers can choose models in 6000K, 4000K or 3000K CCT.

Finally, Magnalight has debuted the LEDPB10W-240X2E LED Light Bar, which delivers 20,640 lumens of bright light enclosed in a smaller housing, according to the company. The product is waterproof and resistant to salt water and other elements, Magnalight says.