Florida company LEDs America Inc. is moving part of their LED light bulbs manufacturing operation from China to Kingston, NY. A former IBM Corp. campus known as TechCity will add around 100 manufacturing jobs within 12 months, according to LEDs America Inc. officials. This new location in Kingston will serve the US and Canadian markets, while the Chinese plant will continue to serve the rest of the world.
LED Light Bulbs Made In America
Vincent Cozzolino, president of the Solar Energy Consortium (a non-profit Kingston center focused on expediting US adoption of solar energy) said LEDs America Inc. is "really taking a bold move" in moving its LED technology and manufacturing processes from China to New York. The company recognizes the value in "Made in America" branding.
The company announced in July two LED semiconductor technologies which will replace incandescent and even fluorescent light bulbs. Prototype manufacturing should begin soon, with full production beginning next year. An example LEDs America Inc. product is a 6-watt LED light bulb with lumen output equivalent to a standard 60-watt incandescent. That's a 90% decrease in energy consumption, so I'm not sure if they're overstating the LED's capability, or if they've created the most energy efficient light bulb to date. The former seems more likely considering the misrepresentation of LEDs that other companies have undertaken.
Extreme Energy Efficiency
If it is indeed a 6-watt LED light bulb replacement for 60-watt incandescents, it's a huge step for LED technology. LED light bulbs and even CFLs in practice usually end up at about 50% to 60% increased efficiency. That's still outstanding, but it's a far cry from the claims of 80% to 90% increased efficiency. Depending on the pricing and real-world performance of these light bulbs, they could very well be the best LED light bulbs on the market; on the other hand, they could just as easily flop. Here's hoping it's not the latter.
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