Philips released its first mainstream LED product this week – the Calculite line of sources. A search on the Philips websites turned up zilch in the way of information on this product, but a press release by Clean Tech had some interesting information on the product:
The Calculite line is first being sold to fulfill projects for commercial customers, including architectural, lighting, design and engineering firms. It’s expected to be used in commercial applications such as offices, lobbies, hotels, and colleges where lighting typically runs 10 to 12 hours a day, where the payback is sooner.
Of the 420 million installed down lights in the U.S., about 150 million are in the commercial sector. Because lighting in commercial buildings typically runs 10 to 12 hours a day, it’s easier to make a financial case to commercial customers because of the quicker payback, he said.
A consumer LED down-lighting product is expected before the end of the year, with a goal of reducing the price 30 percent to 40 percent by lowering the optical specs, he said. Early next year the product is likely to be available in retail stores.
What do you think about this? Philips and Color Kinetics teamed up a while ago. I wonder why they’re calling this the first mainstream product…
