Philips Earns Breakthrough Award for LED Technology

Philips Lighting has been honored by POPULAR MECHANICS as a winner of a 2011 Breakthrough Award, which recognizes innovators and products that dramatically advance the fields of technology and other disciplines.

Ten companies were selected in the Breakthrough Product Awards category, with Philips Lighting recognized for AmbientLED, an environmentally and economically sustainable indoor light bulb. The first credible replacement for the 60-watt incandescent, AmbientLED – using innovative light-emitting diode (LED) technology – uses just 12.5 watts of power, saves 80 percent in energy costs, vastly reduces carbon emissions and is rated to last 25,000 hours.

"Philips Lighting and our other Breakthrough Award winners not only capture the imagination, but hold the potential to improve lives," said James B. Meigs, editor-in-chief of POPULAR MECHANICS. "We are pleased to honor this year's diverse list of visionaries, as they are shaping the future of innovation."

Zia Eftekhar, CEO, Philips Lighting North America, said, "Winning this prestigious award from POPULAR MECHANICS further validates our commitment to and focus on sustainable and viable lighting technologies. AmbientLED is one of the numerous LED-based products in our ever-growing portfolio, making a positive impact on the lives and wallets of consumers."

Last week, Philips Lighting was also selected as a 2011 Leader of Change Award winner by the Foundation for Social Change and the United Nations Office for Partnerships. The award recognized the company's longstanding commitment to sustainability through the development of innovative lighting, including LED technologies. Earlier in 2011, Philips won the U.S. Department of Energy's L Prize competition, which challenged the lighting industry to develop high-performance, energy and money-saving replacements for conventional light bulbs. 

Philips Lighting and the other Breakthrough Award winners received the seventh-annual Breakthrough Awards at a gala ceremony in New York City on October 10. Descriptions of the winners will be published in the November issue of POPULAR MECHANICS.

The world's first LED replacement for a 60-watt incandescent bulb, the AmbientLED 12.5-watt is also the first to earn ENERGY STAR qualification. Philips Lighting is a worldwide leader in developing LED and other lighting technology solutions that aid in the global transition to a sustainable society, while delivering economic, ecological and social benefits.