A revolution in light

A bulb with a lifetime that is not limited by the bulb itself, but only by the electronics. That is the QL bulb from Philips Lighting, a bulb that shows an increasing number of applications. “Compared to other types of bulbs, this QL bulb, with a lifetime of 100,000 hours, is a revolution in light,” says Jan Dorleijn, product manager QL bulbs of Philips.

The development of QL bulbs started in the 1980s but did not take flight until the mid-1990s. “We started to develop a bulb with an electrode-less discharge because it would consume less energy,” says Dorleijn. “This development first brought the low-energy bulb, but the technology we had at the time proved too expensive for use as a true alternative for the traditional light bulb.”  This is one of the reasons why the project was shelved in about 1990. “We did not have anything to offer households – they had no interest in a bulb with a lifetime of 100,000 hours.”

Philips  decided  to  utilize  the  technology for  larger  powers  and  to  focus  on  applications  in the commercial sector. “Professional clients will listen to an investment story – they are interested in a bulb with a long lifetime if it reduces the total costs,” Dorleijn explains. Not much later the first QL bulb with a power of 85 watts was introduced.  Later came a 55 Watt bulb and in late 2005 the third QL bulb – 165 Watts – will follow.

The bulb rapidly became popular in the United States in particular.  Dorleijn: “Americans are just quicker to invest.  It is an extremely innovative product that Americans use for places where replacing bulbs is expensive.”

Nedap

Nedap and Philips have been working together in other areas for many years. In 2002  Philips  decided  to  assign  responsibility for the development and production of  the  electronics  for  the  QL  bulbs  to Nedap.  “A new design was needed and the technology had to be updated. Nedap surely is qualified to do this job. Compared to the older generation, we have a higher quality and a lower induction voltage. "That reduces costs for the end user,” according to Dorleijn.

QL bulbs are now being used in numerous locations, for example for street lighting in Utrecht and San Diego, on  refineries and drilling platforms in the North Sea and elsewhere in the world, in many chemical plants, in the arrivals hall of Schiphol Airport, as well as at other airports. “These bulbs last a lifetime and require no maintenance. Once you install a QL bulb, you never need to do anything with it, ever.”