Dubai: A revolutionary energy saving bulb that lights up by simply putting its base in one’s mouth or in a cup of water is due to hit the stands of UAE later this month.
According to developer Dr. Noble Inasu, 31, the highly efficient 9W Flamber made of 18 LEDs with a total output of 900 lumina will be sold for Dh60 apiece across the country’s supermarkets from June 21. The bulb can run without power for up to 25 hours.
Once out, he says, this innovative new device that lights up in contact with moisture could change the way people light homes in Africa and rural India and revolutionise the relief work in disaster zones.
Wonder light
“In situations like the recent ones in Nepal, it can be marvelously handy for aid workers working in extreme conditions, often without electricity,” adds Dr. Inasu, a London-trained specialist in internal medicine who now heads the R&D team at Britelite, the creators of the 9 watt ultra-efficient LED light.
“We believe we are the first ones to come up with such an emergency light in such a scale. The best thing about this light is that it also doubles up as a camping light, an inverter and an LED bulb for homes,” adds Dr. Inasu, from Kerala, India, who was born and bred in the UAE.
“If you look at the costs of installation, it’s just Dh5 per year. The energy costs are even lower, cut to almost 10th of what’s involved in conventional lighting. For the same price the cost/watt of energy consumed is less than all the existing market competition,” says Dr. Inasu. According to him Flamber – apparently named after flame and amber - is the most cost effective in the long run (see box). “Amber burns for a really long time and it’s symbolic because our bulbs are guaranteed to last 12 years.”
The real USP of the bulb, he says, however lies in its advanced intelligent power monitoring circuit that detects the power supply in the grid.
“With this technology the LED bulb will automatically switch between AC or DC power mode enabling the bulb to stay on even when the power goes off. There are no manual AC-DC switches on the bulb, no remotes or any additional accessories to activate this function,” explains Dr. Inasu, The fully automatic mini power station built into it, he says, powers the bulb when the main power goes off, letting it ‘on’ in this mode for 25 hours.
“The bulb gets fully charged in three hours once the power is back and you get three to four nights of non-stop light. In India and other countries where power outages are common, this could just be a big blessing”.
Britelite has applied for an international patent for the bulb’s technology and its design.
Flamber facts
Flamber is made of 18 Ultra Efficient LEDs, each producing 50 lumens of light for a total Lumen output of 900 for 9 Watts. In comparison, Dr. Noble Inasu says, a Philips 12.5 Watt bulb gives 800 lumen, Osram 10 Watts gives 806 lumen, G.E 13 Watts LED bulb gives 800 lumens.
Equivalent to a 75-100 Watt incandescent bulb or conventional bulb depending on the brand.
Lifetime: Light – 12 years
Retail Price: Dh60 per piece
