OREANDA-NEWS. May 4, 2012. (NYSE:GE) —GE’s award-winning Energy Smart® Bright from the StartTM bulb is the nation’s first hybrid CFL light bulb to receive ENERGY STAR® qualification. This innovative hybrid bulb combines the best features of an incandescent, CFL and halogen bulb in one. The result is an instant-on technology that uses 75 percent less energy than an incandescent bulb and lasts eight times longer.

“The ENERGY STAR qualification is just one more validation of how truly special this light bulb is,” says Jeff Patton, general manager of consumer marketing, GE Lighting. “It’s already been widely embraced by consumers and received top-notch award nods. We’re so pleased that this latest recognition now conveys this important energy-saving distinction.”

GE engineers carefully crafted this bulb to eliminate the delayed start associated with the CFL bulb. They discovered a solution by nestling an instantly bright halogen capsule inside the swirl of a compact fluorescent light bulb. The halogen element comes on instantly and turns off once the CFL comes to full brightness, thus preserving the energy efficiency of the bulb. It’s also housed in the incandescent-shaped shell consumers are used to and has an extremely low amount of mercury: 1 mg. CFLs typically contain 1.5 mg to 3.5 mg of mercury.

When comparing the 15-watt hybrid halogen-CFL with a light output of 800 lumens to the standard 60-watt incandescent with 840 lumens, consumers will see an energy savings of USD 39 over the life of the bulb (seven years at 3 hours of usage per day).

Available in both Soft White and GE Reveal® styles, the GE Energy Smart Bright From The Start 15- and 20-watt bulbs are meant to replace 60- and 75-watt incandescent bulbs. Retailers set prices, but customers could expect to pay USD 5.99- USD 9.99 based on product line and wattage.