A lamp for life
Shanghai, 23rd March 2010
Today I was writing my regular column for the next issue of Lighting Today magazine, something I always enjoy doing…when I find the time. I have been writing my “Reflections” column for the last several years (lost count) in the magazine that is published in Singapore with a fairly wide readership in Asia. In fact this blog is a direct offspring from my regular magazine writing. While the magazine reflects back on what happens in our lighting industry on a quarterly basis, my blog is a more interactive daily affair. The two are obviously related and not surprisingly so are the subjects.
The article mulls over whether it will be possible to design zero energy, zero maintenance lighting installations, a favorite subject in one of my earlier blogs. It brought up the thought of…what if we had a lamp for life? One that you buy once and never have to replace…We know it is technically possible to make such a lamp, but it obviously does not make much commercial sense for the manufacturers…a lamp is a commodity, not a luxury item. At least that is how it is now. You buy, they fail, and then you replace them with a new one. Sometimes after a month, sometimes after a year sometimes they inexplicably last for years.
Even if an everlasting lamp would be commercialized would we be prepared to pay hundreds of dollars for just a single lamp? Because that is likely the price it would cost. Hence you would really have to invest in a lamp, like buying furniture or a car.
An interesting thought…who knows, if it ever takes off there may be a market for second hand lamps in the future. 🙂
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