Philips Lighting North America won the first L Prize, and the race to be first across the finish line inspired a global R&D team and a new technology platform. It also drove continuous innovation, accelerating enhancements to successive product designs in the Philips product line.
Impacts
Philips' L Prize entry helped catalyze market competition and pushed the whole industry toward a clear target, setting the bar for consumer satisfaction and success. The technology innovations in the L Prize winner—including more efficacious LED chips, electronic miniaturization, better heat transfer, improved optics, and remote phosphors—have had a lasting impact on the company's LED offerings, finding their way into millions of subsequent products that continue to save massive amounts of energy each year. Philips estimated that after the prize was awarded, this family of products reached sales representing more than $51.3 million in energy savings in the first two years alone. Learn more.
Rigorous Testing
The winning product was tested in a rigorous evaluation process that included performance, lifetime, and stress testing conducted by independent laboratories, and field assessments conducted in collaboration with L Prize partners. A Technical Review Committee reviewed all reports, test results, findings, and documentation for this entry, and determined that it met the competition requirements.
- Lab testing measured performance and lifetime
- Field assessments evaluated performance in real-world applications
- Rebates and incentives promoted the winning product