Part lightbulb, part spaceship component, the LED NanoLight (funding through March 8) is being touted as the world’s most energy efficient lightbulb.
Using just 12 watts of electricity, the NanoLight should generate 1600 lumens, the equivalent of a 100-watt lightbulb. The estimated cost of running a NanoLight (for three hours a day) is less than $2 a year, and the bulb is expected to last 25 to 30 years.
Aside from looking rather stellar and being economical with the usage of power, the NanoLight also differs from the average LED lightbulb in that it’s capable of emulating the omnidirectional nature of your classic lightbulb—but cool enough not to mimic its habit of scorching your flesh if you make the mistake of touching it when it’s been on for a while. And unlike most compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs, the NanoLight provides full brightness as soon as you turn it on.
You can get in on the action starting at $30 for a 10-watt bulb. Shipments should begin in either July or September, depending on when you pledge (and at what level).
With a month to go, the NanoLight has blow by its modest $20,000 funding goal by $110,000 at press time. But the team readily admits the challenges remaining to source parts and ensure a consistent, high-quality manufacturing process. That’s refreshing in the world of crowdfunding, but also illustrates the difficulty in bringing new products to market even with the money to do so.