FACT: CFL's never would have made it outside of the General Electric IP vault had the design not been leaked and then copied.
Because GE, once they examined the invention -- engineered by GE designer Ed Hammer in 1976 in response to the 1973 oil crisis
Consumers with an eye to conserving energy may be snatching those swirly compact fluorescent bulbs off store shelves now, but 30 years ago they were barely a shade away from crazy.
"I was given a number of reasons why it wouldn't work," said Ed Hammer, a retired General Electric engineer who invented compact fluorescent while working at the company in the 1970s. "I was told it could be a little better than an incandescent bulb, but that was about it."
Hammer invented the bulb in 1976, he said, and primarily worked alone.
Hammer invented the bulb in 1976, he said, and primarily worked alone.
Although executives at GE liked the idea, they decided not to market it at the time. CFLs would require entirely new manufacturing facilities, which would cost $25 million. "So they decided to shelve it," Hammer said.
The electronics giant contemplated licensing the design. Unfortunately, the design leaked out. Others copied it before GE started a licensing program. Read full from CBS (CNET)
Haase - After 30 years of non innovation... I think it is safe to say we can move forward on technology and start using LED's