• LED tubes save up to 50% energy costs on lighting – combined with their long lifetime, facility managers can recover their investment in just 1 -3 years
• Installers will replace fluorescent tubes within seconds - Philips’ InstantFit LED tube is compatible with all fluorescent fixtures without re-wiring
• Crucially, speed and simplicity in installation mean less business disruption and cost - an average supermarket can now switch to LED lighting in less than 4 days instead of 4 weeks¹

Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), the global leader in lighting, today announced the introduction of a new instant fit LED replacement tube that reduces the cost for facility managers replacing fluorescent tube lighting with energy efficient LED technology. LED tube lamps save up to 50% less energy compared to linear fluorescent tube lighting and require less maintenance due to their long lifetime.

Philips has led the way in designing an instantaneous ‘click-to-fit’ LED replacement alternative for linear High Frequency (HF) fluorescent tube lighting with electronic drivers. Currently, installers need to re-wire the driver to replace linear fluorescent tubes with LED tubes².  This is due to a wide variety of electronic drivers that exist in fluorescent tube lamps today. The Philips’ InstantFit LED replacement tube requires no re-wiring as it includes a smart electronic design that is compatible with existing drivers, ballasts and sockets. The result is a dramatic reduction in the time it takes to change from fluorescent to LED tube lighting - from over 20 minutes per fixture to a matter of seconds.

"We studied the process for replacing fluorescent tubes with LED technology step by step to tackle those issues that dissuade facility managers and installers from making the switch. We found speed and simplicity were key," said Rene van Schooten, CEO Light Sources and Electronics at Philips Lighting.

Ramón Silvero, Product Manager of the Lighting department at Gas Natural Fenosa, said, "The savings made are spectacular." Mariano Herranz, Maintenance Technician at Gas Natural Fenosa added, "Using the new LED tube does not need any special operation. You just substitute the old tube for a new LED one."

Philips estimates that the installed base for fluorescent tube lighting today amounts to 12 billion (lamp) sockets globally. Linear fluorescent HF tube lighting with electronic drivers is one of the most common types of general lighting used in shops, offices and industrial spaces. The opportunity for energy and costs savings is huge. If current fluorescent lighting was replaced by LED tube lamps it would result in savings of EUR 42 billion in energy costs or the equivalent of energy generated by 210 medium sized power plants³.

The InstantFit breakthrough is a new milestone in Philips’ innovation record for the LED tube lamp (TLED) market. Most recently, in April 2013 Philips announced the creation of the world’s most energy-efficient lamp suitable for general lighting, unveiling an LED tube replacement prototype that produces a record 200 lumens per watt of high-quality white light (compared with 100lm/W for fluorescent lighting) without compromising on light quality.

Philips’ InstantFit LED replacement tube will be available in the first quarter of 2014. Visit www.philips.com/instantfit for more detailed information about availability.

¹ Calculated on the basis of an average sized supermarket that is typically equipped with approximately 1,000 double-tube fixtures and taking an average of 2 minutes to replace which includes every step from unpacking to installing, including positioning and climbing of ladders. The actual physical tube replacement takes a matter of seconds.

² For optimal operation and maximum lifetime, LEDs need a constant current, which is the main task of a driver

³ Source: Philips