New ultra-efficient LED tube makes timely arrival.

September 8, 2022

S­­­oaring energy prices, the climate crisis, and stricter EU regulation: Signify’s new A-class LED tube offers a solution to all three.

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary innovations. As the world grapples with the climate crisis and surging energy prices, Signify’s most energy-efficient LED tube to date has hit the market just when it’s needed more than ever - helping professional customers cut both their energy bills and their carbon footprint.

The new Philips MASTER LEDtube UE expands Signify’s Ultra Efficient portfolio of products, launched last year. The ground-breaking Philips LED A-class bulb, which consumes 60% less energy than a standard Philips LED, kicked off the range. Now comes the A-class tube, whose 100,000-hour lifespan is five times longer than its conventional MASTER TL-D counterpart.

“Especially in industries, warehouses, offices, schools and retail spaces, where all-day lighting is required, switching to ultra-efficient LEDs can sharply reduce energy usage related to lighting,” explains Michael Rombouts, business unit leader LED Lamps and Luminaires.

The ’A’ rating given to all products in the Ultra Efficient range is an external classification showing the products have the highest level of energy efficiency. According to the new EU energy labelling and eco-design framework, lighting products need an energy efficiency of at least 210 lm/W to meet the A-grade criteria.

Legislation is guiding this transition to energy-efficient LED. The amended RoHS (Reduction of Hazardous Substances) EU directive banning the sale of linear fluorescent lamps from August 2023 is just one of the regulations that makes LED innovation a necessity, not a nice-to-have.

The drive to create more efficient lighting is also born of an urgency to respond to climate change. LED and connected lighting offer one of the simplest - and most overlooked - paths to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Switching to connected LEDs in buildings can quickly reduce the built environment’s lighting-related energy consumption by up to 80%.

Sustainability now ranks highly on companies’ agendas and influences operations on every level, including the choice of lighting. The MASTER LEDtube UE can go a long way in reducing emissions – 2,285 kilograms over its lifetime, to be exact. That’s the equivalent of the emissions absorbed by more than 100 trees.

The positive environmental impact of individual businesses making the switch to LED is substantial. Yet collective action, on a national or international scale, can go further. Signify’s research has found that upgrading conventional luminaires to LED would help the 27 EU member states meet the goals of the ambitious European Green Deal, which aims to achieve a carbon-neutral continent by 2050.

Providing customers with more energy-efficient products is a key tenet of Signify’s commitment to doubling the pace of the Paris Climate Agreement 1.5°C scenario. Our Brighter Lives, Better World 2025 sustainability program is hardwired into our strategy, serving as an assurance that innovation in LED technology will continue.

“Our energy-efficient portfolio keeps growing and growing, catering to every application,” says Michael Rombouts. “Ultra-efficient GU10 LED spots are on their way, adding to the bulbs and tubes that are currently available, ensuring that our portfolio caters to every application. We continue to expand our range of ultra-efficient products, in our drive to have the most energy-efficient portfolio across technologies.”