OREANDA-NEWS. August 9, 2012. For the first time, consumers won’t have to choose between energy savings and sophisticated dimming features. A new generation of GE Energy Smart® and Reveal® bulbs brings smooth dimming capabilities to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). A popular incandescent feature that previous CFLs weren’t able to mimic, GE’s new CFLs dim down to five percent of light output – most CFLs on the market today only dim down to 20 percent.

“Many homeowners have embraced CFLs for their energy savings, but they typically opted for alternative technologies in settings where dimmable lighting was needed,” says Mary Beth Gotti, manager of the GE Lighting Institute. “Now they can achieve both needs in one bulb. Consumers should consider this dimmable technology in rooms where their lighting needs fluctuate, such as the media room, kitchen or dining room, and in areas frequently used for entertaining.”

In addition to enhancing ambiance, GE’s dimmable CFLs offer energy savings from USD 44.00 – USD 81.00 compared to standard incandescent bulbs over the life of a bulb. They also provide warm color tones and instantly bright technology, all thanks to advances in engineering. For additional details about dimming and other features, refer to the package.

“GE is at the forefront of energy-saving lighting technology and innovation,” says Jacint Gergely, Design Engineer, GE Lighting. “We changed our complex ballast design to a more simplified version, which increased the power factor, allowing our lamps to dim down to five percent. This allows us to give customers energy-saving options and do so without compromising any of the features they love.”

In addition to the popular Soft White colors, GE’s new CFL dimmable bulbs will also include Reveal® bulbs, a GE technology specially made to enhance colors. Among the new choices:

14-watt and 26-watt Energy Smart Soft White and Reveal Spiral® bulbs (replaces 60-watt and 100-watt incandescent bulbs, respectively), which both have a rated life of 10,000 hours, and last up to 10 times longer than comparable incandescent bulbs

15-watt Energy Smart Soft White and Reveal R30 reflector bulbs (replaces 65-watt incandescent reflectors), which both have a rated life of 8,000 hours, up to 4 times longer than comparable incandescent bulbs

26-watt Energy Smart Soft White and Reveal R40 reflector bulbs (replaces 85 – 90-watt incandescent reflectors), which both have a rated life of 8,000 hours, up to 4 times longer than comparable incandescent bulbs

Consumers can find the new bulbs in the lighting section of stores including Walmart, Target, Ace, True Value, Do It Best, Kroger, CVS, Walgreens and Lowe’s.