The "Affordable" $50 Lightbulb

In true government style, a huge award is granted for creating something nobody will buy:

The U.S. government has awarded appliance-maker Philips $10 million for devising an “affordable” alternative to today’s standard 60-watt incandescent bulb. That standard bulb sells for around $1. The Philips alternative sells for $50.

Of course, the award-winner is no ordinary bulb. It uses only one-sixth the energy of an incandescent. And it lasts 30,000 hours–about 30 times as long. In fact, if you don’t drop it, it may last 10 years or more.

But only the U.S. Government (in this case, the Department of Energy) could view a $50 bulb as cheap.

“I don’t want to say it’s exorbitant,” a Home Depot bulb-peddler quoted by The Washington Post demurs. He goes on to say, though, that he could see how a consumer shopping by price could come to that conclusion.

I think it's safe to say that in this economy, or any other for that matter, the market is not ready to embrace a $50 lightbulb, even if it does all the things they say it does.