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Engines of Energy Innovation: The Role of Smaller Manufacturers of Efficient Lighting Products
Fred DavisPresident, Fred Davis Corp. Energy-Lighting Specialists, USA Abstract Of the many factors which contribute to improving the energy efficiency of lighting systems, an essential ingredient is the availability of new products. Without improvement in technology, the changing needs of the marketplace can not be met. While technology developments and introductions of new products from well-known, major manufacturers are very important, the lesser-known contributions made by new, smaller manufacturers have been providing a disproportionate share of the momentum for energy improvement in the U.S. Such contributions exemplify the best in American free enterprise. This paper presents case studies of the role smaller manufacturers played in introducing three innovative products to the American market: fluorescents adapted to retrofit a screw-in socket, low-harmonics electronic ballasts, and remotely-ballasted compact fluorescents. In each case, the introduction spawned further development, not only in new product lines, but in whole new markets, previously unknown and untapped.
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