Show New Light Bulb Uses Less Energy If Thomas Edison had foreseen today's energy crisis perhaps he would have dreamed of a light bulb that could last up to a decade and use up to 70 70 percent less energy than conventional bulbs Don Hollister a modern- modern day inventor wh who lives in in southern California had that idea Furthermore he knew that he could make his idea work The trouble was that that for years no one listened to his talk about light bulbs Then one day in late 1973 Hollister blister was sitting in his car like mill millions ons of other Americans inching toward a service station in the long wait for gasoline It was then that he began to consider further developing and marketing his long-lasting long fluorescent light bulb as as an saving energy-saving device Contract with ERDA Eventually he brought his idea to the attention of the Energy Research and Development Development Development De De- Administration ERDA which came into existence in January 1975 Now ERDA is supporting Hollisters Hollister's Lighting Technology Technology Tech Technology Corporation of Fullerton Fullerton Fullerton Fuller- Fuller ton California with a one one one- year 3 I contract to refine and test the light bulb and to develop a plan f for forgetting r getting it to the marketplace The fluorescent bul bulb b rese resembles m bles a a I watt wa OO-wa tt incandescent bulb fits standard standard standard stan stan- dard sockets and produces a warm warm white light similar to that of the familiar incandescent incandescent incandescent incan incan- descent bulb Because it contains contains contains con con- no wire filaments that can burn burnout out it can last at least several years and possibly possibly possibly pos pos- sibly a decade or more l i t ii i ERDA's conservation experts experts experts ex ex- ex- ex say that full nation nationwide wide vise use se of the bulb could save the equivalent of oC barrels of oil per day They also say it could save a significant percentage of the 6 billion that Americans Americans Americans Ameri Ameri- cans spend each year for in incandescent incandescent incandescent in- in candescent lighting Years of Res Research arch I For Hollister a former Marine and father of six signing signing signing sign sign- ing the contract with ERDA w was s an important step in a research odyssey that had been going years Holister Hollister Hol Ho- lister had had been working on on the discharge phenomenon which is the technical basis of his b bulb lb for years ars in space re reo re- t search and defense research He worked for several large large- companies before forming his own company devoted to toI I lighting lighting- g h tee technology h 0 log y Incorporated had haJ up to four employees and lasted from Crom 1970 to 1973 Then came the energy crisis and Hollisters Hollister's ideas suddenly had new appeal He found a source of capital and andin andin andin in January 1974 the Lighting Technology Corporation Corpo Corpo- ration The contract between ERDA and Lighting Technology Technology Technology Tech that resulted this year is he believes the beginning ng of a good future for the f bulb and for a series of innovations in efficient mt lighting technology |