WATTBEATER:A WICKLOW-BASED lighting expert has invented an energy-efficient LED bulb for the outdoor security-lighting market that reduces the cost of its electricity consumption by 93 per cent.
Paul Donegan, who has more than 25 years of experience in the lighting business, claims that the seven-watt “Wattbeater” LED bulb is more innovative than tungsten halogen bulbs because of its reduced energy use and reduction of light pollution, which can prove an annoyance to neighbours.
“Most homes or businesses using security lights over-illuminate using a standard 500-watt halogen bulb: 95 per cent of the electricity they consume is wasted in heat, and most of the light ends up in the sky,” says Donegan. “A Wattbeater bulb will also last 30 times longer than a standard tungsten halogen one.
“As more commercial bodies and domestic consumers are becoming increasingly conscious about energy consumption, these continuing advances in LED technology lamps are rendering old-style bulbs obsolete. In June the Wattbeater bulb made the top three in the Light Source Product of the Year 2011 UK Lighting Association awards.”
With previous experience working with clients including Dunnes Stores, and having sold 3,000 units of the Wattbeater to date, Donegan is currently working to secure further orders from the UK market.
He has had a successful track record in this sector. Having sold two companies in 2007, he worked for two subsequent years for the purchaser, LED Group.
During this time he worked extensively with suppliers and customers to develop more than 100 new energy-efficient lighting products, which generated gross profits of 50 per cent on €3.5 million worth of sales in 2009, demonstrating the profits to be earned in this niche sector where other Irish companies such as Cork-based Nualight are also achieving success.
Having kept production in Ireland – Wattbeaters are manufactured by a Co Mayo company – he is developing 10 new LED-lighting products and working on two lighting design projects with Primark.
“Keeping manufacturing in Ireland by using a high level of automation versus the Asian model of low labour cost is the only way our economy can compete in the future. We need to keep innovation in Ireland and there are resources available here that complement the work we do,” he says.