Whether you're reading, writing letters, or working at the computer, it's a challenge to make your office or living room more attractive and easier on the eyes -- and still save three quarters of the energy you use for lighting.
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It can be done, with the "Berkeley Lamp" invented by Michael Siminovitch and Erik Page.
The unique design of the Berkeley Lamp allows the user to control light that shines down independently from light that shines up and reflects from the ceiling.
"Consumers typically reject energy-efficient lighting because the fixtures don't look good, they put out the wrong kind of light, or they're too expensive," Siminovitch says. "People find the ceiling-mounted fluorescents used in many offices bothersome. Did you ever hear anyone say, 'I love my overhead lights?'"
The Berkeley Lamp looks great and works well in home, hotel room, or office. A reflector bowl separates its two horizontal compact fluorescents, and there are no ugly "hot spots" on the shade. Dimmer switches allow up or down light only, or any combination of brightness: as bright as a 300-watt halogen torchiere and a 150-watt incandescent lamp combined at full power, with just a quarter of the energy.
Because "people here like table lamps, and they like to control their own lighting," the Lab has acquired many of the new lamps, says Siminovitch, and "California utilities are field testing the first production lot, almost a thousand, in their customers' homes and businesses, to give people a chance to try them out and to help get them into the marketplace."
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