A prize-winning, super-energy-saving LED bulb from Dutch electronics giant Philips said to last over 20 years went on sale on Sunday to coincide with Earth Day.

The bulb that won the US Department of Energy’s ‘Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prize’ was available from retailers for $50, down from an initial $60 price tag. The company said it was planning discounts to bring the cost down to as little as $25. \

Federal Minister for Water and Power, Syed Naveed Qamar has directed on Thursday to launch Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) (energy saver bulbs) distribution programme from April throughout the country, says a press release.

He said while presiding over a meeting on distribution plan of CFLs.

The Secretary Ministry of Water and Power, CEOs of the discos, Programme Co-ordinator, senior officials of the ministry and representatives of KESC participated.

Around 25,000 low-income homes in the Philippines have been lit up after the launch of a scheme to fit sunlight-powered "bulbs" made from old plastic bottles.

The scheme uses plastic bottles filled with a solution of bleached water, installed into holes made in shanty towns' corrugated iron roofs, which then refracts the equivalent of 55W of sunlight into the room -- during the day, at least.

It takes five minutes to make, and using a hammer, rivet, metal sheets, sandpaper and epoxy, it costs $1 to produce.

The Andhra Pradesh Government is planning to take up public participation programmes to save over 1,500 crore units of electricity worth around Rs 4,751 crore by arresting wastage.

The Government has directed the power utilities in the State to chalk out an action plan to take up massive awareness programmes in both rural and urban areas.

The power demand in the State is growing at a brisk pace. Even in the Kharif month of October , the energy requirement touched an all-time high of 28.8 crore units , as against 27.7 crore units during March 2011.

The Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority states that the use of energy efficient CFL electricity bulbs has increased.

The CFL bulbs are saving around 80 percent of energy than the normal light bulbs.

According to the No. 1611/10 Government Gazette dated July 22,2009 the label introduced by the Sustainable Energy Authority is compulsory for all the CFL bulbs in Sri Lanka.

According to customs reports on imported electronic equipment, CFL light bulbs have rapidly increased in the period from 2005 to 2010.

Mexico will earn a royalty on carbon credits generated from energy-saving light bulbs through a world-first deal that could pave the way for other developing countries to fund emissions cuts, the investor said on Monday.

Under the project, an Australian company, Cool nrg International, advised by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, will distribute 45 million energy efficient lightbulbs supplied by Philips Electronics to 6.5 million low-income households in Mexico City.

The first phase of the free distribution of energy efficient compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) under 'Efficient Lighting Initiative for Bangladesh' programme has been completed in which more than 1 crore CFLs have been delivered to households. The government of Bangladesh with World Bank assistance initiated the programme under the 'Rural Electrification Renewable Energy Development (RERED)' project to provide reliable and affordable power to the people of Bangladesh.

As part of the energy conservation programme, the Andhra Pradesh Government will distribute over two crore compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) bulbs to domestic consumers before June 2012 at nominal cost.

This was disclosed by Mr Chandana Mithra, Managing Director, New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Ltd (NREDCAP), at a meeting to commemorate the Renewable Energy Day here on Saturday.

The CFL bulbs would be distributed to 39 lakh people in Visakhapatnam, he said.

House Republicans on Tuesday failed to advance a measure that would repeal regulations that increase efficiency standards for light bulbs, rules that they have assailed as an example of government overreach.

The Municipal Corporation (MC) will be installing LED (Light Emitting Diodes) streetlights in the city, in a bid to conserve energy.

The first batch of streetlights will be installed in Sector 7. An official said that the installation of the LEDs will help reduce energy consumption by about 70 per cent. Bids were invited on Thursday for the installation of these lights.