CHARLOTTE ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR DEMONSTRATING ENERGY-EFFICIENT SMARTCHARGE LED BULB ON CAPITOL HILL
Washington, D.C. — April 28, 2014 –– Next week,Charlotte businessman Shaliendra Suman will be recognized with the Patrick McCroy Entrepreneur of the Year Award in North Carolina’s largest city, and his latest innovation — the SmartCharge LED Bulb — is being showcased Wednesday night at “CES on the Hill.” Suman is being recognized for his entrepreneurial acumen, with numerous inventions that address common household is sues — from monitoring BBQ tank fuel levels to finding lost keys and saving energy.
Suman’s latest invention about to go into production is the SmartChargeTM LED Bulb, which reached 183% of its $50,000 Kickstarter goal.
Designed to both save energy and enhance safety, the SmartChargeTM LED Bulb looks like a normal light bulb from the outside but has technology built inside to enable wall switch control of the lights even when the power is out. This feature allows consumers to have light during a power outage when they need it and conserve battery power to extend the time that light from the SmartChargeTM Bulb is available. The heart of the SmartCharge(TM) Bulb is the patent-pending Grid & Switch Sensor technology, which is capable of distinguishing between a loss of power due to opening of the line switch and a loss of power from a power grid failure. The SmartChargeTM Bulb stays lit for four hours when the rest of the neighborhood is left in the dark.
“We’re very pleased that more than 1000 people stepped forward to help fund initial production of the SmartChargeTM LED bulb, and our Kickstarter campaign reached its goal well ahead of the deadline. Our supporters are now anticipating delivery of the world’s first light bulb to not only provide backup lighting, but a bulb that’s smart enough to understand how the light switch controls the circuit — even when the power is out,” said Shaliendra Suman, CEO and inventor of the SmartChargeTM LED bulb.
Light bulb changes in 2014
With new production of most inefficient incandescent 40-watt and 60-watt bulbs coming to a close soon, LED bulbs are the ideal replacement because of their long life and excellent performance. SmartChargeTM LED Bulbs are rated up to 40,000 hours or 25 years of life (assuming the typical consumer uses a bulb four hours a day.) Installation of the SmartChargeTM LED Bulb is as simple as replacing your existing light bulb with no extra wiring, no ugly control box, and no remote control or expensive electrical installation required. Once reached volume production, the SmartChargeTM Bulb is expected to carry a suggested retail price of $24.99.
“The light bulb industry continues to evolve with manufacturing of most inefficient 40W and 60W bulbs drawing to a close in 2014. While LED bulbs will continue to grow in popularity as incandescent bulbs are phased out, new options like the SmartChargeTM LED Bulb make sense as replacements. The SmartChargeTM LED bulb insures energy savings with the advantage of emergency lighting if the power goes out,” Suman said.
“As harsh seasonal storms happen more frequently, so do power outages. When the power goes out, the first thing affected is your lighting. The garage door won’t open, the TV is out and kitchen appliances won’t work, but with SmartChargeTM Bulbs you’ll never have to worry about being in the dark again. Unlike other safety light bulbs that automatically switch on when the power goes out (regardless of whether or not you are in the room) the SmartChargeTM Bulb recognizes the light switch’s position to conserve its power and only draws from the battery when needed. That’s different than some other “safety” bulbs that use battery backups. Once power is restored, the SmartChargeTM Bulb’s built-in battery recharges itself when the switch is on to make sure you’re ready for another power outage or emergency,” Suman explained.
