Meet the Only Bulb You’ll Need for Emergency Applications

by | Jan 4, 2021 | Blog, LEDs, VCC

ac dc emergency bulb

Emergency Lighting Can Be So Much More

Global pandemic aside, 2020 has been an unprecedented year when it comes to natural disasters. From a record-breaking hurricane season in the Southeast to the worst fire season ever in the West, it seems just about every day there’s an emergency taking place on American soil. And often, these events knock the power out as they wreak havoc.

Of course, there are many other reasons a power outage could take place. And when the grid goes down, safety risks go up. Backup lighting must work properly to ensure the safety of operators and others near the site of the emergency. And that requires a versatile bulb that can perform in the worst conditions.

emergency dual acdc bulb

One Bulb, Many Benefits

VCC developed a 9W LED Utility Bulb designed to address the unique and demanding requirements of emergency applications, including:
a21 emergency led bulb generator ac dc

True AC to DC Operations

The AC/DC LED was designed to seamlessly toggle between the power grid and backup sources thanks to special circuit topology. No additional steps or rewiring is required to switch from AC to DC environments.
ip61 a21 emergency led bulb

Protection From Droplets and Dust

Our utility LED is rated IP61, ensuring no dust or moisture will get in that could degrade performance in emergencies (when lighting is needed most).
ip61 a21 emergency led bulb design

Advanced LED Technology

Designed with fold-back circuitry that senses temperatures, the LED is protected from overheating, which could lead to bulbs shattering and harming workers or create a fire hazard.
ip61 a21 emergency led bulb long life

Longer Bulb Life

LEDs last 50x longer than incandescents. And these bulbs have a life of almost six years!
low maintenance ip61 a21 emergency led bulb

Maintenance-Free Operation

Did you know the average facility spends almost 20 hours each week on scheduled maintenance? With a 50,000-hour bulb life, VCC’s 9W Utility LED bulb eliminates the need for downtime.
energy savings a21 emergency led bulb

Exponential Energy Efficiency

The 9W LED bulb uses 80% less energy than 100W incandescents you’ll typically find in emergency applications.
ip61 a21 emergency led bulb easy retrofit

Direct Incandescent Replacement

Upgrade old bulbs without a retrofit kit. Workers can replace any standard A21 shape and E26 base fixture with this bulb with no throwaway parts required. It can also work for A19 fixtures, depending on the shape and dimensions of the jelly jar.

The Dual AC/DC LED Bulb: Ideal for a Range of Emergency Applications

There are several applications where having reliable emergency lighting can make all the difference in whether workers and the public can find their way to safety.

Blue Light Towers

Blue light towers or blue light stations establish a place for pedestrians and others to call for immediate help during an emergency and often include emergency phones and emergency power-off switches in transit stations. 

Helping to deter criminals in the area, blue light towers can promote safety during non-emergencies as well. 

And when the power goes out — whether from a grid issue or emergency — they can be the beacon to safety people need to get assistance or find their way out of an area. 

Whether wall-mounted or attached to a steel post, these blue light towers and call stations have the power to save lives — but only if they perform as expected.

VCC’s 9W AC/DC Utility LED Bulb is available in custom colors, including the blue LED transit authorities would require for emergency light towers.

dual acdc bulb emergency call station
ip61 a21 emergency led bulb parking garages

Parking Garages, Tunnels & Walkways

Throughout our everyday lives, we encounter several environments that could be dangerous if the power went out. 

  • Highway tunnels that could see crashes, fires or waste spills, or even terrorist attacks
  • Transit tunnels deep underground where there is absolutely no natural light to lead to an exit
  • Parking garages where outages could lead to serious injuries or opportunities for criminals to rob, break into vehicles, or worse

During a crisis, emergency lights can flash in unison to help direct drivers or pedestrians of dangers ahead and illuminate a path to safety. Typically, these fixtures are in hard-to-reach locations, so maintenance should be kept to a minimum, and bulbs should be protected from the elements.

Water & Wastewater Treatment Facilities

When facilities that provide drinking water or treat wastewater face a power outage, it’s more than mere inconvenience. 

Drinking water can quickly become contaminated and pose health risks for the community without reliable backup.

For treatment facilities, wastewater can flow into streams and other bodies of water or back up in homes and businesses. 

Reliable emergency lighting is critical in ensuring workers can see where they’re going to implement power outage protocols as quickly as possible to minimize damaging effects.

ip61 a21 emergency led bulb water treatment plant
ip61 a21 emergency led bulb power plant

Power Plants

Unplanned outages take place at power plants, too. And backup power sources such as generators must quickly kick in to ensure mission-critical operations. Emergency light is essential to help workers safely address outages. But that doesn’t mean the light can’t also provide other benefits. 

For example, Canada’s only thermal oil/gas-fueled electricity generating facility, Lennox GS, used VCC’s 9W LED to retrofit 1,200 bulbs at the plant.

When the power goes out, the emergency backup lighting only draws 8% of the power it used to with incandescent bulbs. This leaves more energy for other crucial operations during outages, including DC pumps for lubrication of the steam turbines.

There are many instances where you wouldn’t want to question the reliability of the backup lighting… The good news is, there is a reliable emergency bulb designed to perform when everything else falls apart.

To learn more about the direct incandescent replacement bulb designed for emergency applications

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