ClearTech Bulbs

I hear a lot of chatter about ClearTech (the new green tanning bulbs) and did some digging to find out what they really are, and what they really do. Here is my take:

ClearTech is a blend of two technologies: Sol Glass, and a new generation of tanning phosphors. First, understand that all regular tanning lamps use "off the shelf" glass tubes. You have entire companies that do nothing but make glass tubes so Philips, Sylvania and others can buy them. Basically, they use the same glass for office lights as they do for tanning bulbs. Sol Glass lamps are different in that they use a special glass that is only used for tanning lamps. It is unique enough that it is patented. It was invented by LTI of Hungary.

Example images of a ClearTech lamp. It looks like a regular lamp in most ways, except the color when it is on.

Sol Glass looks like regular glass at first glance, but it is actually much more transparent to ultraviolet. It will let a range of frequencies through that regular lamps will block. In other words, tanning bulbs made with Sol Glass have a more full spectrum, much more like the sun, and operate in frequencies that regular tanning bulbs can't. It isn't cheap, but it is cost effective as it makes the lamps stronger in the output.

Secondly, the new phosphors are EPA friendly. Unlike some lamp phosphors, they don't contain cadmium or lead (both poisonous, heavy metals) and are safer for the environment. They also allow the use of up to 50% less mercury in the lamp, which is also more environmentally responsible. The new phosphors are more expensive, but they are also more effective and green (in this case, literally) so they make sense.

Because the glass is so clear, they can easily tweak the phosphor blend to make the lamp do something that regular lamps can not do: deliver more light in the lower UVB range where your skin is more sensitive (you make melanin faster) and reduce the output in the 320-340nm range. This range doesn't contribute to tanning in any way, but it is the range that is believed responsible for wrinkles. So technically, the lamp is more likely to tan you, and less likely to cause wrinkles.

Another feature is the lamp life. They last up to 1600 hours. They admit that this was a surprising side effect, not a design issue. It is because they use less phosphors in a ClearTech than a regular lamps, and what makes a lamp stop tanning is when the phosphors form an opaque coating inside the lamp. The less phosphors you use, the less breakdown you get. They use less phosphors because the glass is so clear, and everything that is made inside the lamp actually gets out.

The ClearTech lamps are made by SunMaster (who licensed the Sol Glass technology from LTI) and come in a variety of sizes such as F59, F71, F72, F73 and in wattages that range from 80 watts to 200 watts. The most common is the ClearTech 20, which is a 100 watt HO (high output) lamp that is a legally compatible replacment for such lamps as the Diamond Sun S, Bellarium S, Velocity and others.

You can read more about them at their website.