Shine On, and On . . .

Want a light that will outlast the century and illuminate your children's homework from kindergarten through high school? Two small Silicon Valley companies unveiled an electronic bulb that uses radio waves to produce 20,000 hours of light, or about 14 years of average use. Intersource Technologies Inc. and Diablo Research Corp. said their new E-Lamp, which fits standard sockets and uses 75% less juice than ordinary bulbs, will cost from $10 for residential use to $20 for commercial applications when the bulbs become available next year.

Intersource estimates that a single E-Lamp could save homeowners anywhere from $50 to $100 in electric bills over a 15-to-20 year period. A standard 100-watt incandescent bulb costs 75 cents and burns as long as 250 days. With a standard bulb, only 5% of the electricity is converted to light -- the rest is wasted away as heat. "Until now there has been no substantial improvement in lighting since the time of Thomas Edison," boasts Intersource president Pierre Villere.

The big name in bulbs, General Electric, claims to have developed equivalent technology two decades ago, but chose not to pursue it. In 1986 GE executives toured Diablo Research and examined the E-Lamp project before Intersource obtained the marketing rights. But GE dismissed the idea that there was a market for a $20 light bulb.