Lighting

22:36 March 2, 2009 PST

Man’s primal fear of the darkness has helped spawn cities that are illuminated by massive numbers of streetlights – so many in fact that they represent almost 40 percent of a typical city’s electricity spending. While energy efficient LED streetlights have helped cut that figure considerably, the integration of intelligent management systems should help drive it down even further. LED exterior lighting manufacturer BetaLED is pursuing this avenue by pitting two leading forms of lighting control systems against each other in a test to discover which system produces the biggest reduction in operating and energy costs. Read More

GOOD THINKING

Smart Lite CFL replaces the bulbs not the ballast

By Karen Sprey

21:42 February 17, 2009 PST

Compact fluorescent lights (CFL) are a smaller version of their long established big brothers which, despite some drawbacks such as a small amount of mercury content, have gained serious ground in recent years as an energy-efficient alternative to conventional incandescent globes. CFLs reduce carbon emissions because they convert electricity into light more efficiently and also last up to ten times longer, but the globe still reaches its used by date long before the base (ballast) section that connects it to the power socket. 3E Technologies has identified this as another wasteful aspect of the process that could be eliminated and its solution is the Smart Lite - a two-piece CFL which allows the bulb to be removed from the ballast and replaced with a simple ‘insert and twist’ operation. Read More

ECOGIZMO

The GeoBulb LED light bulb

20:50 February 10, 2009 PST

Not so long ago choosing a light bulb wasn’t too difficult. Just grab one with the desired wattage in either pearl or clear with the correct fitting for your socket. The need for energy efficient lighting means that it's no longer that simple, and given the amount of ongoing research in the area, the range of light bulb options on the supermarket shelves is set to explode. Technologies competing to replace conventional incandescent bulbs include OLED, Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs, and of course LED bulbs. LED bulbs offer improved energy efficiency, produce brilliant light and offer long life and this new LED bulb offering, called the GeoBulb II, puts out more light than a standard 60-watt bulb and uses just 7.5 watts. Read More

ECOGIZMO

US$3 LED light bulb lasts 60 years, could end battle of the bulbs

By Paul Evans

17:44 February 1, 2009 PST

Cambridge University researchers have developed cheap, light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs that produce brilliant light but use very little electricity. They will cost just GBP2 (USD2.80) and last up to 60 years. The gallium nitride based bulbs are 12 times more efficient than conventional tungsten incandescent bulbs and three times more efficient than compact fluorescent low-energy bulbs. As well as lasting 100,000 hours, ten times as long as today's eco-bulbs, the LED bulbs do not contain mercury, so disposal is less damaging to the environment, they do not flicker and fully illuminate instantly, unlike the current generation of eco-bulbs. Read More

POLLI-Brick: turning plastic bottles into green architecture

03:01 January 12, 2009 PST

From the maker of the HYmini wind and solar portable charger comes a polymer architecture brick combining post-consumer materials with environmentally friendly function. The POLLI-Brick is made entirely of recycled materials and offers passive cooling, natural ventilation and even integrated solar/wind powered LED lighting. Read More

AUTOMOTIVE

Mercedez-Benz adaptive high-beam assistant

22:42 October 19, 2008 PDT

We’ve all nearly been blinded and had to flash our high beams at oncoming drivers who have failed to dip their lights, but Mercedes-Benz' latest adaptive lighting innovation could help end of such dangerous incidents by taking driver error out of the equation. The newly developed high-beam assistant system uses a dash-mounted camera to automatically adapt headlamp range to the distance of other vehicles, meaning drivers will at all times benefit from optimum headlamp range by becoming aware of danger spots, pedestrians and other road users more easily and more quickly. Read More

ECOGIZMO

Solar brick provides integrated outdoor lighting solution

19:27 September 22, 2008 PDT

Sunrise Solar Corp has unveiled a new building brick that integrates solar technologies into traditional construction materials. The Solar Light "Bric" is able to capture the sun’s rays and convert them to energy to power an embedded light without the need to connect to the electrical grid or flick a switch. Read More

ECOGIZMO

Solar Stik portable solar generator

00:37 September 18, 2008 PDT

Portable solar panels are popping up at an increasing rate in campgrounds and caravan parks where they are an environmentally friendly and mercifully silent alternative to fuel burning generators. This example from Solar Stik offers rugged solution that can be used in conjunction with a wind generator and adapted for a variety of applications on land and water. Read More

OUTDOORS

Sollight's portable and environmentally friendly lighting systems

By Jude Garvey

22:33 September 14, 2008 PDT

Sollight's LightCap and LightShip solar-powered lights are designed for camping, boating holidays or to use around the home. The LightCap fits on to a standard water bottle and turns it into a portable lantern whilst the LightShip can be conveniently attached just about anywhere for charging during the day and becomes a portable flashlight at night. Both products are perfect in an emergency situation, are weather-proof and importantly, environmentally friendly. Read More

GOOD THINKING

Sharp's solar LED street lights incorporate seismic detection

17:29 September 9, 2008 PDT

LN-LW3A1 Solar-Powered LED Street Light
Sharp conceptual image

The argument for switching to solar-powered street lighting seems very clear cut: they run on sunlight, emit no CO2 emissions, provide an off-the grid source of lighting during in an emergency situation and use efficient LED-based light which tends not to attract insects. Sharp Corporation has announced plans to roll-out two new models of solar-powered LED street lights in the Japanese market and these have the added bonus of in-built Seismic Motion Sensors which detect earthquakes of five or greater on the Japanese seismic scale and respond by switching to full illumination for two nights. Read More

Wake up to the (artificial) sun

12:12 August 29, 2008 PDT

Philips has shown the second generation of its Wake-up Light at IFA 2008, while Lenco, is displaying a multi-colored approach on the same theme. Both lights are designed to mimic the natural process of waking up with the sun and, hopefully, make it just that little bit easier to get out of bed in the morning. Read More

GOOD THINKING

AltusLumen TRI-L LED flashlight

22:25 June 15, 2008 PDT

Working with a portable light source like a flashlight can quickly become a headache when both hands are required for the job you are doing. Head-mounted torches are a great solution, but they don't always solve the issue if the light beam needs to come from another direction. Short of growing another arm, this practical and versatile LED light design from AltusLumen is one of the best answers we've seen. Targeted primarily at the engineering market, the TRI-L Magnesium Rechargeable LED Light uses two light sources and a 360 degree hinge to deliver distinctive foldable tripod shapes that should cater for almost any situation. Read More

GOOD THINKING

Periscope book light

20:12 May 5, 2008 PDT

Avid readers know the trials of keeping a book light attached to your book whilst also maintaining a comfy reading position. The new Periscope Book Light Bookcover offers a solution for both hardcover and paperback books by integrating a retractable LED into the spine. Read More

ELECTRONICS

Delta's new energy efficient, high brightness LED lamps

00:22 April 10, 2008 PDT

April 10, 2008 The world’s largest lighting and building display exhibition, Light+Building 2008 in Frankfurt, continues to produce more bright ideas with Delta Electronics, Inc. announcing it has developed an advanced, energy-saving High Brightness 5W/9W/12W LED Lamp, which is 100% compatible with current sockets (E27) and is similar in appearance to compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) of the same wattage. The lamp is easily installed and readily replaces CFL and incandescent lamps. Advantages of the Delta High Brightness LED Lamp include: power-saving, excellent thermal dissipation & color rendering index (CRI), high efficiency, and long life. Of special note is the lamp's outstanding energy-efficiency, especially at lower environment temperatures. Read More

ECOGIZMO

Philips' energy efficient street lighting cuts city energy consumption

17:01 April 9, 2008 PDT

Starsense is based on Echelon's LonWorks(R) protocol over power line

April 10, 2008 Streetlight systems are expensive for cities to operate and maintain. They also use a lot of energy — representing almost 40 percent of a typical city’s electricity spending. Echelon Corporation announced at the 2008 Light+Building event in Frankfurt that Philips Lighting, one of the world’s leading providers of lighting systems, has built its new Starsense street light telemanagement system using Echelon’s LonWorks platform, which uses Echelon’s power line transceivers to communicate between lighting fixtures and Echelon’s i.LON SmartServer to provide Internet access and local monitoring and control. It is believed Starsense can deliver energy savings of over 40 percent, reducing cities’ energy bills and carbon footprint. Read More

OLED - the art of interior lighting

18:25 April 7, 2008 PDT

Early Future table light by Ingo Maurer
Photo: Ingo Maurer / OSRAM

April 8, 2008 We've previously discussed the potential of OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology to transform the nature of interior lighting products - walls, furniture and even abstract art can now be vehicles for the introduction of these versatile and energy efficient light sources into the home. The striking “Early Future” table light from celebrated lighting designer Ingo Maurer is the latest example to cross our desk. Read More

ECOGIZMO

Self-powered eco-switch for hotel rooms

17:24 April 3, 2008 PDT

April 4, 2008 This card-operated wireless switch from Echoflex Solutions offers the hotel industry a solution for reducing energy waste by in unoccupied rooms. Read More

ECOGIZMO

Brazilian traffic lights turn green

21:45 March 31, 2008 PDT

April 1, 2008 Many of us are being encouraged to make the switch from power-hungry incandescent lights to more eco-friendly illumination technologies like LEDs. In proof that this simple process yields big results, a Brazilian project which saw all of the incandescent-based traffic lights in a Sao Paolo suburb replaced with LUXEON LED-based lamps has delivered estimated energy savings of USD$240,000 and reduced municipal energy consumption by 1340 megawatt hours per year. Read More

ELECTRONICS

GE demonstrates newspaper printing-like process for OLED manufacture

21:32 March 11, 2008 PDT

GE demonstrate roll-to-roll OLED manufacturing

March 12, 2008 OLED (organic light-emitting diode) is touted as the technology of the future for lighting products, with emerging applications in fields ranging from touchscreens, televisions and electronic paper displays to interior lighting, keyboards and even reprogrammable camera lenses. The prospect of widespread commercialization of OLED systems has been given a boost with news that GE's research arm has demonstrated the world’s first roll-to-roll manufacturing process for OLED lighting devices, a breakthrough that promises to cut production costs in areas such as organic photovoltaics

as well as flexible displays and other OLED products. Read More

Control4's energy saving wireless light dimmer

17:09 March 3, 2008 PST

March 4, 2008 Creating more artificial light than we actually need is a significant contributor to energy waste in the home. The solution - dim the lights. In the case of the Wireless Dimmer from Control4 this is achieved automatically as the device uses ambient light sensors to adjust brightness to an optimum level. Read More