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Editorial: Comments to EPA Allowed - Keep it to 'Rescind Energy Star RTF 4.2'
... Here's an innovative approach: 1) Generate a solid state lighting light fixture specification behind closed doors; 2) Make a surprise announcement rolling out the spec with immediate effectiveness; 3) Defend the spec as necessary and legitimate in the face of an industry uproar that it is poorly done, damaging...
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Summit
2008:
What we learned
The feedback is in, and the consensus was: Just
what we needed, do it again soon. In case you missed the Solid
State Lighting Design Summit 2008 in Weehawken, New Jersey, be sure to take
a look at the final
agenda for what went down in the first-of-its-kind event. The Summit brought
together industry thought leaders, pioneers, leading designers, lighting decision-makers
and innovators from the across the solid state lighting eco-system. Read
the conference report...
Solid State Lighting Design
is here to serve the information needs of lighting designers, specifiers, and
decision makers, along with luminaire designers, lighting system integrators
and lighting subsystem developers with application, product and market news
updates for this rapidly evolving technology. Our readership also includes LED
packagers, technology enablers and service companies seeking the the answers
to how best to meet their customers' needs.
Solid
state lighting promises to create unprecedented changes in what we can do with
light. Simultaneously, it will deliver on a promise of massive global energy savings
and access to useful nighttime lighting that has not been conveniently available
to nearly 2 billion people around the world. We're glad to have you join us in
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Agua Caliente Resort Hotel Goes Green With Albeo LED Lighting
SSLDesign News StaffJuly 24, 2008...The Aqua Caliente Casino Resort Spa in Rancho Mirage, California USA, opened its doors exactly two years and one day after officially breaking ground. The $300 million hotel and casino resort is owned and operated by the Cahuilla Indians. LED cove lighting from Albeo Technologies was installed on 14 floors of the new resort.
According to Nancy Conrad, press secretary, the tribe tries to use green technologies and building materials whenever possible. This "green" preference led to the use of Albeo's LED lighting. "The tribal chairman, Richard M. Milanovich, is keenly interested in products that offer ambiance and aesthetics, and regularly walks through the resort to be sure we are attaining the level of beauty and elegance he is after," said Conrad. "The energy-saving benefits of LED lighting make it a natural choice," she added.
"Environmental stewardship is important to the tribal council," said Conrad. "If you can deliver a product that has green attributes, is of top quality, and looks spectacular, that moves you to the top of our list."
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July 24, 2008...The new Comcast Center in Philadelphia, PA features a unique new color changing LED lighting system. The building, the tallest in the Philadelphia skyline measuring 297 m (975 feet), was officially opened on June 8, 2008. Remarkably the towering structure was designed to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the US Green Building Council. (Ref: www.usgbc.org).
Winona Lighting’s V-Line Linear LED fixtures were installed at the top tier of the building. The V-Line fixtures utilize LED light engines from i2Systems. Power Vector’s IRIS LED Driver Dimmers, both drive and change the colors of the linear fixtures. Power Vector notes that its IRIS Driver Dimmers will be able to support color changing for any holiday celebrations or desired events. Power Vector's three-in-one IRIS LED Driver Dimmer is designed for powering and controlling high-brightness LEDs incorporating Power Isolation, DMX 512A, and up to 8 configurable Constant Current drivers into one compact module.
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Seoul Semiconductor Introduces High CRI Top View LEDs
SSLDesign News StaffJuly 24, 2008...Seoul Semiconductor has release a new line of top view white LEDs with high color rendering indexes (CRI). While many companies have released efficient white LEDs with efficacy of 70 lm/W and higher, Seoul Semiconductor is among the first in the industry to release a white LED that has a CRI above 90. The company’s new top view LEDs are operate at 70 lm/W and last an estimated 50,000 hours. Seoul Semiconductor's new Top View LED series includes: the Warm White part (CAWT722-S), which has a CRI of 96 and achieves 68 lm/W and the Pure White (CWT722-S), which has a CRI of 92 and produces 70 lm/W.
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Strategies in Light is an executive-level conference on high-brightness
LEDs produced by Strategies Unlimited and PennWell Corporation.
Now
in its tenth year and the longest-running conference in the LED
industry, this event is considered to be the premier annual forum
for presenting current commercial developments in high-brightness
LEDs and providing unparalleled networking opportunities for component
and equipment suppliers, manufacturers, and end-users of HB LED
devices. Strategies
in Light is the US-based event to learn about the latest innovation
in HB LED markets, applications, products, and regional activities.
This is the kickoff event of the year, which supplies the critical
market forecast you need to keep the industry working for you. Register
online now, or contact lubah@pennwell.com
for more information.
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Universal Display Corporation Awarded $1.9 Million From DOE for OLED Lighting Product Development
LIGHTimes StaffJuly 24, 2008...Universal Display, a maker of flat panel displays and OLED devices located in Euwing, New Jersey USA, announced that it has received $1.9 Million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop a ceiling-based OLED lighting system. The company said it will uses its UniversalPhoLED and other LED technologies. Universal also indicated that it would subcontract Armstrong to leverage Armstrong’s design and engineering expertise in the development. The two-year contract is funded through the U.S. DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
Universal Display will team with Armstrong World Industries to combine its energy-efficient UniversalPHOLED and other OLED technologies with Armstrong’s product design and engineering expertise into an integrated ceiling lighting system. Universal notes that the program award supports one of the DOE’s goals, to advance the development and market introduction of efficient solid state white light sources for general illuminations
Universal says that working together with Armstrong it hopes to produce an illumination system that is targeted to exceed the DOE’s 2010 performance goals.
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Osram Opto Semiconductors Reports Development of 136 lm/W White LED in Lab
LIGHTimes StaffJuly 22, 2008...Osram Opto Semiconductors (Osram) reports that its engineers have achieved new brightness and efficiency records for its white LEDs in the lab. According to the company, under standard conditions with an operating current of 350 mA, the brightness of the white LEDs peaked at 155 lm. This translates to and efficiency of 136 lm/W. The researchers reportedly used prototype 1mm-square white LED chips with a color temperature of 5000K and color coordinates at 0.349/0.393 (cx/cy).
Osram says the key to the successful design was the efficient interplay among all the advances made in materials and technologies. The company contends that the design included a perfectly matched system of optimized chip technology, a highly advanced and extremely efficient light converter, and a special high-performance package combined to produce what the company says is world record performance. Osram notes that it has already applied for patents on the technology related to the efficiency improvements.
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PSE&G Partners with Four Cities to Test New LED Street Lighting
SSLDesign News StaffJuly 17, 2008...The Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G), based in Newark, New Jersey USA, reports that it is partnering with four cities to test new LED street lights. PSE&G is New Jersey’s oldest and largest regulated gas and electric delivery utility, serving nearly three-quarters of the state’s population. The company said it is partnering with New Jersey cities and Essex County in a test installation of new LED lamps for use on city and county roadways.
PSE&G is replacing cobra head lamps on utility poles in Verona, Elizabeth, Trenton and Camden to assess LED technology and evaluate its effectiveness as a light source. According to the company, twenty four LED street lamps are being installed without charge to the participating cities or counties. Installation locations include Mt. Prospect and Pompton Avenues in Verona, Jefferson Street and Rahway Avenue in Elizabeth, North Broad Street in Trenton, and Vesper Blvd. in Camden.
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Beta-Kramer Files 100th Patent Application for LED Luminaire Innovation
SSLDesign News StaffJuly 17, 2008...Beta-Kramer, a Ruud Lighting company based in Sturtevant, Wisconsin USA, reports that it filed its 100th patent application. The company indicated that this patent application is for its Axis Total Internal Reflection (TIR), not to be confused with the TIR NanoOptic. Beta-Kramer says that this key patent allows the KramerLED recessed downlights to deliver unsurpassed efficiency and optical control while maintaining specification grade 45-degree visual cutoff.
"Our team of world-class engineers is committed to harnessing the benefits of LED technology into effective optical and fixture designs," said Beta-Kramer president Al Ruud. "This significant milestone exemplifies our role in setting the industry standard for continuous innovation of industry leading LED luminaires."
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Wal-Mart Supercenter with LED Lighting Throughout Opens
SSLDesign News StaffJuly 17, 2008...A Wal-Mart Supercenter in Austin, Minnesota USA held its grand opening recently. What made the store unique was not its size, but its environmental sustainability. The store took steps to reduce energy and water consumption and the amount of waste it produces. The store reportedly recycles most everything including: car batteries, waste cooking oil, plastic hangers, aluminum cans ,and office paper. The store even has concrete flooring made with recycled materials from coal-fired electrical generation and steel manufacturing. Apparently, this reduces the amount of limestone that is needed and also provides a use for waste products that would otherwise be sent to landfills. The company said that the floor’s finish reduces the need for chemical cleaners.
Lighting is another innovation in the store. “The store also has 169 skylights to harvest daylight and reduce the amount of energy required to light the store by up to 75 percent daily,” store manager Lee Kruse said. Also, LED lighting throughout the store operates 70 percent more efficiently than traditional fluorescent lighting. Company News Release Greenlight Initiative Company Offers Unique Approach to LED-Lighting Consulting
LIGHTimes StaffJuly 17, 2008...The Greenlight Initiative, a company that advocates LED lighting solutions from many different LED luminaire makers, announced the start of a new qualitative validation and consultation program. The company says its program includes in-house qualitative testing and validation of the industry’s current generation of LED fixtures and luminaires. Several leading luminaire and fixture makers have reportedly had their products qualified for inclusion on the list of products that the Greenlight Initiative company will advocate to its clients. The Greenlight Initiative company indicated that it currently advocates LED products from Albeo Technologies, Gallium LED Lighting Systems, i2 Systems, Revlite Technologies, Electro-LuminX, and ilumisys. The Greenlight Initiative company noted that additional products and companies are in qualification now. The company says it has moved beyond the consulting approach to more of a technology advocacy role.
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Commentary
& Perspectives...
Comments to EPA Allowed - Keep it to 'Rescind Energy Star RTF 4.2'
Tom Griffiths - PublisherJuly 10, 2008...Here's an innovative approach: 1) Generate a solid state lighting light fixture
specification behind closed doors; 2) Make a surprise announcement rolling out
the spec with immediate effectiveness; 3) Defend the spec as necessary and legitimate
in the face of an industry uproar that it is poorly done, damaging to the industry,
and was illegitimately undertaken; 4) Announce that you're open to comments
about your spec in hopes that you can keep the spec in place and pretend it
is now an open discussion; 5) Continue to not return phone calls to the press.
The last step is most important, of course.
On July 9, the EPA issued its rather lame version of a justification for its
continuation of bad decision making in a letter from its Lighting Program Office.
As the letter states, "Since the release of RLF Version 4.2, EPA has
received a number of comments and questions related to whether and how the specification
will ensure only high quality LED products will qualify for the ENERGY STAR.
With this letter, EPA would like to summarize the steps it has taken to address
important quality issues and to provide stakeholders an opportunity to comment
on the requirements." It then goes on to insist it is terribly concerned
about the quality of products that qualify for the program and that the new
specification depends on well-vetted and accepted test procedures which are
well-vetted and tested because they say so.
The most amazing thing was the incredibly selective hearing that must have
been applied for them to believe that the comments they have received are simply
centered on whether the spec will assure high quality products. I guess the
requests to rescind the surprise specification, including complaint
filed by the Solid State Lighting International Trade Association to the
office of the Office of the Inspector General, is about the quality? Or the
refusal to support RLF 4.2 by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency is just about
how quality is handled in the new spec. (In 2007, CEE members’ budgets
represented over 90 percent of the total $3.7 billion in US state- and Canadian
province-authorized energy efficiency incentive program budgets). They put together
a good letter, although it did take a little more "politically correct
tone" than I would personally wished that they had (read
it here). According to our sources, the cited CEE Lighting Committee came
out with a simple request, "Suspend RLF 4.2 until it can be considered
correctly." It appears that there was some additional massaging to help
make the point a little less directly at the EPA, and more towards the Energy
Star SSL program in general. The letter did this by raising some of the other
known issues that are slated to be addressed, including the effectiveness of
IESNA LM-80 as a precise predictor of 70% lumen depreciation data, as well their
suggestion of the need for a more precise definition of "directionality".
It doesn't miss on the key point that, "In the near term, CEE believes
that luminaire efficacy should be used for all SSL light fixtures." Hopefully
no one reads the letter and gets the impression that DOE and EPA have together
created a specification mess that needs to be fixed when the only mess is the
EPA's doing with RLF 4.2.
You've got to read
the EPA letter to believe it. Keep in mind that this is the same group that
insisted the specification did not need to be created in an open forum, with
stakeholder input, because it introduced all new language and specification
components rather than "changing wording of an existing specification."
They apparently contend that the EPA only needs to adhere to a public process
after they've created a new "final specification with immediate effectivity."
Thanks for this new open approach (yeah, right).
So, if we fall for this approach, how open will the process be? As they state
in the July 9 letter, "To address concerns about quality issues, EPA
is offering the opportunity for interested parties to comment on the technical
amendment of the RLF specification. To this end, EPA will be accepting written
comment until August 25, 2008. Please send comments to RLF@icfi.com. After this
period, EPA will compile any comments received and consider the appropriateness
and timing of any suggested changes." Seems like that's pretty much,
"We'll do what we want, after giving it as much careful consideration as
we did in creating the secret specification in the first place." If
the EPA was serious about considering the comments, they would rescind
the so called "technical amendment" and redo the process by publishing
a draft, asking for comments, publishing the comments, working up a new draft
based on the comments, publishing it, asking for comments on the draft until
they get a real consensus document. Oh, and then it should be published with
a minimum effectivity notification period of 270 days, as required by the Federal
regulations that apply to Energy Star programs (42 U.S.C. 6294a(C)(7)).
Suggestion to the solid state lighting and energy efficient lighting stakeholders:
Don't fall for the EPA's initiation of an after-the-fact comment period
that is being used to legitimize an illegitimate specification. They've had
their chance to do the right thing, and instead of rescinding this secretly-created
specification, they continue to defend its importance. Do comment,
but keep it simple with something along the lines of, "The specification
was done without any appropriately mandated public process and as a result,
all components of the specification are of suspect nature and will devalue the
Energy Star brand. We respectfully request that the so-called technical amendment
be rescinded and the process of discussing changes to the RLF specification
be re-started in an open and public forum where both its scope and actual need
can be properly considered by all involved stakeholders." Probably wouldn't
hurt to copy the EPA
Office of the Inspector General on that type of comment as well. Just a
thought, of course.
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