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Ecogreen Solutions Installs ilumisys LED Light Tubes at Holiday Inn San Diego Downtown
SSLighting Design News Staff
March 11, 2010...ilumisys of Troy, Michigan USA, reports that its channel partner, Ecogreen solutions has installed LED light tubes at Holiday Inn San Diego Downtown in San Diego.
The new lighting was needed to improve lighting quality and lower energy costs.
Los Angeles-based Ecogreen Solutions replaced T-8 fluorescent lights in the hotel's subterranean parking lot with ilumisys MK2 T-8 LED light tubes. Ecogreen predicts that the replacement will result in a cost savings of nearly $5,000 annually and a 57 percent energy savings over the previously installed 32 watt fluorescent fixtures. A second phase of Ecogreen's project will include the installation of ilumisys led-based tubes for general illumination of the hotel's administration offices.
"We were seeking new ways to improve the lighting in our parking structure while also lowering our energy consumption and costs," said Gary Comeaux, general manager of Holiday Inn San Diego Downtown. "After reviewing several lighting options with Ecogreen Solutions, we decided to use ilumisys tubes because of their performance and quality construction."
ilumisys News Release
University of Pittsburgh Researchers Find LED Streetlights Most Cost Effective and Environmentally Friendly in Cradle-to-Grave Comparison
SSLighting Design News Staff
March 11, 2010...Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh were commissioned by the city of Pittsburgh to do a cradle-to-grave life-cycle assessment of LED street lights as it considers replacing 40,000 street lights with LED-based street lights. The researchers concluded that LED street lights "... outstrip other lights for balance of brightness, energy efficiency, life span, cost, and low environmental impact."
The researchers determined that the increasingly popular lamps "...strike the best balance between brightness, affordability, and energy and environmental conservation when their life span-from production to disposal-is considered."
Engineers in the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation based in Pitt's Swanson School of Engineering compared LED streetlights to two common lamps-the high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps found in most cities and metal halide lamps akin to those in stadiums-and the gas-based induction bulb, another emerging technology billed as bright and energy efficient. The team reported that although LEDs may carry a hefty price tag, when compared to HPS and metal halide lamps, they consume half the electricity, last up to five times longer, and produce more light.
The research indicated that induction lights were slightly more affordable and energy efficient than LEDs, but those gains were outweighed by the greater environmental impact when in use. The study's authors also noted that LED technology has more potential for improvement and may surpass induction lamps in the future.
The researchers found an extreme amount of variability among LED street lights in terms of cost and performance, but overall they found that there is significant economic and environmental case for choosing LED street lights over other lighting technologies. University of Pittsburgh News Release
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Nexxus Lighting Introduces First Commercially- Available Quantum Dot / LED Replacement Light Bulbs
SSLighting Design News Staff
March 9, 2010...Nexxus Lighting of Charlotte, North Carolina USA has begun production and shipment of its new Array Quantum LED R30 replacement light bulb that the company developed in conjunction with QD Vision. Nexxus says that this is the first commercially available LED lamp that utilizes quantum dots. It reportedly delivers 2700K, high-color rendering (91 CRI) incandescent warm white light at 60 lumens per watt.
The new Array Quantum LED R30 features the new co-developed Quantum Light Optic from QD Vision and unique LED package from Citizen Electronics combined with Nexxus' patented and patent pending design and Selective Heat Sink thermal management system. Nexxus claims that the Array Quantum LED R30 will deliver the highest efficiency 90+ CRI system currently available on the market.
"After announcing this project in 2009, it is very exciting to see our vision come to life with product finally flowing down the assembly line and into the marketplace," said Mike Bauer, president and CEO of Nexxus Lighting, Inc. "In collaboration with QD Vision, we have developed a product that trumps competitors who are offering high CRI, but very low lumens per watt and set a new industry standard."
"Our Quantum Light(TM) Optic is the first product that allows manufacturers to make warmer-colored, high-efficiency LED lamps, which is seen as essential to their widespread adoption," said Dr. Dan Button, QD Vision President and CEO. "This new lamp from Nexxus Lighting demonstrates the value of Quantum Dots for solid state lighting applications."
Nexxus Lighting News Release
Research and Markets Releases Frost & Sullivan Report on European Energy Efficient Lighting Markets in 2010
SSLighting Design News Staff
March 9, 2010...Research and Markets has announced the addition of Frost & Sullivan's new report "European Energy Efficient Lighting Markets 2010" to their offering.
The energy efficient lighting market has undergone a period of rapid change in the last five years with the drive for greater energy efficiency from new legislation and public pressure causing the lamps market to move towards more energy efficient units.
The report takes an in depth look at the major geographical hotspots like the UK and Italy and looks deeper into each of the major energy efficient lighting technology from CFLs and LEDs to Halogen lamps.
The report breaks down the market into the end user segments for each technology, from residential to commercial and public sectors. Frost and Sullivan performed the competitive analysis on each technology, with market shares of top competitors analysed and explained.
The Frost & Sullivan research service titled European Energy Efficient Lighting Markets provides an in-depth analysis of the competitive landscape while detailing key market and geographic trends.
The report points out that greater emphasis on energy savings in the lighting sector and new legislation phasing out inefficient lighting will help the European energy efficient lighting (EEL) market bounce back from negative growth by 2010. The researchers contend that mainstream CFLs, halogen lamps, and high growth LED lamps sectors will result in steady growth rates in the years ahead as all of Europe switches over to more energy efficient lighting technology.
Research and Markets News Release
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Leotek Introduces the GreenCobra LED Street Light
SSLighting Design News Staff
March 9, 2010...Leotek has introduced the GreenCobra LED street light. Leotek says that its GreenCobra LED street light provides a daytime form based on the shape of a traditional roadway luminaire, high performance light distribution, full cutoff optics with drop lens uniformity, tool less entry to the electrical housing, and an easily replaceable safety power door.
The street light is offered in a choice of 20, 40, 60, and 80 LED arrays in three field-adjustable drive currents to replace from 70W HPS to 310W HPS traditional cobra head style street lights. Leotek points out that the precision micro-lens optics provide the remarkably uniform illumination. The standard LED color temperature is neutral 4000K white similar to metal halide and moonlight. This color temperature reportedly has wide market acceptance. Standard accessories include an easily installed bird spider, flush mounted house side shield plate, special pole mounting brackets, and a wall mounting bracket.
“The GreenCobra™ synergistically incorporates the strongest advantages of traditional cobra head street lighting with sustainable LED design,” said Steve Bacilieri, President of Leotek. “We’re confident in the success of this next generation luminaire, with its winning combination of improved aesthetics, optics and performance capabilities.”
Digi-Key Corporation to Distribute Products From Seoul Semiconductor
LIGHTimes News Staff
March 9, 2010...Digi-Key an international electronics distributor and Seoul Semiconductor, an LED product developer and supplier, have entered into a global distribution agreement. Digi-Key will now distribute the full range of Seoul Semiconductor’s products, from the smallest DC LED to the company's AC LED, Acriche. Products stocked by Digi-Key are available for purchase on Digi-Key’s global websites. Additionally, these products are slated to be featured in future print and online catalogs.
“With technology breakthroughs increasing brightness, or lumens per watt, at lower price points, the interest in LEDs continues to grow dramatically,” said Dave Doherty, Digi-Key’s vice president of semiconductor product. “With products such as Seoul Semiconductor’s Acriche AC LED, we are confident a global partnership will benefit our customers.”
An official of Seoul Semiconductor, said, “The Digi-Key Lighting Partners Program will link our customers to the entire eco-system surrounding the LED, helping them get to market faster.”
Seoul Semiconductor News Releae
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Commentary & Perspectives...
Breaking SSL barriers... and ratting out the fiends
Tom Griffiths - Publisher
March 5, 2010..."Records are made to be broken," quotes the old adage, and it is never more true in vibrant technology areas such as LED lighting. Two of solid state lighting's 'technology barriers' have recently been broken with a recent announcement from Cree of lab results for 200+ lumen-per-watt (lm/w) from a power LED, and from BetaLED with new 100 lm/w exterior soffit luminaires. While barriers may be just a another number, they also have significance to humans because they build belief. In some cases, it's belief that a particular task really can be accomplished. Sir Edmund Hillary succeeded at climbing Mt. Everest, and now about 150 people reach the summit of that mountain each year. In other cases, it demonstrates that a barrier is not a physical one, but a mental one. The four minute mile was deemed by many to be "unbreakable" due to human physiology. "Not enough capacity to absorb oxygen, and it's simply too long a span to maintain that anaerobic condition," was a common argument. Then in May of 1954, Roger Bannister broke the barrier. While that was a huge accomplishment, even more stunning was that it was broken a second time by Bannister's closest competitor, John Landy, just six weeks later. This wasn't a one-off miracle performance. The barrier wasn't a physical barrier, but a psychological one. In classic "did it second" form, Landy took the approach that "it wasn't really a barrier" at all and contended that, “It has nothing to do with psychology," he was quoted as saying. "It was just a matter of having the right runners at the right level of training and the right set of circumstances." Meanwhile the "barrier" had stood and been argued-over for over decades, while human physiology hadn't gotten better. People had simply been training to get as close to the 4 minute mile as possible, but not necessarily to get under it. Once the "barrier" was broken, perceptions changed to "how much below it can we get. Once there were at least two believers", 9 or 10 managed the feat in the next 24 months with the new records continuing to be set 18 more times from 1955 to 2000!)
It wasn't that long ago when some were suggesting that 200 lm/watt would be close to all we could expect out of a power LED source, and I remember charts showing LED efficacy showing a real asymptote kicking in around that 200 lm/w. The DOE's LED lighting roadmap has actually been adjusted at least once to reflect the efficacy growth curve exceeding the time frames that the industry originally expected. When asked for some thoughts on "the barrier", Cree's New Business Development Director, Mark McClear commented that, "By hitting that mark, I think it has been pretty clearly demonstrated that there is still more room to grow. Breaking this 'barrier' clearly establishes LEDs as the most energy-efficient artificial light source." Cree has been very reliable about turning "lab results" into production-available products in a12 to 18-month time frame.
The second recent accomplishment was breaking that 100 lm/w "barrier" at the luminaire level. I suspect that Beta isn't the first to claim the accomplishment, but I do know that they have been one of the consistent performers in the exterior SSL lighting space, and are probably the most visible brand in that segment. And if they said it, that we can expect it is true. While 100 lm/w doesn't suddenly shift the business case in comparison to 96 or 98, it is easy to recognize that "more than 100" is something that the industry can latch onto in order to stake claim to offering the highest efficacy solutions. “Our achievement of reaching over 100 lumens-per-watt delivered in outdoor LED luminaires demonstrates the advantages of LED technology over HID,” said Christopher Ruud, president of BetaLED, a division of Ruud Lighting.
Hopefully what will be memorable here is that the 100 lm/w mark is being achieved
'on the target'. As Ruud explained, “Lumen-per-watt ratings on traditional
lamp sources are misleading because they don’t account for inefficiencies
of the ballast, reflector or lens. Lamp manufacturers have claimed 100 lumens-per-watt
with conventional light sources but this was not a measure of total lumens exiting
the product. While HID technologies reached the 100 lumens-per-watt mark
at the lamp, i.e. bare source, the light output was not directed in a useable
fashion. Up to 40 percent of the bare lamp’s output can be lost to
ballast, reflector and lens inefficiencies. BetaLED integrates LED chip
technology with optical performance and an optimized fixture design to maximize
light output at the source and on target. This delivered, targeted-lumen output
is the most efficacious luminaire to date, and further proof that an LED is
the most efficient light source in the industry."
I think Mark summed it up nicely with a thought on the ultimate relevance, outside
of this or that number. "Raising the performance bar in brightness and
efficacy is really about economics. Each advance in LED performance lowers LED
lighting product costs, opens new markets and applications and brings the LED
Lighting Revolution to more and more people." The performance continues
to march forward regardless, but I believe the fact that these 'barriers' have
been broken will really lock into people's minds that "LED lighting can
do it".
Time to start calling out the violators?
In my marketing life, I have never been one to focus others' attention too much on what the competition is doing, generally preferring to simply "outperform and ignore them" rather than make more direct accusations of their exaggerations or 'specsmanship'. That admittedly colors my thinking to create some distaste on those that might take a different approach. But things have changed, I believe. For the LED lighting market, as LED efficacies come up, new entrants are better able to claim that their luminaire, or their "integral replacement lamp" if it is an LED bulb or LED tube type of design, is a cost effective replacement for an incandescent, fluorescent or HID source. The specs make the case, and while in the past, if a company was claiming 50 lm/w but only putting out 40, it didn't really matter all that much since no rational decision maker was going to choose their solution compared to a fluorescent or HID incumbent except in a few specialized cases. Generally, when you have a specialized case, extra diligence is required and the truth will be uncovered in short order. A bad apple doesn't have to ruin the whole bushel in most of those real-world circumstances.
But as LEDs really do become recognized as the most efficacious source out there, the risk to the industry is increasing. The decision maker sees enough luminaires from reliable suppliers to be putting out 80 lm/w and more, so it starts to sink in that such performance isn't the special case that it once was. As their guard comes down, so does their risk aversion and skepticism. They test a few top notch suppliers, and find those suppliers are meeting the specs they claim. "Looks like the claims are reliable," they say to themselves. Then along comes a supplier whose name has been out there, and who is claiming a spec along the lines of what the decision maker has seen, with the addition that the "new guy" is showing a substantial cost savings. Makes sense... the two progress curves are "increased performance at the same price" and "similar performance at a lower price" especially from lower-overhead and potentially more agile new entrants. Problem is, the manufacture is lying, or using inferior materials, and with the decision maker's guard down, it may not be discovered until hundreds of units are installed (especially if they are replacement lamps). The industry gets a black eye.
So what should be do? Our suggestion is that maybe it's time to reset the industry's "politeness meter" to be oriented towards protecting the customers, and start calling out the blatant violators. At least one resource for that is in the Energy Star realm. Recently, we even let one slip through, as a company that signed up as an Energy Star "partner" projected the story that it was due to its product performance. "Partner" says "we want to support the Energy Star program" not "we have Energy Star qualified products". And Energy Star is pretty clear on its policies. "Partner" can't be used to imply the products are Energy Star approved, whether the mistake is made intentionally or not. There's no fine print about it either. Personally, I think the Energy Star "brand" is well enough established that the use of the phrase "partner" should be scaled back to include only those companies that have at least one product that is actually certified for the mark. They may have other products that aren't there yet, or for which a category doesn't exist, but having at least one would probably take us 90% of the way towards eliminating the problem, both because ignorance would not be an excuse, and because violation of how "partner' is used would put the company at jeopardy of losing their Energy Star approval on a product that they invested effort in getting the mark attached to. We are advocating that violators be reported. If you see what you believe to be the improper use of the Energy Star Partner mark, or see claims of an LED replacement lamp as being "Energy Star qualified" (the specs don't kick in until August), you can and should report them to ssl@energystar.gov.
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