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2010-09-08
Applications, design and technology news from across the industry
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Editorial: LED Lighting Summit Buzz: Walking the walk with decision makers
 
... It's interesting when you arrange something like the LED lighting-focused SSL Summit to see who's really ready to walk the walk, rather than just talking the talk. Here you have an conference that's bringing in real facilities-oriented decision makers that should represent somewhere between 200 and 300 million square...
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The 2010-2011 Summit Series is ready to succeed... are you?

After the successful 2008 launch and 2009/2010 expansion of Solid State Lighting Design's SSL Summit in New Jersey and LA, the feedback remains consistent: Just what we needed, do it again soon. The Summit brings together lighting decision makers with industry thought leaders, pioneers, and innovators from the across the solid state lighting eco-system. Read the 2009 conference report...

Following our changes in 2009, 2010-2011 will continue to be all about quality, quality, quality. Showcase participants and sponsors are vetted to separate the wheat from the chaff (have your IES LM-79 test reports ready!). The 2010-2011 Summit includes NY/NJ in September and LA/Long Beach next January. Look into the series information at www.SSLsummit.com for the details. Sponsorships are available for the full series.


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 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 the revolution!


FTC Sues Lights of America Inc. to End Allegedly Misleading Claims
SSLDesign News Staff

September 8, 2010...The United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has sued a California-based LED bulb manufacturer and its principals to stop them from exaggerating the light output and life expectancy of its LED bulbs, and misleading consumers.

In its continuing effort to stop deceptive advertising the FTC filed a complaint charging that since 2008, Lights of America, Inc. has overstated the light output and life expectancy of its LED bulbs on packages and in brochures. The agency also charges that Lights of America misled consumers about how the brightness of its LED bulbs compare to traditional incandescent lights.

The FTC notes that it authorizes the filing of a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. The Commission also points out that a complaint is not a finding or ruling that the defendants have actually violated the law.

Copies of the Commission’s complaint and the press release about it can be found on the FTC web site. SSL Design PageTwo members login for more. Guests can view membership details.

Lighting at Santa Fe Public Parks Goes Off the Grid
SSLDesign News Staff

September 8, 2010...Santa Fe Mayor David Coss and Qnuru, a maker of solid state lighting solutions held a ceremony to mark the installation of solar-powered luminaires in three of the city’s public parks. The installation employs Qnuru off-grid fixtures, named the “Santa Fe” in honor of the city that inspired them. They illuminate Frenchy’s Field Park, a 17-acre “natural park” that serves as a links in the city’s open-space network of trails and parks. The Santa Fe solar fixtures are also being installed in Santa Fe’s Salvador Perez and Monica Lucero parks.

Santa Fe Parks Division commissioned the off-grid luminaires. Tom Joyce, a MacArthur-award winning metal smith designed the luminaires for Qnuru. His sculptures have been exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, the Boston Museum of Fine Art, and the Musee Des Arts Decoratifs in Paris. The fixtures are ETL-Listed, dark-sky friendly, and made in the U.S. “This project is an exciting step toward reducing greenhouse gasses,” said Mayor David Coss. “Through the installation of these fixtures, Santa Fe will reduce its greenhouse gas generation by 18,500 pounds per year. Over the life of the fixtures, they will save in excess of 230 tons. This type of project shows that it is possible to make a huge difference in our environment and quality of life with something as simple as a light fixture. I applaud our Parks Division for their environmental leadership and the Housing and Urban Development and the Community Development Block Grant (HUD/CDBG) for funding the solar lights in the parks project. Without these agencies’ collaboration, the city’s vision of energy efficiency, sustainability and long-term cost savings could not have been realized.” SSL Design PageTwo members login for more. Guests can view membership details.


Lighting decision makers deserve quality answers, not hype...
  Lighting decision makers for 200 million+ square feet of commercial property will be represented at the SSL industry's quality-focused "insiders meet", September 14-15 in New York City...

They are looking for the keys to quality in LED lighting, and you can not afford to miss it. Just one look at the special guests and NY Summit agenda, and you will know why you need to be there in September!

Building on the continuing success of this first-of-its-kind event, the 2010/2011 Summit series will again deliver the highest quality agenda and attendees in an unsurpassed networking environment. We have expanded the Summit to "take it to the facilities decision makers" in NY, and quality oriented suppliers need to be seen.
See what you need to be part of at www.SSLsummit.com

Albeo LED Lighting Illuminates the New Donald W. Reynolds Education Center at Happy Hands
SSLDesign News Staff

September 8, 2010...A school for hearing impaired children in Oklahoma chose Albeo LED fixtures not only to save electricity but to also reduce the background noise of fluorescent lighting which distracts the hearing impaired students. Albeo Technologies Inc., supplied 144 C-Series High Bay LED fixtures to light their new, state-of-the-art , education center. The new Happy Hands Education Center incorporates innovative learning technologies with environmentally sustainable practices.

“Our new Happy Hands Education Center expansion allows us to greatly increase the number of children and families we can help,” said Al Proo, Executive Director at Happy Hands. “The generous donation from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation has enabled us to use innovative technologies that enhance the learning experience. Deploying green technologies throughout the building goes beyond saving energy. It teaches the children the importance of environmental awareness in all aspects of life” SSL Design PageTwo members login for more. Guests can view membership details.

Hi Score Converts Lighting of Florida Condominium
SSLDesign News Staff

September 8, 2010...Hi Score Corporation reports that the second stage of the conversion of the Ocean Four Condominium Towers in Sunny Isles, Florida has been completed. The company successfully replaced approximately 3,500 T8 fluorescent tubes with its EcoGreenBulb T5 Retrofit System. Management at Ocean Four confirmed that the conversion is saving Ocean Four approximately 40 percent off this part of their light bill.

In October of last year the conversion was begun with the replacement of over 1,000 traditional halogen light bulbs to 6-watt LED bulbs. In addition to the direct savings of electricity, the LED luminaire's lower temperature operation reduces the air conditioning cost on all three towers of 23 floors each. SSL Design PageTwo members login for more. Guests can view membership details.

 

IES Recognizes Carmanah Advanced Occupancy Sensing Technology
SSLDesign News Staff

September 3, 2010...Carmanah Technologies Corporation, a company known for its solar powered, LED luminaires has been recognized by the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) in the 2010 IES Progress Report. The report recognizes the company's newly developed Advanced Occupancy Sensing technology, as providing a unique and significant advancement to the art and science of lighting.

According to Carmanah, the proprietary technology helps to overcome the limitations of conventional occupancy sensors that provide illumination only when motion is within a certain radius of the light. Unlike conventional occupancy sensors, Advanced Occupancy Sensing works with Carmanah EverGEN solar LED lights and provides for the synchronized activation of an entire network of lights when just one light within the network senses motion. SSL Design PageTwo members login for more. Guests can view membership details.

Zumtobel's LED Lighting Solution Brightens Hamburg’s Museum of Art and Industry
SSLDesign News Staff

September 3, 2010...Zumtobel’s Supersystem LED lighting systemhas been incorporated into the contemporary interior design of the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe in Hamburg. The Museum now welcomes its guests in an entrance hall flooded with light. As the museum’s technical director, Thomas Frey, points out, “From the very beginning we tended towards an LED solution, and now we have achieved a highly attractive result thanks to the professional technical support provided by Zumtobel.”

The Hamburg-based architectural studio of MRJ-Architekten favored the approach of“More light”, when it was commissioned with the redesign of the entrance areas, among other things. The studio collaborated with interior designer Renate Müller in the museum refurbishment, which was carried out in several construction phases. Former storage areas were turned into modern administrative offices, and a new annex was added in the inner courtyard to accommodate the museum management. A new main entrance, together with the adjacent foyer has been redesigned to be a brightly lit, visitor-friendly entrance area. The entrance area includes a book store and a display area for special exhibitions. SSL Design PageTwo members login for more. Guests can view membership details.

Kenosha Picks Amerlux for Street Lighting Retrofit Project
SSLDesign News Staff

September 3, 2010...Kenosha, Wisconsin will reportedly be retrofitting 750 of its downtown area street lights. The city has engaged Amerlux Global Lighting Solutions to do this project and still maintain its existing street light poles and refractors, thereby saving potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in replacement costs.

"In the spirit of making smart, thoughtful and informed decisions for its citizens, the city of Kenosha undertook a rigorous year-long evaluation process to ensure they would identify and secure the best LED street lighting solution possible for their downtown area," noted Amerlux Chairman and Founder Frank Diassi. "They conducted a thorough and well-run evaluation, considering more than seven other lighting companies offering LED lighting products and Amerlux is honored to have our product selected as the best choice in outdoor LED street lighting solutions."

In April the city reportedly tested different brands and LED products from seven different companies. In each of the existing decorative posts in the downtown area the city wants to replace traditional induction-lit lamps. Each lamp was monitored for efficiency, projected cost savings and brightness. Amerlux was selected as a best-of-class LED outdoor lighting solutions provider. SSL Design PageTwo members login for more. Guests can view membership details.

EU Ban on 75-Watt Incandescent Bulbs to Begin, Packaging to Have New Info
SSLDesign News Staff

August 31, 2010...Beginning tomorrow the second stage of an EU regulation for the phase-out of incandescent lamps will be coming into force. The 75-Watt bulbs will gradually disappear from shop shelves. Retailers will be allowed to sell their existing stock, but production of the bulbs by manufacturers and importation of bulbs must cease.

As part of the phase-out plan a uniform Europe-wide duty to inform will also apply to new lamps to help consumers better understand the differences among efficient lighting technologies . The EU regulation to inform consumers about lighting seems very similar to the labeling requirements of the United States Federal Trade Commission. The mandatory data to be provided will include the service life, start-up time, and the mercury content. And like the U.S. labeling requirements, the most important changes for consumers concern the specification of the light output in lumens. The term "Lumens" will replace "Watts" as the measure of brightness. SSL Design PageTwo members login for more. Guests can view membership details.

Our news features are reported by the SSL Design staff writers.
For submissions or content suggestions, you can contact us using
editor -at - solidstatelightingdesign.com
For more information and to reserve promotion space contact
Info7 -at - solidstatelightingdesign.com
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Commentary & Perspectives...

LED Lighting Summit Buzz: Walking the walk with decision makers
Tom Griffiths - Publisher

August 26, 2010...It's interesting when you arrange something like the LED lighting-focused SSL Summit to see who's really ready to walk the walk, rather than just talking the talk. Here you have an conference that's bringing in real facilities-oriented decision makers that should represent somewhere between 200 and 300 million square feet of commercially managed property in NYC, and that demands the "product visible" companies to meet some basic quality criteria. Suddenly more than a few of the hundreds of manufacturers that you see at the big lighting shows, and in the news, seem to have cold feet. Time to walk the walk.

That's not to say that if a company isn't there that you should assume there's an issue. There are plenty of great companies that are simply looking at where the bodies have to be, and when, and not able to fit it in all into the schedule. "Attend the board meeting or go to the Summit... hmmm. I'll just blow off my investors, they'll understand," says the CEO (not). There are also more than a few startups that simply have $XXX per month to travel on, and those sales calls are already scheduled. Hey, we all have budgets, and the discipline to live with them is one key to success. There are also the ones who haven't heard about it (consciously). We have more than one industry friend who are avid readers, must have the banners in their faces at least weekly, and that reply with, "Oh shoot... I didn't notice the dates. Is that coming up in just a few weeks?" The sign-up typically follows the next day or two, as soon as they have the flights.

There will also be plenty of attending manufacturers that are bringing quality to the market, but didn't choose to be in the sponsor's showcase or didn't get in early enough to have a talk. Lack of product on display is not a measure of whether they have a worthwhile product or not. Those are decisions to be made about promotion and exposure. We all have our opinions on where and how it's best to invest, and we'd all do things differently with an unlimited budget, but no one in their right mind would ever give marketing an unlimited budget. (Insert your favorite political diatribe on government spending programs here for illustration...)

The companies that we find interesting are those big talkers that stormed Lightfair with their "wide range of products" and "great performance", who are suddenly confronted with the possibility of facing actual high-level customers. "We're not quite ready to be there yet." Interesting. If they could get through to the decision makers at all, they'd be qualifying with just the right words such as, "Looks good for availability this fall," when it could be rightly restated as, "If everything went smoother than ever has happened, we can make one available to the labs for testing to see if it comes close to matching what we put on our preliminary spec sheet." I guess that means, "Would look good for availability...". What I suspect they're hoping is that the only thing that will stick is the company name so they can get through again "when they're ready" and start things rolling for real. Good luck with that. Again, don't assume this is condemnation of anyone with a schedule slip versus expectations. If you don't plan aggressively, you won't achieve aggressively, and quite frankly, the only way you know you've gotten to the edge is to slip a bit and catch your balance. Ask anyone in motorsports. You need to go to the edge to find out where the edge is. The talent is in learning to hang on that edge without blowing out of the corner. That's why many, many entrepreneurs have a failure in their past. It's how they learned to do it right (and faster) this time.

So who will you find there? Winners. Not the only winners, but a good representation of companies that are offering competent solutions. All have made mistakes, I am sure, with some of those mistakes being visible and others having escaped the light of day. That decision making audience will also be made up of winners, whether they are designers, consultants or engineers, or personally managing a few million square feet (let's see... 2M sqft x $50/sqft rent makes a tidy little $100M business they're running with an equivalent market cap of a quarter to a half billion). Winners will also be there in lower key ways, even if their product isn't yet to the point they want to shine the kind of spotlight on it that others might. They're winners because they're working to engage with other winners.

Special thanks to our 2010 Summit NY and Series supporters, including diamond sponsors Lithonia Lighting and LEDnovation. Platinum sponsors include Wiedenbach Brown, Greenlight Initiative, Toshiba, Graftech and Array Lighting. This year's showcase participants also so far include Gold sponsors CRS, Cree, and Philips Lumileds.

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Don't miss the SSL Summit Series, kicking off September 14-15 in New York City, conveniently located on Manhattan in the financial district. It's all about quality, so if you are a luminaire manufacturer that would like to connect with some of the top lighting decision makers in the area, you won't find a more efficient two days during this year. Any luminaire manufacturer receiving product visibility is being vetted for basic quality criteria, but if your company doesn't quite have those LM-79 reports and datasheets all matched up yet, fear not. You're absolutely welcome to attend for the top-level networking and "how to get it done" discussions that can make it even more critical that you find your way there. Visit www.SSLsummit.com for series details, or jump directly the NY overview here.

 

 

 

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