A-lamp LED products highlighted at Lightfair

LEDs again stole the show at the annual Lightfair International (LFI) conference and exhibition. While you could find plenty of conventional lighting on the exhibit floor, it was solid-state-lighting (SSL) products that were prominent in most booths ranging from A-lamp retrofits to decorative and architectural lighting. A number of companies demonstrated new LED-based 75W and 100W A-lamp replacements for incandescent bulbs, as well as offering updated technology roadmaps.

Switching off the lights gets enjoyable

To make the event of switching off the lights while walking out a room a little more enjoyable, designer Da Deng came up with the high five switch. This switch, shaped like a hand with a skin-like texture, requires a user to high five it while walking in to switch on the lights and high five it one more time while walking out to switch the lights off.

CNY companies develop a better light bulb

The old incandescent light bulbs are on the way out, and a team of companies are jumping in with a new generation of efficient LED lighting. The LEDs are about as close to natural light as a bulb can produce. They're also more efficient and less expensive over the life of the bulb. It's a technological leap. "We talked about this next LED going from like the Commodore 64 to the iPad," said John Johnston of ProTerra LED. One of the products developed by the team of companies is a model that can replace an existing florescent bulb. It'll last years longer and use 80 percent less energy.

LEDs the shining star at trade show

First they took over our radios. Then our televisions, stereos, watches, toys, telephones, computers, and just about everything else. So is it any wonder that semiconductors are threatening to transform the lighting industry?

That's the lesson of this week's Lightfair International at the Convention Center in Philadelphia, where light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, are the obvious stars of the show.

More Beautiful Than A Bulb Could Ever Be

A joint venture between JOBY and designer Peter Stathis has produced a 102-diode LED lamp that may win over even the most ardent lovers of incandescents. For their Trapeze lamp, Stathis and JOBY (makers of that famously clever flexible tripod) designed what they call a "flat panel light engine" to serve as the lamp-head.

Kumho Introduces Direct Replacement LED T8 Lamp

Kumho Electric is introducing the Earthcare Direct Replacement LED T8, a lamp that can simply be snapped into an existing fluorescent fixture, freeing maintenance contractors from the time consuming, costly process of re-wiring T8 fixtures to accommodate an LED lamp.
The advanced, patented design also provides for full dimming control using a standard dimmable T8 ballast and incorporates environmentally friendly passive components that offer a more reliable, longer lasting product.
"Our Earthcare T8 LED utilizes a first-of-a-kind, revolutionary design," said Kumho Electric USA president Alan Medak. "It makes switching to LEDs as easy as changing a light bulb and works with popular instant start ballasts. No rewiring or special handling is required."
Using one third less energy than a traditional linear T8, the lamp offers instant brightness, producing a 110° beam that spreads illumination uniformly, without hot spots or glare.
The lamp maintains brightness over its 50,000 hour rated life with low lumen depreciation. It also operates at a moderate temperature, reducing load on building cooling systems. The lamps are environmentally friendly, producing no UV light and containing no mercury.
The Earthcare T8 LED is well suited for difficult applications, such as refrigerator/freezer cases, high-vibration situations, or hard to reach locations.

When good lights go bad: LED breakdown

LED light bulbs augur tremendous reduction in the electricity used to light homes and offices around the world, but quality and pricing issues are keeping consumers at bay for the moment. So said LED experts and entrepreneurs on a panel discussion at the Cleantech Forum in Amsterdam, noting that mass adoption will not take place until prices fall – they can be €20 in Europe and $40 in the U.S - and until quality stabilizes.

EcoSense Lighting to Unveil Linear Ext Family of Outdoor LED White Light Fixtures

Marking the company’s debut as a LIGHTFAIR exhibitor, EcoSense Lighting will unveil its EcoSpec Linear EXT family of specifier-grade LED white light fixtures at the show. Available in the second half of this year, these fixtures deliver a brighter, more energy-efficient and lower-priced alternative to similar LED-based products on the market today. The new Linear EXT family of fixtures supplements the Linear INT family of interior fixtures released earlier this year.
The EcoSpec Linear EXT family incorporates the vast solid-state lighting expertise of the EcoSense team into two new fixtures suited to a variety of exterior white light cove applications and that offer many advantages over traditional illumination choices. With outputs ranging from over 570 to 855 lumens per foot, both provide an economical LED alternative to traditional fluorescent tubes without the mercury-derived toxins found in fluorescent sources.
The EcoSpec Linear HP EXT and Linear HP EXT Wall Wash are RoHS compliant and lead- and mercury-free. They quickly pay for themselves in reduced maintenance, replacement, and energy costs and provide substantial cost savings over their 50,000-hour usage life.

If CFLs are burning out, check the bulb

Changing to compact fluorescent lamps is a popular way these days to help save energy. This process can take time as you replace light bulbs as they burn out. CFLs may be more expensive to purchase, but they save money in the long run. CFLs have a longer lifespan than incandescent bulbs. If you are burned up by what you perceive as early burnout of CFLs or bulbs, it may be the CFL bulb selection and use causing the problem.

Samsung and Evident Technologies Enter Into LED Patent Agreement

Evident Technologies, Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd have entered into a comprehensive patent licensing and purchasing agreement for Evident's quantum dot LED technology. This agreement grants Samsung worldwide access to Evident's patent portfolio for all products related to quantum dot LEDs from manufacture of the quantum dot nanomaterials to final LED production.
"We are excited that Samsung, the leader in consumer electronics, has licensed our quantum dot technology," said Dr. Clint Ballinger, CEO of Evident Technologies. "We already enjoy a terrific working relationship and look forward to the future of this technology."
Quantum dots are nanometer-sized semiconductor crystals that have great commercial promise in electronic applications from solar energy conversion to thermoelectrics to LEDs. Evident was the first company in the world to commercialize quantum dot LEDs with products launched in 2007.
Evident Technologies is currently focused on developing next-generation thermoelectric applications using their core quantum dot material technology. "Our goal is to greatly increase the performance of thermoelectric devices through our nano-material advances," says Dr. Ballinger. Thermoelectric devices can be used for solid-state heating and cooling as well as for converting waste heat into electricity directly.

Tech Lighting Envision LED Head Takes Home a Gold in First

Tech Lighting, a leading manufacturer of lighting products that deliver a blend of performance, style and aesthetic for a diverse range of applications, announced today yet another honor for its Envision light-emitting diode (LED) head. The LED head, which operates on the company's award-winning 120-volt T-TRAK lighting system or as a monopoint fixture, was selected for gold in the Interior/Track category of the first annual Architectural SSL magazine Product Innovation Awards. The magazine, published by Construction Business Media LLC, focuses on development, application, specification and design merit of LEDs and solid-state lighting throughout the built environment. More than 160 entrants competed in this first year of the competition.
The Envision Head offers a balance of design and performance. Its die-cast aluminum LED head pivots vertically 90 degrees and rotates 360 degrees, with modular components for ease of replacement. The power supply and heat sink fins both sit within the head, resulting in a clean, thoughtful, seamless design. The LED module (in 2700°K, 3000°K, and 4000°K), optic (in 15°, 25° and 40°), and power supply are all modular for ease of replacement. At 18 watts and 867 net lumens, the head offers a high level of performance. In addition to the T-TRAK and monopoint options, later this year it will be made available on numerous other track lighting systems.

Acuity Brands Expands LED Outdoor Parking Application Product Portfolio

Acuity Brands, Inc.  continues announcements of a major expansion of its outdoor LED lighting portfolio. Offered under Acuity Brands LED Outdoor, the portfolio includes solutions from six of the Company’s leading lighting solutions brands.
New to the Company’s PARK application family of products are the TersenRatio PG and the Lithonia Lighting VAP, luminaires for covered outdoor applications, and the Tersen Ratio 4.0 and Lithonia Lighting ALX, luminaires for parking lots and surrounding areas. Each LED luminaire is optimally designed for unique parking tasks and environments.
The TersenRatio PG is a LED luminaire of contemporary architectural styling, ideally suited for the parking garage. It has been designed to meet the IESNA RP-20 standards and delivers up to 100 lumens per watt in multiple lumen output packages. Its modern “finned” housing serves as an efficient heat sink while making an architectural statement. Both the symmetric and asymmetric optical distributions deliver unparalleled horizontal and vertical uniformity. The Lithonia Lighting VAP is ideal for use in applications where smart-looking, energy-efficient fixtures are desired. This luminaire is ideally designed for parking garages, canopies, transportation facilities, schools, hospitals and exterior retail environments where moisture or dust is a concern.
The TersenRatio 4.0 offers a contemporary styled luminaire that produces illumination levels equivalent to a traditional 400-watt metal halide (MH) lamp. Its design complements the Ratio PG and Ratio 1.5 to create a complete family of architectural outdoor products. Its stylistic “finned” shape serves as a heat sink as well as an architectural statement. The Lithonia Lighting ALX was designed from the start exclusively for LED technology and now produces between 18% and 25% greater light output than the original version. It is designed for streets, walkways, parking lots, and surrounding areas and delivers on the promise of long life, superior optical performance and energy savings.
Various models in the Acuity Brands LED Outdoor PARK application family are compatible with the Acuity Brands ROAM system, the Company’s industry-leading intelligent control solution, combining photo-control technology with wireless monitoring and control capabilities. Working together, LED lighting and intelligent control systems provide an integrated outdoor lighting solution enabling additional energy savings from day one. Acuity Brands LED Outdoor products adhere to IES standards for all applications, enabling maximum visibility. All luminaires in the PARK family incorporate Acuity Brands’ philosophy of providing the highest quality lighting solutions, while minimizing light pollution by putting light on task not toward the sky.

LED bulbs move in and mix up home lighting

In the space of a few years, I've gone from one lighting technology to another and now to three lighting types in my home. I suspect others will be in the same shoes as lighting options expand, notably those involving LEDs. Eager to cut down my electrical load, I essentially converted to compact fluorescent lighting (CFLs) years ago. Recently, though, I've replaced CFLs with efficient LED bulbs and even energy-hogging incandescents to address an unfortunate feature of CLFs: turning them on and off frequently degrades their life.

LED maker Lighting Science to foray into India by September

US-based LED manufacturer Lighting Science Group, a global leader in its business, plans to enter the Indian market by September with an eye to grab 20% share of the market over three years. The company is in advanced talks with three to four domestic LED manufacturers to float an Indian joint venture (JV), industry sources said. Lighting Science Group will hold a majority stake in the joint venture to be named Lighting Science India. The company plans leveraging existing retail network and manufacturing lines of its Indian partner.

The LED Promise Land : A Connexion Market Perspective

Compact fluorescent lamps are a temporary but still viable alternative to energy-efficient lighting. Think of CFLs as the bridge that connects our older, less efficient lamp technology to the LED promise land. Increasingly more lamp manufacturers are devoting larger shares of their R&D resources towards developing the LED promise land and less so within that CFL bridge. The lighting industry is clearly banking on LEDs as the final replacements for incandescents.
The reason LEDs have not yet displaced CFLs from the market are twofold: the first generation LED bulbs had a narrow and focused light beam, and the cost of LED technology is still too high. With this said, both CFL and LED technology are viable options today when looking for a replacement for incandescent lamps.
We can't stress enough that this lamp technology market is no different than any other emerging market. There are numerous profiteers in the market spewing forth their too-good-to-be-true claims and misinformation for the sake of the quick sale before the dust settles and the facts surface. The old axiom, 'if it sounds too good to be true it probably is', certainly applies here. The U.S. market is flooded with cheap LED products manufactured overseas with inferior components that produce low light levels, that can't possibly live up to their exaggerated energy saving and long life claims. Unfortunately, these cheap imports are being sold on well known web sites and through big box retailers.
Also worth noting are the many so-called 'manufacturers'  who are in fact resellers and simply repackaging the same inferior products offered through the import channel. And to further add to this confusion, are the more reputable manufacturers that offer a lesser grade LED lamp expressly for the consumer market and a higher grade for the commercial market. As you probably guessed, the commercial grade products come at a higher price point and perform significantly better - but are easily confused with the lower priced consumer grade products. If you're making your decision solely on price, you may be setting yourself up for disappointment. The keys here are Lumens and Lumens per Watt Efficacy. This is where the Lighting Facts label comes into play. The Department of Energy (DOE) is an advocate for quality and has established the Lighting Facts program to ensure that the LED products you find on the market meet your expectations for performance. These products include LEDs for everyday lighting purposes, such as table lamps and outdoor light fixtures. They do not include flashlights, nightlights, or holiday lighting.
Participating manufacturers voluntarily pledge to report their products' performance results. Those results appear on the Lighting Facts label, which those manufacturers must include on product packaging or in the product literature. Retailers and other industry buyers can then make informed purchasing decisions for their lighting inventory.

Antec Launches LEDs to Reduce Eyestrain

How do your eyes feel at the end of the day after you’ve been staring at the computer for hours? Burned, right? Well, to minimize the eye fatigue caused by long hours in front of a computer, Antec has launched a series of LEDs to be installed at the back part of your monitor that help reduce eyestrain caused by differences in picture brightness from scene changes.