Linear Fluorescent Price Increase Notification
On November 22, 2010
GE – Appliances & Lighting has announced that they will implement a price increase on Linear Fluorescent lamps only with an effective date of February 1, 2011. The increase for Linear Fluorescent lamps may vary by specific product, but the average price increase is approximately 6.0%
Notification from:
Todd Gilmore – General Manager of C&I Lighting
and
Mark Wells – General Manager of Consumer Lighting
Cooper finds a home for LEDs in Parking Garages
The Valet™ LED luminaire features a rugged and low profile housing construction incorporating patent pending, modular LED LightBAR™ technology. Through superior optical control, Valet delivers uniform and energy conscious illumination optimized to improve vehicular movement and pedestrian safety in parking structure applications. UL and cUL listed for wet locations.
Spec Sheets:
Brochures:
For Pricing & Availability
Light Therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorders
One of the most important applications of light therapy is in the treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorders (SAD). There is a large body of scientific evidence that points to the efficacy of light therapy for the treatment of SAD. What is not quite understood, yet, is how light treatment works.
We have shown that our daily rhythms are affected by the availability of the natural sun light. Many of us work in artificially lit buildings and does not get enough light. Most artificial lighting cannot replace the natural light. The reason for this is that the type of indoor lighting we use is not of sufficient intensity to affect the hormonal mechanisms which control our bodily rhythms. Intensity of light is measured in a unit called lux. One lumen means the light received by the receptor at an intensity of one lumen per square meter. Thus the intensity of light at any point is determined not only by the strength of the illumination source but also by how far it is from the source. The electric light used in most homes and workplaces rarely exceeds 500 lux. A sunny afternoon could be as much as 100,000 lux, and even the cloudiest day is rarely below 10,000 lux. Researchers have discovered that light of at least 2,500 lux is necessary to suppress melatonin production in humans. Most of the bright light therapy uses 5000 lux light (10,000 lux preferred.) The artificial light we use indoors is not of sufficient intensity to suppress melatonin and to correct the circadian rhythm. Night-shift workers, and people who live in Arctic climates, are usually exposed to light levels of only 50 lux. Light specialists believe this “mal-illumination” may be at the heart of many common disorders, including fatigue, depression, skin damage, suppressed immune function, and, of course, sleep problems.
Light therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorders and circadian-rhythm disorders involves sending visible light through the eyes so that it reaches, and triggers, the pineal gland.
There are several different forms of light therapy in use today; the oldest is sunlight itself. The sun is the ultimate source of full-spectrum light, which means it contains all possible wavelengths of light, from infrared to ultraviolet. Generally speaking light therapy involves the use of equipment that sheds either full spectrum or bright white light.
In most cases, the purpose of light therapy is to increase the amount of light to which we would otherwise be exposed. Bright light therapy consists of looking at special broad spectrum bright lights from one-half to three hours a day, generally in the early morning hours. One should not stare directly into the lights because of possible eye damage.
A substantial amount of light is needed, which means the distance from the lights to your eyes needs to be monitored—close enough to give you the best amount of light, but distant enough so you don’t hurt your eyes.
By the mid- 1980s, bright-light therapy (phototherapy) had become the treatment of choice for SAD. But many people found it difficult to allocate the four hours everyday for the light therapy. Additional studies were conducted by the researchers to determine an optimum light therapy. It was found that similar benefits can be obtained from a morning only therapy, effectively slashing the time by half. Later, by increasing the brightness or the intensity of the lights used, the therapy time was cut down further.
A few years later, it was cut further by brightening the lights. For example, with 10,000-lux light, it only required 30 minutes of exposure per day to get effective cure from SAD.
SAD symptoms typically begin to lift about a week after the start of phototherapy. But they return shortly after discontinuing the treatment. As a result, authorities urge people with SAD to sit under bright light daily from October through April.
Article by:
Holisticonline.com
EPA Improves Guidance for Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs Cleanup
Release date: 12/28/2010
Contact Information: Richard Yost, yost.richard@epa.gov, 202-564-7827, 202-564-4355
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today updated its guidance on how to properly clean up a broken compact fluorescent lamp (CFL). Included with the guidance is a new consumer brochure with CFL recycling and cleanup tips. EPA encourages Americans to use CFLs for residential lighting to save energy and prevent greenhouse gas emissions that lead to global climate change.
CFLs contain a small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing. When a CFL breaks, some of the mercury is released as vapor and may pose potential health risks. The guidance and brochure will provide simple, user friendly directions to help prevent and reduce exposure to people from mercury pollution.
More information on the clean up guidance: http://www.epa.gov/cflcleanup
More information on CFLs: www.epa.gov/cfl
Lighting Up Wi-Fi
They may make you want to gouge your eyes out with a pointed stick, but flickering office lights are learning how to transmit data like a Wi-Fi network, while saving you money at the same time.
A Minnesota company called LVX has the first commercially available intelligent LED system ready to install in an office building near you. By turning on and off way, way faster than your eyes can see, LED bulbs installed in standard lighting fixtures can transmit data to special light-sensing modems attached to computers. The modems can transmit data back the same way, creating a wireless network about as fast as a DSL line. What’s the point when regular Wi-Fi is cheap and easy? The idea is that the lighting network works in tandem with traditional Wi-Fi to help alleviate network congestion in a busy office.
The unexpected bit about this system is that it actually costs less per month than most offices currently pay for their lights, even with the fancy data plan, since the LED lights are so much more efficient than the CFLs they’re usually replacing. There’s a lot of other cool stuff you can do with smart lights too, like automatically dimming them to save power based on ambient light, or changing their colors to direct visitors around the office, like in Star Trek: “follow the green lights to Holodeck 3.”
If you’re worried about these flickering lights actually causing seizures or something, it’s worth mentioning that conventional fluorescent tubes are already flickering at a much slower and potentially more noticeable rate (down to 60 times a second or so), so if you haven’t gone crazy yet, you’ll probably be fine with these LEDs.
New church lights will last a lifetime
Updated: 12/27/2010 10:45:50 AM EST
Whenever a light bulb went out in Mount Zion Lutheran Church’s sanctuary, Bill Brothers climbed a 50-foot ladder to replace it.
Brothers, 65, of Manchester Township, said he’s glad those days are over, as he has replaced every incandescent bulb with dimmable LED bulbs.
“There is 50,000 per life hour per LED bulb and at the rate we use them, they’ll last 384 years,” Borders said with a smile. “Yes, I did the math on this.”
The sanctuary at Mount Zion Lutheran Church — at 2164 Mount Zion Road in Springettsbury Township — has 10 chandeliers, each containing nine bulbs.
Each chandelier initially held eight 100W bulbs and one 500W bulb of incandescent lighting. Now there are eight 9W bulbs and one 18W bulb of LED lighting, said Brothers, who is semi-retired with an electrical engineering background.
Each chandelier will go from using a total of 1300W to 90W, more than 93 percent reduction in power usage, Brothers said.
The LED bulbs also emit a whiter light, compared to the yellowish shade of the incandescent bulbs, Brothers said. Eight of the chandeliers’ smaller bulbs shine upward toward the wooden ceilings, while the large bulbs face down.
The whiter light from the LED bulbs help brighten the sanctuary, which has light and dark wood features, said Brothers, a 30-year church member.
The church mainly uses the sanctuary for its two Sunday services. Each service lasts up to 90 minutes, Brothers said.
With the lighting change, the church will save more than $180 a year in energy costs. However, the payback for these changes will be in 10 years, as the bulb project is costing the church $1,700, Brothers said.
Brothers said he started the bulb-changing project about three months ago because the church council asked him to find a way to reduce power usage and energy costs.
They asked to have it done by Christmas, but Brothers finished Dec. 17.
“(The lighting is) more pleasing to the eye,” he said. “We’ll get the energy savings, so everybody will be happy. And I’m hoping we don’t have to get the big ladder out for 384 years.”
LED Candle lamps
Trying to find a really good LED Candelabra base lamp has been a difficult challenge. Candelabra based lamps are generally found in chandeliers, candles stands, and decorative wall fixtures. Like most LED products, there are several companies that put products on the market, but the vast majority simply disappoint when it comes to the quality and quantity of light that is being generated. The biggest problem with the current CACs (candle with candelabra base) is that most can barely replace a 15w incandescent, while most people need something to replace 25-40w incandescent lamp. As of December 2010, the best products on the market to replace an incandescent candelabra based lamps are:
1. Megaman 
Models:
LC0105CS – LED Candle
LC0105CT – LED Candle
LC0105CS/SE – LED Candle
and
2. TCP
Models:
LDCT3WH27K – LED 3 Watt Decorative Candelabra Torpedo, White (2700K)
LDT3WH27K – LED 3 Watt Decorative Torpedo, White (2700K)
LDCF3WH27K – LED 3 Watt Decorative Candelabra Flame, White (2700K)
Specification:
For Pricing & Availability
Lumecon LED Sign & Flood Light
LED LIGHT COLOR / QUALITY: The High Output LEDs range from 5,500K to 7,000K on the Kelvin temperature scale and are rated for a minimum of 110,000 hours of continuous operation at ambient temperatures from -40°F (-40°C) to 95°F (+35°C ).
Housing: Die-cast aluminum housing and hinged top, textured architectural bronze powder coat finish over a chromate conversion coating.
Lens: Flat tempered clear glass lens.
Mounting: Option 1: Heavy duty adjustable knuckle with 1/2” NPT threads.
Option 2: Adjustable die-cast slipfitter with angle indicators.
ELECTRICAL: Each power supply (driver ) is UL class 2 compliant, IP66 rated, operating from a 60 HZ +/- 3 HZ AC line over a voltage ranging from 95 volts to 280 volts. Each driver is an efficient switcher with a power factor of greater than 0.91 with an input current of less than 20% Total Harmonic Distortion (THD). Fluctuations of the line voltage have no visible effect on the luminous output. Each driver includes voltage surge protection to withstand high repetition noise transients while meeting emission limits as set forth by the FCC Title 47, Subpart B, Section 15. 347-480 volt 50/60 HZ driver available at an additional cost.
ETL Listed per UL and CSA for Wet Locations.
PATENT NUMBERS 6,582,100 B1: 6,428,189,B1: 6,045,240:
5,857,767: 5,785,418: 5,783,909: 5,782,555
LFL1 Sign & Flood Light
For Pricing & Availability
MSi iPAR-38 LED with Powerband Technology
Powerband™ Technology
This proprietary feature allows the flexibility of producing light outputs based on 10 watts, 12 watts or 16 watts, with a simple twist of the band. This will create lumen outputs of 550 lumens, 650 lumens or 800 lumens respectively. Now you can optimize your lighting design both in terms of light output as well as light energy savings, and all with one unique bulb!
Proprietary Intelligent Communication (PIC)
This patent pending feature allows the bulb to communicate via a sophisticated electronic light wave pattern, information such as, manufacturing information, installation information, hours of use and wattage settings. This is especially important due to the extremely long bulb life, but also can play a key role in overall energy evaluation, maintenance and design.
Efficiency
Led technology saves up to 80% of the light energy cost of current 75 watt Halogen bulbs. In addition, the iPAR-38 unique construction provides the Center Beam power that truly creates a lighting experience previously unattainable in this technology.
Reliability
Designed and built with the highest level of components available today, including industry leading CREE LED’s, this UL approved product is produced in a world class manufacturing environment to the highest level of quality standards to assure a minimum of 50,000 hour bulb life, more than 20 times the life of standard Halogen bulbs.
Thermal Management
A hidden advantage of this bulb is its highly efficient thermal management system. With operating temperatures at 50% less than Halogen bulbs, this bulb not only saves on lighting energy costs, but also reduces air conditioning costs due to the drastic heat reduction. Validated testing has conclusively proven that for every 1 watt of light energy saved, a 1/2 watt of secondary air conditioning savings is also achieved.
Worldwide Installation
The iPAR-38 LED bulb has been designed with a universal voltage power supply of 85 volts to 265 volts with an onboard power management system allowing this product to be installed in virtually any country in the world!
Dimmable LED
Another key advantage of the iPAR-38 program is its ability to dim throughout the power range with virtually any dimmer on the market today!
Beam color and angles
Designed for accent lighting applications the iPAR-38 is available in both 2700 and 3000 Kelvin and comes in a variety of beam angles including a 10 degree spot, a 16 degree wide spot and a 22.5 degree narrow flood. In addition, each bulb optic has been designed to provide superior beam conformation, peripheral lighting and intense Center Beam saturation to create a truly superior high powered accent light as well as room filling lighting coverage.
For Pricing & Availability
GE unviels their LED Outdoor PAR38 Flood Lamps
GE’s new 20 Watt LED PAR38 lamp is ideal for outdoor flood light applications. The environmentally conscious design provides similar lumen (light output) as a traditional 75 Watt Halogen flood lamp at 1050 lumens. The lamps’ L70 life is rated at 25,000 hours (equivalent to just under 3 years of continuous operation). GE’s outdoor rated LED PAR38 comes in 2 different beam angles (25 and 40 degree).The color temperature is offered in 3000K (very close to traditional halogen color temperature of 2850K) and the color rendering index (CRI) 80.
GE's Outdoor Rated LED Flood Lamp
Product Codes – Nominal Description
61927 – LED20P38S/FL
61928 – LED30P38s830/40
61929 – LED20P38S830/25
An Enlightening Tour 