KBIS 2012: Loox LED Lighting Provides Functional Illumination

Loox brand of LED lighting from Hefele offers a wide variety of lights with the option for individual design variation. As LED lighting continues to grow in popularity, the Loox collection brings designers and manufacturers innovative and user-friendly solutions that can be incorporated throughout living and working environments."LED lighting is quickly evolving into the standard for illumination," says Daniel Tripp, product marketing manager for Hefele. "The beauty of Loox is that it not only provides a wide variety of options, but it is also easy to install and is compatible around the globe."Loox offers furniture and cabinet-ready lighting systems that are based on Plug & Play technology, which makes the drivers and switches simple to specify and install by eliminating the need for wiring and/or soldering. Loox makes it easier than ever for designers and manufacturers to incorporate LED lighting into their projects without needing an electrician. The unique identification system for the operating system (12v, 24v or 350 mA) allows users to go by color-coded symbols, rather than a specific plug. Furthermore, the Loox driver is internationally certified allowing it to be used with power systems all over the world.
LED lighting can be applied in several areas throughout a home or office to provide energy-saving illumination that allows people to make better use of their space.Revenue From LED Lighting in Asia Pacific Will Total $11 Billion Through 2021.One of the most functional uses for the Loox collection is lighting strips that can be applied to cabinets, drawers or furniture."Loox can provide even illumination in areas that historically haven’t been lit," explains Tripp. "A Loox system can also be programmed to come on only when needed, much like when you open a refrigerator or oven."LED lighting can also provide more aesthetically pleasing alternatives to puck lights or fluorescent tubes, which have been the limited lighting options for areas like cabinetry until now. The Loox collection also includes switches that allow for dimming and motion sensing, which can further reduce energy usage for certain tasks.Lumenergi optimizes centralized control of a building's lighting network for maximum energy savings supporting mixed lighting technologies, such as LED, fluorescent, CFL and halogen. While preserving its customers' lighting infrastructure investments, the Company's proprietary technology uses existing building wiring, shared power distribution and software control to provide customized tuning of a building's lighting operation and enhanced energy efficiency via reports that pinpoint and can be used to eliminate energy waste.

New Harley-Davidson Website Highlights LED Lighting Products

Harley-Davidso has launched a new website called Own the Night to showcase its wide selection of LED lighting accessories, which includes headlamps, auxiliary lamps, tail lamps and turn signals for almost all late-model Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The site offers videos that demonstrate the dramatic difference in lighting performance between Original Equipment incandescent lighting and the LED alternatives. It also gathers all Harley-Davidson LED lighting products together in one place, making it easier for customers to see which LED lights are available for a specific Harley-Davidson model.
Installing LED lighting is the fastest, easiest way to attain superior visibility for night riding, even in the harshest and most challenging conditions. Harley-Davidson LED headlamps and auxiliary lamps are brighter, whiter in color, and provide a superior light pattern over Original Equipment incandescent lamps. The solid-state LEDs are designed for long life, and the shock- and vibration-resistant lamp assembly mounts into existing light housings. Installation is quick and easy, using the factory headlamp wiring. No external ballast or complicated wire harness is required. Harley-Davidson LED tail lamps and turn signals feature brilliant, fast-acting LED arrays that enhance visibility in all conditions, and also plug into an existing wiring harness for easy installation. Many of the products come in chrome or black housing color options.
Didn't have time to check out the tech headlines this weekend? Here's what you missed: New data from virus analysts at Dr. Web contradicts recently published reports indicating a decrease in the number of Macs infected by the Flashback malware. Symantec reported last week that the number of total Flashback infections was down to approximately 140,000 from around half a million. However, Dr. Web says that around 650,000 systems are actually still infected.Meanwhile, the biggest challenge facing Philips' new LED-based light bulb, released yesterday in commemoration of Earth Day, is not a general acceptance that LED technology is superior to traditional incandescent lighting. Or even that LED-drive light bulbs can (and will) save an owner money over the long run. The problem with LED light bulbs is one that most computer enthusiasts are quite familiar with by now: The curse of the upgrade cycle.

Revenue From LED Lighting in Asia Pacific Will Total $11 Billion Through 2021

Lighting is a major consumer of electricity within commercial buildings, industrial and government facilities, traffic signals, and signs. The use of light-emitting diode (LED) products to lower energy usage and costs is increasing in many countries, including in the Asia Pacific region, where until recently energy efficient lighting products have been seen as overly expensive. Recent price declines for LED products have changed that market perception dramatically, and LED is now viewed as an affordable and efficient technology with long-term benefits. And in most Asia Pacific markets, governments are committing large amounts of funding to basic infrastructure, creating an abundance of business opportunities. According to a recent report from Pike Research, sales of LED lighting systems will increase rapidly over the next 10 years, accelerating sharply after 2015. Unit shipments, including lamps and luminaires, will rise from 66 million in 2011 to 542 million in 2021 - an increase of more than 700%.
"Policy makers in Asia Pacific believe that improvements to buildings' lighting can offer the most visible and easiest to achieve energy efficiency gains," says senior analyst Andy Bae. "Most Asia Pacific nations are aware of the benefits of adopting LED products.Summer Outdoor Entertaining With Littlewoods Ireland.As a result, they are preparing for or considering policies to accelerate consumer adoption, such as subsidies, promotion programs for enterprises, and establishing industry standards."
Among the frontrunners in energy efficient lighting technology are Japan, which revealed its plans to lead the LED lighting industry through its 21st Century Light Project more than a decade ago, and Taiwan, which has established a Next Generation Light Source Technology Development & Supply Strategy that calls for a greater reliance on LED lighting and material production as a national industry, reducing the traditional focus on the semiconductor industry. From a broad view, the Asia Pacific market is fragmented with myriad market players, each with a particular field of focus: LED chips, LED packages, LED luminaires, or LED bulbs.
Pike Research's report, "Energy Efficient Lighting in Asia Pacific", describes the key technology and market trends that are driving the use of LED and other high efficiency lighting in the commercial, industrial and outdoor stationary sectors within the Asia Pacific region. The report analyzes policy issues related to LED and energy efficient lighting, market adoption trends in major countries, technology trends, and the competitive landscape. Market forecasts for lamp and luminaire sales in Asia Pacific extend through 2021 and include segmentation across 10 different lighting technology categories. An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the firm's website.

Summer Outdoor Entertaining With Littlewoods Ireland

What better way to spend the summer months than entertaining and dining alfresco! Find all you need to get your garden ready for summer at Littlewoodsireland.ie and you can have it all delivered direct to your door within 4 days. From garden furniture and outdoor lighting to BBQ essential and activities for all the family, Littlewoods Ireland, Ireland's leading online department store, has all you need for outdoor entertainment - now all we need is the good weather to arrive!
The first port of call for outdoor entertaining is good seating. Whether looking for a comfortable place to read a book or entertain friends, the Monte Carlo 5 piece Corner Set Garden Furniture, EUR649 is the perfect way to relax in the sun. Lounge in style and keep cool with the elegant 2 Seater Gazebo Swing, EUR409 or the fabulous Roma Steel Gazebo, EUR209. Stylish dining doesn't get any better than the Vienna Garden Furniture 8-piece Dining Set, EUR319, with its parasol providing some welcome shade on hot sunny days. The Cocoon Hanging Chair, EUR319 is a great signature furniture piece for the garden - a must for lazing on a sunny afternoon.
Show off your culinary skills by gathering your friends for a tasty BBQ. Cook up a storm with the fantastic Gas BBQ 4 Burner Stainless Steel Grill, EUR349. For the authentic BBQ taste, look no further than the simple and easy to use Rectangular Charcoal BBQ, EUR62 to give your food a rustic charcoal flavour.Check out Littlewoods Ireland's great range of picnic ware and delph for dining alfresco. We love the floral Epicurean Disco Folk Melamine Bowls EUR17; Side Plates EUR17; Dinner Plates EUR20 while the durable Epicurean Wine Glasses (4 Pack), EUR14 are a must for outdoor entertaining. Simple salads make a great addition to a BBQ so the Prestige This Morning Bowl and Server, EUR27 and Prestige This Morning Salad Spinner, EUR37 are a great buy!
Investing in outdoor heating means that the entertaining doesn't stop when the sun goes down! The large Full Height Patio Heater, EUR244 will keep you warm on even the chilliest of summer evenings. Create a chic focal point on your patio area with the Log and Coal Burner, EUR139 - great for cosying up to with friends.Bring your garden to life at night with a great range of outdoor lighting from Littlewoods Ireland. The Solar Lamp Post Light, EUR57 is a great buy while the Mini Bollard Mosaic Lights (10 pack), EUR42 look dazzling dotted along a path or around the edge of the garden. The rustic Smart Solar 40cm Seville Solar Lantern, EUR34 will instantly create a relaxed or romantic ambience.

GE LED Lighting Brings New Radiance, Energy Savings to Marriott Headquarters

The installations have enriched lighting quality, heightened employee security and improved energy efficiency. Following its corporate campus-wide lighting update, Marriott will use 860,000 fewer kilowatt hours of electricity and save more than $120,000 in combined energy and maintenance costs a year.
Enhancing outdoor security while saving money -- Security and energy savings were top priorities when considering new lighting to cover the nearly 2 million square feet (45 acres) of parking and garage space at Marriott headquarters.Pakistan avalanche shines light on 'futile' war.After testing competitive exterior garage fixtures, parking lot lights and contemporary post tops, Marriott selected GE's family of high-efficiency Evolve LED lighting systems."We preferred the exceptional output and uniformity of GE's Evolve LED lighting," says Jim Young, vice president, corporate facilities for Marriott International, Inc. "GE performed a comprehensive lighting audit of our existing system, provided photometric analysis with 3D renderings of the new system, and forecasted our energy and maintenance savings. GE excelled as both a trusted strategic consultant and solutions provider."
More than 230 Evolve LED Area Lights now illuminate Marriott's outdoor lots, while inside the parking deck nearly 400 Evolve LED Garage Light fixtures and several Evolve LED Tunnel Light installations—as well as more efficient GE T8 fluorescent lamps—help light the way for associates to and from the headquarters offices. Collectively, a 280-watt reduction per outdoor lighting fixture will cut electricity use by 580,000 kWhs a year, equating to $70,000 in utility cost savings."GE's considerable portfolio of exterior lighting products includes many aesthetically attractive fixtures offering long life, durable construction and an assortment of beam spreads to suit a wide variety of applications," notes Steve Briggs, vice president of product management and marketing for GE Lighting Solutions. "Our LED area lights consume between 97 and 220 watts and were designed to replace traditional 400- to 1,000-watt high-intensity discharge systems that can spill and waste light."
According to General Electric Company, Marriott also gained the functionality to dim its new garage lighting with GE's ProSys Lighting Control system incorporating motion sensors. Light output is reduced to 40 percent while the garage is vacant and adjusts to 100 percent when motion is detected. Alone, this precise control will produce nearly $11,000 in energy savings each year. And, the control system will interface with Marriott's video surveillance center, alerting guards to after-hours movement in the deck and focusing the nearest security camera to where motion is detected.

LED lighting fixture maker Ephesus developing prototype chip with Group4 Labs

Ephesus Technologies LLC of Syracuse, NY, USA (a firm founded in June 2010 by former Lockheed Martin employees that designs and makes LED lighting fixtures for commercial and municipal markets) has partnered with Group4 Labs Inc of Fremont, CA to engineer and manufacture its own prototype LED chip as it aims to become vertically integrated.With a manufacturing facility at the University of Albany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) Smart System Technology and Commercialization Center of Excellence (STC) in Canandaigua, NY, Group4 Labs develops and supplies 'extreme materials' that aim to improve the performance of gallium nitride (GaN)-based devices. The firm's technology enables epitaxial GaN layers to be atomically attached (regardless of lattice mismatch) to a free-standing, proprietary chemical-vapor-deposited (CVD) synthetic polycrystalline diamond substrate, providing GaN-on-diamond epiwafers.
Ephesus initially resided in Syracuse University's Center for Advanced Systems and Engineering (CASE Center). The firm now has 16 staff and is based in the Syracuse Technology Garden (with a manufacturing location at Ansen Corp in Ogdensburg, NY), but plans to re-locate to Baldwinsville in Central New York as it expands.The EG4 is reckoned to be the first LED to be completely developed and manufactured in New York State. Ephesus says that development was aided by upstate New York's research and manufacturing strengths in the regional innovation cluster related to clean technologies and through collaboration with upstate New York academic institutions and several New York Centers of Excellence (CoE).
In February, Ephesus received a $50,000 grant from the SyracuseCoE Commercialization Assistance Program (CAP), which was established in partnership with Syracuse-based CenterState CEO (Corporation for Economic Opportunity, formerly the Metropolitan Development Association) and Empire State Development (ESD) with grants received under the auspices of New York Assemblyman William Magnarelli. The firm also received a $1m tax incentive from the ESD. STC provided support and infrastructure to enable Group4 Labs to produce demonstration LEDs as a first step toward the development of super-bright LEDs.Existing Ephesus LED lighting products target a broad range of applications, including warehouses, manufacturing facilities, parking lots/garages, roadways, stadiums, tunnels and bridges. Currently, fixtures are produced in New York State using LED chips from third-party companies, and the LED array comprises over 47% of the cost of the entire Ephesus lighting fixture. By developing its own LED chip, Ephesus aims to cut the cost of its LED fixtures by 30%.

Pakistan avalanche shines light on 'futile' war

An avalanche that has buried more than 120 soldiers in a Himalayan region close to India has put a spotlight on what critics says is 1 of world's most pointless military deployments: two poverty-wracked nations engaged in a costly standoff over an uninhabitable patch of mountain and ice.Since Saturday morning when the massive wall of snow engulfed a Pakistani military complex close to the Siachen Glacier, rescue teams have been unable to dig up any survivors. There is now very little hope that even a small number of people will come out alive.A team of U.S. military experts was expected to arrive at the site Monday to assist in the rescue efforts, according to an American official. The team flew in from Afghanistan after the Pakistani army asked for help, the official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.
The U.S. military helped Pakistan after the 2005 Kashmir earthquake and floods in 2010, ventures that Washington used to bolster efforts to strengthen its ties with Islamabad, vital in the fight against al-Qaida. The current mission is far smaller, and comes amid a near-breakdown in relations between the two countries.Fashion: Jennifer Lawrence dresses like Katniss at 'Games' event.The missing soldiers form part of the Pakistani military deployment to the Siachen Glacier, which forms the northern part of Kashmir region, disputed between Islamabad and India and the main source of tension between the nuclear-armed rivals who have fought three wars since 1947.
The conflict over Siachen began in 1984 when India occupied the heights of the 78-kilometer (49-mile) long glacier, fearing Pakistan wanted to claim the territory. Islamabad also deployed its troops. A 2003 cease-fire largely ended skirmishes on the the glacier, where troops have been deployed as high as 6,000 metres (20,000 ft), but both armies remained camped out there.Neither side releases information on troop numbers in the region, but they are beleived to be in the hundreds or low thousands.
Of all the problems plaguing the two countries, Siachen is often described as 1 of the easiest to solve but it is hostage to general mistrust and hard-liners on both sides, who don't want to give up their claim on territory, however strategically insignificant."This absolutely futile, useless fiasco has been going on since 1984," said Pakistan-India peace activist Tahira Abdullah. "It is a one-hour job to agree on a solution, but it is now an ego problem between the two armies. Both armies should pull back from the heights. Soldiers are dying and my heart bleeds for them, but it's for nothing."Temperatures as low as -60 C (-76 F), vicious winds and altitude sickness - the region is just east of the world's second-highest peak, K-2 - a have killed far more than the artillery fire. Casualty figures are not released by either military, but hundreds are beleived to have died there.

Hydroponic Tomato Grow-Off in the SuperCloset Deluxe Grow Boxes

HPS lights are the most utilized grow lights in indoor gardening growboxes because they enhance the fruiting and flowering process in plants, have a long usable bulb life and possess six-times more light output per watt than incandescent lights. HPS bulbs emit an orange/red light, 2200K to be exact, which produces larger harvests of higher quality herbs, fruits and vegetables. Because HPS bulbs increase usable end product, all SuperCloset grow boxes and grow rooms ship standard with HPS lighting systems including Lumatek ballasts and bulbs.
LED lights are Light Emitting Diode arrays that consume less electricity compared to other grow lights and less heat. Because of these features, LED lights can be placed closer to the plants' canopy than HID lights. They are a great alternative for indoor growers that have a problem controlling their indoor air temps. LED lights ship as upgrades to the Deluxe hydroponic grow box systems.
The SuperCloset Deluxe hydroponic grow box system is the perfect venue for the HPS vs. LED hydroponic tomato grow-off. It stands 72" tall, 36" wide and 24" deep encased in 16 gauge steel. It is harbors the perfect environment of 76 degrees F and will allow the Black Krim tomato plants to reach up to 34" tall inside the growing chamber. Since all Deluxe grow boxes are designed with adjustable lighting systems, the grow lights can be moved up and down according to plant height. The plants in each grow box started out at 5" tall as they were moved up from their SuperCloner grow chambers as clones.
Prior to Noribachi's illumination upgrade, CANBERRA's facility had suffered a reduction in their parking lot light levels after moving from 400W to 250W HID bulbs to save on energy expenses. Noribachi was able to ameliorate this condition by retrofitting all 26 of the 250W HID bulbs with custom crafted Noribachi LED bulbs that draw only 100W while generating light output equivalent to the 400W bulbs that CANBERRA had previously used.
Noribachi's success in retrofitting CANBERRA's parking lot extended to the rest of the facility's outdoor areas as well. Weary walkway lights that had emitted a ghastly orange glow found new life with Noribachi LED WALLPACK.L fixtures which produce a much whiter, clearer light and require three-quarters less energy to operate. To top off the upgrade Noribachi also furnished 8 new LED bollard fixtures for CANBERRA's entrance, ensuring proper illumination is the first impression visitors have when coming to the facility.