2011年6月30日 星期四

LED Lighting vs. Induction Lighting

LED Lighting vs. Induction Lighting
In a recently published article, a local Lansing bedroom community/city stated it receives a monthly light bill of $9,400 to light 550 streetlights. The yearly bill adds up to approximately $112,000. Most of those high energy consumption lights are mercury vapor, high pressure sodium vapor and metal halide.

In most communities and businesses, efforts are being made to reduce lighting bills by upgrading to energy-efficient lamps, such as LED lighting or induction lighting. In order to determine what type of lighting should be considered, it is necessary to have some basic facts on the difference between LED lighting and induction lighting. Manufacturers of both LED and induction lamps claim to reduce energy costs by 50 percent.  Manufacturers of both LED and induction lamps claim a 100K hour life span; however, the actual life span for both lamps is more like 60 to 70K hours. Both lights work well in cold weather.

Induction lighting produces a crisp white light, provides long life and has a good color rendition.  Induction lighting is known for producing a floodlight type of pattern, which works well in gas stations with a canopy. Induction lighting is commonly used for street lighting, bridges and tunnels. Induction lighting works very well with security camera systems. In addition, there are very few maintenance issues with induction lighting. Induction lighting utilizes a mature technology and with no forecasted upgrades.

LED is a light-emitting diode. LEDs for street lighting are becoming very popular for local communities. LED lighting can be aimed to where it is needed, which is ideal for security situations. LED fixtures are becoming frequently used for low-level street lighting and do not have the power to act as high-mast lighting. LED lighting is known to depreciate or fade more frequently than induction lighting. LED fixtures are known to generate excessive amounts of heat causing heat degradation of the lamp. Nonetheless, developing LED technology is continuing to improve and resolve noted shortcomings.

Dan Shimkos, a local Lansing-area lighting consultant, recommends both LED and induction lighting for various clients, noting that each light has its appropriate application.  He does say that when it comes to retrofitting lamps to either LED or induction lighting, there is a major cost difference where the cost ratio for LED lighting to induction lighting is 4:1. In essence, retrofitting a fixture with an induction lamp may cost $250, while a comparable LED lamp retrofit will cost a million dollars.

The best way to determine which type of lighting your business or community needs is to contact a licensed electrical contractor or qualified lighting consultant to prepare a cost analysis, area lighting analysis, projected maintenance matters as well as technology issues. It is important that lighting recommendations be code compliant and consistent with industry standards.

Finally, visit sites that use LED and induction lighting. Compare the lighting to see if it will fit your lighting needs. Make inquiries as to maintenance issues, and last but not least, ask if there has been a cost savings.

Making the appropriate inquiries, seeking the necessary lighting requirements, and obtaining projected cost factors will help you make an informed decision in determining which type of lighting best fits your needs.

2011年6月27日 星期一

The truth behind lies: Fibbing a sign of smarts, creativity

The truth behind lies: Fibbing a sign of smarts, creativity
People lie every day. They lie to each other. They lie to themselves. One researcher even found that strangers meeting for the first time will lie three times within 10 minutes. Of course, liars are always other people.

“We say we hate liars,” British author and journalist Ian Leslie says. “Politicians are liars or my ex-boyfriend is a liar. People say, ‘The only lies I tell are white lies.’ But if you ask them to define what a white lie is, it’s very hard to do. I have been struck by our mixed-up relationship with lying.”

His fascination with the idea led to extensive research for his latest book, Born Liars: Why We Can’t Live Without Deceit.

“There’s an equilibrium in human society where it makes sense for us to tell the truth most of the time because if we didn’t, we couldn’t cooperate and we couldn’t get anything done. But it also makes sense for us to lie now and again. We just have to accept that.”

Leslie shared the top three misconceptions about deception with Postmedia.

Misconception No. 1: We should be angry when kids lie.

Children don’t understand that what is in their mind is not in everyone else’s. So, if your little one knocks over a lamp and tells you that the wind must have blown it over, you should be impressed.

“It’s a tribute to the intelligence and creativity of a child to conceive of an alternative version of reality. They need the empathy to think about what others are thinking and feeling to come up with a good lie and then they need to be able to deliver it. They’re writers and performers of their own work.”

Misconception No. 2: Lying is a character flaw that needs to be resolved.

Many species practise deception to survive. As an example, Leslie cites the Eastern Hognose snake, which will fake its own death when threatened.

Primates deceive cleverly and often; researchers found that the more deceptive the apes, the bigger the brains. The bigger the brain, the bigger our social network. Anthropologist Robin Dunbar was able to predict the group size of a species by the size of its neo-cortex. (Humans should be able to cope with a social group of 150, he said.)

“The machiavellian theory of intelligence says that we didn’t evolve our bigger brains in a battle with nature. . . . We had to get smart because we had to deal with the challenges of social life,” Leslie says. “We have bigger groups and therefore more competition for resources. The more you ‘compete’, the more you have to work out who else is trying to trick you.

“When we get better at deception, we get better at detecting deception,” he says.

Misconception No. 3: You know how to spot a liar.

“I thought along with everyone else that you could tell when someone is lying because they’re shifty and they fidget and their eyes move away from their face,” Leslie says. “But when you talk to people who have studied it, none of those things are true. Good liars look you straight in the eye and they tend to be very articulate. They have their stories thought through with a lot of details. It’s the opposite of the liars stereotype, which is why they get away with it.”

To catch a liar, investigators might want to try something other than browbeating a suspect in a small room under an intense light bulb.

“The better thing to do is to get liars to talk. If they’re lying, they’re putting themselves under a lot of cognitive and emotional strain. The more strain they are under, the more likely they’re going to screw up and give themselves away.”

2011年6月21日 星期二

Outdoor Lighting: BetaLED luminaires light Napa Maxwell Bridge

Outdoor Lighting: BetaLED luminaires light Napa Maxwell Bridge
A signature site for motorists along the Napa River in Northern California, the Maxwell Bridge is now illuminated with LED-based fixtures from BetaLED that deliver 31% energy savings.

Napa, California, located north of San Francisco, has completed an LED-lighting installation on its Maxwell Bridge that crosses the Napa River. The bridge was rebuilt in 2005 and is a local architectural landmark. The transition from high-pressure-sodium (HPS) lights to BetaLED solid-state lighting (SSL) has reduced energy use by 9180 kWh per year – a 31% savings.
Uniform surface lighting on the Maxwell Bridge
Uniform surface lighting on the Maxwell Bridge

While energy savings were an important goal for the LED project, the city was also concerned with the aesthetics. “The real test of success was when we lit the bridge. There was just no comparison of the quality of the LED lights to the HPS lights. This confirmed for us that the whole project was worth it,” said Steve Crego, City of Napa Electrical Supervisor.
Aerial view of LED lighting
Aerial view of LED lighting

Nearby photos include both before and after aerial shots and a shot captured on the bridge surface. That surface photo demonstrates both the uniformity and brightness of the LED installation. The city said that the lighting improves pedestrian safety and motorists’ visibility and notes the importance of continuous light levels for the entire length of the bridge.

“The 90-LED LEDway street lights recently installed along the length of the bridge deliver enhanced color quality, uniformity and optimized illumination performance to help increase visibility and safety,” said Kevin Orth, Vice President of Sales for BetaLED. “The City is realizing significant energy savings from the retrofit while meeting the Caltrans highway lighting specification.”
HPS lighting on the bridge
HPS lighting on the bridge

Napa worked with the Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) utility in choosing and installing the LEDway lights. The 60 new 90W SSL luminaires replaced 200W HPS lights. “Because of PG&E’s extensive experience in street light installation and maintenance we’re able to help municipalities with project design, installation and billing updates – saving them time and money,” said John Sofranac, PG&E street and outdoor lighting manager.

The city began contemplating a relighting project in 2009 when it received a grant from the US Department of Energy (DOE) and established the City of Napa Sustainability Program. The bridge project was just completed this spring.

Other Napa projects

According to the local Napa Valley Register newspaper, the Maxwell Bridge is just part of the LED story in the region, although perhaps the most visible one. The bridge project was part of a larger 148-light retrofit with LEDs that also included some local streets.

Moreover, Napa is planning to convert 146 additional street lights according to the local paper. Once that second project is complete, the city could save $23,000 annually in energy costs. The city’s Crego also expects significant maintenance savings.

Still Napa is a good example of the potential that remains for LED installations and far-greater energy savings. Even when the city completes its next project bringing the total of LED lights to 294, that number is a small percentage of the 6000 lights that the city owns.

Millbrae LED installation

In related news in the Northern, California region, the city of Millbrae has completed its first major LED-street-light project also using BetaLED fixtures according to the New Streetlights website. A $112,630 DOE Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) funded the installation of 278 LED street lights.

Millbrae projects annual energy savings of $10,000 via a 68,791 kWh reduction in energy usage. That corresponds with a reduction in greenhouse gases by 36,047 pounds per year. The LED lights will use 50 to 60% less energy that the HPS lights that were replaced.

2011年6月15日 星期三

Solar LED Lights

Before discussing solar LED lights, let us first understand what LED lights are. LED is the abbreviated term for Light Emitting Diode which is actually a chemical substance that is capable of emitting light if it is supplied with electricity. LED technology has come a long way from being used as an indicator to even being used in television sets these days. What has made LEDs most popular is their ability to emit a great amount of light while producing an insignificant amount of heat. They are also extremely cost-efficient and energy-efficient because not only do LED lights last for thousands of hours, they also use up only a fraction of the power that the other more standard sources of light do. As it is should be evident now that LED lights are a great way to save both energy as well as money in the long term, it is time to explain the association of solar technology with the LED lighting technology.

If you use solar LED lights, you can eliminate even the relatively small charges that an LED light would otherwise put on your electricity bill. If one can put together a technology that lasts for a long time while using only a small amount of electrical power with a technology that allows unlimited electrical power from the largest renewable energy source on the planet, then it is a very advanced and powerful technology indeed. If properly utilized, then solar LED lights can replace the conventional street lights as well as residential outdoor lights. The technology from the outset however, is as simple as attaching a photo voltaic cell to a LED light to make it independent of the grid electricity. What makes powering LED lights with solar cells easier is the fact that the LEDs do not require the current to be converted to AC from DC in order to run. As a result of being independent from the conventional sources of electricity, these solar LED lights are also wireless, which is an added advantage of course.

As is the case with most solar powered lighting systems, these are also made mainly for outdoor uses like street lighting, garden lighting, deck lighting and other similar purposes. The outdoor nature of the solar LED lights often makes it a necessity that they be made waterproof as well to withstand the climatic conditions. The only reason as to why people may not choose to install solar LED lights can be the relatively high costs, but that too is mostly one time because they hardly ever need maintenance. Apart from lasting a very long time, Solar LED lights will cost you nothing to use as you would be utilizing the free energy stored within sunlight to power them without even attending to the procedure. If you are a person who is conscious of the environment, then you should have more reasons for preferring the solar LED lights because they are harmless to the environment as they do not emit greenhouse gases or use up non-renewable sources of energy.

2011年6月13日 星期一

Let there be cheaper light

A geothermal pump helps heat the building.

Skylights and a wall of windows provide natural lighting.

Flat screen televisions flash the latest information on energy use.

If you think this sounds like the description of a cutting edge, energy conscious company, you would be half right.

It's a school -- two actually: Machias and Riverview elementary schools in Snohomish. Like many organizations, school districts are anxious to cut costs. Using more energy-efficient systems can help in the long run, especially if the local utility is willing to chip in. Snohomish County Public Utility District is.

The PUD offered roughly $200,000 in incentives and rebates to help the two schools incorporate energy efficient features like solar panels.

"It helps the project become a little more attractive for a business or a school," said Neil Neroutsos, spokesman for the utility. The PUD figures it's cheaper to support projects that save energy than it is to develop new energy sources. Ultimately, the schools could see up to $100,000 annually in energy savings.

The utility worked with Snohomish School District as it developed plans for its new elementary schools. Ronn Larpenteur, a senior energy engineer for the PUD, highlighted a few of the energy-saving ideas incorporated in the two schools.

•Solar photo voltaic rooftop systems: The schools have a 100-kilowatt solar panel installment on their roofs. Until recently, the solar project was the biggest in Washington state. The solar installation should cover 15 to 20 percent of the schools' energy needs.

"It's a huge leap forward," Larpenteur said.

•Geothermal heating pumps: Installed under the parking lots, these systems help bring up some of the earth's heat in the winter. In the summer, heat from the buildings is pushed back out. It will take about 15 years before the school district sees a return on its money for this system.

Advanced lighting and windows: To reduce lighting needs, the schools incorporated natural lighting with skylights and window walls. This should cut lighting costs by 50 percent, Larpenteur said. The electric lights that the schools use run on a dimmable ballast that keep the light levels in the school constant. They also have added some more efficient LED lights.

The added use of windows required great attention to the glass used. The schools used triple-paned glass, which costs roughly 30 percent more than double-paned, the PUD estimates. It will take the school district about 10 to 15 years for the energy efficiency gains to make up for the extra cost.

"The quality of light is much better," Neroutsos said.

•Smart ventilation system: The schools use "displacement ventilation" systems, which save energy by minimizing the need to circulate air for heating, cooling and ventilation. It uses natural air currents, with warm air moving from low levels to higher levels.

"They're taking advantage of the natural buoyancy of air," Larpenteur said.

This type of ventilation system uses about 40 percent less energy than a conventional one, he said. It's also quieter.

Steven Moore, project manager for capitol projects for Snohomish School District, is enthusiastic about many of the advances at the two schools. Moore, who previously worked for schools in Seattle, believes the Snohomish School District is "taking sustainability to a whole other level."

Still, it will be a while before the district can say it's saving energy. In fact, Moore is still tweaking how the different systems work within the schools.

"It's not always the system, it's also the staff," Moore said.

School staff members have to be trained on how to use the new features, he said. But they've embraced the sustainable features of the schools.

Lextar to launch world's brightest 6 watt LED candle lamp

Lextar Electronics Corporation (Lextar) is launching the world's brightest* 6 watt LED candle lamp and ultra bright 1500 lm LED bulb, along with 25, 40, and 60 watt replacement ultra light bulbs bulbs. Among them are the wide-angle-technology based surrounding bulbs with a view angle up to 270 degrees. These products demonstrate Lextar's technical capabilities in LED lighting applications. This whole new series of LED light bulbs will debut in the LED Lighting Taiwan 2011 Taipei International Optoelectronics Week from 14th to 16th this month.

World Brightest* 6 Watt LED Candle Lamp:

The newly launched, world's-brightest* 6 watt LED candle lamp features a luminous flux up to 335 lumens, 100% more than others available in the market. In addition to the uniform and bright light stream distribution for enhanced crystal light effects, its high CRI (CRI >95) and high efficiency attributes can reduce heat radiation and present the best skin color.

Ultra Bright 1500 lm Bulb:

The newly launched ultra bright and light 1500 lm bulb is a new record to Lextar after the debut of 1000 lm bulb in 2010 end. This new enhanced model has high efficiency of 95 lm/W. In addition, the new insulting and heat conducting material can reduce the weight to only 75g. This technology establishes a new generation of specifications for 100W replacement LED bulbs in the industry.

Ultra Light LED Bulb Series:

Take the new light LED bulb products: The alternative and light weight LED A-Lamp series, from 25 to 40 to 60 watts replacement are introduced in one shot. With the lightest bulb weighing a mere 53 grams, this series of products are 50% lighter than a conventional LED bulb with heavy and thick heat sink. Not only are they more cost effective but they are easier to install. The whole series A-Lamp bulbs are international A55 dimension compliant and suitable for any light fixture device. Light weight material plus a new mechanical design catches the international trend of green products with significant carbon footprint reduction. Regarding light pattern improvements, Lextar breaks through the lighting angle limitations of conventional LED light bulbs for surrounding type. Lighting quality is substantially enhanced when the view angle is expanded from the current 120 degrees to 270. This A-Lamp series fits the Japanese markets that require light quality and minutia and environment protection. With its whole series CE and PSE international safety standards compliance, Lextar's international market competitiveness has continued to advance in giant steps.