Blog posts of '2012' 'June'

Humanscale has created a new product that combines a lampshade with LED lights, called the Symtra Lamp. The lamp looks like a traditional lamp fixture but has the lights embedded directly into the shade. No light bulbs are required, and since LED light bulbs have a long lifespan, the lamp will last for several years. The lighting fixture consists of two sides of the lamp shade parallel from each other, leaving the other two sides completely open to emit light. The lamp head can rotate 360 degrees, allowing the owner to choose the amount of light emitted and where. This innovative, modern-looking and convenient product is said to be released to the public later this year.

Smartphones provide a variety of uses in today’s world. They are basically a hand-held computer that can also control separate appliances, such as your vehicle. Now you can even control your lighting fixtures just by lifting a finger. Insteon, a California-based company, now offers a type of LED bulb that can be controlled by a smartphone or tablet. The light bulb comes with a separate controller that is used to the control the lights, but you can also download the free app on your smartphone and control your lighting fixtures from there. The remote control system is built right into the light bulb and connects to the mobile device through the company’s SmartLinc Hub. You can add different lighting fixtures to the remote, or you can allocate them through various remotes.

Not only can you control your lights from your mobile device, but you can also control LED artwork with it! Greg Freidland, out of pure boredom, came up with and implemented the idea. He added 244 RGB LEDs to a 4’ by 8’ wood board which is ultimately attached to and operated by a computer. A separate microcontroller is also used to control the LEDs. The image the lights provide can be altered by touchscreen on an iPad or laptop, and the bulbs can also sync with music to flash and change to the beat.

Since LED lighting is starting to become the default for lighting fixtures as well as in appliances, it is not a surprise that automakers want to jump in on the trend also. Automakers want to add LED lighting into the interiors of vehicles to create ambient lighting. They also want to use the lighting as a way to create a better brand identity. In the past few years, automakers have started placing ambient lighting around cup holders and in dashboards, due to what their customers want. Because of recent advances in technology, LED lighting seems to be the number one choice for such purposes. “In the past, the ideas were there, the illumination was known and the power consumption was less and there were a lot of advantages to use LEDs, even for headlights, but it was just too expensive,” says Gerhard Fleischmann, engineering director for Lear’s global lighting relationships with German automakers. “Now the cost of technology is affordable.” Buyers are started to become more interested in the “ambient” lighting placed in car interiors. Some buyers even want customized colors and lighting levels. In an online survey conducted earlier this year, Lear found that 66% of its customers are interested in being able to customize colors and lighting levels inside their cars and trucks, and the areas of interested included the instrument panel, storage compartments, center consoles, seats, ceilings, doors and flooring.

At the beginning of the year, the Government was supposed to enforce the legal phase-out of incandescent light bulbs, due to their inefficiency and environmentally harmful CO2 emissions. However, Republicans fought to cancel the national phase-out and was able to get it pushed back until October 2012. Light bulb manufacturers have already prepared for the incandescent phase-out, and have found ways to provide good quality, energy efficient LED light bulbs. Honeywell, a US manufacturer, wants the phase-out to occur much sooner, as in immediately. They believe that the completion of the gradual phase out by the year 2015 is too late.

 John Storey, global business director of LED lighting for Honeywell, says that lighting accounts for roughly 19% of global energy production. This amount would be reduced significantly if everyone switched to LED light bulbs. “Currently around two-thirds of lighting is based on older, energy wasting technologies developed before 1970 which is not sustainable,” Storey states. With advanced technology, manufacturers have found ways to make better quality LEDs for cheaper production costs. Although, they are still more expensive than the traditional incandescent light bulbs, they last much longer and offer a better return on investment than any other light bulb on the market today. Honeywell has set up a free global consulting service to convince companies that LEDs are the better choice due to their lengthy lifespan. The service also includes site surveys, planning modified lighting arrangements, producing detailed energy and cost saving calculations, and offering trial installations.

The cost of LED light bulbs is the main reason people turn away from the idea of using them to replace incandescent light bulbs. Their initial price is pretty steep compared to incandescent bulbs, and even fluorescent bulbs, but their return on investment is much greater. However, most are ignorant to the fact that LEDs actually save you money in the long run. The type of materials and chemicals used to make LEDs is what makes them so expensive to produce, and therefore makes their selling price go up.

 One company that manufactures equipment embedded in LED light bulbs believes they may have found a way to produce cheaper LED light bulbs. Osram Opto Semiconductors has swapped out the bits of sapphire implanted into the light bulbs that ultimately makes them glow, for silicon, which costs a third as much as sapphire. According to the company, compared to sapphire, it’s easier and cheaper to make large-diameter silicon wafers, which cuts cost. Another appealing reason to use silicon is to take advantage of existing machines that are used to manufacture silicon computer chips. They are still running tests with the new equipment and predict that they will start making them available to the public within the next couple of years. Other companies have also caught on to the trend of swapping out sapphire for silicon in order to sell cheaper LEDs.

In a recent post it was stated that LEDs are becoming the preferred choice for lighting fixtures, due to their efficacy and long lifespan. However, they are starting to become the type of light used in many other applications such as mobile phones, televisions sets, and much more. There are even some products that include LEDs that you would never think of. Here are the top ten unexpected uses for LED lights:

 1.) Accent Lighting:

Accent lighting is mainly used to decorate a home, or add a specific touch, rather than used strictly for lighting purposes. LED lights often come in a rope light form so they are able to be hung in bedrooms or wrapped around stairwell bannisters. LED rope lights come in a variety of colors to add a pop of color to a home.  

 2.) Therapy:

LED lights, more specifically red LED lights, can be used as therapy for several varieties of chronic pain. The red LED light is able to penetrate through the skin, as well as tissue and muscle to ultimately reach the bone. This form of therapy delivers more oxygen to the body, which encourages the body heal quickly. The light is also able to reduce swelling and boosts the process of cell repair. It can be used for arthritis, broken bones, and even migraines.

 3.) Faucets and Showerheads:

LED lights have been incorporated into some faucets and showerheads to provide a futuristic feel. WET, a furniture company that provides bathroom vanities, offers a line of bathtubs and sinks with implanted LED lights. The LED lights change the color of the bathtub or sink, adding a pop of color to an all-white, modernistic bathroom.

 4.) Umbrellas:

Some recently made umbrellas contain LED lights to make walking outside on rainy nights easier. Cars and other pedestrians will be able to spot you. The umbrellas also contain an LED light in the bottom of the handle to better guide your path.

 5.) Dining Tables:

To set the mood, LED tablet cloths or placemats can be added to the dinner table. You can also purchase tables with LED lights embedded in them to make for an interesting way to dine.

 6.) Animal Harness:

Mhu Ghu is a company that sells blinking LED dog harnesses. These harnesses allow pets to be seen at night while letting them roam your yard, or to make them visible when taking them for walks at night.

 7.) Wallpapers:

For another futuristic feel, LED wallpaper can be added to the inside of homes.

 8.) Planter Pots:

LED grow lights are the best grow lights for yielding the best plant results. LED planter pots are for growing just one plant, and make for a unique, yet beautiful decoration in homes or offices.

 9.) Centerpieces:

Adding LEDs to centerpieces can make for tasteful decorations at evening events. LEDs can be purchased in many forms to cater to various decorative needs. For example, they come in waterproof strands that can be added into flower arrangements.

 10.) Sports Gear:

LED lights are starting to be embedded into sports gear for those sports that often occur at night. For example, LEDs have recently been placed into snowboards and skateboards for safer nighttime riding, as well as a distinctive look to the boards. LED strands can be woven into bicycle spokes for those that like to bike at night or early in the morning, so that cars and pedestrians are able to see you in the dark.

In 2007, in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency, former President, George W. Bush, signed a bill to gradually phase out the use of inefficient incandescent light bulbs by the year 2014. The law was supposed to become effective as of January this year, but was pushed back in December of 2011 until October 2012, when the US House passed the final 2012 budget legislation.

 Now, as the beginning of this month, Republicans want to dismiss the entire notion, according to Bloomberg. They believe that in phasing out the traditional bulb, it will put a large amount of companies and people out of jobs. An end to the sale of incandescent light bulbs in the US will provoke businesses to purchase the light bulbs from other countries. They also feel that American citizens should have the right to decide which types of products they wish to purchase. “I’m smart enough to make my own decisions about the purchase of energy, and the government should not feel the need to do that for me,” says Michael Burgess, a Texas Republican, who sponsored the light bulb amendment.

 However, Democrats are in favor of the phase out, working towards a more sustainable environment by having to replace traditional bulbs with more energy efficient options. Surprisingly, light bulb companies, such as GE, are also in favor of the national phase-out. They have already been working to create efficient light bulb replacements that provide the same amount of light as incandescent bulbs. They also have already altered their manufacturing equipment in order to do so, which can be a costly process. Environmentalists, of course, also back up the Democrats. Incandescent bulbs emit harmful CO2 into the atmosphere. Although, some may argue that replacement options contain mercury and other harmful chemicals, and therefore are difficult to dispose of, they are more energy efficient and less harmful to the environment. LED light bulbs on the other hand, contain no harmful chemicals and are recyclable. They are also the most energy efficient light bulb on the market today. Most people are apprehensive about the high price of LED light bulbs, but they last significantly longer than incandescent bulbs, making them the cheaper alternative in the long run.

LEDs are increasingly becoming the number one choice as means of a light source. Corporations and the Federal Government are slowly phasing out the use of the popular incandescent light bulb. As of January 2014, incandescent bulbs, greater than 40 watts, will no longer be manufactured. Companies must find a new bulb to replace the old incandescent bulbs, and LEDs seem to be the answer due to their outstanding efficacy.

 However, LEDs are starting to appear in many different forms. LED grow lights are now manufactured and produced, and have proved to provide the best plant results over any other type of grow light bulb. Recently, Hydro Grow, a company that sells grow lights, has come out with a new product. They now offer aquarium LED grow lights to encourage the growth of underwater sea plants. They function in the same way that other LED grow lights do, only with their technology they are able to penetrate through the water, unlike other light bulbs.

 LED lights are also appearing within other products. For example, Osram Opto, a German company, has created a mini projector to be embedded within smart-phones and cameras. This projector cube is superior to other mini projectors because it uses LED technology to display a much better picture on larger surfaces. Green LED lights are used to project the images and offer 110 lumens per watt, more efficient than any other. Since the cube is so efficient, it has a much longer lifespan and therefore can be used in mobile applications. “The new LED almost doubles the brightness in smart-phone applications, so embedded projectors with a system brightness of up to 25 lumens are possible,” says Wolfgang Schnabel, Marketing Manager.

 With the advance of technology, LED light bulbs are becoming better and better, and as the demand for them increases, the price lowers. It is only a matter of time before LEDs are officially the new incandescent bulb.