Blog posts of '2012' 'August'

Tom Pincince, chief executive of a lighting systems company in Boston, wrote a guest post for Forbes about the opportunities the lighting market will receive within the next few years. He states that LEDs are in their early stages of market penetration. “Now LEDs are ready for a broad range of applications,” he says. “They are able to successfully displace conventional lighting technology.” He believes that LEDs are ready to be integrated with intelligent systems that provide more than just energy efficient light sources.

 LEDs have already been introduced to the public and are increasingly being used in a variety of lighting applications, including vehicles and small transportable devices. The industrial market is extremely attracted to LEDs due to their efficiency and endurance. They can also easily replace traditional bulbs by fitting directly into existing lighting fixtures. The commercial markets are also starting to become interested in LEDs, but the residential market still needs some convincing. Pincince suggests that this is because industrial and commercial companies require high wattage lights to operate for long periods of time, and using more efficient, longer lasting lights costs them less money in the long run. Also because businesses have long term plans and have analyzed the differences in costs between the types of light bulbs. Pincince suggests that once most of the industrial and commercial markets are accustomed to LEDs, the residential markets will start to jump in on the trend as well. He also states that “the worldwide lighting market is expected to reach $110 billion overall by 2020.” Looks like there is a light at the end of the tunnel for LEDs!

1.) Environmentally Friendly – Unlike most other light bulbs, LED light bulbs do not contain any harmful chemicals in them. They are easy to dispose of, unlike CFLs. If and when they break, they are not hazardous to humans or the environment in any way.

 2.) Long Lasting – LED light bulbs last significantly longer than incandescent bulbs. They are currently the longest lasting light bulb on the market today. Most LEDs last for about 50,000 hours, some lasting even longer. LEDs may be more expensive than other bulbs, but since their lamp life is so extensive, it makes up for the purchase cost in the long run.

 3.) Low Maintenance – Since LEDs last for quite some time, there is no need to change them so often. This works well for lighting applications that are hard to reach or require maintenance fees in order to replace bulbs.

 4.) Durability – LED light bulbs are extremely durable. They can undergo shaking and vibrating conditions with no harm done. Some light bulbs do not work sufficiently in cold temperatures or in hot temperatures. Temperature does not affect the light emitted from LED bulbs, which makes these bulbs ideal for outdoor lighting applications.

 5.) Energy Efficient – LED light bulbs consume the least amount of energy than any other type of light bulb on the market. They use less energy to provide a brighter light, due to their advanced technology. This also results in a decrease in electricity bills!

What if you could control your light bulbs in the convenience of your smart phone? A bulb is currently being manufactured and tested that uses Bluetooth (version 4.0) in order to function. Certain “Bluetooth Bulbs”, LED bulbs, are synced with certain electronic devices to control the light(s). More than one device can be set up to control the light bulb, and more than one light bulb can be controlled from a device. The devices that will be able to sync with the bulbs through Bluetooth are iPad 3, iPhone 4S, Mac Mini, Macbook Air, Samsung galaxy S III, and Droid Razr. These devices will be able to control everything about the bulb from the on/off switch, dimming, as well as the color of light the bulbs emit. A certain app must be downloaded in order to sync with the bulbs. This product is not yet on the market.

The park that surrounds the City Hall building in Los Angeles, California has been under renovation for the past eight months. The historic park underwent several “green” changes, including retrofitting the lampposts with efficient LED light bulbs. The light bulbs that previously illuminated the park were 130 watt, high-pressure sodium post-top bulbs. The environmentally unfriendly, inefficient bulbs were replaced with 27 watt LED post-top bulbs. The replacement of LED bulbs provides the park with many benefits consisting of:

-Energy savings of 103 watts per unit

-Reduced replacement and maintenance costs, due to the long lifespan of LED light bulbs

-Improved visibility and enhanced night vision which aids in crime prevention

-Reduced light pollution due to the direct beam of light that LED lights emit

-Instant illumination when the lights are switched on

-Fewer insects because the LED bulbs do not emit an ultraviolet light in which insects are attracted to

In addition, although the entire project of renovating the park cost the city a large amount of money, the park will now begin to save money on electric bills due to the amount of energy conserved by the LED light bulbs.

Although the US has delayed the phase out of inefficient and environmentally harmful incandescent light bulbs, the EU has not. Their final stage of the phase out is scheduled to occur within the next couple of weeks (the first stage of the phase out began in December of 2008). Because of this, residents of Europe are purchasing a surplus of incandescent light bulbs in order to avoid being forced to purchase more expensive, but more efficient, light bulbs.

 However, according to Worldcrunch, light bulb manufacturers have found a loophole. The law states that “household” bulbs are not allowed to be manufactured, but disregards “special-purpose” bulbs. These types of bulbs refer to bulbs that are for any other purpose besides household lighting. Though, many consumers are purchasing the special-purpose bulbs for household lighting use because the bulbs seem to operate sufficiently when placed into household lighting fixtures. As for now, it seems as if the incandescent phase out/ban is actually helping such manufacturers drive sales.

Thanks to the invention of light bulbs, we are able to stay productive long after sunset. However, not everyone is blessed with the amenity of artificial light. According to the United Nations Development Program, 1.5 to 2 billion people around the world do not have access to electric lighting. Instead they are forced to use kerosene lamps or wood fires, causing them to spend most or all of their income on oil and wood. Also, the constant use of these is unhealthy for the people around them, and they also emit environmentally harmful toxins into the atmosphere.

 One source of light and energy that will never run out is the sun. The issue of artificial light in third world countries can be resolved if they were given solar-powered LED light bulbs. The light bulbs can charge during the day, soaking up the energy from the sun, and then run on that energy during the night. LED light bulbs are the correct bulbs to use in this situation because they consume the least amount of energy, thus are not required to collect large amounts of energy in order to run for long periods of time. Several light bulbs companies are in the process of producing such light bulbs and figuring out ways to distribute them to these countries.  

 According to cnn.com, one particular company, Nuru Energy, has created a mechanism that uses human power in order to charge several LED light bulbs. The device, the POWERcycle, requires humans to pedal to generate electricity in order to illuminate light bulbs, operate cooking devices, and charging mobile phones.  This product could also potentially create jobs. Someone may be hired to do the pedaling for a certain amount of time. The creator, Sameer Hajee, comments on the POWERcycle: “…in 20 minutes of pedaling, they’re recharging five lights, earning about $1 – any of us that work in Africa know that that’s much more than people make in an entire day. So it’s a huge value proposition for the customer and for the entrepreneur.”

Today, August 8^th, LED light-up iPhone cases will be introduced at a red carpet launch event in LA. The cases, OMG Cases, are said to be powered by the phone itself, and will light up with LED lights when the owner receives a phone call, text, or other notification. Robert Croak, creator of SillyBandz, and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, Adrienne Maloof, have teamed up to create such a product. According to embedded.com, Maloof came up with the idea when she was receiving a phone call, but was not able to locate her phone in her purse. Therefore, the cases are supposed to be practical, as well as trendy. Although the cases are powered by the phone, they are said to use up very little of the phone’s battery life. The cases are programmed to light up even if the phone is on silent. They will be available to the public is various stores in the next few months.

Another gadget for iPhones that uses LED technology is the Paparazzo iPhone Light. According to geeky-gadgets.com, it connects to the bottom of the iPhone as a stronger light source when taking pictures or recording videos. The LED light is supposed to provide better pictures and is compatible with all iPhone 4 and 4S. Designer, Craig Monroe, comments on the product: “Today, the iPhone is a powerful tool that you can pull from your pocket and take quality photos and video wherever you are. The trouble is that sometimes lighting can be unpredictable. Why isn’t there a way to bring the light you need to the photos or video you take with your iPhone in a simple, iconic package?” The product is currently not available for purchase, but will go into production as soon as it receives enough interest.

LEDs have begun to be used in a number of different lighting applications, but can be used in places one never thought possible. According to planetsave.com, a group of researchers from Linköping University in Sweden experimented with placing LED lights into paper. Not only are the LEDs on paper, but they grow on the paper. The LEDs “are made from zinc oxide and a conducting polymer and placed on a cyclotene coated piece of paper.” There are still experiments being conducted before allowing this concept to go public.

 However, you can purchase LED lit wallpaper. According to mashable.com, tiny points of light illuminate the wallpaper. The lights are able to illuminate because the wallpaper acts as a circuit board. The wallpaper is made by Architects Paper, who has teamed up with lighting designer, Ingo Maurer, to create such a masterpiece. You can get the wallpaper in a variety of patterns and colors, and the LEDs can be dimmed.

Astronauts aboard the ISS (International Space Station) may be treated with LED lights that faintly changes colors throughout the day to increase alertness and productivity. According to wired.com, Neuroscientist, George C. Brainard from Thomas Jefferson University, has been conducting studies to figure out which colors of light affect the body in various ways. These lights are especially important because oftentimes emergencies occur during resting hours and the astronauts must be attentive enough to handle them in the proper manner. His studied concluded that three different colors of light will be suitable for the astronauts at different times of the day. He found that lights with blue hues in them suppress melatonin, a chemical in the body that regulates the sleep cycle. Therefore, the blue lights will be used in the morning, or the hours following the astronauts wake. The lights will then gradually turn into a whiter light that will be used for the majority of the day. The lights will then adjust to a warmer light containing slightly red hues to allow the astronauts’ bodies to get ready for sleep. Using LED lights, instead of the former fluorescent lights, will allow the bulbs to last longer. However, before these light bulbs can be officially approved and used, further testing must be done in order to guarantee the light bulbs will withstand space travel. According to the website previously mentioned, the light bulbs are expected to reach the ISS during the year 2015.