March 2010

Lighting for Tomorrow is launching its 2010 competition—with a focus on lighting control devices and SSL luminaires and replacement lamps. For the first time, Lighting for Tomorrow will be looking at lighting control products including stand-alone, system-based, and whole house devices. The lighting controls competition is building on the 2009 fluorescent dimming competition by seeking [...]

To reduce peak demand with lighting, we can turn it off, turn it down or use it more efficiently. Since lighting is critical for productivity and safety in many indoor spaces, turning it down instead of off is usually more desirable. Dimmable lighting therefore has a strong potential role to play in demand response. But [...]

OSRAM has strengthened its portfolio in the field of professional LED systems and solutions by setting up a joint venture with Traxon Technologies Ltd. The new company, in which OSRAM has the majority share, is a provider of LED technology. The company operates globally in Asia, Europe and North America. Currently, LED technology accounts for [...]

Today’s focus on saving energy is accelerating demand for luminaires designed to achieve a high level of energy efficiency. Luminaires can be evaluated based on luminaire center beam candlepower (candela), total input watts (W), efficiency (fraction of lamp lumens that exit the luminaire), efficacy rating (lumens/W), coefficient of utilization (CU) and comparative yearly energy cost [...]

An article I write about lighting and LEED 2009 was published in the January issue of TED Magazine. TED is the official publication of the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) and is read by the nation’s electrical distributor community. Check it out here.

The Department of Energy has released a report analyzing the energy savings potential of SSL sources for general lighting compared to conventional light sources such as fluorescent. Using an econometric model of the U.S. lighting market, the report estimates national energy savings if SSL technology achieves certain forecasted price and performance objectives. DOE forecasts total [...]

Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL) recently announced that it has acquired Luminaire Testing Laboratory (LTL), based in Allentown, PA. LTL is an independent testing laboratory that provides performance testing of lamps and luminaires and is one of five laboratories approved by the Department of Energy for ENERGY STAR qualification testing for LED lighting products. The acquisition [...]

Model energy codes and standards cover new construction and renovations. As of the time of writing, many types of retrofits, such as replacing lamps and ballasts, are not directly impacted by energy codes, although some jurisdictions may require a building permit for some lighting upgrades. With publication of the ASHRAE 90.1-2010 standard in the fall [...]

While the days of incandescent may ultimately be numbered, those numbers will not be 2012, 2013 or 2014, as originally thought after passage of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. The energy-saving version of Philips Halogena already complied, and now Sylvania has a halogen screw-in lamp that is compliant. Currently, there is a [...]