February 2011

Christmas strand, traffic light and automobile LED lights marketed as safe, environmentally preferable alternatives to traditional light sources may reduce air emissions at power plants by using less energy, but nonetheless contain lead, arsenic and a dozen other potentially hazardous substances, according to newly published research. Scientists at UC Irvine and UC Davis crunched, leached [...]

GE’s incandescent halogen lamps hit the shelves nationwide today—clear and Reveal® clear versions (MSRP $5-$7)—in two-packs in 29W, 43W, 53W and 72W varieties that dim and turn on instantly like their 40W, 60W, 75W and 100W incandescent bulb counterparts that are phasing out of production between 2012 and 2014 as a result of the Energy [...]

The Department of Energy recently released analysis findings for markets where LEDs compete with or are poised to compete with traditional lighting sources such as incandescent and fluorescent. The January 2011 report provides estimates of current energy savings, plus potential savings if these markets switched to LEDs overnight. Twelve markets were analyzed: * Four general-illumination [...]

Some of you know that I also write fiction–most recently, horror fiction. Last year, Salvo Press, a small press in Portland, published TOOTH AND NAIL, a novel of apocalyptic horror featuring zombies (www.infectedwar.com), and it turned out to be a hit. Check out the Amazon ranking for the paperback since last April: Now a larger [...]

Lithonia’s ALXLED Area Luminaires are suitable for mounting heights of up to 40 ft., providing a true alternative for typical HID applications. Using common industry standard pole heights and spacing, the ALX can deliver equivalent illumination to the task to meet or exceed current IES recommendations. Click here to learn more about this product.

On February 17, 2011, the Department of Energy will host a 90-minute live webcast presenting an overview of a parking lot lighting performance specification developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and DOE’s Commercial Building Energy Alliances (CBEA). In this webcast, Michael Myer of PNNL will give an overview of the specification, discuss deployment efforts [...]

Acuity Brands recently announced the release of its Lithonia Lighting Stock Guide for the iPad and Facebook. This comprehensive, full-color catalog features a broad offering of in-stock, ready-to-ship luminaires and intelligent controls solutions from Lithonia Lighting and Sensor Switch. With these convenient tools, access to product images, IES photometry and technical specifications are always within [...]

Lighting for Tomorrow is launching its 2011 competition-with a focus on lighting control devices and solid state lighting (SSL) fixtures and replacement lamps. Following up on last year’s competition, Lighting for Tomorrow will be looking at lighting control products including stand-alone, system-based, and whole house devices. Along with the promotion of residential lighting control devices, [...]

NEMA’s Electroindustry Business Confidence Index (EBCI) for current North American conditions continued to point to a broadly improving environment in January. The index measured 63.6, down slightly from December’s 68, but near the high end of the range of readings recorded since the beginning of the third quarter of 2010. A reading above 50 indicates [...]