November 2012

A 2010 Oklahoma State study comparing LED with conventional lighting in dairies showed a 6% increase in milk production under LED. The question is why, which is uncertain. One theory is the LED is more directed, possibly resulting in more feeding. Another is higher hormone production. IOWA FARMER has the story here.

More on OLEDs … Jeannine Fisher and Mike Lu of Acuity Brands’ OLED Lighting Design Center presented, “A Guided Tour of SSL Area Light Sources – Past, Present and Future” at LIGHTFAIR 2012. The presentation covers various technologies, including OLED, and clearly explains the merits and metrics of each with an informative visual presentation. Beyond [...]

Lighting designer Stephen Blackman, principal of Blackman Design Associates, has authored a whitepaper, “Are OLED Panels Ready for Prime Time?” It begins: “Right now we see many custom architectural OLED fixtures with high numbers of low brightness panels in exciting and sculptural forms at trade shows, in design magazine spreads and artistic installations as architectural [...]

Williams Outdoor, an H.E. Williams, Inc. brand, recently introduced a complete offering of LED outdoor bollards. Rated for 50,000 hours at 70% lumen maintenance (L70) and utilizing an 1100- or 2000-lumen Zhaga standard spotlight module, Williams bollards are designed to meet performance expectations and accommodate rapidly changing LED technology. Concrete or aluminum housings with flat, [...]

The U.S. Department of Energy has completed Series 18 of testing through the DOE Solid-State Lighting CALiPER program. A summary of the results is now available for download on the DOE SSL website here. Report 18 analyzes the performance of 17 LED recessed wallwasher luminaires. The products tested were diverse in luminous intensity distribution and [...]

Mike Donovan of Edge Lighting describes AC versus dimming in the context of LED lighting and control in this humorous “monthly minute” video:

The California Public Utilities Commission recently published a fact sheet regarding the success of the state’s 2010-2011 energy efficiency program by sector (lighting, HVAC, commercial, and residential), as outlined in the CPUC’s recently released report, 2010-2011 Energy Efficiency Annual Progress and Evaluation Report. (If the print on the fact sheet is too small, click here [...]

Lighting choices can affect how we perceive spaces, even the colors of objects and surfaces. As a result, lamp color characteristics are a critical factor in a wide range of spaces, from high-end retail, where merchandise must be presented as vibrant and in its true colors, to offices, where good lighting renders faces naturally and [...]

Below is an article I wrote about Zhaga, originally published in the October 2012 issue of TED: In a traditional light fixture, lamps, auxiliary components such as ballasts, and the fixture itself connect using standard interfaces, providing three key benefits. Manufacturers can specialize in what they do best—lamp, ballast/transformer or fixture design, facilitating product development. [...]