Craig DiLouie

In April 2018, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released its final GATEWAY report documenting the performance of LED luminaires in a high-temperature outdoor lighting environment over four years. DOE’s GATEWAY program, which evaluates projects demonstrating LED capability, studied the results of a retrofit of quartz metal halide area lighting along a 7.2-mile stretch in the Yuma, Arizona Border Patrol Area between the U.S. and Mexico. Temperatures in this area can top 100 degrees Fahrenheit at sunset.

The National Lighting Bureau (NLB) has launched NLB-TV with more than 200 videos comprising a collection that is likely to grow to 500 or more within a year, according to NLB Chair Cary S. Mendelsohn, CLMC.

In this article for LD+A, Michael C. Skurla takes a hard look at lighting’s potential as a player in the Internet of Things.

As an energy-saving and long-life product, TLED lamps are generally well suited to applications with high energy costs, long operating hours, or where the owner wants to minimize maintenance. Compared to other options such as replacing the luminaires, they are specifically well suited to applications where the owner wants to maintain a similar space appearance, has a limited budget, or is spot relamping a large facility. However, control options are often limited. Enter connected TLED lamps, which offer sophisticated wireless control.

Fulham Co., Inc.’s new Bluetooth Bridge 0-10V LED controller is the first in a series of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) components designed to connect luminaires into a Bluetooth mesh ecosystem. The new Bluetooth Bridge can be installed in any electrical box or LED fixture to provide wireless 0-10 dimming control and monitoring.

In 2017, the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) evaluated the performance of a selection of LED lighting products with very high published efficacies close to or topping 200 lumens/W. All seven were industrial luminaires, with all but one featuring unshielded light emitters. DoE set out to validate the efficacy claims, characterize commonalities between the products, and identify any performance tradeoffs. Pairs of product samples for each of the seven luminaires were tested for horizontal light level, flicker, and maximum luminance (photometric brightness). Further, 23 knowledgeable observers visually evaluated the products in a mockup.

The Chinese state newspaper recently reported that a private aerospace institute in Chengdu plans to launch an “illumination satellite” into orbit by 2020. The artificial moon will be bright enough to replace street lights.

In December 2017, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a report evaluating the energy-savings potential of LED lighting in horticultural applications. A subsequent May 2018 report by the Lighting Research Center, however, reached different conclusions.

In a series of blog posts, NEMA’s Clark Silcox explains why NEMA appealed a Department of Energy ruling expanding the types of lamps regulated under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, and addresses the Act’s 2020 backstop provision.