LED + SSL

DOE’s main solid-state lighting proponent, Jim Brodrick, recently reported in from the DOE SSL workshop, just held in San Francisco, for those who couldn’t make it with one of his best letters (“Postings: From the Desk of Jim Brodrick”) to date. The conference presentations, by the way, should be published on the DOE SSL website [...]

Studies show that commercial buildings produce about half of greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change—making these buildings the top emitter of human-caused greenhouse gases, ahead of cars and trucks—while consuming nearly three-fourths of electricity produced at power plants. The Commercial Buildings Initiative (CBI) is a public-private partnership formed to achieve an ambitious goal: By [...]

Material Beliefs has designed a prototype of a lampshade that functions similarly to a Venus Flytrap–capturing flies and turning them into energy. When the floor lamp is turned on, flies and moths become naturally attracted to the light, entering through holes in the lampshade but unable to then escape. Over time, the insects die and [...]

Inspired by photosynthesis in plants, Studio Loop.ph Ltd. set out to build architectural structures with energy-harvesting canopies that absorb solar energy during the day and emit light at night. “A modular photovoltaic membrane was prototyped for the installation that can be clad to our geotextile architecture to provide both shelter and shade from the sun [...]

One possible future wireless technology is interesting not because of its potential for lighting control, but its potential to use visible white light as a communication medium for control of computers, phones and appliances. In October 2008, Boston University’s College of Engineering announced that it had received a National Science Foundation grant to develop wireless [...]

Okay, maybe not. But the technology available for LED building illumination has come a long way in a surprisingly short amount of time. According to the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, LED technology is moving so quickly that next-generation products are entering the market every six months, feeding a global illumination market that approached $2 billion [...]

A recent article I wrote for Electrical Contractor talks about the push to replace linear fluorescent lamps with linear LED replacement lamps. In a nutshell, linear LED replacement lamps are now being offered as direct drop-in replacements of 4-ft. T8 and T12 lamps. Even with the possibility of delamping due to higher fixture efficiency and [...]

Serbian designer Damjan Stankovic has introduced a practical idea for traffic lights: EKO, an integral visual countdown letting waiting drivers know when the signal will change from red to green. Check it out here.

The Designers Lighting Forum of New York (DLFNY), with the support of the New York Section of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IESNY), is presenting a special program on LED technology that features more than 70 manufacturers and a unique informational program designed for The Lighting Community. Only three years old, LEDucation already is a leading [...]