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LED + SSL Light + Health

Two DOE Reports Characterize Current UV LEDs

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The U.S. Department of Energy has released two reports which characterize the current state and viability of commercial ultraviolet (UV) LED products.

The U.S. Department of Energy has released two reports which characterize the current state and viability of commercial ultraviolet (UV) LED products. RTI International conducted these studies through a contract with KeyLogic Systems, working with the LED Systems Reliability Consortium (LSRC).

  • Initial Benchmarks of UV LEDs and Comparisons with White LEDs focuses on the construction and initial performance of commercially available UV LED components in radiometric and current-voltage tests. A test matrix containing 13 different UV LEDs was created in association with the LSRC. Testing involved at least 22 samples of each commercially available product (as of June 2021). In addition, two common, commercial white LEDs were tested to provide a benchmark against blue-pumped white LEDs. Read the report.
  • Operating Lifetime Study of UV LED Products focuses on the long-term performance and reliability of the same set of commercially available UV LEDs. Understanding the failure modes and failure rates of UV LEDs is important in understanding GUV product effectiveness over time and improving UV product reliability at the LED, lamp, and luminaire level. This information is critical to developing products with higher efficiency, lower carbon footprint, and significantly reduced environmental impact than the lighting technologies they replace. The study employed three stress tests to examine the reliability of each product. Results from stress testing, along with an extensive literature review, identified specific failure mechanisms across these UV LEDs. Read the report.

The COVID-19 pandemic put a spotlight on germicidal ultraviolet (GUV) radiation for air and surface disinfection. This technology area represents a growing opportunity to improve indoor air quality while saving energy over high-ventilation approaches. However, light-emitting diode (LED) GUV sources and fixtures available today have low efficiencies relative to visible LEDs or other UV sources (such as mercury lamps). Driven by demand for pandemic preparedness measures in buildings and good indoor air quality, many emerging GUV R&D activities target application effectiveness through increased source efficiency, improved fixture design, and enhanced reliability.

 

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Energy + Environment Legislation + Regulation

Ready Or Not, Here Comes Climate Action

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Significant climate action legislation is occurring at the US Federal level, as well as in Massachusetts and Maryland.

Significant climate action legislation is occurring at the US Federal level, as well as in Massachusetts and Maryland. The US Senate and House passed the Inflation Reduction Act, with $369 Billion in climate action. President Biden just signed it into law on Tuesday, 8/16. The bill will address greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy, electric vehicles, carbon sequestration and capture, and more.

In July, Massachusetts passed a sweeping climate bill that includes benchmarking language for buildings over 20,000-square-feet, huge energy and greenhouse gas reduction goals, and incentives for electric vehicles.

In April, Maryland enacted a mandate to end carbon emissions on a net basis economy-wide by mid-century, targeting electricity generation, building heating, and transportation. The package also incorporates environmental-justice provisions. Backers called it one of the country’s most aggressive climate change laws.

The MD Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022 contains significant provisions to decarbonize buildings and transportation. Measures to reduce building energy use could likely accelerate LED lighting retrofits.

EV incentives in the Federal, Massachusetts, and Maryland laws will all further spur the EV charger market, which a growing number of lighting manufacturers have jumped into. Last Fall’s Infrastructure Law also contained significant EV charging infrastructure incentives.

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Codes + Standards

CIE Publishes CIE 250:2022 On Spectroradiometric Measurements, Measurement Uncertainties, & Instrument Calibration

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The Technical Committee TC2-80 of the CIE has prepared a new technical report on the spectroradiometric measurement of optical radiation sources. The document, published as CIE 250:2022, supersedes the almost 40-year-old report CIE 063-1984.

The Technical Committee TC2-80 of the CIE has prepared a new technical report on the spectroradiometric measurement of optical radiation sources. The document, published as CIE 250:2022, supersedes the almost 40-year-old report CIE 063-1984.

It explains the basic measurement principles and provides practical instructions for the measurement of irradiance, radiation density, radiation intensity and radiant flux, including instrument calibration. In addition, the report describes in detail the physical effects relevant to spectroradiometric measurements, and in particular the estimation of measurement uncertainties. The measurement uncertainties occurring in every measurement quantitatively determine the accuracy of the calibration chain for traceable measured values.

The new technical report is for optical radiation sources in the wavelength range 200–2500 nm. The report offers a comprehensive insight into the relevant terminology and the fundamentals of calibration of spectroradiometric measuring instruments. It is a practical guide to the identification, understanding and quantification of the relevant components of measurement uncertainty and can be purchased in the CIE online shop: .

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Products + Technology Research

LiFi Can Now Work Around Corners And Be Securely Coded To End Devices

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LEDs Magazine recently reported that engineers from Cisco are now claiming that light-based communications, known as LiFi, is gaining the capabilities to work around corners and be securely pre-coded to end devices.

LEDs Magazine recently reported that engineers from Cisco are now claiming that light-based communications, known as LiFi, is gaining the capabilities to work around corners and be securely pre-coded to end devices.

Li-Fi, or light fidelity, is a technology that uses modulated light waves from LEDs or lasers to transmit data. It is like Wi-Fi in that it provides wireless internet connections, except where Wi-Fi uses radio waves (RF), Li-Fi uses visible light or IR.

The IEEE has been working on a standard for Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) as a way to intentionally redirect radio signals in complicated deployments. A research paper in March, whose authors include LiFi pioneer Dr. Harald Haas, claim that RIS-equipped Li-Fi environments ‘can lead to enhanced physical leader security’ in several different ways. For example, an RIS system can detect intruders, and then emit artificial noise in the intruder’s direction as a jamming technique. RIS elements can be pre-coded in a way that only legitimate users can decode, the authors state.

LiFi RIS can create a wireless network that only works with designated devices, allowing for an ‘intentional’ approach to network design. Radio waves don’t offer this type of precision.

The full article can be read here.

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Controls Products + Technology

Product Monday: Ubicquia Platform Creates Smart Cities With Existing Streetlights

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Ubicquia has released two streetlight platforms designed for smart cities that integrates Wi-Fi, 4K cameras, directional microphones and neural artificial intelligence (AI) processors.

Electronics 360 recently ran an article about a smart city platform startup called Ubicquia. The new company has released two streetlight platforms designed for smart cities that integrates Wi-Fi, 4K cameras, directional microphones and neural artificial intelligence (AI) processors.

Called UbiHub, the platforms are compatible with more than 360 million existing streetlights worldwide and can be installed in seconds into the existing streetlight photocell socket. The platforms allow cities and law enforcement to transform existing streetlights into a network of connected digital assets. UbiHub can enhance existing use cases by:

  • Enabling faster crime detection, investigation, and deterrence.
  • Reducing traffic congestion.
  • Improving pedestrian safety.
  • Increasing bicycle lane utilization.
  • Expanding city broadband deployments to commercial areas and parks.

The UbiHub AP6 is a triband Wi-Fi access point that gives communities and municipalities the ability to enable public Wi-Fi. It uses power over Ethernet to support third-party equipment including cameras or license plate readers.

The more advanced UbiHub AP/AI includes the same features as the AP6 but also integrated dual 4K cameras, direction microphones, a neural AI processor and 15 days of video storage.

The platforms are managed and monitored by Ubicquia’s cloud visualization and analytics management system called UbiVu. The system also support APIs that integrate with third party video management systems, evidence clearance platforms and police real-time crime centers.

Ubicquia has already deployed the systems to several cities in the U.S.:

  • West Hollywood, California – The city is using the platforms for smart city traffic and curb management capabilities for data on traffic, bicycle and pedestrians as well as public safety measures and future planning development needs for its residents.
  • County of Hawai’i – UbiHub is being used to bring free, high-speed internet to Pana’ewa Park, a recreational and educational area in a zoological and botanical area of the county. The city said the deployment of the streetlight platform is an important step to expanding its broadband and closing the digital divide throughout Hawai’i Island.
  • Ontario, California – 12,500 UbiCells were deployed in Ontario, California, for smart lighting analytics and energy savings. The city said the system helps address the digital divide by rolling out public Wi-Fi and boosting public safety in one platform.

The full article is available here.

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Lighting Industry Women In Lighting

WILD’s Lamplighter Coalition Shines Light on The Need For Awareness & Action

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The Lamplighter Coalition is a newly introduced program of Women In Lighting + Design (WILD) that is poised to address issues of safety at industry events.

TW: sexual harassment

 

 

From academia and scientific associations to the legal profession and event planner organizations, sexual harassment at business events is identified as an issue that must be addressed head-on through codes of conduct, trainings and resources.

People in the lighting industry know anecdotally or from first-hand experience that the problem exists at our events too.

Elizabeth Williams, a member of WILD Detroit, President of the Illuminating Engineering Society Detroit Section, and a member of the IES Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Respect (DEIR) Committee had reason to believe that sexual harassment at lighting industry events was impacting participation and attendance. In her volunteer work for various organizations, she reviewed anonymous survey results indicating sexual harassment as a reason why some people avoid industry events.

As a working group of WILD, Elizabeth and a team of volunteers decided to take on the issue and create the Lamplighter Coalition. The name has layered meeting for the lighting industry, According to the website Intriguing History, lamplighters were responsible for igniting and extinguishing the oil and then gas lanterns that lit the streets of London…Lamplighters were considered trustworthy and dependable, akin to town watchmen. Like the lamplighters of past centuries, this group intends to spread light (and information) that makes our community safer for everyone.

Since announcing the coalition, Williams reports that she has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, and people have reached out to share anecdotes of related personal experiences.

The coalition has two initiatives underway, the BE AWARE BE THERE Campaign & the BREAK THE SILENCE Campaign.

  • BE AWARE BE THERE has a mission to provide tools and resources to help stop, repudiate and prevent sexual harassment and assault in social and professional environments. And to provide education and support for all member of the lighting industry to accomplish these goals.
  • BREAK THE SILENCE – is focused on creating awareness around sexual harassment and assault and its prevalent nature in professional culture. The goal is to spark a conversation in the lighting industry around sexual assault and harassment, and a universal understanding that these are serious and prevalent issues that must be addressed.

Kelly Roberts, President of WILD, explains why the coalition is important for the lighting industry. “The Lamplighter Coalition is a core program within WILD’s mission to empower our members and challenge the industry to become more inclusive. When a person feels unwelcome, uncomfortable, or embarrassed by sexual harassment their contributions to and advancement in the lighting industry can suffer. The Coalition is our active voice highlighting this issue and a targeted campaign against the pervasiveness of harassment in the industry.”

Alessa Aguayo, WILD Board Member & Director of Outreach shares her perspective, “Lamplighter is one of WILD’s many wonderful initiatives – not only do we believe in what the Lamplighter Coalition stands for, our Board of Directors will offer support through assigning volunteers from our various chapters, featuring them at industry events like our Networking Hour at LightFair and providing a dedicated portion of our website to further promote their message.”

WILD and Williams maybe on to something. An article entitled What It Really Takes To Stop Sexual Harassment, in the American Psychological Association Monitor on Psychology, states that “Shifts in cultural attitudes toward sexual harassment may ultimately be the most valuable tool in combating sexual harassment by creating a shared sense of public responsibility and accountability.”

If you are interested in joining the effort to make the lighting industry safe and more inclusive, reach out to the Coalition at LamplighterCoalition@gmail.com to learn more, and visit their webpage to review the resources that they are curating.

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Light + Health Lighting Design

UL Launches Circadian Lighting Field-Measurement Service & Circadian Luminaire Certification

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Randy Reid and Katie Smith recently published an article on LinkedIn, about UL’s latest moves into circadian lighting.

Randy Reid and Katie Smith recently published an article on LinkedIn, about UL’s latest moves into circadian lighting. The first new service from UL is a UL Circadian Field Measurement System. This service will allow UL field engineers to take measurements in customers’ buildings and create a floor plan with color-coded spaces to show the lighting designers where light output is above or below their circadian-effective lighting goals. This allows for field measurements to be taken with results being demonstrated in a heat map format. This service can be utilized in existing retrofits or new conditions.

Instead of working off computer-aided design plans, the system captures the actual light at eye level, including ambient light from windows and skylights and artificial light from luminaires, along with all of the reflectance from ceilings, walls, floors, furniture, and more. With those measurements, algorithms are used to calculate the effectiveness of the light’s ability to signal to the brain that it is daytime. Those calculations then create the circadian heat map that illustrates in color where people in that space will reach the circadian goals. These are voluntary goals defined by the lighting designer, based on the circadian model that they have chosen.

The second service is their Circadian-Effective Luminaire Performance Certification. In this program UL develops a custom testing and certification program to support a manufacturer’s verifiable marketing claims.

You can read the full article here.

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Energy + Environment Lighting Industry

Will Biomimicry Impact The Lighting Industry?

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A recent article in Buildings Magazine examines the application of Biomimicry to sustainable products and building interiors.

A recent article in Buildings Magazine examines the application of Biomimicry to sustainable products and building interiors. The Biomimicry Institute—a non-profit cofounded by Janine Benyus and Bryony Schwan—defines biomimicry as: “a practice that learns from and mimics the strategies found in nature to solve human design challenges—and find hope.” The Institute offers a variety of resources and initiatives to support professionals and startups that are trying to utilize the same methods that living systems in nature do. This can help them innovate in sectors that range from construction to agriculture, fashion, energy, chemistry, transportation materials and more.

This begs the question of will biomimicry be applied to lighting. LightNOW has published four articles about bioluminescence (1, 2, 3, 4), which is one example of biomimicry applied to lighting.

What other ways will biomimicry be applied to lighting? New materials? New aesthetic designs, like the irregular carpet pattern, below? Read the full Buildings Magazine article here.

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Education + Resources Products + Technology

Wireless Power Transfer Has Potential For Lighting

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A 2020 CABA White Paper, Application of Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) in Smart Homes and Buildings provides an overview of WPT technology, as well as a market evaluation for the technology, including key global companies.

A 2020 CABA White Paper, Application of Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) in Smart Homes and Buildings provides an overview of WPT technology, as well as a market evaluation for the technology, including key global companies. Some potential applications of wireless charging to lighting include:

  1. Wireless charging of cell phones and other devices from desk lamps.
    WPT transmitters integrated into lamp bases could charge devices laid upon them.
  2. Reduced risk with electrical products installed near water. WPT eliminates power cords and wiring. Imagine more safely putting lights in sinks, bathtubs, showers and other areas near water. Both the transmitter and receiver/luminaire could be fully sealed against water.
  3. Potential for better and safer mobile battery-powered lighting, without electro-mechanical charging contacts.

The CABA WPT white paper can be downloaded here.

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Controls Products + Technology

Product Monday: Pharos Architectural Controls Transform Ely Cathedral

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As part of the Church of England’s commitment to being carbon neutral by 2030, renovations are being undertaken at the historic Ely Cathedral in East Cambridgeshire, England. To help achieve this, the lighting at Ely Cathedral is currently being upgraded to a more energy-efficient and sustainable system. 

Ely Cathedral is located in the city of Ely, in East Cambridgeshire, England The site can be dated back to AD 763, when it began as an abbey church built by St Etheldreda. The current building dates from 1083, and Ely was elevated to cathedral status in 1109.

As part of the Church of England, Ely Cathedral is committed to being carbon neutral by 2030. To help achieve this, the lighting at Ely Cathedral is currently being upgraded to a more energy-efficient and sustainable system. The work has been split into phases, with phase 1 focusing on the exterior of the Cathedral’s Octagon Tower.

While the Cathedral is primarily a place of worship, it is also an important heritage attraction, a venue for music and events, and an occasional location for filming. It was important to ensure that any new lighting scheme was capable of showing the architecture off to its full potential, while supporting a range of uses and enhancing the Cathedral’s daily round of worship. The new system will reveal more of the detail and beauty of the building, while being less visually intrusive.

The project’s goal was to remove the existing flood lighting and create a more flexible and controllable design, while offering increased energy efficiency. The flexibility of the lighting controls is important, as it allows the Cathedral to use colors and dynamic lighting to mark special occasions or events, such as red, white and blue for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, or the colors of the liturgical calendar. The previous lighting allowed for only a single color. In addition, the new system has removed the need for someone to change the lighting manually when required, which incurred time and cost.

To deliver the control aspect of the exterior lighting design, Pharos Architectural Controls were used. A Pharos TPC (Touch Panel Controller) is now used by the Cathedral, offering a customizable 4.3” touch screen with a single Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) network connection. The touch screen interface allows Ely Cathedral to create multiple pages of controls and configure their appearance to provide immediate visual feedback.

The Pharos TPC allows for control of lighting levels and playbacks that can transition between scenes, timelines, effects and pixel-mapped media. To increase functionality, a Pharos EXT was also used. The EXT is an extension for the Pharos TPC and together they form a standalone, mains-powered lighting control system with flexible output and show control options. The EXT also provides local DMX and DALI output for the TPC, as well as power and other hardware interfaces.

Project credits: 

Lighting Consultant: Lighting Perceptions

Installation: Bullens

Stakeholder: Funded by Friends

Lighting Control: Pharos Architectural Control

Lighting Fixture Manufacturer:  Studio Due

More information on Pharos Architectural Controls is available here.

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