Posts Tagged ‘LED technology’

Valdez, Alaska Joins LED City Program

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

LED streetlight in ValdezThe city of Valdez, Alaska has joined the Cree LED City initiative, an international program that promotes the deployment of energy-efficient LED lighting, Cree announced earlier this week. Valdez is in the process of converting all 343 of its street lights to utilize LED technology.

The mayor of Valdez, Bert Cottle, said the new LED lights will achieve 45 percent or higher energy savings when compared with the high-pressure sodium lights being replaced. “As we look ahead and anticipate rising energy costs, investing in LED technology becomes even more attractive,” he said. “Community feedback on the initial lights has been overwhelmingly positive. Valdez citizens like the quality and color of the new LED lights and they are happy about the projected energy and maintenance cost savings.”

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Cree Breaks LED Record

Friday, February 5th, 2010

cree_logo.jpgResearch and development teams at Cree, Inc. have surpassed another standard of LED lighting, the company announced Wednesday. According to a press release, Cree successfully developed an LED white light that produces a record 208 lumens per watt.

Not to be outdone, Cree broke its own record previously held at 186 lumens per watt, a mark it set nearly two months ago. All tests were conducted under standard LED test conditions at a drive current of 350 mA at room temperature.

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Philips Makes Noble Gesture Despite Impracticality

Friday, January 29th, 2010

Solar PanelsThe pairing of two green technologies, solar power and LED lighting, has the potential to pay off in hugely practical ways. Yet, for one reason or another, the two have never been efficiently brought together, until now that is.

According to Philips Lumileds, a new solar-powered LED floodlight system has been made available for residents and communities who find themselves without electricity, particularly those on the African continent. At least, that’s how they’re billing the product.

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New Article: Innovations in LED Lighting

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

Coast recently published a new article called Innovations in LED Lighting. The article explores the recent popularity of the LED, briefly examining the technology’s historic roots and speculating where it may lead us in the future.

As I read through the article, I was struck by the extremely long incubation period for LEDs. The technology sat virtually disregarded for close to 50 years before it was given due attention. After that, it still took another 50 years to develop the technology to be used in the way we see it today, when LEDs practically exploded onto the scene not even ten years ago.

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LEDs 2009: Year-in-Review

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

Changing BulbsThe year has been a good one for LED technology — from new innovations to adopted policies — 2009 has been a banner year for the light-emitting diode. Take a look at the following list of achievements for LEDs.

LED Wallpaper — It’s exactly what you think it is.

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LEDs Give Light to Wallpaper

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

WallpaperIt would seem that LED technology is, again, evolving to greater extremes. I recently heard about a British company that is currently designing an LED-based wallpaper. Yes, I just said wallpaper.

Apparently, the wallpaper uses a chemical coating that glows, lighting up a room like natural sunlight would. The coating somehow utilizes organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), so the wallpaper comes with all the energy saving and efficiency LEDs bring. Interestingly, an electrical current will run through the wallpaper, but it is reportedly safe to touch.

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LED Christmas Lights Lead the Way

Thursday, December 24th, 2009

LED Christmas Tree at the CapitolWith Christmas only a day away, holiday LED light retailers have already seen an increase in sales from last season. The New York Times reports that companies who are selling Christmas lights, anyone from home improvement stores to online retailers, are witnessing dramatic increases in sales from the year prior. The feat comes as a much-needed surprise, especially on the backside of an unstable economy.

The Times suggests the example of the nation’s most iconic trees at the White House and Rockefeller Center may have contributed to the technology’s rise in popularity, as both trees are now decked with the holiday LED lights. According to experts, LEDs are expected to account for up to half of all holiday light sales this season and over 100 million decorative light strands are projected to be sold in the U.S. alone.

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LEDs Light Up Space Exhibit

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

Space MuseumThe Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum recently announced the opening of a new exhibit that’s supported by an LED lighting solution from Cree, Inc.

The LED lighting solution was specifically designed for a new exhibit in the museum, “Moving Beyond Earth.” Reportedly, the exhibit boasts 20-foot high ceilings and 5,000 square feet of space. In addition to providing bright and consistent light, the LEDs burn cooler than conventional bulbs. This particular feature of light-emitting diodes proved extremely beneficial as stable temperature and humidity levels are required to protect the historical artifacts featured in the exhibit.

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