Lighting News - Find Out What Is Impacting the Lighting Industry

Are Light Bulbs Taking Over the Internet?

November 7, 2013December 6, 2013 Deanna Alrutz

We wrote an article a few years ago about “li-fi,” an up-and-coming technology that uses light bulbs to transmit a wireless signal. This technology has come a long way since then, and today it’s one of the craziest (and coolest) innovations in the lighting industry! Scientists across the globe (primarily in the UK and China) have been developing this lighting-based data transmission, which could revolutionize the way we connect to the internet.

LED Light Bulb

Conventional wi-fi is emitted using mirowaves or radio frequencies. The great conundrum of physics is that light travels both in particles and waves, a property which also makes it compatible with wavelength data transmission. Although li-fi has been in development for some years now, the most notable recent accomplishment belongs to Chinese professor Chi Nan, who managed to construct a DIY lighting-based data transmitter from basic retail components. Read More

Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Lighting in October

October 28, 2013October 29, 2013 Deanna Alrutz

The lighting industry has been busy as ever this month, from the slow-climbing successes of LED adoption to the discovery of new galaxies. Have you kept up? Allow us to offer a taste…

In Lighting News…

“LED Lighting Creeps Toward Tipping Point”

It’s only a matter of time before LEDs make serious headway into the retrofit market. Forbes predicts that by 2021, LEDs will make up approximately half of all retrofits in a market where they currently only make up about 5%. Read more…

Cree Announces Dim-To-Warm LED Lights

Durham, N.C.-based LED manufacturer Cree has just announced that they are adding a dim-to-warm option in their LMH2 LED module family of lamps. This is significant because although LEDs are better at dimming than fluorescents, they do not inherently change colors as they dim like an incandescent. But now incandescent lovers can enjoy the warming colors of a dimming incandescent without all the wasted energy. Read more…

“Glow-In-The-Dark Paths Could Be The Future Of Street Lighting”

Glow-in-the-dark pathway — Image via popsci.com

A park in Cambridge, England has tried out an unconventional method to lighting the paths at night: glow-in-the-dark gravel. Known as Starpath, this resurfacing material is able to absorb ultraviolet light during the day and release it at night in a bluish glow. Read more…

Lighting Upgrade Tax Incentives to Expire in December

October 11, 2013 Deanna Alrutz

If you’re considering a switch to LED lighting in your commercial building, but you’re still on the fence, you shouldn’t hesitate for too long. After December 31, 2013, two primary tax incentives for upgrading your lights are set to expire – the Section 179d EPACT Incentive and the Bonus Depreciation Incentive.

If you’ve never heard of these opportunities to help make up for the initial cost of new LEDs, allow me to explain…

The Section 179d EPACT Incentive allows you to deduct 60 cents per square foot on lighting upgrades. This incentive is part of The Energy Policy Act of 2005 to encourage the construction of energy efficient buildings. It also includes deductions for HVAC systems, building envelopes, and service hot water systems that reduce the total annual building energy costs by 50% or more compared to ASHRAE 90.1-2001 minimum requirements. It’s available to owners of both new and existing commercial buildings. Read More

Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Lighting in September

September 30, 2013 Annie Josey

September has been another eventful month in the lighting industry. In this post, we’re covering new energy breakthroughs, new ideas about lighting design, and of course, more crazy, creative projects. Come take a gander…

In Lighting News…

“Boston: the Top City for Energy Efficiency”

According to a report done by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, Boston is the most energy-efficient city in the US. This report compared 34 major cities in the country, and Boston came out on top due to its commitment to many different sustainable initiatives, and ambitious energy-saving goals. Read more…

“This Funky-Looking LED Bulb Could be the Future of Lighting”

LED light bulbs are made from clusters of small diodes, meaning they aren’t limited to the traditional light bulb shape like older light sources. LED light bulbs can look like anything. Andy Turudic of NliteN has designed a unique LED light bulb that uses 80% less energy than an incandescent light, and will be much less expensive. What makes it so special? This light bulb is flat. Read more…

“Commemorative LED Baseball to Honor Mariano Rivera Could Also Help Yankees Closer’s Charitable Foundation”

If you’re a fan of Yankee closer Mariano Rivera, you can now get a super-cool LED baseball that features his signature, his career stats, and the number 42. Rivera hopes his unique baseball will help generate proceeds for his charitable foundation. Read more… Read More

Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Lighting in August

August 27, 2013October 22, 2013 Annie Josey

Get ready for a fast, wild, innovative, informative, and (yes) long lighting roundup this month, because the lighting industry has been BUSY. You’ll hardly believe your eyes at some of these new lighting inventions, displays, and successes – so allow us to enlighten you…

In Lighting News…

“Alfredo Moser: Bottle light inventor proud to be poor”

How do you light a house using recycled materials and zero electricity? Alfredo Moser, a mechanic in southern Brazil invented a new way to light his house during the day, using only plastic bottles filled with water and a few drops of bleach. By early next year, these bottles are expected to be in over 1 million homes. Read more.

“Superdome gets new lighting system”

Remember those 34 terrible minutes at this past Super Bowl, when half of the Superdome lost power? Well, the Superdome managers are determined never to drop the ball (ha) like that again, so they’re upgrading their aging electrical equipment with a new, state-of-the-art system. Get ready for stunning computer-programmed lighting scenes, and more. Read more.

“Researchers identify cause of LED efficiency droop”

When LED light bulbs are subjected to larger electrical currents, they can loose up to 20% of their efficiency. Nobody wants that. This “efficiency droop” first identified in 1999, has hindered the LED’s development and popularity. BUT, researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have finally identified the mechanism behind this nuisance – a phenomena called “electron leakage.” Read more.

“Obama White House finally getting solar PV panels”

The White House is going solar! After spending about 40 months getting all the right permits for this energy-efficient retrofit, American-made panels are finally coming to the roof of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Read more. Read More

Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Lighting In July

July 29, 2013September 25, 2013 Annie Josey

Want to know what has been happening in the lighting world this month? Today’s blog post has the highlights.

Lighting News…

1. Ann Makosinski, a Canadian teen, has invented a thermoelectric flashlight that uses body heat to power a bright LED. The device is hollow, and harvests heat from the user’s hand to function. Makosinski explains in this video: