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Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Lighting in April

Apr 292013

Midwest Energy News1 300x200 Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Lighting in April

Image via Midwest Energy News

A lot has been happening in the lighting world lately. Here are this month’s highlights…

In Lighting News…

Turkeys Love LEDs: A Minnesota turkey farmer is using LED lights to keep his turkeys happy and healthy. Every morning, Mike Langmo uses his dimmable, programmable LED lights to simulate a sunrise for his flock. There’s evidence that this practice is helping regulate their circadian rhythms, possibly contributing to their health and well-being. Read how it works here.

LED Prices Dropping: Two months ago, Cree announced they would be selling an LED light bulb for less than $10 in the US. Now, Osram has revealed that their new LED replacement for the 40W incandescent will retail at €9.95 in Germany. With prices going down this rapidly, LED light bulbs are becoming more attractive to consumers. Read more about this event here.

Most Efficient LED?: Philips has also been stepping up their game this month, claiming to have created the world’s most efficient lamp. It’s an LED tube light replacement prototype that produces 200 lumens of pure white light for every watt it uses. Learn the details here. Continue reading »

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Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Lighting In March

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Mar 252013

PinExt Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Lighting In March

Here’s what’s been going on in the lighting world this month…

In Lighting News…

A Wal-Mart store in Mt. Pleasant, Wisconsin has equipped all its indoor and outdoor facilities with LED lights. The areas now illuminated by LEDs include the sales floor, pharmacy, restrooms, stock rooms, and the parking lot. Wal-Mart expects to save at least 30% of their energy costs, compared to their old fluorescent lighting systems. Click here to learn more.

On March 5th “The Bay Lights,” an LED light sculpture, illuminated San Francisco’s Bay Bridge for the first time with 25,000 LED lights. The project only costs $15.06 per night to operate, and was designed by artist Leo Villareal on a laptop. Check out this video from the grand lighting ceremony:

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Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Lighting in February

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Feb 252013

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What’s been on the tip of everyone’s tongue this month? One word: quality. From new standards for quality lights, to tips on using light to improve your quality of life, we’ve got you covered. Here are this month’s top stories…

In Lighting News…

Is Color Rendering Index (CRI) the most accurate measure of a light’s quality? With all the innovations happening in the lighting world right now, the Color Quality Scale (CQS) might just be a better judge. CRI measures a light’s performance rendering only 8 different colors. CQS, on the other hand, measures 15, and accounts for other factors like chromatic discrimination and human preference. Click here to learn more about CQS.

news ucdavis edu Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Lighting in February

Image via News.UCDavis.edu

In December 2012 the California Lighting Technology Center at the University of California, Davis helped encourage the California Energy Commission to include new standards of quality for LED replacement lamps in its first-in-the-nation energy-efficiency directive. Now, the center is pushing for similar LED standards on a national scale. You can learn more about this initiative here. Continue reading »

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Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Lighting in January

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Jan 282013

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incandescent 300x199 Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Lighting in January

Image via Cleveland.com

It’s a new year, and we’re back to keep you up-to-date on what’s happening in the lighting world. So far, 2013 has brought us tons of lighting innovations, brilliant tips on improving your life with light, and some just plain cool stuff…

In Lighting News…

Starting January 1, import and manufacture of the 75-watt incandescent light bulb were banned in the U.S. as part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. The goal here is to move the country to a higher efficiency standard to save energy, money, and natural resources. To learn more about the act, how it affects consumers, and how to adapt, check out this article from Cleveland.com or our own recent blog post on the matter.

Philips has come out with a new way to try on clothing in retail shops called the AmbiScene Fitting Room System. The system’s LEDs let customers adjust the lighting in their dressing rooms. To see how your clothes look in different places, you can choose settings that mimic the seasons, different times of day, and even different locations like the office or a nightclub. The system is also perfect for retail displays. Check out this video to see how it works:

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Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

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Dec 262012

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Diverse and impressive changes have been taking place in the lighting world this month. Read on to discover the fun and innovation!

In Lighting News…

Across the web, there was a consensus that LED holiday lights were the thing to have for the holidays. Not only are they energy-efficient, long lasting, and durable, they can also be interactive. We’ve seen families across the country creating holiday feats – dancing light shows to hundreds of different songs, and even games for visitors to play. For a balanced review of new LED string lights, check out this article from Apartment Therapy.

Holiday Light Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Ch Ch Ch Ch Changes

Speaking of switching to LEDs, NASA is swapping out all of the light bulbs on the International Space Station to help alleviate astronauts’ insomnia. They’re planning to use specially diffused LEDs, which can filter light into different hues. They’d provide blue light to help astronauts wake up in the morning, white light during work hours, and reddish light to soothe them to sleep. To read more on the science of the switch, check out this article from Gizmodo.

A recent article on Forbes.com declared that LEDs have finally “arrived.” In other words, they’re a mature, viable product, widely available, good-looking, and economically attractive. Continue reading »

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Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Innovations, Upgrades, and Explorations

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Nov 262012

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Lighting technology never ceases to amaze. This month’s Lighting Roundup is all about new lighting technology, ways to improve your lighting and energy use at home, and some of the most exciting lighting designs and installations I’ve seen in a while!

dezeenSafetyNet Sustainable fishing net by Dan Watson wins James Dyson Award 1 Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Innovations, Upgrades, and Explorations

Image via SNTech.co.uk

In Lighting News…

LightRecycle, a non-profit program to recycle lighting products in British Columbia, recently expanded to recycle all lighting products at no charge – the first program of its kind in Canada. The program began in 2010, and it caters to both commercial and residential clients.

Dan Watson, a graduate of the Royal College of Art, won this year’s James Dyson Award for his sustainable fishing net called SafetyNet. This special trawler fishing net uses strategically placed holes and LED lights to separate fish of different ages and species. These illuminated “exit signs” allow smaller non-marketable fish to escape.

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Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Getting Smarter

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Oct 292012

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LIFX 300x225 Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Getting Smarter

Image via Kickstarter.com

In lighting news…

Over the past month, I’ve seen so many smart-controlled energy efficient light bulbs popping up on the market, growing what Forbes.com calls “The Internet of Things,” in which objects (and not just people) communicate over the web. Each light bulb has an Internet IP address that you monitor wirelessly with a smartphone, tablet, or computer. Some popular models include LIFX (featured on Light Reading earlier this month), and Philips’ Hue coming to Apple Stores tomorrow, October 30!

According to ThinkProgress.org, New York City was the first U.S. jurisdiction to publicly post energy efficiency information for its building stock last month. A series of mind-numbing spreadsheets might not seem so exciting at first, but this is a key step in establishing energy transparency in the real estate market.

In lighting tips…

EnergyStar Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Getting Smarter Speaking of energy efficiency, have you seen the new Home Advisor from EnergyStar.gov? It’s an online resource that gives you detailed information on just about every way you can save energy at home. All you have to do is answer a few simple questions (Where you live, how you heat/cool your home, etc.) and they’ll give you a list of everything you can do to save a little more power. Continue reading »

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Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Updates and Renovations

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Sep 262012

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This month, more of us are trading out old light fixtures for (surprise) LEDs. Others are re-purposing old lights in illuminating ways…

In Lighting News…

Cree’s New 10-year Warranty on LEDs. Just this week Cree (a notable LED manufacturer) introduced a 10 year warranty on nearly all new commercial light fixtures. For many of us still skeptical about the quality of LEDs on the market today, Cree’s commitment to long-term performance and reliability is a relief.

Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Updates and Renovations

Courtesy of MiamiHerald.com

Notable LED Makeovers at Home and Abroad. Everywhere more and more iconic structures and events are adopting LED lights. A few recent additions include:

The Miami Tower: This beautiful upgrade allows for custom light shows and will reduce the 47-story building’s related lighting energy usage by over 92%.
LSU’s Tiger Stadium: The 90-year-old, 92,000-seat stadium stepped up its game with a multicolor, LED lighting system. It enhances the structure’s architecture, and fans love it!
Oktoberfest: One of Frankfurt’s most popular tents, the Hippodrome, just replaced its 25-watt incandescent light bulbs with 550 5-watt LEDs. The warmly lit atmosphere won’t change, but they’ll save about 1.2 tons in CO2 emissions.

LEDs Increase Plant Growth. Researchers at Penn State conducted a recent experiment, testing the benefits of using LED grow lights against more traditional fluorescent and incandescent light bulbs. The results were astounding. Not only did LEDs cost less to operate and maintain, but they also caused a noticeable increase in plant growth.

LEDs Increase Plant Growth Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Updates and Renovations

Plants grown with LEDs are on the left. Photo courtesy of the Penn State Department of Public Information.

Continue reading »

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Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Dreamers, Skeptics, and Current Affairs

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Aug 282012

PinExt Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Dreamers, Skeptics, and Current Affairs

Surprise, surprise, everyone’s talking about energy efficient lighting. We’re no exception in this blog post. But here’s a twist: not everything we’ve heard recently is as bright and pretty as a brand new LED. This lighting roundup is a mixed bag…

In lighting news…

New energy efficient lighting has the potential to supercharge the job market in Michigan. Jay Wrobel, Executive Director of the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance explained, “Michigan is on the cusp of becoming a manufacturing leader in one of the advanced technologies of the 21^st century. New energy efficient lighting technologies provide an ideal platform for new jobs and energy savings in Michigan.” As the demand for LEDs increases, so will the supply of jobs. You can learn more MWAlliance.org.

Meanwhile, though the 2012 Summer Olympics have ended, London is only beginning to reap the benefits of their new LED lighting installations. The new lights on the Tower Bridge (more than 2km of GE Lighting’s Tetra Contour architectural LED lighting installed just in time for the games) are expected to last the city at least 25 years, while saving 40% of the bridge’s previous energy consumption.

Tower Bridge 300x173 Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Dreamers, Skeptics, and Current Affairs

Courtesy of Olympic.org

While energy efficient lighting seems to always be on our minds and in our light fixtures, there are times when we must realize it’s still a developing technology. The PLUS (Public Lighting Strategies for Sustainable Urban Spaces) project conducted a recent study on LEDs as a possible solution for the problem of finding energy efficient public lighting. The study determined that LED lights are one of the most energy efficient options, but they might not be the best answer for all cities at the moment. LEDs certainly offer a new set of innovative possibilities, but today they’re not the final answer. Many cities are better off waiting until the cost of LEDs goes down, or until the rapidly improving technology reaches a relative stasis. Continue reading »

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Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Moving Forward

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Jul 162012

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iStock 000011990336XSmall 300x199 Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Moving Forward
In lighting news…

As of July 1 this year, T12 fluorescent bulbs have begun to disappear, no longer being manufactured or imported into the US. This phase-out has been a long time coming, as T12s have been around for over 70 years now. By switching to newer technology like T5s or T8s, building owners will save nearly 50% of the energy they normally use each year! These new lamps are smaller in diameter, but can still provide the same light output as a T12. For those building owners who still have T12 fixtures, it will become increasingly difficult to find replacement parts. Check out this article from LampRecycling.com on strategizing for the phase-out.

Meanwhile, everyone is going nutso for LEDs. But with the impressive energy-saving stats and new innovations, we don’t blame them. According to IMS Research, the widespread implementation of retrofit LED lights will save us $100 billion globally over the next 5 years. To learn more, read this article from ECMWeb.com.

In June, at the Rio+20 U.N. development conference in Brazil, the Clean Revolution campaign began a trial in 12 major cities across the globe, testing the benefits and drawbacks of LED street lights. Each city has reduced energy use up to 85%! Continue reading »

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