Cost and Energy Savings of Compact Fluorescent Lights

As you may know, replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) is a simple project that can provide an easily measurable return on investment. Here are some details on the cost, potential savings and proper care of CFLs.

The purchase price of a CFL is typically 3–10 times greater than that of an equivalent incandescent lamp.

The benefits are that a CFL lasts 6–15 times longer and uses 3–4 times less energy.

Lighting accounts for close to 20 percent of the average home's electric bill. Despite their higher upfront costs, CFLs are more energy efficient and last longer than incandescent lights, so they produce energy and cost savings over time. Look at your utility bill and imagine a 12% discount to estimate the savings.

For example, one U.S. article stated, "a household that invested $90 in changing 30 fixtures to CFLs would save $440 to $1,500 over the five-year life of the bulbs, depending on your cost of electricity".

To maximize your energy savings, try to use your lighting only when necessary. This means keeping lights off when no one is in the room or not at home or work. You can also install motion sensor lights, which will do this automatically.

ENERGY STAR, a program administered by the Environmental Protection Agency, is one of the most popular and trusted labels for appliances, equipment and products. ENERGY STAR qualified products use less energy, save money and are better for the environment.

ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs use up to 75 percent less energy (electricity) than incandescent light bulbs, last up to 10 times longer, cost relatively little up front, and provide a quick return on investment.

If every home in America replaced just one incandescent light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified CFL, it would save enough energy in one year to light more than 3 million homes.

Switching from traditional light bulbs (incandescent) to CFLs is an effective, simple change everyone in America can make right now. Making this change will help to use less electricity at home, which will prevent greenhouse gas emissions that lead to global climate change.

Once you have replaced some of your lighting with CFLs, it is important to reinforce this initiative with careful use and disposal. CFLs are made of glass and can break if dropped or roughly handled.

Fluorescent light bulbs contain a small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing. When a fluorescent bulb breaks in your home, some of this mercury is released as mercury vapor. To minimize exposure to mercury vapor, EPA recommends that residents follow CFL cleanup and disposal procedures.

The EPA is currently working with manufacturers and major U.S. retailers of CFLs to expand their recycling and disposal. This would reduce mercury emissions, which come from both natural and man-made sources.

Robe captured Czech TV market

Two of the Czech and Slovak Republic's most talented visual creators - director of photography Philip Havelka and lighting designer Martin Kubanka are collaborating closely to produce a dynamic visuality for Barrendov TV's newest popular live music production, "To Je Nas Hit" (What is My Hit).

Robe moving lights are the main fixtures being utilised - including ROBIN 600 LEDWash units - which along with over 100 other new Robe fixtures are among the latest Robe investment by Bratislava, Slovakia based rental company Q-99, which is supplying all the show's lighting, scenic LED and video elements.

The show is broadcast live every Monday night from Studio 2 of the Barrandov Complex in Prague. This is one of the largest film studios in Europe and also one of the oldest and most famous, dating back to 1933.

Each of seven weekly contestants - all popular current Czech artists - chooses a classic Czech hit from between the start of the 1950s to the end of the 1990s and then reinterprets it, adding their own style, flair and treatment. The public then vote, and the top 'new' hit from each week goes forward to the final.

Havelka and Kubanka have worked previously on joint projects, but not for some time, so this was a great chance for them to again engage in a process that they really enjoy and is aesthetivally rewarding, with both bringing plenty of energy and ideas to the table.

Barrandov Studio 2 is an intimate space, and every millimetre of it is used - filled with set, performers and audience.

The lighting is hung on a series of overhead trusses, and also mounted within set pieces and rigged on top of others,, so every corner of the studio is covered with a lighting instrument. The performance space has an area of LED floor, with LED battens and panels around its edges and a small walkway and stairs for entrances and exits. The picture is completed with a live band set up on stage left.

Apart from ensuring that everyone is well lit for camera, the design and lighting has plenty of scope and flexibility to make each of the seven acts look different and interesting. Each has their own look and feel as well as array of effects, which are an integral part of the show.

The rig contains over 70 moving lights in total including 18 of Q-99's new ROBIN 600 LEDWashes, which are arranged in two rows (top and middle) along in the set at the back of stage, and also embedded into the stage right LED side set panels. These are used for general stage washing and lighting the band which are directly opposite on stage left, which works beautifully. “The LEDWash 600s are excellent and easily the best LEDWash light that I have ever seen and used to date," enthuses Havelka, who produced the initial lighting spec, which was handed to Kubanka who selected the appropriate fixtures.

He also really finds the LEDWash 600's 15 - 60 degree zoom very helpful for the environment.

Television makes up a large proportion of Kubanka and Q-99's high profile work, and with over 400 Robe fixtures already in rental stock, has been wanting to buy the LEDWashes for some time. This autumn, winning contracts to supply three major new shows including this one and, together with all their other regular work, it was the right time to spend some money!

Kubanka also loves the LEDWashes! One of the many functions he appreciates is having individual control over all three LED rings, which means you can have one ring strobing and the others emitting constant light and other such effects which are particularly camera friendly.

Kyoto police to crack down on drunken cyclists, those riding with no brakes

Police here have announced that on-the-spot "red tickets" will be issued to drunken cyclists and those riding bicycles with no brakes starting from December, in an attempt to put an end to dangerous bicycle riding.

The so-called red tickets are usually issued to bicycle riders who have purposely disobeyed traffic regulations on several occasions. This is the first time in the country, however, that tickets will be issued on the spot for a single traffic violation. Police issue red tickets to cyclists for violating traffic rules as a legal step toward criminal procedures. Prosecutors then have to decide whether to move ahead with summary indictments.

According to the Kyoto Prefectural Police, the crackdown will also be enforced for five additional types of violations, including riders ignoring red lights; failing to stop at specified places; crossing at non-designated areas; riding tandem on a single bike, and riding without lights at night.

The new regulations will target violators aged over 15, excluding junior high students. Violators will first be warned and if they fail to oblige, they will receive a red ticket, which could lead to a fine, police say.

As of the end of October, Kyoto police had issued only three tickets to cyclists violating traffic regulations this year, but none of the recipients had been criminally charged.

"We hope that the new regulations will help increase safety consciousness among bicycle riders," said an official from the police force's Transportation Department.

Racing bicycles with no brakes, known as "piste" bikes, have become increasingly popular among young Japanese recently despite being illegal according to the Japanese Road Traffic Law. Earlier this year, the National Police Agency ordered each prefectural police department in the country to enforce a crackdown on "malignant" cyclists, including those riding "piste" bikes.

"This is the beginning of the end of Hays Paddock as a wonderful, magical semi-rural spot for the people of Boroondara to enjoy," Mrs Drost said.

Protectors of Public Lands Victoria secretary Julianne Bell labelled it "planning on the run" after council officers made changes to the plan during the meeting.

"I have never attended a council meeting where council staff actually deleted parts of a master plan for a park which had been advertised and to which residents had made representations and submissions," Ms Bell said.

Boroondara councillor Brad Miles agreed, saying it was unusual.

Cr Miles said a number of elements from the draft plan had not been updated for the final plan, which had resulted in officers making the changes on the night.

"There were quite a few little points but no major changes," he said. "I hope the pavilion will be a facility for everyone."

Details of $211,000 improvements at Rosa Parks Circle in Grand Rapids

An overhaul of downtown's bustling Rosa Parks Circle is expected to make the urban park less maintenance-intensive while preserving the look world-renowned artist Maya Lin intended when she designed it.

Crews contracted by Twin Lakes Nursery have spent the past few weeks removing the loose, gray gravel that made up paths within the park and replacing it with a similar-looking porous concrete material that will result in less dust and gravel migrating around the park and less maintenance to keep the paths groomed.

The new paths are part of a $211,000 renovation that also includes electrical improvements, new lighting posts and replacement of some damaged seatwalls. The work is being paid for out of an endowment fund set up when the park was renovated.

The improvements are slated to be completed in time for ice-skating season to begin along with the Dec. 2 lighting of the Christmas tree outside the Grand Rapids Art Museum.

For the holidays, thousands of LED lights are being hung on trees inside the park and at the nearby Louis Campau Promenade. The city's Downtown Development Authority recently agreed to pay Bazen Electric up to $22,262 for the purchase and installation of the lights, which have a "snowfall effect."

The lights are expected to last several years with future installations handled by the city's parks department.

Installation of the lights and modifications of the materials used on the park's paths required approval of Lin. Her design of the park, titled "Eclipic," was completed in 2001.

Celebrate Sunshine Coast Council's program of fun, family-friendly festive season activities and events.

Council starts the festive season by progressively flicking on the switches of 29 community Christmas trees as part of the annual Christmas Tree Trail.

The idea of the trail began more than two years ago when council began talking with communities across the region about how they celebrate Christmas and what they would like to see happen in their region to make this a special time of year in the future. Resoundingly, the answer was that locals wanted more lights and a signature tree of their own in a place where all could enjoy it.   

The festive tree in Pomona is a ficus fig tree.

The decorations installed include custom designed multicolour lit balls and small lit green spirals. The tree is crowned by a large lit white star at its peak and all the decorations have been designed and assembled in Queensland.

Environmentally friendly Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting features across all of the trees this year, keeping with council's vision for the Sunshine Coast to be Australia's most sustainable region - vibrant, green and diverse.

Council is using the latest in technology to enable residents to view the history of each community tree simply by using smart phone scan codes at each site.

The community also has the opportunity to find out about community festive season celebrations in their area and how they can join in, simply by clicking on the various trees online at council's website.

Shedding light on energy savings

Last fall, Eco Hatchery LLC unveiled the Light Bulb Finder smartphone app, which enables consumers to walk through their homes and match the light bulbs they have now to energy-saving bulbs as replacements.

Since then, more than 100,000 people have downloaded and used the Milwaukee firm's app.

Total savings on electricity costs: at least $500,000 a year.

The Light Bulb Finder is generating attention as well as savings. It has been recognized by utilities that run energy-efficiency programs as well as those who like it for its environmental attributes.

It recently won top honors in the "App for the Environment Challenge" by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and it's one of four finalists in a "Power Your Future" competition sponsored by AT&T Inc.

The Light Bulb Finder is tailored to the local user by finding the local utility's electric rate to compute the savings over time for using a light bulb for a given amount of time.

Experts recommend that people who want to reduce their energy costs through bulb replacement should focus first on bulbs that are on the most, such as the kitchen. Replacing the most-used bulbs in a house can save $120 a year on electricity costs.

Based on the Light Bulb Finder, the typical savings so far is about $75, said Adam Borut, co-founder of Eco Hatchery.

That's an average, with some people replacing dozens of bulbs and saving more while others were just trying out the app and buying a few bulbs, he said.

Based on sales of bulbs through the program, Borut said, "We see most people replacing bulbs in their kitchen, dining rooms, in their family rooms and in their bedrooms." Porch lights are also a big opportunity for savings, he said.

Eco Hatchery generates revenue in two ways, from the sale of bulbs bought directly through the app, and from subscription fees from utility energy-efficiency programs.

The Light Bulb Finder has teamed up with five utilities in Massachusetts, which are offering discounts to Bay State residents if they use the app to buy bulbs.

"Our customers tell us it is difficult to compare incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescents, so selecting a bulb with the light quality and fit they are looking for can be troublesome," said Tony Fornuto, a Mass Save program administrator. The Light Bulb Finder "makes the selection-and-purchase process much easier. Helping consumers switch to efficient light bulbs is another way we can help them save money on their electric bills."

In Wisconsin, it has partnered with energy efficiency programs in Milwaukee and Madison.

Milwaukee residents who download the app will see a banner that will link them to more information about the city's energy-efficiency program, ME2, and its solar-power funding option, Milwaukee Shines.

"The main goal of the app is to help people reduce energy use to be more energy efficient," said Matt Howard of the city's Office of Environmental Sustainability. "To save money on energy-efficient lighting in their homes clearly aligns with what we're trying to do with the ME2 program," Howard said.

"He's a hometown guy, and a hometown company, so we're happy to support that, too."

Progress Energy Florida 2012 Prices will Increase Three Percent

Today, the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) approved Progress Energy Florida's 2012 fuel costs - the final element of the total 2012 price.

The overall price for a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month will be $123.19 beginning with January 2012 billing.  This change comes after two years of bill reductions and represents a 3 percent increase compared to $119.34 per 1,000 kWh per month currently charged.

The average commercial customer bill will increase 3 to 4 percent, and the average industrial customer bill will increase 4 to 5 percent.  New prices will take effect with the first billing cycle in January 2012.

"The 2012 price reflects our prior decision to reduce short-term spending on the proposed Levy County nuclear project and is offset by an increase in fuel costs due to the unavailability of the Crystal River Nuclear Plant," said Vincent Dolan, president and CEO of Progress Energy Florida.  "We remain committed to return the Crystal River Nuclear Plant to service, as it is our lowest-cost generation unit and provides carbon-free electricity to the more than 1.6 million families and businesses that depend on us."

Previously, the PSC approved a nearly 50 percent reduction to the new nuclear generation charge, a slight reduction to the energy conservation charge and a modest increase to the environmental compliance charges.

The company's environmental compliance charges recover the costs of environmental investments required by state and federal law.  Environmental improvements at our two largest coal-fired units, Crystal River 4 and 5, now allow the company to use lower-cost coal while reducing the plant's average annual emissions by 80 percent (nitrogen oxides by approximately 93 percent and sulfur dioxide by approximately 97 percent).

The largest portion of the 3 percent increase is the fuel charge, which recovers the actual cost of fuel, mainly natural gas and coal, used to generate electricity.  Due to the extended outage at the company's Crystal River Nuclear Plant, Progress Energy Florida is using more natural gas, which is the lowest-possible-cost resource next to nuclear, to meet customer needs. 

In 2012, residential customers will pay about 6 cents more per 1,000-kWh for fuel due to the extended outage.  The company makes no profit from the fuel portion of the customer bill.  Progress Energy also received an increase to its purchased power charge in order to lock agreements for more natural gas-fired purchased power at today's very low natural gas prices.  Utilities routinely purchase power to ensure customers' energy needs are met in the most cost-effective manner possible.

The base rate portion of the customer bill will remain stable through 2012 following a 2010 agreement Progress Energy pursued with consumer advocate groups, the Florida Attorney General and the Office of Public Counsel.

Progress Energy encourages customers to learn all they can about using energy wisely – to save energy and money.  Customers can save up to 20 percent on their energy costs by making changes at home.  Adjusting the thermostat two or three degrees warmer in summer and cooler in winter, turning off computers, monitors and game systems when not in use, regularly changing air filters, replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact-fluorescent bulbs, and sealing windows and doors can result in significant savings.

Wearing Casio Watches Is Like Walking on Air, Get the Best Deals on Casio Watches

Casio watches make you look stylish and up-to-date with their looks, and appearance. Buyers can take the world in their stride, by buying a Casio from InfiniteShopping. Casio's G- Shock is a complete digital version and based on analog or digital GA 100 X-Large G series, the watches have a wider looking face. Watches are easy to read and use due to oversized buttons. For better visibility in the dark, a special LED light has been provided that lights up the clock face.

Its specifications include: resistance to shock, water resistance up to 200meter, LED with greater intensity, larger area for digital display, Superior illuminator using Auto LED, Time of 4 different cities, Hour based time signal, Flash with buzzer alarms, countdown time –up alarm, 1/100 seconds stopwatch, pre programmed calendar up to the year 2099, accuracy of +/-15 Seconds per month, 1 year seller warranty.

Casio Watches are conspicuously fine-quality watches with a cut above the rest, maintaining their standard of Quality superiority. Each timepiece from Casio Watches incorporates the finest materials and mechanics that empower the accuracy and precision of these timepieces.

Casio Watches are enormously classy yet simple. These watches model a great variation in designs, generally available in variable colour hues. Casio Watches are essentially an epitome of elegance, style, artistry, meticulousness in design and excellent functionality. This Brand backs up the timepieces with superior customer services and durability integrated in the timepieces.

InfiniteShopping is a wholesaler based in the United States, selling bona fide Casio Brand Watches put on display in an appealing line up of its indescribable arrangement of fine-looking watches. 100 percent pure Casio Watches available on hand at InfiniteShopping, have set their own high standard, created their own niche segment at a very fast pace. Highly accurate, designer in look and appearance, Casio Watches have become a craze among the people. These timepieces are known for their perfection in time keeping, making buyer's life a lot much better and timely arranged. Matching supreme degree of exactness Casio Watches are the best choices for higher class and masses alike.

With the onset of new millennium, Casio Watches are presenting timeless classics in the form of people's favourite watches that give the impression of being marvellous in appearance and functionality. In short, these watches enhance the personality of the male or the female wearing them, and they can be worn on different occasions suiting each event seamlessly well. Infiniteshopping makes available the kind of collection which is unimaginable for the buyer at amazingly reasonable prices!

Infiniteshopping has brought Casio Watches on a newer platform. Their higher degree of style and quality creates a world of perfection.

Each timepiece has a story to tell, its details are in itself worth mentioning, it is modelled to show its designer trait. A lot of people today know the brand well, and InfiniteShopping is presenting these watches in a new fervour. Not only do the watch wearers enjoy the craftiness in the watch, watch collectors are also enjoying the versatility in design and creative line up of the Casio Watches.

App Lets You 'See' Products in Home Before Buying

If you've ever wanted to see how a new lamp or sofa would look in your living room without having to actually lug it home, a new iPad shopping app could help.

Shopping search engine TheFind has rolled out an updated version of its free Catalogue app for Apple Inc.'s iPad with a new feature called "camera view." The feature shows an image of furniture or a home accessory from one of the app's catalogs on the iPad's screen while the tablet's camera is on. This lets you get an idea of how, say, a chest of drawers would appear against the backdrop of a real room in your home when peering through the iPad's screen.

With TheFind's app, camera-view users can adjust its size or placement to make it fit in better with the background, and take a photo of the juxtaposition to send to others.

Initially, only a handful of the app's over 170 catalogs have products available that work with the feature, including furniture and housewares retailer Crate & Barrel. TheFind plans to bring in more items from more catalogs over time.

The sort of "augmented reality" has popped up on a number of apps and video games over the past several years. It often involves using a mobile device's camera, GPS and compass along with its access to a high-speed data network to connect online content to the real world. Online review site Yelp, for example, offers mobile apps that include a feature called "monocle" that allows you to hold up your smartphone or tablet and see information and ratings for nearby businesses.

Eventually, the feature could work with other types of products such as clothing, enabling a user to "try on" clothes by having a friend hold up a camera-equipped iPad that has a pair of jeans on its screen, adjust the size of the pants and snap a photo.

China is sparing no effort to propel wider use of energy-efficient lamps, especially light-emitting diode (LED) lighting products. LEDs present many advantages over incandescent lights including lower energy consumption, longer lifetimes, smaller size and faster switching.

"But LEDs are less competitive due to higher prices, so it will still take some time before they are fully accepted by consumers," said Xie.

He added that the NDRC and the Ministry of Finance (MOF) are mulling subsidies to accelerate the promotion of LEDs.

China's LED industry is already taking shape. In October 2009, the NDRC announced a series of measures to support the emerging sector, including government purchases and favorable import tariffs. Many local governments also followed suit, handing out generous policy incentives. The past two years have witnessed the start of nearly 100 large LED projects across the nation, with total investments exceeding 30 billion yuan ($4.72 billion).

Xie expected the output value of China's LED industry to double in the next five years. The sector is an important part of the energy conservation and environment protection industry, one of the seven major strategic emerging industries supported by the government.

Ruud Lighting: From garage to gargantuan

Ruud and his partners designed new lights that had better thermal distribution, or heat-shedding ability, than the competition, he said. So they had both a price and quality advantage, which they conveyed via advertising, direct-mail catalogs and trade shows.

As they built the business in the garage in 1982, Christopher Ruud - now president of Ruud Lighting - was just a kid helping his parents.

"My first job was vacuuming the carpets and cleaning the bathrooms. My mom would do HR (human resources) work."

He recalled, "Any time the copy machine button was pushed, all the lights in the house would dim."

Manufacturing couldn't happen in the garage, so the partners had an 11,800-square-foot building erected on Highway 11 for them to lease. They mark Dec. 1, 1982, when manufacturing began, as the company's official birth date.

They started with a few office people and six assemblers. "LED (assembly) is rocket science compared to what that was," Sokoly said.

Of those earliest employees, he said, "Most people stuck with us till retirement."

In late December, Alan Ruud recalled, they got an order and a $25,000 check in the mail.

About six months later, they first turned a profit - on paper. But all early profits went directly into the business.

"We were doubling our business every year," Alan Ruud said, so they had to keep adding

facilities, tooling and the like. It was three years before they started taking money out.

Ruud Lighting has reached some of its biggest milestones since Jan. 2, 1998, when the partners sold the company to Advance Lighting Technologies for $35.5 million and 3 million shares of stock in that company.

The union didn't last long. Four years later, Ruud Lighting executives bought the company back, although Wandler chose not to be an owner. The company still calls that date, Dec. 12, 2001, Independence Day.

"We didn't understand the cultural differences, and that's all I'll say about that," Alan Ruud said.

The next huge development was Ruud Lighting's plunge into light-emitting diode lighting. In the past several years, 100 percent of its research and development has been in LED, in which company owns more than 100 patents.

A stunning announcement came in August when Ruud Lighting announced its second acquisition - this time to Durham, N.C.-based Cree for $525 million.

And Tuesday, parent Cree and subsidiary Ruud Lighting announced a $24.5 million expansion here and plans to hire 469 more people within four years.

Looking ahead, Alan Ruud said, the company's mission will be: "To take all that lighting installed in the last 50 years, and replace it with LED lighting."

Rebates power biz lighting upgrades

And unless Boulder County businesses act by year's end, nearly a quarter million dollars in rebates aimed to

upgrade commercial buildings and improve energy efficiency will vanish as revelers welcome in 2012.

Since January, $217,000 in EnergySmart rebates have helped 230 commercial properties sport new, high-efficiency

lighting. Eighteen have upgraded heating, air conditioning and water heaters, and 16 boast improved

refrigeration.

The funding is part of $12 million awarded to Boulder County by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

(ARRA) through the Department of Energy's Better Buildings Program.

The grant runs through May 2013 and helps power the EnergySmart program, which targets both businesses and

residences for energy-efficiency upgrades.

Until Dec. 31, Xcel Energy is sweetening the deal with a 50 percent bonus rebate for businesses that retrofit

their heat-producing, halogen lights to high-efficiency T8 fluorescent lighting and high-efficiency electronic

ballasts.

"The biggest bang for the buck on the commercial side is to look at lighting and do a lighting upgrade,"says

Mary Wiener, an energy efficiency and sustainability specialist who advises business and commercial property

owners for EnergySmart. "In retail, 40 percent of your electric bill can be from lighting.”

The light bulbs are changing anyway. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 will end production of the

T12s in July. "When we found out about [EnergySmart rebates], we were blown away,"says Wade Arnold of The

Colorado Group, a commercial real estate firm serving the Front Range. "I have three other partners, and we're

all looking at each other saying, 'What's the catch here?' You think it's too good to be true.”

Tenant Randy Patton of Wild Goose Engineering approached Arnold about improving the lighting in its space on

55th Street in Boulder.

"They weren't happy with the quality of the light in their space, and they were looking to try and save energy

costs,"Arnold said.

Arnold's decision to upgrade the warehouse's lighting cost him $13,654; he'll recoup $11,399 in rebates.

"We've had a significant improvement in the working environment as a result of the energy upgrade,"says Patton,

who directs business operations at Wild Goose Engineering. "We manufacture high-precision, detailed products, so

the improvement in the lighting was significant. The fact that our landlord was willing to participate is

another reason why we're staying with Wade Arnold and The Colorado Group.”

Since January, nearly 1,000 commercial decision-makers have sought guidance from Wiener and her colleagues.

EnergySmart's advisers perform an energy audit or analyze one already performed by the utility. They collaborate

to establish the clients' goals and priorities, budget and available rebates. They connect them with pre-

approved contractors, help them analyze bids and fill in any rebate paperwork. The advisers, in essence, help

folks flip the switch with one-stop shopping.

Xicato Appoints Gerhard Rieser as Vice President of Sales, Europe

Xicato, a recognized leader in LED modules for general illumination, announced today that Gerhard Rieser has recently joined the Company as Vice President of Sales, Europe.

Gerhard will direct existing sales operations in Western Europe as well as initiating activities in Eastern Europe and contributing to the company Management Team's plans for further growth globally.

Gerhard is a seasoned executive with more than 16 years experience in sales and marketing for components for the lighting industry with an emphasis on the acquisition of new customers and building up sales networks. Prior to Xicato, Gerhard held a variety of leadership positions at Tridonic Connection Technology, part of the Tridonic Group, and a 100% operation of the Zumtobel Group where he built and managed the worldwide sales and marketing team including a network of independent sales representatives and distributors. Tridonic Connection Technology is one of the leading suppliers of electromechanical connection devices for the lighting industry.

Gerhard will report to Vice President of World Wide Sales Tom Foster who commented, "His knowledge of the market and its key players and dynamics, as well his passion for LEDs and lighting, will make him a key contributor to our ambitious expansion plans."

De Bustos explained that the system can work with existing street light networks, and would be very simple to install.

He said LED lighting, which is being introduced onto nearly all new lamp posts, is best suited to the system because dimming is instantaneous. The system is also reported to be able to work with other light bulbs but the energy savings are not as significant.

Detecting people and vehicles in certain areas presented a particular challenge to Luix. These included large outdoor spaces where weather varies significantly and also places where vegetation (trees and large bushes) and other objects can easily activate a detector. He added, however, that cats and dogs would not set off the sensors.

"Joining Xicato at a time when LEDs are taking off is extremely exciting and an extraordinary chance to take an active part in a technology change that happens only every 30 to 40 years," said Gerhard. "I am committed to executing Xicato's growth plans and offering customers a premier class service by building a sales network throughout Europe and increasing the awareness of Xicato in the market."

About Xicato Xicato is a Solid State Lighting company founded by seasoned industry professionals with offices located in Silicon Valley, California, London and Tokyo.

Xicato develops, manufactures and globally markets LED modules that simply are functional replacements for traditional lamp technologies, offering all the life and energy-saving advantages of LEDs with no aesthetic compromises. Xicato provides industry-leading specifications via an open approach with a global circle of leading end-users, specifiers and luminaire manufacturers. Xicato is committed to addressing the whole broad sphere of the general illumination world, taking on segment by segment with its focus on continuous innovation.

Business spotlight: HiViz LED Lighting

What's the history of your business? How did it evolve? Owner Sam Massa used to work with high-performance trucks and tractors at his bio-fuel company in Washington, D.C. He saw a need for very bright, usable lighting. Five years ago, he established a snow-removal business in Fairfax County, Va. After moving to North Carolina a year ago, he began marketing off-road lighting in the utility markets. "We were able to increase productivity at night. We were able to do the job in half the time," he said. "I'm going to bring those high-quality lighting products into the commercial world."

Who needs your products? "Anybody doing outdoor work that needs to be able to see - emergency response, road blocks, warning products, stuff for construction companies. Anybody doing work after dark that's crucial that they see what they're doing."

Has business been good in this area? "It actually has. I joined the Summerville Fire and Rescue Department (in Lillington) because I wanted to learn from the inside out where they need light and why they need it. I'm gaining experience from the field."

Who are your customers? Utility providers, water plants and fire departments, he said. "We specialize in distribution. We're fully operational, and we're taking a product that's really good and pushing it in this market. We're looking at marketing to fire department and utility companies."

What have been the biggest challenges to get this business going in Lillington? "Getting the sales thing lined up. The lights sell themselves. The hardest part for me is getting to sit down so I can do a demonstration for the customer. I like to sell the lights by letting the customers use them. They put them on their trucks, and we let them use them at night. It's to educate the consumer on the lights and why they need them."

How much of an area do you sell in? Are you now national?

"We can (sell nationally). We're focused now on the Southeast, and we're really focused on North Carolina. We can actually sell anywhere in the world (to) the national fire and rescue market."

Who's your competition in this area? "There's really none, not in this area. As far as I can reach, there's not anybody else I have to worry about."

"When we sampled the screwdriver kits several months ago, we knew they would be the perfect holiday gift to our customers, who love to create, engineer and tinker," says Elemental LED Marketing Manager Charlotte Dick.

Elemental LED staff plans to include the screwdriver kits to customers who order LED color controllers and DMX decoders on a regular basis after the 2011 holidays. Those products have small screws that can pose a challege to customers without the jewel screwdrivers already in their tool kit.

Rubicon Technology to Present at UBS Global Technology and Services Conference

Rubicon Technology, Inc, a leading provider of sapphire substrates and products to the LED, RFIC, Semiconductor, and Optical industries, today announced that William Weissman, CFO, will present a company overview at the UBS Global Technology and Services Conference on November 15 at 10:30 am eastern time. The event will be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York, NY.

As the only vertically integrated manufacturer of high quality, large diameter sapphire wafers in large volumes, Rubicon is provider of choice for manufacturers of LEDs worldwide. Rubicon delivers the large diameter sapphire wafer capacity necessary to support the growing demand for LEDs in the consumer electronics and general lighting industries in products such as light bulbs, large displays, traffic lights, HDTVs, tablets, netbooks, and mobile phones leverage LEDs. The company offers a complete range of high quality sapphire substrates including two-, three- and four- inch core, and six-, eight- and 12-inch wafers.

About RBCN: Rubicon Technology, Inc. is an advanced electronic materials provider that is engaged in developing, manufacturing and selling monocrystalline sapphire and other crystalline products for light-emitting diodes (LEDs), radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs), blue laser diodes, optoelectronics and other optical applications.

The Company applies its proprietary crystal growth technology to produce very high-quality sapphire in a form that allows for volume production of various sizes and orientations of substrates and windows. Rubicon is a vertically-integrated manufacturer with capabilities in crystal growth, high precision core drilling, wafer slicing, surface lapping, large-diameter polishing and wafer cleaning processes, which the Company employs to convert the bulk crystal into products with the quality and precision specified by its customers. The Company is actively developing larger diameter products to support next-generation LED, RFIC and optical window applications.

So yeah, Lord Vader has got a lamp on his foot. Oh wait, make that feet. Both of them got the sparkly stuff. Odd placement but keep in mind this is a Lego miniature. Dubbed a Mini Torch (emphasis on mini), this Darth Vader incarnation can't do much else besides a minute amount of illumination. Oh yeah, maybe it can hold a couple of Lego lightsabers, but other than that, nada.

Hey wait, it does have an extra use. Imagine running into a kid who's rocking a full game of Star Wars Lego. You can join right in. Darth Vader actually dueled with Boba Fett once, but that's not in the movies. More like the extended Darth Vader lore.

Darth Vader is a cool choice though for the simple fact that he's Darth Vader. He pretty much justifies his own existence.

Naturally, only Star Wars fan boys could fall for this. Them and maybe a few individuals who are susceptible to the dark side.

IDAHO HISTORY: Electric lights came to Idaho in August 1882

“The first electric light in Idaho was struck at the Philadelphia Company’s smelters an evening or two ago, and has since been giving satisfactory service.”

The town of Ketchum contracted with the smelter to use two lights of the six-light system on its main street.

A week later the paper noted, “Masters, the electric lighter, who put in operation the electric machine at the Philadelphia Smelter, has gone to Muldoon for the purpose of putting in a similar light in the Little Wood River Co.’s smelters.” W.F. Masters was next called north to Vienna in the Sawtooth Mountains to install electric lights in the quartz mill there. The Keystone said Masters “has become reputable in the Wood River country as a machinist and constructor of electric lights.”

None of these smelters and mills could operate at night without adequate lighting. With their new electric systems installed they could work around the clock. When the Philadelphia Smelter closed down at the end of November 1882, perhaps because the snow was too deep for the mule-drawn wagons to bring in the ore, the paper reported, “The town misses the nightly glare of the electric lights and rumbling of the rock-breakers at the Philadelphia Smelting works.”

The Idaho Statesman expressed the opinion in April 1886, that the things Boise City needed most were a water works, an electric light plant and a sewer system. “It would pay capitalists to invest in the two former.” (Apparently the paper thought a sewer system would be far costlier, and the technology harder to come by.)

In August 1886, Boise City began negotiations with the Sperry Electric Light & Motor Co. of Chicago to help organize a locally-owned light company.

On Oct. 4, 1886, the Boise City Electric Light Co. was formed, and in November the paper could report: “William H. Ridenbaugh has a large force of men at work on the reservoir for the electric light plant. The works will be located just under the bluffs this side of the cemetery on the south side of the river, and the dynamos will be run by water power. A large copper wire will be stretched across the river to connect with the network in the city, to the places of the various consumers. It will be quite an improvement to see the various places of business lighted with electricity instead of coal oil, and we hope to see the city lighted up at no distant day with lights at all principal corners.”

In February 1887, “The electric light contracted for last fall has been delayed but not lost. So far the contractor has done nothing, and the company he represented has failed.”

Despite this setback, the machinery for the plant arrived in April and light poles were being set up downtown. The Statesman thought “the policy of allowing the poles to be put up on Main Street may be questioned.”

Boise’s electric lights were turned on for the first time on July 4, 1887, “adding to the brilliancy” of the occasion. By August, lights had been installed in the Overland Hotel at Eighth and Main.

In September, “The City Council has signified its willingness to place a limited number of electric lights on the streets for the purpose of lighting the city.”

City modernizing traffic controls

About 35 Downtown intersections will be getting modern LED traffic lights and other improvements in a three-year, $3.8 million project, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl announced Wednesday.

The project also portends a cultural shift. Because the project will increase the city's capacity to control traffic lights remotely, fewer police officers will be needed to operate lights manually during rush hour and big events.

The work will begin next spring with improvements to four intersections -- the Boulevard of the Allies' intersections with Cherry Way, Commonwealth Place and Market and Stanwix streets.

Besides new traffic signals, the work will include enhanced lighting, new crosswalks and new pedestrian crossing signals with audible and digital countdown features.

"By investing in twenty-first century technology, we will make it easier and safer to live in and visit Downtown Pittsburgh," Mr. Ravenstahl said in a statement. Similar work will be done at 30 other intersections "all over the Downtown area," mayoral spokeswoman Joanna Doven said.

Legislation authorizing the project will be introduced in city council today.

Jeremy Waldrup, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, a business group, said the project is a "great opportunity to use technology" to improve the experiences of commuters and occasional visitors.

"I think it is a great plus for Downtown," he said.

The city's goals are not only to increase public safety, but to improve traffic flow and ease congestion. Workers will be able to operate traffic lights remotely, so timing can be changed in advance of sporting events or adjusted on the fly if accidents, construction, snow storms or other factors warrant.

"Modernizing our traffic lights will make employees more efficient," Mr. Ravenstahl said, noting fewer officers will be needed to operate lights manually, freeing them up for other duties.

The city and state Department of Transportation will share costs. A breakdown was not available Tuesday.

Net income of $0.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2011 is mainly based on one-time gains from the legal settlement with Lightech in the quarter." stated Bruce Cousins, Chief Executive Officer. "I am delighted to have recently joined Carmanah and am optimistic of the growth opportunity for the company." Cousins continued. "With dramatic decreases in solar panel pricing, continuing breakthrough's in LED technology and anticipated breakthrough's in battery technology, Carmanah is well positioned to capitalize on the integration of this technology as "we put solar to work."

Don’t you dare smile at me

In his Bermuda Sun interview, Mr Burgess said he played by the rules and “did not do anything wrong”.

He claimed the LED lights were the best bulbs you could buy at that time, did not pose a health hazard, were better for the environment and saved taxpayers’ money.

Mr Burgess said MET Laboratories rather than the more commonly recognised Underwriters Laboratories (UL) had certified the lights.

He also insisted he did not go against the advice of his technical officers as they had not given him any advice.

Mr Burgess went on to say he only saw the report, which was carried out in April 2010, when he returned from his vacation. He said the report speaks of The Occupational Safety and Health Regulations Act 2009 when the lights were put in under the previous 1982 regulations.

The story failed to mention why the lights at Global House had needed to be changed back to fluorescent strips and whether taxpayers were footing the bill.

Mr Swan said he welcomed Mr Burgess finally speaking out, but said the published story “used more space extolling the virtues of LED lighting than in explaining the Minister’s actions with the Global House issue”.

He said: “The issue is not LED lights themselves, the issue is the manner and mindset which he, the Minister, exhibited in installing these lights in Global House.”

Mr Swan said Mr Burgess’ interview highlighted “the modus operandi of this Government, concerning unethical versus illegal behaviour”.

He said: “Either is wrong, and in this lighting debacle, the health and safety of citizens he purports to represent has been put at risk.

“As a citizen of this Country, I expect elected officials to exhibit both ethical and legal behaviour.”

The story was printed in the Bermuda Sun on the day of the Cabinet reshuffle where Mr Burgess was moved from the Ministry of Public Works to Transport.

Mr Swan added: “The fact that the Minister has now been moved to another Ministry Transport speaks more to the problem, and so creates more questions than answers about his actions.”

Mr Burgess and ETM president and CEO Leroy Robinson did not respond to requests for comment.

Study Clarifies the Energy Savings in Retrofitted Buildings

While the practice of retrofitting buildings with energy-conserving technology like efficient boilers, high-quality windows and compact fluorescent light bulbs has been around for years, data on whether these changes result in any real savings has been virtually nonexistent. Now, a new study shows that these relatively straightforward fixes can significantly reduce spending on fuel and electricity.

Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation, a philanthropic arm of the German bank, and Living Cities, a nonprofit partnership of 22 foundations and financial institutions, commissioned the report, which will be released later this month. It examined nearly 19,000 affordable housing units in New York City that had undergone energy efficiency retrofits and found that these changes resulted in a 19 percent savings on fuel bills and a 10 percent savings on electricity across the portfolio. This translates into $240 in fuel savings and $70 in electrical savings per apartment every year.

“We have been looking for the secret sauce,” said Ben Hecht, the president and chief executive of Living Cities. “This study is definitely the first foray into data, and that is going to be critical to convince owners and lenders of the importance of retrofitting buildings.”

At Terrific Tenements, for example, an 88-unit, two-building affordable housing complex on West 48th Street in Manhattan, the installation of new boilers and heating controls reduced fuel costs by 50 percent. At one of the buildings, at 425 West 48th Street, there was a fuel saving of $551 a year per apartment, while at the sister building at 527 West 47th Street, the saving was $355 annually for each unit.

 “These buildings are prewar classics and are representative of a pretty broad swath of the city’s housing stock,” said Marc Zuluaga, a vice president and director of the multifamily energy services group at Steven Winter Associates, a building consultant in New York. The company, along with HR&A Advisors, an economic development and real estate consulting firm, conducted the study.

 The retrofits at the Terrific Tenements “was not achieved with any particularly exotic technologies” like solar panels or a green roof, Mr. Zuluaga said. Rather, this is the simple story “of how an owner took the worst-performing building type in the city and turned it into one of the best-performing buildings in the entire city.”

 Jeffrey I. Brodsky, the president of Related Management, an arm of the Related Companies, the landlord of Terrific Tenements, said: “This study proves that the assumption that you can’t rely on savings when doing a retrofit isn’t true. It may not be perfect or exact, but you will see savings.”

 The company does energy audits on all of its New York City buildings, where building engineers examine the utility usages to expose any opportunity for increased efficiency and savings, he said.

 Another project examined in the study is Riverview II in Yonkers, also owned by the Related Companies. The 343 apartments at Riverview, at 47 Riverdale Avenue, were heated with electricity, and the landlord was responsible for paying all of the tenants’ electrical bills. The Related Companies started an electrical savings program, including better windows, lighting upgrades and Energy Star refrigerators, that helped reduce overall electricity usage by more than 25 percent.

 In addition, each apartment was responsible for paying its own electric bills, giving tenants an incentive to conserve electricity. As a result, the changes translated into $808 in annual savings for each apartment.

The Phil in Naples utilizes grant to go green

When new Philharmonic Center for the Arts CEO Kathleen van Bergen toured the buildings during her job interview, the A/C system was so loud she had to wear ear protection, she said.

But now, thanks to a green initiative and a $500,000 Florida Clean Energy Grant — a total matched by several anonymous donors — the mechanics of keeping the three-building, 150,000-square-foot complex cool are now easy on the ears.

“The original chillers were from 1988,” said building superintendent Alex Pena, who has led the effort, including replacement of the chillers. The green program is expected to save $85,000 a year in energy costs.

The Phil’s electric bill has run as high as $42,000 in season, but likely will be cut to “the high 20s,” Pena said.

Van Bergen said that maintaining proper humidity, temperature and lighting are particularly important for a museum with an art collection, and the improvements will allow for more consistent and more area-specific climate control.

Adjustments can be made remotely, Pena said. The new system is all electronic, and he can operate it remotely on a laptop.

A smart phone feature will help on the next phase of the project, which is to install solar panels on the roof that will heat water in the performance hall. If the temperature is too high or low, he will be alerted by phone that adjustments need to be made.

The panels, which van Bergen said will not be visible from the outside, should be in place yet this fall.

Other green steps include replacing regular light bulbs with LED versions, a significant savings in wattage.

All 846 bulbs in the entry to the performance hall were once 90 watts each. They’re now 2.5 watts each. In the museum, 75-watt bulbs were replaced with 5 watt.

Not only are the LED bulbs more efficient, van Bergen said, they’re better for interior color. They also do not present the recycling and disposal problems associated with the new mercury bulbs.

Van Bergen said the energy savings is significant in that “the more we can put into our art, performances and mission here, the better.”

This week, NCH Healthcare System began a green effort focusing on recycling. According to CEO Allen Weiss, between 6 and 15 percent of hospital waste is designated “regulated medical waste,” which means as much as 94 percent is completely recyclable.

Potter's Lamps & Lighting closing its doors after 65 years in Muskegon Heights

At times, shopping at Potter’s was like shopping with your best friend, favorite cousin or confidante.

“I can’t tell you how many times customers have asked me: Which (lamp) do you like best? Which would you choose?” Schoonbeck said. “Well, it’s not my house, but I like this one.”

After 28 years on the job, Schoonbeck has helped people decorate three or four houses, easing them through the arduous task of finding just the right fit each time. Furniture stores and decorators from all over West Michigan have sent customers to Potter’s because of the quality of their lamps and their repair department: Mosher.

“I’ve never found a light I can’t fix,” Mosher said.

At the time he was working on a fluorescent light fixture that had seen better days, brought in by an elderly man who didn’t want a new one. He wanted this one fixed. Mosher went to work. Within an hour, the customer walked out happy, no cost for labor, only $6 invested in new bulb.

“To me, the customer service we’ve provided, that one-on-one service, set us apart,” Mosher said.

That’s what brought Ron and Louise Robidoux of Norton Shores into the store, unaware that the business was closing or a 25 percent-off sale was in progress at the time. They were in the market for a new kitchen light, but they’d left the paper with all the measurements on it at home. Schoonbeck helped them through: Did they have 8-foot ceilings at home? What size was the fixture they had now?

Before long, they made their decision — but not without a certain sense of sadness.

“I grew up in the Heights,” Ron Robidoux said, “so this (store) has been here my whole life.”

The store’s closing will leave a hole in the business landscape of Muskegon Heights, said Natasha Henderson, the city manager who is also heading up the city’s Downtown Development Authority.

“It’s very sad to hear they’re going out of business,” Henderson said. “When I heard about it, it was like an empty feeling. I see that building every morning when I go into work.”

In 1946, the store was located at 787 Apple, on the corner of Apple Avenue and Getty Street. In 1951, Potter and Howard moved the business to Peck Street in Muskegon Heights, where it has remained — until now.

“You don’t get that very many places,” Schoonbeck said.

After so many years working together, theirs is deeper than the usual employer-employee relationship. A small staff, they’ve been to weddings and funerals, birthdays and graduations together. They’ve worked long hours, side-by-side, waiting on customers, doing whatever needed to be done.

They are more like a “family” than a staff closing up shop, Schoonbeck said.

“Phyllis said to me, ‘Will you be with me to the end?’ and I said hopefully we’ll be able to walk out the door, lock it and say goodbye,” Schoonbeck said.

Only E23 000 to fix Somhlolo lights

This comes after a number of games were stopped at the venue due to the malfunctioning floodlights yet government through the ministry of sports, culture and youth affairs had reportedly set aside a whopping E750 000 in their last financial year to fix the lights but in vain.

The ministry is in charge of the venue hence the task of fixing the lights has been placed solely on the ministry until the PLS came to their rescue.

Information gathered by this publication yesterday is that the PLS forked out the said amount to purchase bulbs to be used in boosting the lighting system at the venue.

Staffers from the ministry of works and transport that are in charge of the maintenance of the lights were hard at work for the better part of yesterday fixing the lights.

This was ahead of tonight’s MTN Premier League match pitting Correctional Services side Green Mamba and capital city giants Mbabane Highlanders which is billed for this venue.

An engineer from the works ministry confirmed that the lights are now far better than they were in the past.
Meanwhile, PLS Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Zwelonke ‘Sport’ Dlamini, when reached on the matter, did not want to reveal the figures involved in the whole project.

“I cannot reveal figures but can confirm that we had to use a certain amount to purchase what was needed to fix the lights. We will be able to reveal the figures at a later stage,” said Dlamini.

Dlamini further said they would be touring the stadium to assess the lights this morning ahead of tonight’s clash.  

He assured that the venue, whose functioning of floodlights is suspect, will be ready for the encounter as already the lights are being fixed.   

The CEO also revealed that the return match will then be played in Kinshasa, DRC on the following Tuesday, November 15, starting at 3pm.

Mngomezulu said soon after next Friday night’s match, Sihlangu would then get ready to leave the country either the following day or day after to be in time to honour the return match. “It is becoming normal for national teams to play like this just like in Europe.

“We are hoping the squad will do quite well during both encounters in order to qualify for the next round of the qualifiers,” Mngomezulu said.

Sihlangu have been using the Mavuso sports centre in recent official games but Mngomezulu insisted that Somhlolo is one of the stadiums that were assessed and given thumbs up by FIFA.

Hit Efficiency Out of the Park with Advanced Lighting Control

Energy efficiency is potential opportunity residing in commercial building systems. If tapped, it is profit that grows annually as energy prices rise. Yet for as long as this opportunity is left untapped, it becomes more costly to implement.

In October 2009, the average cost per kilowatt-hour was approximately $0.10 for commercial buildings, 42 percent higher than the average for the year 1999. Typically the largest and least controllable load in a commercial building, lighting accounts for 20 to 40 percent of the average business’ electric bill and 25 percent of an average building’s total energy use (including electricity and all other fuels).

A large portion of this rising cost is avoidable. According to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, about $130 to135 billion, or 57 to 59 percent, of the some $230 billion annual cost of global lighting could be saved by using commercially available energy-efficient lighting technologies – with 25 to 40 percent of those savings achievable in the commercial sector.

Within this context, advanced lighting control provides a platform able to accomplish a broad spectrum of integrated strategies for the purpose of energy management, such as smart time scheduling, occupancy control, load shedding, daylighting control, task tuning and personal lighting control. Good systems are simple to design, install and use. They adapt to future needs and lend themselves to both retrofit and new building applications.

Considering that November is the month the sports world completes its seasonal transition from baseball to football, this is an opportune time to focus on a case study involving the implementation of advance lighting control in a high-profile stadium – namely, Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario.

Employing a customized approach, the advance lighting control system at Rogers Centre was designed to accommodate needs and usage in a number of distinct areas. For example, in the parking garage - where the lights previously had not been switched off in 18 years – it provided for occupancy sensor based switching control on a zone basis. Additionally, the eight-foot, T12, 96-watt lamps were changed out with two, four-foot T8, 32 watt lamps and electronic ballasts.

In the concourses and stairway areas, a combination of occupancy sensing and time-scheduled switching (based on building events) was employed. The existing, 175-watt metal halide fixtures were retrofitted with two, 32-watt T8 lamps and standard electronic ballasts.

All office areas and lounges were equipped with personal lighting control, time scheduling, daylight harvesting and occupancy sensing technologies. Additionally, all existing fluorescent fixtures were retrofitted with new dimming electronic ballasts. The approach in the luxury boxes involved control of lighting and television circuits by time schedule, based on Rogers Centre’s scheduled events.