Cool Ways To Reduce Home Energy Costs

Cool Ways To Reduce Home Energy Costs
If the expense of heating and cooling your house has you hot under the collar, heeding a few hints may help.

Landscape: Plant trees and shrubs as windbreaks around your house.

Program the temperature: Use a programmable thermostat to turn heat or air-conditioning down when you’re asleep or away and up when you need it.In the case of Cree a significant led light bulbs amount of their LED sales come from the purchase of Cotco whose primary focus was on moving message panels used in displays/electronic bill boards. 

Get bright about light: Use CFL or LED lights instead of incandescent ones.Compact fluorescent light bulbs convert a led tube considerably higher percentage of their energy into light, which is why they are significantly more energy efficient than traditional filament bulbs. They use less energy and last longer.

Look into new windows: Replace old windows with new, high-performance models that seal comfort in.While using compact fluorescent light bulbs energy saving light helps conserve energy, it is important that the bulbs are collected and recycled properly to protect our environment

Insulate: Keep windows and doors properly sealed and caulked. Make sure you have enough insulation in the walls and attic.

Check for an ENERGY STAR label: This is especially important when choosing a refrigerator, the appliance that is the biggest user of energy in your home.

After your heating and cooling systems, your swimming pool is usually the second-largest energy drain on your home.

Pump up pool savings: One way to pump up the savings is to switch to a variable-speed pump, like Pentair Water Pool and Spa’s IntelliFlo?. With typical annual utility savings of $620 to $1,360, the new pump will quickly pay for itself. Plus, many local utility companies are offering rebates from $50 to $1,000 to make the switch.

Seal in the energy: Reduce heat loss by using a pool cover. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, savings of 50 to 70 percent are possible. Fencing, hedges, landscaping and cabanas that shelter your pool from prevailing winds will further reduce heat loss.

High-efficiency heaters are hot: If a gas pool heater is more than five years old, an upgrade to a heater that meets today’s stricter minimum energy requirements could quickly pay for itself. A better option in many climates is an air source heat pump, which can deliver savings of up to 80 percent over conventional heaters. Geothermal heat exchangers and solar heating systems may also lower pool heating costs.

Go automatic: Automatic pool control systems not only make pool ownership more convenient, they also save energy. They allow owners to access their pool equipment from practically anywhere…anytime…with push-button simplicity while also scheduling equipment run times for heating, lighting, spa jets, water features and more, to maximize energy savings.

Turn it down when you’re not around: If you use your pool only on weekends, reduce your heater or heat pump thermostat settings by eight to 10 degrees during the week. Remember to turn it down when you go on vacation, too.

Student Competition At Light Middle East

Student Competition At Light Middle East To Promote Innovation And Eco-Conciousness
Universities To Vie For Top Honours In Lighting Design And Solutions
In a move to promote innovative thinking and creativity among students, while at the same time spreading the message of environmental conservation, leading trade fair and conference organiser, Epoc Messe Frankfurt, is organising a ‘Best in Class’ lighting competition for university students. The competition is being organised in asso-ciation with Mazarii Interiors, a leading designer and provider of innovative lighting solutions.

The competition will be held alongside Light Middle East, the region’s premier trade platform for lighting design and technology, which will be held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre from September 12th to 14th.

“The competition is designed to promote the spirit of innovation and creativity among students, while they create and design lighting solutions to meet the set challenges,” said Mr. Ahmed Pauwels, Chief Executive Officer of Epoc Messe Frankfurt.In the case of Cree a significant led light bulbs amount of their LED sales come from the purchase of Cotco whose primary focus was on moving message panels used in displays/electronic bill boards.  “In this way we can recognise new talent that exists in the emerging generation, while at the same time reward the best with incentives to encourage them to develop further,” he added.

Competitors will be judged by a select panel of lighting and design experts. Each participant will have to compete in the following categories: shadow exploration; energy application and fa?ade lighting The entries will be judged by their effectiveness in exploring the creative use of shadows in lighting, effective use of energy-saving lighting solu-tions and innovative use of fa?ade lighting.

The top three winners will be taken to visit the Light+Building Show – the world-leading trade event for the lighting and building material industry - in Frankfurt in April 2012, with a visit to the sponsor’s stand at the event. The visit will enable them to have a first-hand look at the latest trends and developments in the global world of lighting de-sign and technology.

“We are glad to be able to organise this competition in association with Epoc Messe Frankfurt at Light Middle East,Compact fluorescent light bulbs convert a led tube considerably higher percentage of their energy into light, which is why they are significantly more energy efficient than traditional filament bulbs.” said Dr.While using compact fluorescent light bulbs energy saving light helps conserve energy, it is important that the bulbs are collected and recycled properly to protect our environment Linda Nubani, Managing Director, Mazarii Interiors. “With increasing stress on energy and cost-effective lighting solutions worldwide, competitions like this will encourage youngsters to focus on this much-needed area and spread the message of eco-conciousness,” she added.

Leading manufacturers and industry leaders in new technonogy will be exhibiting the latest in cutting edge lighting solutions at Light Middle East 2011. The exhibition and conference is the only dedicated lighting platform in the region and brings together architects, developers, consultants, lighting design specialists, and local civil and gov-ernment representatives to source new products and study the latest innovations from lighting manufacturers, dis-tributors, and lighting design firms.

Stores Stock New Bulbs for the Light Switch

Stores Stock New Bulbs for the Light Switch
New bulbs using halogen, compact-fluorescent and LED technologies have been sprouting up on store shelves recently. The flurry of products is a result of legislation passed in 2007 that requires general-purpose bulbs, starting in January, to be at least 25% more efficient than those using standard incandescent technology invented by Thomas Edison in 1879.

As a result, most of today's incandescent bulbs will be phased out (some specialty bulbs are exempt) by 2014 and replaced by more efficient alternatives. While cheap at 25 to 50 cents a pop, incandescent bulbs waste nearly all their energy in heat output.

The light-bulb industry now faces a daunting task of re-educating shoppers who are still in the dark about their choices. A recent survey by General Electric Co. shows three-quarters of consumers have no idea about the new regulation and impending changes.

"They have all these new types of lights, and it's difficult to ascertain the benefits," says Don Hough, a New York City resident who frequently shops for bulbs for his residence and medical education and marketing business. "And the people working in the store, sometimes they don't know either."

Most people are accustomed to buying bulbs based on watts, which refers to energy usage.The 250U actually had a slightly higher マジコンds average upload speed—.96Mbps up as compared to the U600's .94Mbps Soon, they'll buy based on actual brightness, which is measured in something called lumens. That's because manufacturers have figured out a way to produce the same amount of light with fewer watts. For example, a typical halogen-incandescent model today needs only 43 watts to create 800 lumens—the same brightness as a 60-watt incandescent bulb.

"You talk about lumens and the consumer looks at you like you're speaking French to them,Compact fluorescent light bulbs convert a led tube considerably higher percentage of their energy into light, which is why they are significantly more energy efficient than traditional filament bulbs." says Bill Hamilton, Home Depot Inc.'s electrical merchandising vice president who says stores have seen worried consumers hoarding incandescent bulbs.

To help translate, manufacturer GE this fall will introduce a dramatic packaging overhaul, organizing its light bulbs by lumen level using five different colors—yellow, green, blue, orange and purple. A watt-conversion will be on the package. Other brands,While using compact fluorescent light bulbs energy saving light helps conserve energy, it is important that the bulbs are collected and recycled properly to protect our environment such as Osram Sylvania, will color-code packaging based on the light's actual color (warm and cool). By next year, the Federal Trade Commission will require manufacturers to post "Light Facts" labels on most bulb packaging with info about brightness, light appearance and annual energy cost, among other things.

"It's a very significant shift for us," says Kristin Gibbs, GE's general manager of consumer marketing for lighting. "We've got to manage consumer anxiety through this."

Initially, consumers will find three main alternatives to incandescent bulbs on shelves: halogen-incandescent, compact fluorescent (CFL) and light-emitting diodes (LED). Many are designed similarly to the familiar pear-shaped "A-Line" bulb consumers know. Halogens behave most like existing bulbs,In the case of Cree a significant led light bulbs amount of their LED sales come from the purchase of Cotco whose primary focus was on moving message panels used in displays/electronic bill boards.  but have an inner capsule filled with halogen gas around a filament to make the bulb about 25% more efficient than a traditional incandescent. They're also the cheapest alternative at less than $2 each.

"It's essentially a souped-up incandescent bulb," says Peter Soares, director of marketing for consumer lighting at Philips Electronics North America.

CFLs, by comparison, produce a 75% energy savings and cost about $2 to $5 each. However, the bulbs contain faint traces of mercury, which can be released as vapor if the bulb is broken until properly cleaned up, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The tell-tale "spiral" shape many consumers find unsightly is now often hidden inside a pear-shaped outer bulb. And consumers who complained about the bulbs' blue, sickly hues are finding new CFLs that produce light that is equally warm as incandescent, says Mr. Soares of Philips. "In the end, CFLs may be a bridge technology to get us to some point in the future."

That future, most in the industry believe, is the LED lamp—an ultra-compact light source using a semiconductor chip that is up to 85% more efficient than incandescent and lasts 25 times longer.

LEDs remain the priciest option, with 9-watt and 13-watt bulbs that replace 40-watt and 60-watt incandescent models costing from $20 to $55 each. Despite the price, they're gaining traction, and bulb costs are expected to drop dramatically over the next three years. Sales of LEDs at Home Depot, including the retailer's own "EcoSmart" bulb brand, rose 500% in the last fiscal year ended Jan. 30. "I really believe LEDs will be our light source for every socket in our home in very short order here," says the retailer's Mr. Hamilton.

In coming months, Philips, Home Depot, Osram Sylvania and other major brands will roll out LED substitutes for the 75-watt incandescent bulb, and a spate of 100-watt-equivalent LEDs are expected next year. One start-up, San Jose, Calif.-based Switch Bulb Co., says this fall it will offer an LED substitute for the 100-watter with suggested retail price of about $30.

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that bulbs compliant with the new law could save U.S. households nearly $6 billion in energy costs in 2015,While many consumers have switched from Led down light traditional filament light bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs, when rollout is complete. Consumers may also be able to put brighter bulbs in their existing lamps and fixtures because the new bulbs use less wattage.

"Right now people don't think about light bulbs," says Ellen Sizemore, product marketing manager for LED retrofit lamps at Osram Sylvania. "And the industry is going to force them to do that."

Energy policy overhaul faces many hurdles

Energy policy overhaul faces many hurdles
Prime Minister Naoto Kan has decided to reexamine the nation's energy policy--one that stresses the promotion and use of nuclear power--in the wake of the crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No.The replacement lighting we feel is far led downlight superior to that of the LED lighting. 1 nuclear power plant.

However, coming up with a clear alternative is problematic because of interrelated factors such as environmental risks, power generation costs and energy security.

The government's energy policy is realized through its basic energy plan,In many ways LED lights compact fluorescent provide the best of both worlds. They are extremely energy efficient and environmentally friendly (and are, in fact, more environmentally friendly which is reissued every three to four years.

The basic plan has three aims: stable supply, environmental protection and promotion of competition among utility operators through liberalization.

The plan presents mid- and long-term numerical targets and tasks for the coming 10 to 20 years. These relate to issues such as increasing the number of nuclear reactors or standardizing the fuel efficiency of cars.

Based on the plan, the government asks electric power companies, gas companies and other businesses to achieve certain goals.

The pillar of the current basic plan,Compact fluorescent lights have solved LED lighting supplier many of the problems associated with traditional filament light bulbs. which was approved by the Cabinet in June last year, is to drastically increase the nation's reliance on nuclear power.

The plan calls for increasing the number of nuclear reactors, currently at 54, by at least 14 by 2030.While SmartView has been slow DSTT and unstable in the past, it seems to have improved greatly with recent updates. It also suggests raising the percentage of nuclear power used in total electricity generation from 26 percent to at least 50 percent.

The plan also aims for increasing the use of renewable energy sources, such as solar power and wind power, to 20 percent by 2030.

It also calls for ending the nation's heavy reliance on thermal power,Philips LED business is inside of Philips lighting so it Led light is more difficult to determine whether they are meeting expectations. which accounts for more than 60 percent of total electricity output.

Against the backdrop of such drastic change is a goal declared by then Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama at the United Nations in September 2009. At the meeting, he vowed Japan would by 2020 achieve a 25 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels.

To achieve this goal, increased use of nuclear and renewable power--energy sources that do not emit carbon dioxide--is essential.

Promoting nuclear power also was meant to ensure security of the country's energy supply.

Currently, Japan depends heavily on other countries for its energy supply and imports more than 80 percent of the energy resources it needs, such as crude oil.

Given the increasing uncertainty in the Middle East and surging energy prices, there are growing concerns over whether a stable fuel supply can be maintained for years to come.

By increasing the supply of nuclear power, which does not require fossil fuel and other conventional energy resources, the government intended to raise the percentage of so-called self-sufficient energy from under 40 percent to 70 percent.

Rexel Australia Electrical Supplies

Rexel Australia Electrical Supplies
Electrical and Data Supplies from Rexel Electrical Supplies
Tubes, Bulbs, Downlight Kits, Work Lights, Exit/Emergency Lights, Desk Lamps
Rexel Electrical Supplies offers a wide range of electrical and data supplies available from John R.Turk stores nationwide.Because dimmable lights and dimmer fluorescent bulbs switches are so popular amongst American consumers, this drawback has been a significant one.

John. R Turk – A full range of electrical and data supplies:
At John R. Turk you’ll find a large range of energy saving LED lights, lamps and tubes, light fittings, power supplies, tools and much, much more from over 200 well-known brands.

Simply register online to see our full range of products or visit one of our 46 branches in NSW, QLD and Northern Territory.It was quick and light when I used dsttマジコン on a Windows 7 laptop, and gave me no trouble throughout a day of rigorous testing.

Product Feature – LED Lights:
Using LED Lights has many benefits; not only to they look great giving your home or business that touch of class but LED lights can also:
Use less electricity than incandescent lights, saving you money
Have a longer life which means reduction in maintenance costs
Admit little to no heat saving on cooling costs and also are less of a fire hazard
Be ideal for both residential and commercial lighting

Some of the LED products available at John R. Turk include:

Tubes – The Osram LED tube SubstiTUBE can be used to replace existing T5 tubes. Offering energy savings of up to 50%.
Bulbs – Sylvania’s general purpose LED light is designed to replace your normal incandescent 60wartt screw in bulbs. This bulb will only use 12 watts, dimmable and will last approximately 25,000 hours!
Downlight Kits – The LEDVANCE Downlight Kit range new from Osram, include features such as: lifespan of 20,000 hours, energy savings of up to 70% , ring colours of matt white or anodized aluminium and high system efficiency up to 70 lm/w. (Brochure available on John R.Thankfully a new form of led strip energy-efficient light bulbs have arrived that provide this desired feature. Turk website)
Work Lights – Cooper lighting’s Mighty D Light, with 80 long life LED lights,Compact fluorescent light bulbs convert a led tube considerably higher percentage of their energy into light, which is why they are significantly more energy efficient than traditional filament bulbs. reflective strips for road side visibility,sale of LED for lighting applications.  Semileds is led lights only a minor palyer and should currently not be mentioned in the same breath as the other others cordless rechargeable unit and 2 hour battery life. Exit/Emergency Lights – The LED exit lights from Legrand, which are energy efficient using only a 3 watt single light source uses 70% less energy than the conventional the old fluorescent versions.
* Desk Lamps - Brilliant Lighting desk lamps consume 80% less energy and use 30 super bright LED’s.

The Fretlight Guitar Sets a Shining Example for Hopeful Guitar Heroes

The Fretlight Guitar Sets a Shining Example for Hopeful Guitar Heroes
With Guitar Hero on extended leave and no new Rock Band title coming out this year, now is the perfect time to trade in our toy guitars for something a bit more substantial. Going from five colorful plastic buttons for six strings with 22 frets each is a daunting task however, especially when music games have trained you to respond to visual cues to guide your playing; you see a green circle, you hold down the corresponding button and strum.The replacement lighting we feel is far led downlight superior to that of the LED lighting. A regular guitar won't flash little circles in front your eyes to help you hit the right notes.

The Fretlight guitar does.

Optek Music Systems' Fretlight is a guitar learning tool like no other. It teaches by example, and that example is a series of red lights blinking on and off on the instrument's neck, letting you know exactly where your fingers need to be to play the music you wish to learn.

How does it work? Let's shed some light.
The Basics

The key to the Fretlight's power lies in a thin layer of LED circuit board pressed between the guitar's neck and polymer fret board. This circuit board contains a red LED for each of the instrument's frets, capable of turning on and off according to the instructions sent to it via the included software suite. Setup is a simple matter of installing the software and plugging the guitar into a Mac or PC via a MIDI to USB cable. As a Fretlight-ready song is played, the frets on the guitar illuminate to indicate where fingers need to be pressed in order to duplicate the sound. These moving lights guide the Fretlight player through the motion of playing songs, forming chords, or crafting light-guided solos to numerous included backing tracks. The software also includes video tutorials which illuminate the Fretlight as the on-screen guitarist plays. Both videos and song files can be slowed,Philips LED business is inside of Philips lighting so it Led light is more difficult to determine whether they are meeting expectations. making it easier for eager students to follow along.
What We Liked:

Not a Bad Little Guitar: You could do a lot worse for the $429.99 asking price of the Fretlight FG-421. The Stratocaster-style alder body has a lovely weight to it, and the sound it crisp and clean when hooked up to an amp or piped through the computer using my M-Audio Fast Track Pro. The five-position pickup switch offers a nice range of tones courtesy of a pair of single coil pickup sand a humbucker. My only real issue with the guitar is a lack of action from the fret board (especially noticeable when bending strings), likely due to it being polymer instead of wood. It's not the sort of instrument you'd bring on stage to make your mark on the music map, but it's a good start.

Connect the Dots to Learning and Fun: The frets in the Fretlight guitar? They light up. I know, I was surprised as well. Used in conjunction with included Fretlight software, the guitar's fret board becomes a lighted you-should-be-here map for your fingers to follow, whether you're trying to learn simple chords or tearing your fingers apart attempting to follow Eric Johnson's "Cliffs of Dover". As a child I took guitar lessons from a man that would simply play something, ask me to play it back, and glare at me judgmentally as I failed. The Fretlight shows you how to play, allows you to set your own pace, and never ever gives you any indication that it's secretly judging you.While SmartView has been slow DSTT and unstable in the past, it seems to have improved greatly with recent updates.Thankfully a new form of led strip energy-efficient light bulbs have arrived that provide this desired feature.

Along with teaching songs, scales and chords the Fretlight software also gives you a chance to flex your solo muscles via its Create a Solo mode. In this mode you select one of 149 backing tracks in wail over. The MIDI files play a series of notes to play that can be plucked in any order to create a passable guitar solo. It makes even the most sausage-fingered novice (me!) sound good, thus it is somewhat addictive.

Required Reading: While I had issues with the Fretlight software in general, tucked away in the 'Chords & Scales' section of the package is a wealth of information about how to actually play the guitar, versus simply watching the red dots flash. Chords are illustrated with photos showing the proper fingering, scales light up the Fretlight with notes that sound perfect when played together. Beyond the lights there are text lessons,In many ways LED lights compact fluorescent provide the best of both worlds. They are extremely energy efficient and environmentally friendly (and are, in fact, more environmentally friendly a glossary of guitar terms, and even a brief introduction to music theory. It's all information just about anyone could find with a Google search, but it's good to have it all in one place.

New 'Light' to Solar Energy

New 'Light' to Solar Energy
Environmentally-aware homeowners looking to live a bit 'greener' — while significantly saving some 'green' ($) on monthly utility bills — can turn to the experts in solar panel installation, American Vision? Solar. The veteran company is excited to spread this powerful message and solar-educate Californians about a brighter future for our planet, and our household budgets.

Those who are willing to take the leap into this brilliant form of energy will reap huge benefits for the long haul. For starters, solar panel owners cut their monthly electric bill on average by up to 75%.Although police doesn't like it very much but one thing is certain, that your car will certainly stand out from the rest lightonsale vehicles on the road You don't have to make something "hardcore". Plus, with recent government tax benefits and rebates, most systems will pay for themselves within 5 years. The government understands the importance of this abundant and eco-friendly energy resource, and is making it even easier for homeowners to make the switch. In fact, the California Solar Initiative (CSI) state rebate will pay up to 25% of your solar purchase. In addition,The particular demise with the incandescent bulb bluebright continues calmly yet non-stop and in less as compared to any year or two today the sole goods stocked in stores is going to be lower electricity bulbs, the federal government will offset another 30% with a tax credit.

"There's really no downside to installing solar panels, it's great for the environment, the value of the property and the property owner's pocketbook," says Bill Herren, Owner of American Vision Solar. "We treat every solar project as if it's our own. Our streamlined sales and installation process makes it simple and cost-effective to add solar to any home or business,These are also used as art light as well, it is because crystal these lights did not emit any harmful rays and the bluish color of LED lights makes a painting look very different from others and makes them attractive for the viewers." he added.

So, how does it work? Light is captured by the solar panels and is turned into usable electricity. It's really that simple! As a matter of fact, there's enough free and pure sunThe best way to justify the cost and savings and to brightcrystal truly see how the transition to LED will impact your business is to do a detailed energy audit of existing conditions and compare them to the energy savings and maintenance costs found on the post-LED retrofit report.light shining on America every hour of every day to power the world for a year. Now that's a resource we should all be taking advantage of.

Husband and wife team Bill and Kathleen Herren began providing homeowners with energy-efficient solutions with their window sales and installation company,On the other hand there are drivers for r4sale which a car is not just a vehicle or a transportation tool but something much more. American Vision Windows. Now, more than ten years later, the company has expanded its unmatched customer service to its other brands that will help revolutionize the home improvement industry: American Vision Solar and American Vision Garages.

Utilities team to offer energy-saving program

Utilities team to offer energy-saving program
Perennial rivals Consumers Energy and DTE Energy are joining forces on a new energy-saving program launched last week at Westland's Dorsey Center.

“We don't play well with Detroit Edison (DTE) — never have, we're like cats and dogs,” said Steve Matthews, energy efficiency manager at Consumers.Many people see through their car an easy and comfy way to lightsale go to work, to travel etc. We are talking about transportation and nothing more. Facilities such as a good stereo sound system, climate control and a coffee mug holder are just some things to make driving life easier and much more fun. “But like that line from the Blues Brothers movies, ‘We're on a mission from God.It pays to go to professionals with bestlight a proven track record in LED lighting, a vast selection of excellent quality products from various vendors that live up to their label, and a history of successfully completed projects.' This is unique. We're usually at loggerheads, but we're working together for the benefit of the community.''

Norwayne residents were invited to attend the official kickoff and sign up for a free energy consultation of their home.The particular demise with the incandescent bulb bluebright continues calmly yet non-stop and in less as compared to any year or two today the sole goods stocked in stores is going to be lower electricity bulbs, The program, open to homeowners and renters alike, will become available to the entire community June 1. The inspection would take an average of 40-60 minutes, depending on the condition of the home and the amount of interaction with the residents.

Along with an assessment of the home's energy efficiency and tips to lower energy costs, the participants will also receive free energy- and water-saving products that will be installed by the inspector. Those include compact fluorescent light bulbs, water-saving shower heads and faucets for the kitchen and bathroom and hot water heater pipe wrap.

“You may ask why would an energy company help us use less energy.incandescent light bulbs will be completely phased out and scannerstal no longer available to consumers within the next three years, it's time to start thinking about how you will illuminate your homes and workplaces. We want you to use energy and be able to pay the bill,” said Vicki Campbell,This is also known as your return on investment ledbright or ROI. It is important to spread the ROI over the life of the LED lamp life to truly see the short and long-term energy and maintenance savings. DTE Energy retail marketing manager.

That the service is being provided at no charge was noteworthy for Westland Community Development Director Joanne Inglis.

“It's honestly, truly free. It's very rare to have corporation like DTE or Consumers do something for free,” she said.

The energy efficiency program will help residents reduce their utility bills, but also fits well with Westland's Mission: Green program.

“These days we are all looking for ways to make life more affordable,” Westland Mayor William Wild said. “One of the ways our city is helping its residents take control of their energy costs is by partnering with DTE Energy and Consumers Energy to offer a Neighborhood Energy-Savings Outreach program.”

Android meets LED bulbs in Google smart-home push

Android meets LED bulbs in Google smart-home push

By the end of this year, people will be able to buy an LED light bulb controllable from an Android device, part of Google's move into home automation.

At the Google I/O conference today, Google demonstrated how Android devices, including tablets and smartphones, can act as a hub for controlling multiple devices in the home, including lighting, appliances, thermostats, and music.

Google concocted a lighting demo system with Lighting Sciences Group, which developed an LED bulb that can talk to Android. It uses a new mesh network wireless protocol rather than Wi-Fi, ZigBee, or the other proprietary home automation protocols.

The hope is that software developers will create applications that use the home automation system of connected devices. The demo at Google I/O was of a person playing a shooting video game with the lights turning on and off as shots were fired, said Eric Holland, the director of electrical engineering at Lighting Sciences Group.

"Lighting is very visible and prevalent so it made sense for it to be first foray for the platform," Holland said. "Every one of the lights has a radio integrated inside the lamp so there's no additional equipment."

Many companies are building home automation systems built around connected objects, which give people a way to set up schedules around lighting and heating/cooling. People can also turn plugged-in items on and off from a central point, such as a tablet or small dashboard.

Having many devices communicating using ZigBee or Wi-Fi could create interference problems, one reason why a new protocol is being used, Holland said. Since it is open-source, Google and Lighting Sciences Group hope it will be adopted by other lighting and home automation companies. The networked bulbs will be available by the end of the year at the same cost as their general-purpose LEDs, for which prices range from under $20 to about $35 for a 60-watt equivalent.

Google enters a crowded field of home automation and consumer smart-grid companies that are trying to get a foothold for smart-home products.

Skala to visit Public Works Department about parking garage lights

Skala to visit Public Works Department about parking garage lights
The Environment and Energy Commission is seeking more information on the lighting in the parking garage at Fifth and Walnut streets before it can recommend action to the city.

Commission member Karl Skala said he was unsatisfied with the level of information currently available on the construction and management of the lights.
"We don't have enough data to go on," Skala said at a commission meeting Tuesday evening. "You start asking questions, and you get answers like 'I don't know.'"

Skala said he first brought the issue before the commission last month at the request of Sixth Ward Councilwoman Barbara Hoppe.

Hoppe received about 20 complaints regarding the lights prior to the commission's last meeting, according to a previous Missourian article.

Skala said ambient light is not the only issue concerning the garage's LED lights, which is why the commission has not yet recommended any action regarding plans to shade the lights.

"The issue is that there are too many lights and no capacity for dimming them at the proper time," he said.

Another issue, Skala said, is that the commission has no way of knowing whether the lights actually save energy. He cited the garage's $3,298 electric bill for March as a sign that it might not be saving as much energy as anticipated. He said perhaps it saves more energy than a building with the same number of traditional lights, but there were no data for comparison.

For that reason, Skala said he will visit the Public Works Department on behalf of the commission to gather information on the number of lights in the garage, the location of lights, their glare, their color, their hours of operation and why the garage's stairwells contain fluorescent lights. If his visit is unsuccessful, he said the commission will make a formal request for more information.

Commission Chairman Dan Goldstein said it was too soon to determine the city's response to the complaints.

"I don't want to make a recommendation without all the information," he said.

Outdoor Lighting: Cooper installs LEDs

Outdoor Lighting: Cooper installs LEDs in Ohio, Baltimore fights utility over SSL
he city of Bryan, Ohio has installed Cooper cobrahead and post-top LED luminaires, while the Baltimore Gas & Electric utility is fighting a move to SSL in the Maryland city.

Bryan, Ohio is realizing 30% to 35% in energy savings – 5% to 10% better than projected – after installing a mix of LED-based cobrahead and post-top luminaires in place of high-pressure-sodium (HPS) lights. Baltimore, Maryland hopes to start a transition to LED-based solid-state lighting (SSL) for its 70,000 street lights, but the local utility is blocking such a move using safety concerns as a reason whereas a local newspaper suspects revenue from maintenance services is the actual motivation.

In Bryan, the city sought replacements for 150W HPS fixtures. The city selected a mix of 80W Cooper Streetworks OVH LED Cobraheads and 70W CLB Generation LED Decorative Post Top Luminaires. Cooper won the business to replace 329 of the 1400 total lights that the city plans to upgrade. The selection process included four vendors competing to deliver products with a 4000K color temperature.
SSL-based LED street lights in Bryan, Ohio

"Many of our existing streetlights were Cooper Lighting fixtures and we believe that Cooper is an industry leader in testing and warranties of LEDs, so we were confident that we could rely on the company to provide superior luminaires to meet our goals in lighting and energy savings," said Steve Casebere of Bryan Municipal Utilities. “The transition to LED street lights comes from a long history of lighting Bryan's streets with the best fixtures of the time.”

The Bryan project is being funded in part by a $540,000 matching grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The mix of cobrahead and post-top fixtures provides improved roadway lighting while delivering the city’s desired aesthetic ambiance in some areas, according to Cooper.

Still the project would only make sense if it delivered the energy savings that were originally projected at 25% to 30%, but the new installation has proven to be even better. "As an electric power utility, we wanted to reduce our carbon footprint and light pollution. Cooper's LED products helped us achieve those goals as the products are Dark Sky compliant and use less energy," continued Casebere. "Ultimately, this helped us deliver on our business goal of keeping energy rates low since using less power means we purchase less power. Most importantly, we are able to keep customer rates stable."

Baltimore clashes with BGE

While Bryan enjoyed support from its municipal utility in an LED project, many cities aren’t so lucky as we have covered in several recent outdoor lighting articles. Recently a New Jersey city and cities in Colorado and Montana have clashed with utilities over SSL projects. Now Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) is fighting an LED project in Maryland.

According to an article in The Baltimore Sun, BGE is using a safety issue as a reason to block a transition that Baltimore wants to make that could eventually save the city $7 million per year with LEDs. The utility claims that the retrofit would only be safe if the utility were to install circuit breakers upstream from the lights and the cost of the circuit breakers would counter any savings from the transition to LEDs.

Ironically, city and utility workers have to service the existing street lights without the ability to remove power via a circuit breaker. The newspaper suggests that BGE simply doesn’t want to lose the revenue from maintenance that it performs on the legacy lights, earning $12 million per year.

A consultant has suggested that Baltimore could reduce energy use by 40% if it installed LEDs on its 70,000 street lights. After the initial article on the Baltimore clash ran, the author posted, in a blog, a letter from a public works director in the area asserting the ability to safely work on BGE-powered lights. Stay tuned.

Banned light bulbs? Is the government saying no to incandescents?

Banned light bulbs? Is the government saying no to incandescents?
To illustrate their point that Democrats are expanding government too much, many Republican lawmakers are citing a new law on light bulbs.

The law, which sets standards to make the bulbs more efficient and reduce electricity use, has been derided by Reps. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn.,  Joe Barton, R-Texas, and Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., as Exhibit A of the liberal assault on the free enterprise system.

A recent fundraising letter making the rounds from a conservative political action committee warns:

"The Democrats have already voted to BAN our conventional lights bulbs (that you and I use even today!) in favor of DANGEROUS fluorescent light bulbs."

The letter comes from AmeriPAC, a political action committee that largely supports conservative Republican candidates, and the Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise Action Fund.

"By outlawing incandescent lights in favor of compact fluorescent lighting, the environmentalists said the country would reduce energy consumption by $18 billion a year, or save consumers between $80 to $180 on their electric bills per year," the letter states. "The plus for the globalists? They said it would reduce global warming because one of the causes of global warming is...you guessed it...the old fashioned Tom Edison light bulb."

The letter seeks contributions and support for S.B. 395, the Better Use of Light Bulbs (BULB) Act, sponsored by Sen. Enzi, which seeks to repeal the light bulb efficiency standards included in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.

"Help put an end to governmental interference in our lives! Help put an end to Mr. Obama interfering with free enterprise!" the letter urges, referring to President Barack Obama.

The letter encapsulates many of the arguments put forth by opponents of the new light bulb efficiency standards, and so we decided to check a number of its claims.

We start with the central claim that, "Democrats have already voted to ban our conventional lights bulbs (that you and I use even today!) in favor of dangerous fluorescent light bulbs."

First off, it's not accurate to pin the law entirely to Democrats. It's true that more Democrats than Republicans voted for the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. But it got a measure of bipartisan support and it was signed by Republican President George W. Bush.

More importantly, we found the law does not ban incandescent light bulbs. The law is technology neutral; it requires new light bulbs meet new efficiency standards. It's true that the traditional versions of incandescent light bulbs do not meet those new standards and will be phased out of existence. Compact fluorescent and LED bulbs offer more efficient alternatives, but if incandescent light is your thing, the major light bulb makers have you covered. They are now selling halogen incandescent bulbs that meet the new efficiency standards. We ruled the claim this claim Pants on Fire.

Next, we set the record straight on one of the letter's worst inaccuracies., that "You will be mandated by federal law to get rid of your existing light bulbs."

There is nothing in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007  that requires you to get rid of the light bulbs you've got. Rather, the bill sets standards for new light bulbs "manufactured or imported" to the United States.

According to a spokeswoman for the Department of Energy, not only can people keep using their existing bulbs,  stores can continue to sell the old ones -- even after the new standards are in place -- until they are sold out.

Or, as Steven Nadel, executive director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, put it, "There are no energy police coming to your home to make you remove your light bulbs."

The claim that you have to get rid of your bulbs also got out lowest rating, Pants on Fire.

Next, we addressed  the groups' claim that the law will force consumers to buy light bulbs that are significantly more expensive than conventional light bulbs sold today.

"Democrats in Congress passed legislation that raises the cost of a single light bulb to $50!" the letter claims.

That is in reference to a May 16, 2011, AP story about two leading light bulb makers showcasing LED bulbs that are bright enough to replace the 100 watt light bulbs that will be phased out in January -- and which were projected to cost about $50 each.