Lighting in the News | April 2017
Top 10 LED Cities in the U.S.
LED light bulbs are modern wonders. They’re 70-90% more energy efficient, run cooler, and are more versatile than traditional bulbs. If every home in the U.S. replaced just one 60-Watt incandescent with an LED, we could save enough energy to light over 2 million homes for a year. Unfortunately, less than 20% of U.S. residential light sockets have an LED bulb. Regardless, some cities have happily hopped on the LED bandwagon. Which cities are driving that wagon, you ask? Seattle, Minneapolis, and Oklahoma City are among the cities leading the way into the LED future. Keep up the good work and reap those benefits. Check out the map below to see if your city made the cut.
The Diamond Gets an LED Makeover
The baseball diamond, that is. The Texas Rangers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Angels, and Cleveland Indians will all be playing under new LED lighting systems courtesy of Eaton’s Ephesus sports lighting. Since Eaton installed the first ever solid-state lighting system in a North American sports arena, they have fast become a big name in sports lighting, and not just on the baseball field. They’ve already provided an update to the Arizona Cardinals, the Miami Dolphins, and the Nashville Predators, just to name a few. The Eaton solution provides brighter illumination with fewer fixtures, so these franchises can spend less on energy costs and more on the things that really matter, like the players and fans.
Firefly Technology Could Mean Brighter LEDs
From bloodstream imaging to lights that run on bioluminescent bacteria, the Photuris firefly has provided science teams around the globe with ideas and theories for advancing technology. Now, this helpful little bug is sharing its secrets once more to help a group of scientists get over 50% more light from LEDs. The group discovered that this species of North American firefly has scales on their abdomens that have jagged edges which causes the fireflies to flash brighter when trying to attract potential firefly mates. This pattern “could be easily tailored to existing diode designs to help humans light up the night while using less energy,” according to the Optical Society of America. A researcher at Canada’s University of Sherbrooke has tested the theory by layering a light-sensitive material on a standard LED bulb and, using a laser, etched a pattern similar to the firefly’s scales. The test was a success; the bulb emitted about 55% more light. The research could mean bright things for the future.
What advances in LED technology are you excited to see? Share them in the comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Pinterest for more exciting news from the lighting world.
https://cleantechnica.com/brighter-leds-inspired-by-fireflies-efficiency-increased-by-55-percent/
http://www.ledinside.com/news/2017/4/these_are_the_top_10_led_cities_in_the_us
http://www.lightdirectory.com/news-Pittsburgh-Pirates-Install-Eaton%92s-Advanced-LED-Lighting--System-At-PNC-Park-In-Time-For-2017-Season.htm
