Chestnut Ridge, NY (January 2010)- The United States Military Academy at West Point has completed the installation of a project designed by Millennium Visual Systems of Chestnut Ridge, NY.  Three LED Electronic Programmable Displays were installed at each of the three primary entrances to the base.  Each display is incorporated into a structure that matches the surrounding the granite and brick buildings that are over one hundred years old.

Millennium’s team worked with the Military Academy’s Public Relations staff to create a project that would enhance base security while increasing the ability to communicate effectively to base personnel, residents and visitors.

“West Point is home to some of the richest history that the United States has to offer. It was important to us to collaborate with officials at The Point to come up with a design that would enhance security on the base, enhance the campus and not detract from its historic roots” said Dave Goldberg, owner and CEO of Millennium Visual Systems.

For more pictures from this and other projects check out our Outdoor Gallery.

Have you had your encounter yet?

Unless you’re a complete shut-in, energy efficiency has undoubtedly penetrated your day-to-day activities in some way.

From utility bill inserts to presidential pleas, it’s hard to escape the efficiency mantra that has swept the nation — and the world.

And while small steps are helping millions of homeowners save on their energy bills, few realize the cumulative effect the trend toward efficiency is having on billion-dollar corporations and the broader public markets.

Indeed, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) has literally adopted energy efficiency, issuing the following statement after a big switch in its approach to data management:

Today’s announcement means that NYSE Technologies and Voltaire can now offer customers the lowest latency and most energy efficient solution for accelerating market data applications. The performance and cost savings this solution provides is critical for financial services firms that rely on speed and performance to gain competitive advantage but also need to keep a close eye on data center power requirements and spending.

Obviously, the NYSE paid Voltaire for its services, as have numerous other companies looking to lower the power bill associated with data storage and processing. That’s what I mean by the ‘cumulative effect’ of the trend toward efficiency…

The companies providing the solutions stand to make a killing. Look what Voltaire returned to investors as it racked up contracts in the IT efficiency space:

And that’s just one company in one small sub-sector of energy efficiency. There are plenty more companies offering equally impressive gains as the layers of energy efficiency are peeled away.

Profiting From the Energy Efficiency Onion

If you think about efficiency as an onion, there are many layers from which to profit, some easily identifiable and others more hidden.

In addition to data storage efficiency, investors can profit from efficient lighting, cogeneration, insulation, smart glass, digital meters, smart thermostats, Energy Star appliances, and so on. And that’s just off the top of my head.

The business world is currently in a frenzy to reduce energy usage, led by policy, incentives, and shareholder demand. Companies realize they can improve their bottom lines — and, therefore, value for shareholders — by reducing operational costs. And they’re willing to pay upfront to do so.

Last week, I touched on the efforts of giant corporations like Wal-Mart, Johnson & Johnson, and Morgan Stanley to streamline their operations and reduce energy costs. Each example represented a unique layer of the efficiency onion… and each one had a unique profit angle for investors.

But this trend is only now embarking on a years-long journey.

PepsiCo just announced that seven of its plants went to zero waste in 2009 as part of the company’s goal to shrink its footprint worldwide. Not sending tons of garbage to the dump adds to the bottom line.

And UPS recently added 245 compressed natural gas trucks to its fleet, bringing the total up to 1,900. Paying less to fuel a fleet of trucks adds to the bottom line.

Those are two more examples of efficiency layers. Of course, there are plenty more. But to drive home the point, take a look at the plays that benefit when Pepsi produces less waste or UPS adopts CNG vehicles:

Westport Innovations (NASDAQ: WPRT) develops heavy engines that run on natural gas and Casella Waste Systems (NASDAQ: CWST) offers solid waste management and recycling services. Expect these efficiency-related sectors to gain even more attention as fleets and factories try to optimize their operations.

Low-Hanging Layers

Right now, the low-hanging layers of the efficiency onion are being peeled away: replacing old diesel trucks, improving energy-hungry data centers, etc.

But there is plenty more to come. Nearly every building and electronic device on the planet is a target for efficiency. There are plenty of companies ready to make it happen… and they’ll be profiting — as will their shareholders — for years to come.

An easy way to get in on the action is to buy the First Trust Smart Grid Infrastructure Index Fund (NASDAQ: GRID). It’ll give you access to dozens of companies making money by making the use of energy more efficient.

For a more concentrated way to profit from this trend, you’ll want to read my new report on the one company that could triple as its sales explode, thanks to the efficiency trend. Those who got on-board early have doubled their money in just a few weeks time…

But there’s much more to come as this company’s unique energy-saving device is installed in millions of homes across the country.

Call it like you see it,

Nick

Originally Posted on www.energyandcapital.com

If you made the switch from traditional energy-sucking holiday lights to efficient LED ones this year, we applaud you. But we also know that they aren’t the cheapest thing in the world. That’s why were were absolutely delighted to receive this clever tip from reader SleepySyrup that lets you leverage your LED light investment into something that can provide you with light year-round instead of just around the holidays:

“A string of LED holiday lights, combined with a two-dollar socket adapter from your local home-improvement store, can transform a lamp or overhead light into an eco-friendly light source. A 50-bulb string uses less than 5 watts of electricity, and, this time of year, they can be had for a fraction of the price of a commercial LED bulb.”

Thanks SleepySyrup! And to all of our other readers, if you have a tip that you want to see on Inhabitat, usethis form to let us know about it. Remember, sticking to our guidelines means you have a better chance at seeing your submission published.

Originally Posted on: www.inhabitat.com

By LEORA BROYDO VESTELAs part of the government’s aggressive push for more energy efficient lighting options, the Department of Energy announced Friday it had awarded more than $37 million instimulus funds for research and development projects that will help advance the market for products that use light-emitting diodes, or LEDs.

aA significant portion of the 17 projects selected to receive money were proposed by well-known lighting companies, including General Electric, Osram Sylvania, Philips and Cree. The awardees have promised to pony up an additional $28.5 million in private-industry matching funds for the projects, and to spend the money in the United States.

“These solid-state lighting projects will help us significantly cut our energy use, reduce our carbon footprint and save money,” Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in a statement. “This funding will also support the United States as a global leader in this rapidly evolving industry, creating high-tech, value-added jobs.”

This is the sixth round of Energy Department funding for solid-state lighting projects, but the first time money has been given to develop better manufacturing technologies. According to the department, the focus on manufacturing is part of a new initiative to accelerate adoption of LEDs by improving quality and cost – while also encouraging production in the United States.

A considerable amount of LED manufacturing occurs in Asia, according to the department’s solid-state lighting research and development plan. The plan states that developing advanced automation methods could improve product consistency, reduce labor content and potentially make domestic production “a more attractive option than it is today.”

Lighting accounts for about 24 percent of energy use in buildings in the United States, and the Department of Energy estimates that LEDs – which have the potential to be 10 times more energy efficient than traditional incandescents – could shrink electricity use for lighting by a third nationally by 2030.

The idea behind the design was to muddle the barrier between the room and its contents, creating the illusion that light comes from the room itself.

If you’re like us, you’ve been salivating over the all of the fresh green gadgets presented at last week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. It wasn’t easy, but we managed to narrow down the list to our five favorite gizmos unveiled at the show. From fun new approaches to portable power generation to ultra-efficient displays and sleek eco laptops, check out the full list after the jump!

5. CASIO GREEN SLIM VIDEO PROJECTOR

Environmentally conscious movie lovers, rejoice: Casio has unveiled the world’s first mercury-free line of projectors. Dubbed the ” Green Slim” line, the 9 new projectors show images at up to 3,000 lumens using a hybrid LED and laser system. That’s significantly brighter than today’s projectors, which beam 2,000 lumens. Casio also claims that the projectors’ brightness deteriorates slower than in mercury-filled projectors. Stay tuned for pricing details.

4. ASUS WAVEFACE ULTRA SMARTPHONE BRACELET

Want to pretend you’re in a sci-fi movie? The Waveface Ultra can help. Asus’ conceptual OLED wristband doubles as a piece of jewelry and an ultra high-tech smartphone. No word on a release date, but information junkies are sure to be waiting with baited breath.

3. PIXEL QI UNVEILS TRANSFLECTIVE LCD SCREENS

We first saw Pixel Qi’s remarkable energy-efficient displays in the OLPC laptop, and we’re thrilled to see them unveil their latest work: a full-color LCD that doubles as an E-Ink quality display for reading in light. With so many tablet pcs on the horizon, expect to see multitasking super-efficient displays such as this everywhere in the near future.

2. SONY VAIO W SERIES LAPTOP

The Sony Vaio W series “Eco Edition” mini laptop comes in a green-tinted plastic enclosure made from 23% recycled CDs and has a carrying case made from recycled plastic bottles. The device is energy efficient too, with RoHS, Energy Star 5.0, and EPEAT certification. Sony’s latest offering also has a high-definition, 10.1 inch LED screen, 250 gigabytes of hard drive storage, and up to seven hours of battery life. At just $450, it’s a reasonably-priced offering for anyone that needs a second computer for simple tasks. Need we go on?

1. YOGEN HANDHELD CHARGER

Handheld emergency chargers are nothing new, but the YoGen makes electricity generation extra easy. Users simply pull on the string to generate a 5 watt charge. No matter how hard you pull, the same charge is generated. And since the YoGen generates the same charge as a plug-in charger, it’s easy to keep track of how much power is being produced — one minute of pulling generates the same amount of power as one minute using a wall charger, and so on. The charger sells for $39.99 in the YoGen online store.

Originally Posted on inhabitat.com on 1/11/10

12 pack Rechargeable, LED Candles

Millennium Visual Systems has donated over 4000 battery-operated, LED candles to a local Chapter of American Red Cross that responds to disasters in the Greater Somerset County area of New Jersey. These flameless and smokeless candles provide the look of a flickering candle without the danger of an open flame.

Amy Sutton, the Chief Executive Officer of this Chapter of the Red Cross, said,  “Your contribution helps us move closer to realizing our vision of a resilient community, one that can survive and recover quickly from any kind of disaster. Now we can encourage residents to use the LED candles instead of traditional candles to prevent house fires”. She continued, “Millennium’s donation will be shared with Red Cross Chapters throughout the state of NJ.”

The statistics are startling. According to the US Fire Administration, in 2008 over 20,000 people were injured or killed as a result of fire and direct property loss due to fires was estimated at $15.5 billion. In the United States, someone dies from a home fire roughly every 134 minutes. Many of these deaths could have been prevented with attention paid to open flames or use of an alternative source, such as the LED candle.