Seattle was named the leader Monday of a national consortium of cities that want more energy-efficient streetlights.

The U.S. Department of Energy chose Seattle and Seattle City Light for their work in seeking more environmentally friendly technology and carbon neutrality.

Seattle in 2007 began replacing its streetlights with longer-lasting, brighter LED streetlights. Making the switch required a lot of product testing and research, and the city can now share that knowledge with other places considering the switch.

Seattle intends to replace 40,000 streetlights in the next five years, including about 5,000 this year.

The replacement will cost about $23 million over five years, $1 million of which is from a federal grant. The city expects to save millions on energy and maintenance with the new lights.

With more than 34 million streetlights in use nationally, the DOE thinks switching to LED lights could save communities as much $750 million a year in energy costs.

As head of the Municipal Solid State Street Lighting Consortium, Seattle City Light will receive a $200,000 federal grant and recruit 50 cities to join.

Originally Posted by Seattle Times staff

In one of the boldest renewable energy standards set thus far, Colorado’s governor Bill Ritter has signed into law a bill requiring 30% of the state’s energy mix come from renewable sources by 2020. Which means, in the next 10 years, Colorado will get nearly a full third of its power from wind, solar, and other clean sources–now that’s some serious progress.

The move gives Colorado the 2nd highest renewable energy standard of any state in the US, coming in just behind California’s 33% requirement by the same time.

Ritter said at a signing ceremony that Colorado’s efforts to create a friendly business climate for renewable energy has attracted pioneering companies such as wind turbine manufacturer Vestas Wind Systems A/S.
The bill emphasizes home electricity production using devices such as solar panels and small wind turbines. State officials have predicted that 100,000 Colorado homes could begin producing energy because of state programs.
On top of all that, Aspen Daily News cites a report that predicts that the bill will end up producing 33,500 jobs, and injecting a whopping $4.3 billion into the state’s economy. The bill will reduce carbon emissions by an amount that’s equivalent to taking 670,000 cars off the road. Not bad, Colorado.

LEDs offer a lot of advantages over incandescent bulbs – they’re extremely energy efficient, can last for up to 17 years, and they’re cool to the touch, since very little energy is emitted as heat. Capitalizing upon this third oft-ignored quality, the designers at D-Vision unveiled a cool little lamp composed of 97% soap at their ON/OFF exhibit during Milan Design Week. Since the bulbs radiate hardly any energy as heat, the designers were able to use soap as a lampshade material, bringing energy-efficient clean tech to a whole new level.

So where does $60 million in LED research going? It seems a large chunk of grants from the department of Energy is going towards improving the 3 things that we’ve been talking about for a while: Price, light output and color.

Price – Bringing down manufacturing costs and ultimate end costs to the consumer by improving the materials used and finding cheaper alternatives to creating LEDs.
Light Output – Focusing on creating LED dies that are brighter, lenses that don’t cut light output and cover the LED “dots” that people see in bulbs and fixture, as well as creating fixtures that can be used by consumers that are bright enough to replace a 100W incandescent bulb.
Improving the color output - Researching new phosphor materials (which are currently being used in fluorescent lighting as well) that make LED light “warmer”

The Garfield Board of Education partnered with Millennium Visual Systems to create two real-time information displays for Garfield High School and The Woodrow Wilson Public School #5. The Woodrow Wilson School added a special touch with a colorful, personalized header for their programmable display. This adds to the beauty and sophistication of the campus.

The displays are powerful tools in communicating with the school community. They will be used to exhibit school announcements, emergency messages and town information.

Millennium Visual Systems, headquartered in Woodcliff Lake, NJ with Business Operations in Chestnut Ridge, NY, designs, produces, sells, and services electronic signs and programmable displays that are widely used in restaurants, convenience stores, retail businesses, schools, hospitals, offices, factories and government facilities. Millennium Visual Systems is a 12 year-young company with expert staff that assists clients in all aspects of a project. From concept development, to installation, to follow-up, Millennium Visual Systems ensures customer satisfaction with ongoing hardware and software support and service. For more information please call (845) 356-4100 or visit at www.millenniumvisuals.com, Facebook, Twitter, or Linkedin. Also, you can visit our outdoor gallery to view more pictures of our recent projects.

NAPERVILLE, IL. ––PolyBrite International, Inc. developer of Borealis LED (Light Emitting Diode) lamps and lighting systems announced that The City of Naperville has concluded their 6 month LED streetlight testing period with up to 60% savings in energy usage. Seven 120 watt Borealis LED streetlights with a like number of 350 watt HPS (High Pressure Sodium) streetlights were monitored from June 2009 through January 2010. The Borealis LED streetlights on loan from PolyBrite International were tested along the south side of Diehl Road between Country Club Boulevard and Fairway Drive.

“The successful Borealis LED streetlight pilot test has saved the City of Naperville in electricity use, in turn saving tax payer dollars,” said Carl Scianna, President and CEO of PolyBrite International. Mr. Scianna further noted, “The test concludes that Borealis LED streetlights consumed a remarkable average of 57.6% less energy than the HPS streetlights. The goal is to replace all public lighting with LEDs to significantly reduce electricity use and green house gas emissions…a win-win situation for our city budgets and for the environment.”

PolyBrite’s patented LED technology, used in all Borealis lamps and lighting systems, will reduce the city’s operating costs, including lower energy usage and reduced maintenance and bulb replacement. The City of Naperville’s cost saving calculations project an annual GHG (green house gas) savings by 2015 to be 4,739 metric tons of CO2e (Carbon dioxide equivalent) per year and an annual financial savings, by 2015, of at least $500,000 per year once all the streetlights and traffic signal are converted to LED. These estimates are based on a conservative electricity rate and increases in energy costs would result in higher cost savings. Final Energy Savings Results of Borealis LED Streetlight.

Borealis LED streetlights produce a sharp, pure color without glare and feature an instant “on” with no cold starting as compared to HPS street lights, which typically take several minutes to get to full brightness. Motion sensors and lighting controls can also be used with Borealis LED lighting since they can be turned on and off instantly. Furthermore, Borealis LED streetlights are better equipped to withstand extreme hot and cold temperatures and provide more control over what is illuminated, thus reducing light pollution making it an ideal solution for public lighting.

The City of Naperville requested public input and approval of the test installations. The response from the community has been extremely positive.

Create a long, thin skyscraper, make it green and gorgeous, and then turn it on its side. That was the thinking behind Steven Holl’s recently completed Vanke Center in China. Not only is the mixed-use building green, diverse, and tsunami-proof — it’s also in the running for LEED Platinum certification.

Steven Holl’s well-known design aesthetic and green credentials have made him a favorite. His latest project was conceived as a new headquarters for Shenzen Vanke Real Estate that will house everything from office spaces and a conference center to apartments, a hotel, and even a spa. While initially the program called for a number of smaller structures, each with their own program, Steven and his team decided to create one large superstructure propped up on eight legs.

The 1,296,456 square-foot building is less than 35 meters high. Lengthwise though, the building is a long as the Empire State Building is tall — a distance of about 440 meters. Underneath the horizontal skyscraper is a landscaped area with a number of water features which give the impression that the building is floating on water. The different programs are connected by a public path that cuts across the landscaped gardens, which were inspired by Roberto Burle Marx’s work. Thanks to its elevated structure, the project is able to give back a public space to the city.

The complex’ green features include car parking spaces for electric vehicles with built-in charging stations. Additionally, The doors, floors, and furniture are made from bamboo, and the carpets are composed of recycled material. High-performance glazing has been installed in the building’s facade, while solar panels will provide 15% of the office’s electricity. All of these combined features are elevating the building towards LEED Platinum status. The horizontal skyscraper’s sophisticated elevated structure also functions to protect it from damage in the event of a tsunami. The project has received a 2010 Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects.

Originally Posted on Inhabitat.com by Jorge Chapa, 03/15/10

LED, or light-emitting diode, technology, once confined to the tiny red indicator lights on TV remotes, is the next big revolution in the consumer electronics industry.

LED, or light-emitting diode, has come a long way since its first discovery in the early 1900s. Back in the 1970s, manufacturers used LED as a status indicator on consumer electronic products (yes, the red little dot on your watches and TV remotes) or alphanumeric display on calculators. LED technology has since evolved to offer more colours and higher brightness, diversifying its application especially in the lighting world. With more colours – green, yellow, orange, blue and white, to name a few – LED has made its way to don traffic lights, billboards, signages and vehicle dashboards. In tech gadgets, LED is used as light source in projectors and backlight in notebook computers.

Increasing usage
LED usage has gone up worldwide as the technology allows manufacturers to advance their products by offering slimmer and brighter models.

“Edge-lit LED backlighting helps reduce the depth of products and upsell the slimness factor,” says Wee Teck Loo, head of global consumer electronics research, Euromonitor International.

Notebook makers also use LED as backlighting to reduce the thickness of the machines and get longer battery life. Acer, for example, has refreshed its Aspire One range and launched the LED-backlit netbook D250 in Malaysia.

Apple’s new iPad tablet has a touch-screen that uses LED as backlighting,
and this is touted as a key selling
point.

LED usage goes beyond consumer electronics. Audi, for example, uses LED daytime-running lights to improve visibility so its cars can be quickly seen by motorists to avoid potential road accidents.

Wider appeal
As prices of the LED modules fall, what was once traditionally a backlighting technology for high-end displays, is now going mainstream.

“In the PC monitor space across the Asia-Pacific (excluding Japan) over the last three quarters, we have seen this market grow in excess of 150 per cent quarter-on-quarter.

“There are advantages of more uniform lighting across the monitor, longer-lasting backlight, so the monitor lifecycle can be extended and power consumption lowered,” says Reuben Tan, senior manager for personal systems research, IDC Asia-Pacific.

He sees more end users jumping onto the LED bandwagon when pricing of LED-backlit monitors falls to as low as that for their traditional CCFL, or cold cathode fluorescent lamp, counterpart.

“For higher-end desktops (such as gaming machines) or workstation bundles, this could happen this year, or as an upsell to regular monitors,” he says.

LED application

Mobile phones
Due to its durability, small size and high luminous efficiency, LED is practical in mobile devices such as phones. The backlighting in phones such as in keypads and panels uses low-power white LEDs. Some phone models feature a flash light mechanism which uses multiple LEDs that are connected to give brighter illumination.

Apart from white LEDs, RGB (red, green and blue wavelengths) LEDs are used to enhance phone aesthetics. With a combination of colours, RGB LEDs may be used as a blinking light for incoming messages or calls.

Notebook computers
The popularity of notebooks came about mainly because of their light weight, advanced features and handy size. A key driving technology behind such miniaturisation is LED lighting.

Apart from efficient illumination in monitor displays, LED lights need little battery upload, giving notebooks additional energy for other functions. Not only that, the LED driver provides flexibility in implementation of programs, synchronisation with other applications, and advanced safety features that help redefine the functionality of a notebook.

Digital cameras
The efficiency of LED is needed in the flash fucntion of digital cameras so clear photos can be taken. The industry is keeping up with this demand by providing flash LED drivers, display backlight drivers and lighting management units.

Digital cameras also now come with high zoom capability and impressive features even for night photography. This is made possible by high-power LEDs (one watt) used in camera phones to back up picture taking in dark environments.

What’s more, LED lighting uses minimal power.

Automotive lighting
LED can greatly reduce accidents, especially at night, since it offers steady, bright illumination over a long distance. This gives the driver of oncoming traffic more time to react and avoid a collision, especially rear-end crashes.

Also, LED, unlike incandescent and other automotive lighting types, does not break and is shock-resistant.

Personal navigation devices
Consumers have moved from standalone GPS receivers to personal navigation devices to get around in unfamiliar territory. Just like in mobile phones and PDAs, LED has made the backlighting in display panels as well as indicator and keypad lights clearer and brighter.

Personal media devices
Among the many personal media devices within the consumer electronics industry, the PDA is the most popular. It not only helps you keep track of your schedules, but also let you send and receive e-mail or used as an Internet phone.

Like MP3 players and handheld gaming consoles, modern PDAs that use LED lighting in their monitor panels and keyboards have been able to reduce their bulk considerably. Coupled with efficient energy use and brighter displays, it is little wonder that such devices are getting more popular.

Printers and multi-functional devices
In the printer and multi-function device market, LED helps enhance performance and cut energy use.

With advanced exposure control technology such as Digitally Enhanced Lighting Control Imaging System, LED printheads can achieve a consistent high print resolution (1,200 by 2,400 dots per inch), resolving the conventional laser printhead limitations. LED printheads also use 45 per cent less energy.

LEDs are also used as a scanner’s light source. Scanners using high-intensity LED light source can achieve up to 1.5 times brighter scans than conventional scanner lamps. LED also allows scanners to use two-thirds less energy with improved scanning precision and speed.

Three key benefits

• Technologically advanced
LEDs consume less power at the same level of brightness compared to conventional lighting. For example, a red traffic light signal head with 196 LEDs consume 10 watts compared to incandescent light which uses 150W. They are also smaller, so they can be used in smaller and lighter devices.

• Benefits to consumers
LEDs are cooler to the touch after significant periods of operation compared to existing incandescent bulbs. They produce a clear white light (more like a fluorescent tube) rather than the warm yellow light from an incandescent bulb.

• Long-term savings
LEDs last up to 100 times longer than an incandescent bulb and use up to 80 per cent less energy to produce a comparable amount of light. Efficiency ensures 82 to 93 per cent savings in terms of operational and maintenance costs. LEDs also have a long life, about 100,000 hours, as they are stronger than an incandescent bulb and harder to break.

This intriguing – and somewhat complex – concept design for a bathroom mirror brings the water crisis right in front of your face. The mirror is lit with LEDs powered by the flow of water in the pipes. As you use the mirror throughout the year, the patterns of water use and supply create a frame, and you can see how your habits affect the planet.

Designer Jin Kim’s idea is that the mirror breaks down daily, monthly and annual use of water. As you use too much water, there’s a control in the mirror so your supply can be limited. And if the lights are meaningless to the user, there are also icons for those who are affected by water misuse – kids, ecosystems, polar bears – so you’re guilted into shutting off the faucet.

At the end of a year, you can see your usage patterns and know what kind of progress you’ve made in trimming down your consumption.

Design kinks aside – such as how to power the mirror’s LEDs if you’re constantly reducing the flow of water down the drain and so reducing the amount of harvested energy, and if that’s even a way to harvest enough energy for 1 LED, let alone dozens – if you needed a way to keep the water crisis front and center during your morning routine, this would be the design for you.

Originally Posted on Treehugger.com
Images via Yanko Design

Digital boards outside fast-food restaurants can pay for themselves in as little as four months, according to display maker Daktronics.

In a new study, the firm cites testimonials from unnamed users of digital reader boards saying that the displays have increased their business by between nine and 20 percent, as well as U.S. Small Business Administration figures suggesting sales uplifts can range from 15 to 150 percent.

Working with the lowest of these figures – a nine percent uplift – Daktronics then calculates that if a quick-service restaurant (QSR) with gross annual sales of $1.175m and a gross margin of 68 percent spends $30,000 on a digital reader board, sales over the year will increase by just under $72,000.

That represents a return on investment in the first year of nearly 240 percent.

“A digital reader board with effective messages typically will pay for itself within four to 18 months,” the firm concludes.

But “the return is proportional to the content quality displayed on the digital reader board and its integration into a marketing campaign”, cautions Daktronics.

The boards are also more effective than conventional media on the basis of cost per thousand exposures (CPM), argues Daktronics.

Taking the Seattle area as an example, the company says that the main local newspaper carries a CPM of at least $22.52, TV at least $5.14, and radio at least $1.80, against just $0.35 for a digital reader board.

Daktronics also argues that heavy commuters – those most likely to pass a digital reader board regularly – are less exposed than other segments of the population to newspapers and TV, necessitating another way to reach them.

Other factors making digital reader boards attractive to QSR operators, according to the display manufacturer, are that they attract attention; can promote multiple different products and services, changing according to the time of day; are safer and quicker to update than non-digital boards; and encourage impulse buys, which account for nearly 40 percent of fast-food restaurant business.

originally posted on screen.tv.com