Scientists create flicker-free, shatterproof alternative to fluorescent lights

Fluorescent lights are one of those things that you see everywhere, but that nobody likes. They flicker, they hum, they produce a rather unattractive light, plus they’re fragile and contain toxic substances. They may also be on their way out – scientists from North Carolina’s Wake Forest University have created a new form of lighting that they say could be used in the same large-scale applications as fluorescent bulbs, but that lacks their shortcomings.

Developed by a team led by physicist Prof. David Carroll, the experimental new lights utilize FIPEL (field-induced polymer electroluminescent) technology. Each one is made of three layers of a moldable polymer, blended with a small amount of multi-walled carbon nanotubes – when stimulated via an electrical current, these nanotubes glow, emitting a white light that is said to be similar in appearance to sunlight.

The researchers add that the color of the light is preferable to that of “white” LEDs, which they say actually has a cold blue-ish tinge to it.

Although FIPEL lights can take the traditional fluorescent-like tube form, they can also be made in just about any other shape – or color. This means, for instance, that they could be created in sheet-like panels, or contained in round bulbs that could be screwed into a traditional household fixture.

When it comes to energy efficiency, they’re said to be at least twice as efficient as compact fluorescent bulbs, and about the same as LEDs. They also apparently last quite a long time, with one in Carroll’s lab having worked for about ten years. Additionally, they don’t contain any fragile glass, and won’t release any harmful gases or other substances if broken.

The university is currently working with a commercial partner, and hopes to have FIPEL lights on the market sometime next year.

A paper on the research was just published in the journal Organic Electronics.
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Lighting Science issues recall of 554,000 LED bulbs because of fire hazard

Lighting Science issues recall of 554,000 LED bulbs because of fire hazard
Mar. 20, 2013 (1:00 pm) By: Sal Cangeloso

Lighting Science Group, the Florida-based makers of Home Depot’s EcoSmart LED bulbs as well as branded products for other companies, has issued a recall for a reported 554,000 of its LED bulbs. The bulbs are being called back due to their being a possible fire hazard after internal components overheat. This is a voluntary recall that affects bulbs sold under the Sylvania, Definity, EcoSmart, and Westinghouse brand names.
The recall, which is being organized under the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), was posted yesterday, March 19th, takes place after 68 reported product failures. Eight of those failures led to “visible smoke or fire conditions” and while others caused damage to a socket, fixture, or surrounding object. To date no people have been harmed by the faulty lamps.
The affected products include not just LSG’s own products, but ones that the company has made for other brands. These are 120V household bulbs operating at 6W, 8W and 9W within A19, G25, and PAR20 (R20) bulb types. Using the CPSC’s site and the label on an individual lamp it can be determined which products are affected and which are not.
One lamp that seems to be included in the mix is Home Depot’s popular EcoSmart A19. The bulb was one of the first to be available under the $10 mark, and was viewed as both a big win for Home Depot as well as for Lighting Science (though it’s questionable how much money Lighting Science made on the deal). This was never deemed as a particularly high quality bulb, but those judgements were restricted to the quality of its light and its build, never to its safety. EcoSmart bulbs are still available at Home Depot and Lighting Science’s Definity A19 Omni V2 is still available at Amazon so it seems that newer offerings are not affected.
Any product recall is bad news (especially one that causes fires), but this comes at a particularly bad time for Lighting Science. The company has a new CEO, Jeremy Cage, as of January 2013 and I’ve been told it has lost some talent over the past year. Also, the recall comes just days after Cree’s release of its A19 LED bulbs, products that can match Lighting Science’s low prices but — from what I’ve seen — are higher quality lights. Cree’s products are very competitive and will require a reaction from companies like Lighting Science.
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So what kind of gas is in a fluorescent lamp?

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813-932-1547

So what kind of gas is in a fluorescent lamp?

Surprisingly not many people in the lighting business know.

Answer: Depending on the lamp design and its intended application, the gas employed in commercially available products may be Argon, Krypton, Neon or Xenon – or invariably a mixture of at least two of these components at various different pressures.

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Instant Ice

Instant Ice – Waterbending In Real Life!

 

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://youtu.be/sQdLttUh_b0

 

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LED Street Lights Fail in the Rain

SAN ANTONIO – Earlier this year we told you the City of San Antonio and CPS Energy are spending more than $14 million of your money to replace street lights with energy saving LED fixtures. Now the News 4 WOAI Trouble Shooters have uncovered that all 25,000 of the fixtures had to be sent back to the manufacturer because of a glaring defect.

Close to 2,000 of the street lights are already up in a few areas around the city, but installations came to a halt a few weeks ago when some of the new fixtures began to fail. That wasn’t the first problem with the lights, either. Jaie Avila has the Inside Story on a program CPS Energy has been trying to keep in the shadows.

http://www.woai.com/content/troubleshooters/story/New-LED-street-lights-fail-in-the-rain/lvP8Knczi0y0q4gfn_boOw.cspx

Every time you see something like this It has to make you wonder, was the buying decision base on price?
Commercial Lighting Tampa FL, 813-935-4448 / 813-932-1547

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Most of the popular T12 lamps have been eliminated by the DOE.

The competition in many cases is selling their “One Size Fits All” T8 solution. The Utility also has their agenda with a one-time Rebate, again the “One Size Fits All” and that may be OK.

The creative lighting professional will stand out from the competition by offering real choices that are better for the customer. Application Selling. Please be proactive in seeking your best option.
Commercial Lighting Tampa FL, 813-935-4448 / 813-932-1547

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Fluorescent T5 Conversion Retrofit Kit 4

The good news for these customers is that Superior Lighting is now carrying a T5 retrofit kit for T8 and T12 light bulbs that is virtually “plug n play”. This new kit uses a reflected T5 light bulb and slim ballast that can be plugged into an existing T12 or T8 Light Bulb fixture without the need for complex rewiring. T5 light bulbs are the most efficient and long lasting of the fluorescent tubes and at 28 watts emit the same amount of light as a 40 watt T12 light bulb.

The old ballast is removed and the new kit is installed just like a regular light bulb with the ballast already wired into the kit. The kit also includes a reflector to emit the most amount of light and allow for the de-lamping of fixtures. We have found a 4 light T12 fixtures can now be replaced with just 2 of these T5 retrofit kits. Light output is maintained while system wattage is reduced from approximately 184 watts to 56 watts. Please click our energy savings calculator to see how the savings add up to $56 a year and the simple payback can be reduced to only 12 months!

Commercial Lighting Tampa FL, 813-935-4448 / 813-932-1547

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Fluorescent T5 Conversion Retrofit Kit, continued…

Retrofitting a T12 fixture usually includes changing the ballast, sockets and lamps. We recommend this be done by a licensed electrician of course and seeing as how most small business do not have one on staff the retrofits do not get done. Most people do not want to deal with the hassle of finding a qualified electrician and prefer to live by the old adage that “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”

The problem with that mindset is that thankfully the Government does not share it. Magnetic ballasts commonly used for the T12 lamps’ operation will start becoming part of the past on July 1, 2010, when their continued manufacture for commercial and industrial applications becomes prohibited by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) ballast efficiency regulations. This means that literally millions of existing T12 fluorescent lighting sockets will have to be upgraded sooner rather than later, because the lack of these replacement ballasts will make T12 lighting harder to maintain.
Commercial Lighting Tampa FL, 813-935-4448 / 813-932-1547

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Happy New Year!!!

Wishing everyone a prosperous New Year!

Happy Holidays!!!

Wishing you and yours a safe holday!

 

 

 

Commercial Lighting Tampa FL, 813-868-7509 813-868-7594 813-868-7595

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