LED + SSL

The Department of Energy has released revised competition requirements for the L Prize–the DOE-sponsored technology competition aimed at producing solid-state lighting products that can replace the common light bulb. The revised competition requirements include updates in several key areas, including 1) a specification for chromaticity, which compliments the existing specification for correlated color temperature, and [...]

Here’s my lead editorial from the July issue of Illuminate, which you may find interesting: This year’s Lightfair International in New York City was memorable for many things, but topping the list in my mind is how LED products and standards swept the Lightfair Innovation Awards. Calculite Solid-State Downlights by Philips Lightolier, a family of [...]

Architectural SSL Magazine has launched SSL Interactive, a blog about solid-state lighting for buildings. Content will include product and project reviews, technical data and other stories. Be sure to see the “Rules” page if you are interested in contributing. There was a typo in the URL, which has been corrected.

On December 19, 2008, the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra in Jena, Germany, performed works by composers Alexander Scriabin, Igor Stravinsky and Georg Friedrich Haas in a concert hall filled with 170 weather balloons that changed color to complement and enhance the music–the joint effort between an artist and members of the Future Lighting Solutions network. The [...]

The Lighting Controls Association (LCA) has announced that EE300: Lighting Control of LEDs has been added to the Association’s popular online Education Express distance education courses. Residing at the Association’s website, www.aboutlightingcontrols.org, Education Express provides in-depth education about lighting controls and controllable ballast technology, application, system design and commissioning, as well as meta-issues such as [...]

Today, Chuck Swoboda, CEO of Cree, a manufacturer of LED products, joined President Obama at the White House to discuss the latest developments in energy-efficient technologies. Swoboda and seven other CEOs representing American companies were invited to meet with President Obama to discuss American innovation in areas such as clean energy and the potential benefits [...]

Guest post by Jim Brodrick, reprinted with permission from Postings: from the desk of Jim Brodrick Life is good this week on the West Coast. I’m in Vancouver, Washington for the second Department of Energy (DOE) SSL Manufacturing Workshop. The weather is supposed to be beautiful — 75-80 degrees. After the waterlogged last couple of [...]

Check out this video from GE, which showcases a number of potential applications for OLEDs, including illuminated clothing (e.g., emergency services gear), decorative “wall peel” lighting, portable lighting, concealed lighting, signage and luminous stairs. Wow!

Venetian lighting company Studio Italia Design commissioned self-taught artist, Denis Santachiara to create Magnetita, a contemporary, fully adjustable LED table light. The product features an advanced balancing system in which magnets maintain the luminaire’s equilibrium for precise movement. I checked on Studio Italia Design USA and the product wasn’t listed there as of June 17. [...]