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Rothschild Files New LED patent complaint with ITC Against firms in Taiwan and China
LiGHTimes Staff
March 10, 2009...In late February, Gertrude Neumark Rothschild, professor emerita of Materials Science and Engineering at Columbia University in New York, filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission requesting an investigation against Xiamen Sanan Optoelectronics Technology Co Ltd. of China and Taiwan's Chi Mei Lighting Technology Corp, Tekcore Co Ltd, Toyolite Technologies Corp, Tyntek Corp, and Visual Photonics Epitaxy Co Ltd. The complaint alleges that the companies infringed upon Rothschild's U.S. patent no. 5,252,499 for short wavelength LEDs and laser diodes. SSL Design PageTwo members login for more. Guests can view membership details.
Energy Focus, Inc. Provides LED Fountain Lighting for the Burj Dubai
SSLDesign News Staff
March 5, 2009...Energy Focus of Solon, Ohio, a maker of LED lighting for pools and spas, reports that a fountain in front of the famous Burj Dubai will be illuminated with its Crescent brand LED lighting products. The products are produced by Crescent Lighting, an Energy Focus Inc. subsidiary located in the UK. Despite the fact that construction on the Burj Dubai is incomplete, the tower is reportedly the tallest man-made structure ever built. At its current building state the tower stands 2,684 ft tall and forms the center point for of the 2 km(squared) (0.8 sq mi) development called "Downtown Dubai." Energy Focus News Release, SSL Design PageTwo members login for more. Guests can view membership details.
Cities Ask for Share of Stimulus Money for LED-Based Street Lights
SSLDesign News Staff
March 5, 2009...More than 30 cities have asked for more than $104 million in stimulus package funding to switch their streetlights to LEDs, according to an article in USA Today.
The article indicates that Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania plans to replace 40,000 street lights with LEDs. Recently the city council voted on the bid deadline for the estimated $25 million project.
The article notes that Councilman William Peduto, a Democrat, says the city could cut its $4 million annual tab for power and repairs. "Our goal is to become one of the leaders in a full transformation to LED technology," he said.
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DOE Calls on DOE and Federal Laboratories for Round 6 of SSL Core Technologies Program
LiGHTimes Staff
March 5, 2009...The United States Department of Energy (DOE) released a research call to DOE and federal laboratories for its on-going Solid-State Lighting (SSL) Core Technologies program.
The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies Program, are reportedly seeking applications from all DOE National Laboratories, National Science Research Centers, Department of Defense Laboratories ,or any other Federal Laboratory for applied research in the SSL Core Technology Research program area.
The DOE defines "Core Technology" research as applied research needed to advance SSL technologies which provides problem-solving knowledge and data needed to overcome barriers identified in the “Program Areas of Interest” section of the Research Call. Round 6 Research Call for SSL Core Technologies,
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White LEDs to Increase in Market Share and LED Fixtures to Begin Lighting Market Penetration, Strategies Unlimited Predicts
SSLDesign News Staff
March 5, 2009...Strategies Unlimited (SU) released a new report entitled "LED Lighting Fixtures --Market Analysis and Forecast".
The company says that the report offers a detailed assessment of the market drivers and challenges faced by the LED lighting fixture industry in penetrating the general illumination market and it provides application analyses and forecasts for nine lighting market segments through 2012.
In a previously released report SU says the 2007 HB LED market reached $4.6 billion. SU points out that through 2007, LED lighting applications included niche markets such as exit signs, architectural lighting, accent and decorative lighting, and entertainment lighting, many of which used red, green, and blue LEDs. However SU notes that white LED fixtures have begun to capture a strong market position in selected applications such as consumer portable lighting (e.g. flashlights, headlamps) and solar landscape lighting. More recently, the company points out that they have begun to be used on a limited basis in applications such as retail display lighting, commercial and industrial lighting, and outdoor area lighting. Company News Release
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Philips Makes Bold Moves in Solid State Lighting Business
SSLDesign News Staff
February 27, 2009...In the last several weeks Royal Philips Electronics of the the Netherlands and Philips Lumileds have been very active in the solid state lighting realm.
Philips introduced a new solar powered LED-based reading lamp. In another bold move, Philips acquired an Italian LED luminaire maker, Ilti Luce. Philips News Release.
Earlier in the week, Philips Lumileds announced that its Luxeon Rebel LEDs have officially exceeded the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Star guidelines for lumen maintenance. (Ref: Coverage).
So it is not surprising that UK luminaire maker, LiteLED reportedly released a new strip LED luminaire, which leverages the K2 version of Luxeon LEDs from Philips Lumileds.
LiteLED says that the strip luminaire it created can efficiently replace fluorescent T5 and neon lights.
Philips Lumileds News Release.
Among the company's recent accomplishments, Philips developed a solar powered LED-based reading light specifically to allow continued educational work after dark for people in parts of the world without electricity such as Africa. Philips Lighting News Release,
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Advanced Lumonics, LLC Announces UL Listing and FCC Certification for Two Series of LED Bulbs
SSLDesign News Staff
February 27, 2009...Advanced Lumonics, LLC, of Boca Raton, Florida a maker of retrofit modules, announced that its EarthLED EvoLux and ZetaLux series of LED bulbs have achieved UL listing and FCC certification. The company notes that the UL Listing will allow the use of EvoLux and ZetaLux in a variety of projects that require this certification prior to installation and open up many previously untapped markets for LED technology. Company News Release, SSL Design PageTwo members login for more. Guests can view membership details.
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Commentary & Perspectives...
EPA pushes forward on LED light engines for Energy Star despite procedural deceptions
Tom Griffiths - Publisher
March 10, 2009...The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is continuing with its moves to hold on to illegitimate "political turf" in the lighting arena with its latest limited comment period for its "Residential Light Fixtures Revision 4.3 Draft Final". Readers will recall that the EPA added LED light engines as a "technical amendment" to its Energy Star Residential Light Fixture program last summer, without any legitimate stakeholder input process nor any coordination with its Energy Star partner, the US Department of Energy, who actually holds the congressional mandate to promote and manage next generation lighting technologies. In what one might assume to be a response Solid State Lighting Design's request to receive copies of the "4.3 Draft Final" which was issued March 4, the documents are now publicly available for review and comment at the Energy Star RLF specifications page. We'll allow the possibility that the lag was just the standard one between the specification dissemination and getting it posted on the website, but the record has not been one of openness and proper processes at any point in this SSL drama. A note was also received apologizing for an apparent "glitch" in the email system that went unnoticed prior to Solid State Lighting Design's inquiry, along with assurance that the cause of the "glitch" would be investigated to assure it does not happen again. The comment period for this "draft final" has been cited as less than 30-days, and at no time has the EPA adhered to its own policies regarding 270-day minimum required comment periods for new regulations or specifications.
Continuing to what all appearances is a "ramrod" effort to legitimize its initial secretive efforts, the EPA has proceeded to revise the initial versions of RLF revision 4.2, which it released as "final and of immediate effectivity" in June, 2008. After substantial industry pressure was brought to bear, including at least one complaint filed with the Office of the Inspector General for "waste, fraud and abuse" due to the secretive and closed process by which the EPA created and subsequently defended this "technical amendment". Readers are encouraged to review the comments found further down on the referenced specifications page with particular emphasis on key stakeholder comments including those from the Consortium for Energy Efficiency, and Pacific Gas and Electric, which call for suspension of the LED light engine inclusive portions of these technical amendments until the redundant and ill-conceived specification issues can be worked out in partnership with the Department of Energy whose comprehensive and open-process Energy Star Specification for Solid State Lighting includes luminaire and light-engine level specifications. (Recall that CEE is the national organization of energy efficiency program administrators, whose members are responsible for ratepayer-funded efficiency programs in 32 states and 4 Canadian provinces. CEE member programs are the primary vehicle for delivering energy efficiency to more than 50% of the U.S. population and more than 67% of Canadians. In 2007, CEE members’ budgets represented over 90 percent of the total $3.7 billion in state- and province-authorized program budgets. This figure was expected to grow to near $4 billion for 2008). As PG&E flatly stated, "If, working together, we are still unable to resolve these issues [of redundancy and relevance, in conjunction with the DOE] and end up with a revised specification that will meet the needs of our customers, PG&E will not be able to include products qualified under the proposed RLF 4.2 specification in our SSL incentive programs."
In reply to our question on why the EPA Energy Star lighting team has not simply put this "technical amendment" on hold until they sit down with the DOE and come to a cohesive set of specifications, Alex Baker, Lighting Program Manager, Energy Star for the EPA wrote, "EPA is holding a third comment period to continue capturing partner and stakeholder input with regard to ENERGY STAR labeling of residential light fixtures. The draft final specification, V4.3, has been drafted in response to comments and concerns expressed by partner utilities and manufacturers, and other industry stakeholders, during two previous rounds of comments (ending August and November 2008). With the recent change in the Administration, we're confident that inter-Agency coordination issues will be resolved once new appointments are filled." While we don't see anything in the specification drafts that address the main concern expressed by CEE and PG&E (arguably the largest stakeholders there are), at least it sounds like the EPA might be willing to sit down with the DOE at some point.
The current cover letter states that "Comments on the proposals for CCT limits and minimum light output should be submitted to RLF@icfi.com no later than Friday, March 27, 2009." In the "email glitch" note received on Friday, the program manager stated that "If additional time is required [due to the glitch], please feel free to submit written comments during the week following March 27th." [Update as of March 10: EPA just sent out a note that a partner requested the comment period be extended to April 10, which EPA has agreed to.] Regardless of what EPA may deem as the scope of the comments, lighting professionals, luminaire manufacturers and all those involved in the supply and support of the LED lighting technology are "stakeholders" in this process and are encouraged to respond to the EPA with your comments highlighting any continuing technical deficiencies wherever they occur in the specification, including the provisions for non-industry-standard testing criteria with certification by labs that may not have any specialized LED luminaire experience, and insisting that they come to the table with the DOE and industry to unify these specifications rather than continuing with the pretense of this being a useful or necessary revision that only EPA can accomplish.
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