The Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has launched the first interactive website to help homeowners choose the right light bulbs, fixtures and controls to maximize energy savings, calculate lighting costs and achieve lighting effects to meet a wide range of needs in their homes. It also shows how to design safe, healthy lighting for aging adults.

The site, Lighting Patterns for Homes, helps homeowners and others navigate the increasing number of lighting options in today’s marketplace and allows them to see how various options will actually look by viewing photo-realistic illustrations created by 3-D modeling software.

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Strong growth in lighting products and its ability to reduce the per lumen LED cost led to higher LED adoption despite the slow macro environment. Improving factory utilization, process improvements and new lower-cost product designs increased Cree’s gross margin to 38.1%, compared to 34.9% in Q3 2012. Additionally, a strong execution and focused capital spending increased its cash and cash equivalent by more than $50 million in the quarter.

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Terry 041513 from David Rokos on Vimeo.

I hope there’s not a brawl at the staff meeting later today at the Alliance to Save Energy.

New LED light bulbs that the manufacturer claims to be nothing short of revolutionary arrived in the office of president Kateri Callahan this morning. She’d been anticipating this, and she really wanted to keep them for herself. But instead, she’ll auction them off.

The bulbs are the latest development from North Carolina lighting manufacturer Cree. They’re meant to bring the advancements — in price and performance — that will finally budge consumers who are hesitant to give up their old, woefully inefficient incandescent light bulbs.

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Here’s a bright idea: light bulbs that use 75% to 80% less energy.

Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL) and light-emitting diode bulbs (LED) are quickly becoming the new norm. These newer bulbs have a bright future since the U.S. Government passed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which requires a systematic reduction of inefficient incandescent bulbs, culminating in 2014.

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The lighting industry has finally come up with an energy-efficient replacement for the standard incandescent bulb that people actually seem to like: the LED bulb.

Energy use in the United States typically increases during the holiday season. At this time of year, festive holiday lights that decorate homes and neighborhoods across the country can drive up energy demand and home energy bills.

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The idea is to promote energy efficient lighting upgrades in public and private schools across New Jersey.  The Christie Administration has launched a new initiative which would do just that.  A total of $6 million has been allocated to pay project costs, which will be available to participants on a first come, first served basis.

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Global electricity use can be slashed by a huge 5 per cent if the rest of the world follows Australia and switches to energy efficient light bulbs.

The carbon emissions saved would be equivalent to taking 122 million cars off the road – triple the benefit to the globe of Australia’s carbon tax.

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China’s lighting suppliers producing light-emitting diodes (LED) and energy-saving products are expected to receive a huge subsidy, which experts said Sunday will speed up the industry’s consolidation.  

The central government is set to unveil a subsidy program worth 2.2 billion yuan ($346 million) in early July to promote the use of energy-saving lamps and LED lighting, China Business Journal reported over the weekend, quoting insiders in the lighting industry.

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