Students turn junk into light at solar lamp design contest

Using junk material such as coconut shells, discarded telephone instruments, and wooden boxes students of engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu have shown how it is possible to make solar lamps for just around Rs 300.

As many as 65 teams from 20 institutions participated in an inter-collegiate solar lamp design contest organised jointly by The Solarillion Initiative, a branch of the prestigious IEEE and the online renewable energy newsletter, Panchabuta.

The competition was held after a work shop organised by the three entities to familiarise engineering students with solar energy.

A team from the Chennai-based B. S. Abdur Rahman University won the first prize in the contest; the second and third prizes went to Aalim Muhammed Salegh College of Engineering based in Vellore and Jeppiaar Engineering College. The prizes were given away by the eminent agricultural scientist and Magsaysay award winner, Dr M. S. Swaminathan, at a function held here today at the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation.

The solar lamps displayed at the event showed how the lamps could be made from even junk material as long as you have the three major elements of a solar lamp – solar panel, batteries and LED lights.

Speaking at the function, Dr Swaminathan called for an Integrated Energy Security Policy with emphasis on renewable energy and with particular focus on solar energy. He said it was important that the students community realised the importance of solar energy.

Vineeth Vijayaraghavan, Founder-Editor, Panchabuta, said that the organisers would take the workshop-competition events to other parts of Tamil Nadu in the coming months, in deference to the demand by various colleges and universities.

Ramesh Rajesh, Co-Founder of The Solarillion Initiative, said that the not-for-profit initiative focused on solar education, research, capacity building and social projects that aimed to reach out to millions of college students in five years.

The state will begin the improvements in spring 2014 and plan to have the work completed by that fall, DOT officials told the Riverhead Town Board during its work session Thursday morning.

Sidewalks on both sides of Main Street from Union to Griffing avenues will be repaired or replaced, old trees will be removed and replaced with "columnar" varieties that won't block lights or signs, and new street lights will be installed, DOT officials said. The state will also build new sidewalks where none currently exist on the north side of West Main Street west to Tanger Outlets.

All sidewalks and intersections will be compliant with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, said DOT engineer and assistant to the regional director Patricia Audinot.

Supervisor Sean Walter said the town has been waiting a long time for these improvements and he was disappointed that they wouldn't begin until 2014.

LED street lights will have to wait

It doesn’t yet pay to replace old high-pressure sodium street lights with high efficient light-emitting diode fixtures, although the numbers are changing fast.

A two-year Maple Ridge pilot project examined the costs and benefits of 24 new LED street lights installed at the corner of Abernethy Way and 224th Street. It found that the lights would actually cost the district $23,894 more over 20 years than the orange sodium lights.

That’s because the $48,000 capital cost of the LEDs far exceeded the $4,800 cost of the old high-pressure models. The cost-benefit of LED lights is not quite there yet, but it’s getting close, public works general manager Frank Quinn told council.

And that doesn’t mean Maple Ridge is giving up on the new technology. LED lights continue to drop in price, to less than half of what they were two years ago.

The district will monitor the trends as the technology improves and prices drop, while it will encourage B.C. Hydro to retrofit its own street lights – which make up about a third of those in Maple Ridge.

Two recommended projects would be a test LED streetlight project in a neighbourhood area, possibly with participation from a business partner, as well as test retrofitting of existing street lights.

When compared to the old HPS lights, which use 188 watts of electricity, the new LED use only 129 watts. Maple Ridge pays $3.52 a month for the electricity used by each street light.

The pilot project found that the 24 LED street lights on Abernethy Way would save Maple Ridge $9,366 in power costs over 20 years.

However, when a manufacturer’s discount and a grant Maple Ridge received are figured into the analysis, the district would save $16,000 over two decades. Coun. Mike Morden asked if cellphone companies could pay for LED light fixtures, if combined with cell towers.

And what about solar-powered street lights, if such technology exists? But sustainability manager Laura Benson said LED lights are so efficient they wouldn’t need solar power.

Research technician Alexandra Tudose said in a report that LED lights will be mandatory in Nova Scotia by 2019 because of the high cost of electricity in that province.

Historically, LED MR16 solutions provided only directional light, making it impossible for them to fully illuminate and enhance decorative glasswork in light fixtures. Uniquely designed and patented with LEDs in the front and the rear of the lamp, the TerraLUX Decorative MR16 LED Lamp produces high quality (96 CRI) and warm light (3000k) that is ideal for use in high-end lighting fixtures that are commonly found in restaurants, bars and in specialty glass scones and hanging pendants.

“Lighting Design Lab is a highly respected organization that our customers in the Northwest look to for guidance and expertise on energy efficient technologies available in their area,” said TerraLUX’s Anthony Catalano, Chief Technical Officer and inventor of the unique patented technology. “We are honored to have the Decorative MR16 Lamp recognized by Lighting Design Lab as a lighting solution their clients should consider for their decorative fixture retrofit projects.”

New Technology Inspires a Rethinking of Light

AFTER the joy of the birth itself, parenthood sometimes brings the unwelcome news that a newborn has jaundice and must wear goggles and be placed under special lights. Imagine how different this experience might be if there were no goggles, just a warm blanket covering the tiny body, a healing frequency of blue light emanating from its folds.

 That comforting scene, already a reality in some hospitals, is evidence of the fundamental rethinking of lighting now under way in research labs, executive offices and investor conferences. Digital revolutionaries have Edison’s 130-year-old industry, and its $100 billion in worldwide revenue, in their sights. Color, control and function are all being reassessed, and new players have emerged like a wave of Silicon Valley start-ups.

“This is the move from the last industrial-age analog technology to a digital technology,” said Fred Maxik, the chief technology officer with the Lighting Science Group Corporation, one of many newer players in the field.

The efforts start with energy efficiency and cost savings but go far beyond replacing inefficient incandescent bulbs. Light’s potential to heal, soothe, invigorate or safeguard people is being exploited to introduce products like the blanket, versions of which are offered by General Electric and in development at Philips, the Dutch electronics giant.

Innovations on the horizon range from smart lampposts that can sense gas hazards to lights harnessed for office productivity or even to cure jet lag. Digital lighting based on light-emitting diodes — LEDs — offers the opportunity to flit beams delicately across stages like the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge — creating a light sculpture more elegant than the garish marketers’ light shows on display in Times Square, Piccadilly Circus and the Shibuya district in Tokyo.

“Up till now we only thought — do I have enough light to see, to clean my room, to cut a diamond?” said Ed Crawford, a senior vice president of Philips Lighting Americas. “Now it impacts what I do, how I feel, in emotional ways.”

In the United States, lighting consumes more than 20 percent of electric power generated each year; the Energy Department says LEDs can cut consumption by up to 80 percent. LEDs — also called solid-state lighting — are already a $12.5 billion business worldwide, according to analysts at the research firm Strategies Unlimited in Mountain View, Calif.  A 2012 McKinsey report estimates LEDs will be an $84 billion business by 2020.

But there is an obstacle or two facing the LED revolutionaries. One is existing modes of lighting: Edison’s screw-based socket, the office’s fluorescent ceiling tubes, and metal halide or sodium lights in parking lots are not going away anytime soon.

Another hurdle is public wariness after the environmental exhortations of the 2000s, which led to much-disputed federal legislation to phase out the old incandescents, often in favor of compact fluorescent bulbs. In pursuing their goals, advocates played down problems like the harshness of fluorescent light, and difficulties with dimming the bulbs and dealing with the toxic mercury they contain. Now, some lighting scientists say, both consumers and investors are leery of buying into something they suspect might be substandard.

NOCQUA Adventure Gear Launches at Carolina Cup

Thanks to a brand new product, paddlers and other watersport enthusiasts will now have the opportunity to experience their favorite sports in a whole new light. NOCQUA Adventure Gear will launch at this year's Carolina Cup stand up paddleboard (SUP) competition in Wrightsville Beach , N.C. on April 25-28. The multi-purpose LED lighting system by I-Lumenate attaches to a stand up paddleboard, kayak or canoe and allows paddlers to explore the excitement of being on the water at night.

The flexible and adjustable lighting systems will be available for purchase and demo at the Carolina Cup event for the first time. The RECON system includes two waterproof LED lighting tracks, an adjustable harness, a 12V lithium ion rechargeable battery pack and battery charger. The durable underwater lights produce more than 2,000 lumens of light and are easily attachable and removable, utilizing two adjustable straps. Additional night paddling accessories will also be available for purchase throughout the weekend at the NOCQUA Adventure Gear booth.

Along with its product launch, NOCQUA Adventure Gear will lead a night paddle on Friday, April 26 at 8:30 p.m. on the sound side of the Blockade Runner to give select Carolina Cup competitors and media the exclusive opportunity to test the product for the first time. The equipment allows paddlers to experience the water like never before.

"NOCQUA Adventure Gear is a game changing product for paddlers," said Billy Rossini inventor and co-founder. "With the help of our advanced lighting system, paddlers can explore the water in an entirely new way. We're very excited about what night paddling has to offer the world of watersports."

As the fastest growing watersport, SUP is a popular way to stay fit and spend time with friends and family on the water. A total core and cardiovascular workout, SUP is an effective form of exercise that works the entire body. From paddle yoga to races like Carolina Cup, SUP is a fan favorite across all age groups and skill levels and is growing in popularity worldwide.

Carolina Cup will be held at Wrightsville Beach from April 25-28 and is known as the East Coast's largest SUP race. With more than 500 paddlers committed to compete in this year's event, including some of the best paddlers in the world, NOCQUA Adventure Gear is set to launch at the first major paddleboard event of the season.

The RECON system can be ordered online at a price of $399.99. For more information about the revolutionary NOCQUA Adventure Gear product line and technology, visit the product's website or plan a trip to Carolina Cup to experience night paddling firsthand.

Experience being on the water in a new light with NOCQUA Adventure Gear by I-Lumenate, the most innovative lighting product company in the world. Headquartered in Cornelius , N.C. , NOCQUA Adventure Gear is a flexible and adjustable LED lighting system that attaches to SUP, kayaks, canoes and more.

Merck opens new tech development center

The center held its inauguration yesterday, and will be focusing on the development of new technology; studying OLED (organic light-emitting diode) and flexible panels, LED lighting and 3D techniques, said Hsieh. He added that the Center will provide punctual local service, reducing the technology development time span by 1-1.5 years for local clients.

OLEDs are used to create digital displays in devices such as television screens, computer monitors, portable systems such as mobile phones, handheld games consoles and PDAs.

An OLED is a light-emitting diode (LED) in which there is a film of organic compound that emits light in response to an electric current, commonly used in the lighting industry.

With Taiwan being at the forefront of new technologies including PS-VA panels and 4K2K panels, the future of the monitor and lighting industries is looking bright, said Merck Worldwide CEO Bernd Reckmann, emphasizing Merck's insight into the potential development of OLED and flexible panels in the future technology market.

Other than the emphasis on developing new technologies, the Merck development center allows for the optimal use of key materials in the Asia market; speeding up the market layout as laboratory resources and research results are open for sharing, assisting Taiwanese factories in utilizing commercial potential.

Merck plans on the importation of the latest materials and techniques (including the OLED inkjet technology), as a means to work around the current bottleneck of new technology development in Taiwan and to popularize new products.

The principle reason why Merck chose Taiwan to establish its new tech development center is Taiwan's leading position and industrial advantages in producing laptops, smartphones, plasma TVs, semiconductors, various panels and monitors, according to Reckmann.

The outstanding investment environment provides the logical breeding ground for new technologies when combined with dedicated local employees and quality manufacturing chains, Reckmann pointed out.

As Taiwan supplies advanced facilities and techniques, Merck finds it to be a desirable setting for producing technologies it aims to develop, and to provide face-to-face services unhindered by time differences. By eliminating the time difference, development staff can conduct development procedures according to the preferences of each client, shortening the time spent on product advancement, according to the chief executive.

Consumers warm to LED bulbs as prices fall

If consumers are willing to spend $5 for a cup of coffee, how about paying $25 for a light bulb? An LED version of the 60-watt bulb just broke $13.

“They’re getting to a point where more people are willing to splurge,” he said.

Thanks to subsidies from utilities, improved quality and lower manufacturing costs, sales are expected to rise significantly this year, Connors said.

Part of the shift is by default. Since last year, incandescent bulbs are being phased out.

The 75-watt and 100-watt bulbs are no longer being manufactured, and the 40- and 60-watters will be eliminated next year.

Although retailers can still sell the bulbs if they have supplies, most retailers are now stocking halogens, compact fluorescents and LEDs, with only a few incandescent choices.

Although some might say LEDs are selling for lack of a better option, Connors thinks demand for LED will double this year for a different reason: the availability of cheaper, better bulbs.

Early adopters who were initially disappointed can now find mercury-free bulbs that do what incandescents do well: reach maximum brightness immediately and have the capability to be used with dimmers, motion detectors and enclosed fixtures.

Although today’s prices are a big plunge from $70 for a bulb in 2009, they still seem exorbitant for people used to paying 50 cents for an incandescent. But a 60-watt LED bulb that costs $13 pays for itself in about two years.

Assuming use of three hours a day, an incandescent burns about $7 in electricity per year, an LED $1 per year, said Mike Watson, vice president of marketing at Cree Inc., an LED manufacturer in North Carolina.

People used to choosing by wattage alone now have to look at lumens for brightness and kelvins for color. Consumers have to read labels now, said Kim Sherman, senior product portfolio manager at Xcel Energy.

The lack of consistency in size or shape makes it difficult for consumers to easily pick out the bulb they want. Besides 400 or 800 lumens and 2,700 or 4,000 kelvins, they have to read the label for a bulb’s ability to be dimmed or used in an enclosed fixture.

Consumers who want to replicate the features from an incandescent or halogen with an LED bulb often need assistance, Connors said. Dimmability is a big issue.

Most high-quality LEDs will dim without problems, but some bulbs work best with certain brands of dimmers. “The consumer’s best bet is to keep the packaging and the receipt, test it and return it if it doesn’t meet expectations,” Connors said.

Even an LED’s size and shape can cause problems. Many of the original recessed LED spotlights and floodlights didn’t fit existing openings. Cree changed the shape of its new A19 bulb to the classic incandescent.

Some are avoiding LEDs because of bad experiences with compact fluorescents, or CFLs. Manufacturers got it right this time, Connors said. LED bulbs are rugged compared with incandescents and CFLs.

Sharing Light hopes to share cash

Tenpa Dorjee isn't seeking to raise money for strangers with his charity project in Laguna Beach. The Indian monastery that will benefit from the campaign has a human face attached to it — one that Dorjee believes he's seen in multiple forms.

On April 18, the Laguna Beach Film Society will screen the 2003 drama "Travellers and Magicians," the first feature film shot in the Asian country of Bhutan. Dorjee, the owner of Tibet Handicrafts in Laguna, is in charge of selling 100 tickets for the show. All proceeds will go toward the religious education of a boy who lives in Dorjee's home village, and who, according to Dorjee, is believed to be the reincarnation of a recently deceased Buddhist master.

Earlier this year, Dorjee's grass-roots campaign, known as Sharing Light, raised $10,000 in Laguna to fund solar lighting in the village. For the film society fundraiser, the group has a much more specific goal.

"Any money we raise from the movie, we want to put aside," said Dorjee, who lives in Anaheim and opened his shop in Laguna in 2010.

Some of the "Travellers" tickets are available in Tibet Handicrafts at 384 Forest Ave.; Dorjee has put a poster and fliers around the store and informs customers when they walk in. He'll have another opportunity before the screening to give a plug: Saturday at 6:30 p.m., Sharing Light will host a community dinner nearby at the Neighborhood Congregational Church, which includes a short presentation about the solar project.

Film society chair George Weiss, who favors eclectic programs, chose "Travellers" in part because he thought it might appeal to the local Buddhist crowd and in part because it has a Southern California connection — cinematographer Alan Kozlowski, a Santa Monica resident, will be in attendance at the screening to introduce the film.

Adding a charity element to the event, Weiss said, was a bonus.

"I've got 350 seats to fill," he said. "So I'm thinking, 'Why not have a local organization sell tickets to these films if they can and raise money for a good cause?'"

"Travellers," which won the Emerging Director Award at the Asian American International Film Festival in 2004, tells the story of a young government official who dreams of escaping his job in a remote rural village and seeking a headier life in America. As he hitchhikes away, a yarn about another restless young man told by a fellow traveler — a monk — leads the official to question the wisdom of his trip.

According to Kozlowski, the making of the film was a trek in itself: The filmmakers used aspiring Bhutanese filmmakers as trainees, per the request of the country's royal family, while director Khyentse Norbu often paused production for Buddhist ceremonies. All the actors in the film were local non-professionals, which led to a tricky situation at least once.