If you talk to anyone who watched the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Olympic Games on February 12th, you will most likely be talking to an awe-struck person. Literally everyone I talked to who watched the ceremony was in practical convulsions over how amazing the production and performances were, and was equally disappointed that I didn’t get a chance to watch them. See, it tured out that on the night of the 12th, I was busy preparing for another event, which I’ll blog about next time. Suffice to say, I was bummed that I missed getting to see the opening ceremonies. I decided to look up some pictures of them online to see what I missed. What a show! Even looking at still pictures was enough to tell me that this ceremony was truly spectacular. And, I was pleased, and shall I say, not too surprised to see that LED lights were an important part of what made it so special. Take k.d. Lang’s performance of the Leonard Cohen song “Hallelujah,” for instance. I watched it on YouTube, and got chills–her voice was pure perfection. But did you notice all of the candles the audience members were waving in the background? Those weren’t candles at all, actually, they were energy efficient, fire-safe LED flashlights!
And if you saw the segment called “Peaks of Endeavor,” you would have noticed red-and-white-clad skaters, skiers and snowboarders sporting LED lights on their costumes suspended from the ceiling while images of Olympic events were projected on a replica of the Rocky Mountains.
Also, there was a 20-meter spirit bear puppet that was completely covered in LED lights, which represented the cultural heritage of the early Canadian peoples; what a dazzling effect! The Olympic Games play an important role in bringing the world together, especially during these tumultuous times. It’s a good feeling to know that LED lights are a part of that unification!
Soccer (or to some of you: football) fans rejoice! You may already know that the 2010 FIFA World Cup has been scheduled to take place June through July in South Africa, but you may not know that LED lights will play an integral role in ensuring that all soccer fans get the best view of what’s happening on the field. That’s because two of the World Cup soccer stadiums, the Nelson Mandela Bay in Port Elizabeth and the Mbombela stadium in Nelspruit, will offer new LED screens from Spectrum Visual Network, which will bring spectators the clearest-and most energy efficient-view of their favorite players on the field below. Each soccer stadium is capable of holding hundreds of thousands of fans, which means not all fans will be able to sit in an optimal viewing location. But thanks to the LED screens, every spectator will be treated to an unobstructed view of the game. Even better, because of their unparalleled brightness, LED screens provide the only technology that allow an image to be seen properly in daylight. Since most soccer games take place in the afternoon, this is an important feature. Also, LED light bulbs consume less energy, give off less heat, and last for up to 100,000 hours, which means reduced energy bills and maintenance costs for the stadiums. In fact, the LED screens are a key component in FIFA meeting its energy saving compliance requirements for 2010. Thanks to LEDs, the crowded stadium experience just got a lot more pleasant…now if only they could do something about those rowdy fans!
Abu Dhabi, the capital of The United Arab Emirates, recently announced its decision to switch to LED lights in street lamps and buildings across the island. The decision comes after the World Future Energy Summit, which was held in Abu Dabi on Monday. The Department of Municipal Affairs is promoting the plan, which will reduce energy consumption across the city and Emirate by 30 to 40 percent. Abdullah Al Shamsi, the executive director of municipal infrastructure and assets structures, focused on the probability that the LED lights would not only save energy but would also reduce heat in the already scorching climate of the UAE. The switch to LEDs is part of a 4-pronged plan the UAE is unveiling as part of its goal of becoming more eco-conscious. Other areas the emirate intends on improving include surface drainage, irrigation, landscaping and supervisory control and data acquisition. Hopefully, surrounding countries and political territories will follow suit, as we all know that the more governments that publicly make the switch to LEDs, the better for our environment and for all of our economic freedom in the future!
Here at Elemental, we’ve got tons of products that could help practically any person (or any country for that matter) make the switch to LED lights. From our undercabinet LED lighting, our LED light bars, and our LED strip lighting to waterproof led lights, led puck lights and LED retrofit products and LED light bulbs, we have it all! It’s no wonder the UAE is joining the ranks of LED enthusiasts across the globe…and we say, the more the merrier!