LEDs are good for a lot of things, but did you know that they can potentially heal wounds also? According to a 2004 study published in The Journal of Clinical Laser Medicine and Surgery, infrared LEDs can help heal wounds. The study came about thanks to NASA, which was using IR LEDs for plant growth experiments in space. During their research, scientists found that if IR LED light rays were delivered deep into the tissues of the body they could promote wound healing and tissue growth. Once the scientists got a hunch that LEDs could heal wounds, they went ahead and performed some tests. They found that IR LEDs increased cell growth by 155 to 171 percent in humans and wound size decreased up to 36 percent. According to teh study’s abstract, “. LED produced improvement of greater than 40% in musculoskeletal training injuries in Navy SEAL team members, and decreased wound healing time in crew members aboard a U.S. Naval submarine. LED produced a 47% reduction in pain of children suffering from oral mucositis.” The study concluded that , “the use of NASA LED for light therapy… will greatly enhance the natural wound healing process, and more quickly return the patient to a preinjury/illness level of activity.” I guess the question really should be: what can’t LEDs do?
Archive for the 'National News' Category
Just like flowers blooming in the sun, new solar-powered, sustainable LED street lamps designed by Philips soak up the sun’s rays during the day, and then use the accumulated energy to shine much-needed light at night. This ingenious design mimics that of real flowers; the lights’ photovoltaic petals (each light is comprised of five solar panels in the shape of petals) fall open during the day to collect as much sun as possible. At night, they close, and LED lights embedded in the petals shine outward onto the city streets. But that’s not all! The lights also come with motion sensors, which are able to detect human activity on the street below. When no one is around, the lights shut off, thereby conserving energy. Philips calls this feature “proximity sensing.” Another great feature of these sustainable lights is that whatever energy they don’t consume over the course of an evening, they give back to the power grid to be used elsewhere, ensuring nothing gets wasted. Keep in mind that LED lights are a pivotal component to the energy-saving qualities of this design. Because LEDs are so energy efficient, they are easily powered by the solar energy gathered by the lights over the course of a day. Incandescent bulbs would not be able to work unless at least ten times as much energy was gathered. Philips is unclear about which cities, if any, are using these lights yet, but I’m exciting for the day when I’m walking down the street, and look up to see that LED lights in the shape of giant flowers are lighting my way.
Two Naval bases in California are receiving a complete lighting overhaul, leading to what some are calling “the largest lighting retrofit in Naval history.” The Naval bases ofPort Hueneme and Point Mogu in Ventura County are set to replace more than 1,000 street lights, area lights and parking lot lights with LED lights, according to The Environmental Leader. The goals of the retrofit are to reduce energy and maintenance costs and the overall carbon footprint of the bases. The LED lights being installed are expected to reduce exterior lighting costs by 60 percent, and increase the life of the lamps by three times. Naval Base Ventura County Energy Manager, Tom Santoianni, is quoted as saying, “The entire project at the two bases will reduce our energy consumption by 317,445 KwH (Kilowatt Hours) which translates into a reduction of 228 metric tons of CO2 emissions* and will cut our annual utility bill by $45,500, based on the average Ventura County, CA utility rate of $0.14.KwH. This helps us to set the environmental standard for US Naval Bases.”
Switching to LED lights is not the only thing the Naxvy is doing to maximize its sutainability, though the lighting is helping enorlously. A 2009 study showed that the Navy could save 87 percent of the electricity used on existing shipboard lighting systems by converting to LED and HID lighting systems. Furthermore, the Navy announced last year that it would install solar energy systems at its US bases, and signed a $100 million contract to do so.
It’s big changes like these that are most encouraging for both the LED lighting industry as well as for the environment. If a US government organization like the Navy recognizes not only the need to reduce carbon emissions, but also the fact that switching to LEDs is a vital step in doing so, perhaps it’s easier to see how we can all make similar changes in our individuals daily lives. If you think it’s time you retrofitted your house, for instance, why not start with our line of LED retrofitting products? There’s something for almost any application, and they’re the perfect tool for making the switch from energy consumer to energy saver!
Going to the supermarket can be a bit of a headache, especially for constantly busy Americans. It’s not cool, then, when the lighting in the freezer section of your supermarket makes that headache worse with its unappealing florescent glow. Luckily, more and more supermarkets are making the switch to LED lighting in their frozen aisles, thanks to a recent study put about by the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The study found that shoppers overwhelmingly prefer LED lighting inside supermarket freezer cases, stating that it helps to make the merchandise more appealing, is easier on their eyes, and provides brighter, more even illumination. More than 300 shoppers were interviewed about their preferences while viewing two test freezers, one using LED lights, and the other using florescent bulbs. (See picture above, with LED freezer on the right!) When the illumination levels in the freezers were the same, more than 86 percent of shoppers selected the LED freezer as their top preference. A second survey was conducted after dimming the light level in the LED freezer, while leaving the florescent freezer at full capacity. Even after dimming, 68 percent of shoppers favored the lighting in the LED freezer.
It turns out that while fluorescent lamps may be an efficient source of lighting, they are not well suited for cold environments. Low temperatures cause the mercury vapor pressure inside fluorescent fixtures to drop, which can lead to a 25 percent reduction in light emission. LEDs, on the other hand, function at 100 percent capacity in cold temperatures. Furthermore, the flexible and lightweight nature of LEDs allow them to be installed in all sorts of tight spaces that florescent lights have never been able to reach, which results in a more effective lighting scheme overall for the frozen food section. Just imagine all of the tight spaces you could fit flexible LED strip lighting! And, LEDs last longer than florescent lights as well, which means reduced maintenance costs for supermarkets.
It’s just another way LEDs are making life a little easier…the next time you’re doing your weekly shopping, keep your eye out for LED lights! And if you don’t spot any, tell the store manager you’d like to see them installed; my guess is: he’ll thank you!
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!
Okay, so I don’t know that much about football, and don’t really care either. But I did somehow get roped into watching the Superbowl yesterday, and I have to admit that I kinda had a good time. I mean, how can you not feel a twinge of happiness that that Saint’s won? That city deserves a victory, don’t you think? And didn’t you see that cute quarterback crying and holding his baby son at the end? It was better than a Hollywood box-office hit! Talk about a tear-jerker!
But I have to say, out of the whole event, my favorite parte had to be the halftime show. I mean, they really pulled out all the stops. I know that The Who are getting old and everything, but they still held it together enough to sing a few of the hits. Nice work boys. One thing I think they had going for them was the lighting on that stage! To quote The Palm Beach Post: “A circular space ship of a stage 50 yards wide, flashing and bursting with multicolored LED lights, lit up a darkened Sun Life Stadium as The Who matched the electricity of Super Bowl XLIV.” And how true! That stage was lit up in such intricate detail at times, I wished I was in the stadium experiencing it firsthand. The lights on stage coordinated with a laser show that was going on throughout the venue, which gave the entire show a larger-than-life feeling–every fan and player was surrounded by lights for the majority of the halftime show! And of course, not to point out the obvious, but we couldn’t have had any of it without the cutting-edge technology behind LED lights. One thing’s for sure: without LEDs we would not have been treated to such spectacular and visually stunning show, and who knows, I may have written off the Superbowl for good.!
Everyone’s talking about the iPad. It’s Apple’s newest contraption that will offer direct competition to the Amazon Kindle, a tablet or digital book device that came out a few months ago. Unlike the Kindle, however, the iPad offers much more than a little bit of reading. The device not only allows the user to read, watch movies, view and store photos, send emails and create basic documents,it also boasts a multi-touch, full color screen. And, like with the iPhone, the iPad will come with access to a full menu of apps. So why should you carry an iPad around instead of your laptop or iPhone? Why, in this over saturated, over techy world, do we need yet another gadget? Well, I’m not sure that we do. But here’s the argument most are making: First of all, this new genre of “tablets” offers a tweener level of accessibility and content creation. Tablets are, by definition bigger than a phone but smaller than a computer. They’re light enough- the Pad weighs in at 1.5 pounds- to carry around with you but big enough to make browsing the web and looking at content a lot easier than it is on your phone. In fact, Apple is so excited about the iPad, they’re calling it “magical.” That seems a little hyperbolic to me. I mean, what are they going to call the iUnicorn when it comes out next year?
But, one of the things that does make the iPad stand out in my opinion is its use of LEDs. Unlike the iPad, the Kindle doesn’t contain any interior lighting system. While this does allow the Kindle to have an exceedingly long battery life, it also means you can’t really read it in the dark without a night light. The iPad, on the other hand, contains a 9.7 inch backlit LED screen which is bright enough to make reading, working or movie-watching a joy. And, of course, the use of LEDs means the iPad didn’t have to compromise weight or energy efficiency for high tech and high-powered lighting.
It’s hard to imagine a world without incandescent or florescent bulbs, but it seems that’s where we’re headed, in no small part because of the US Department of Energy. In its 6th round of funding for LED technology and solid state lighting, the DOE announced $37 million in grants to support more research for improving LEDs and supporting their development and manufacturing. The grants will benefit both the regular LED and OLED (carbon-containing organic light emitting diodes) marketplaces. As we all know, LEDs can be 10 times as efficient as incandescent bulbs and last hundreds of times longer. They’re safer, both because they’re more durable and because the emit much less heat, so risk of fire is lower. So, with all of these benefits, why is the government still concerned with funding LED research? Well, there are still a few areas that could be improved, namely “cost and color,” according to a Popular Mechanics article. The article states, “ Solid-state lighting available on the market today costs roughly three times as much as other lighting options. This is largely due to the materials involved and the limited economies of scale compared to the long-established techniques for manufacturing incandescents and fluorescents by the hundreds of millions every year. LEDs also have problems with light color—their whites appear too bluish and thereby render other colors poorly compared to traditional bulbs.”
But these small setbacks are but a blip on the radar screen of a continually burgeoning LED market. What’s more, the DOE awarded the $37 million in 17 grants based on three categories to address these issues and hopefully eradicate them for future LED consumers. For example, $4 million is reportedly allocated for “filling in key technology gaps and expanding the knowledge base.” $10.3 million will go towards product development, specifically making products more consumer-friendly. And $23.5 million is intended for a manufacturing category, which will allow companies to produce LEDs for less, therefore driving costs down for consumers.
It looks like all signs are pointing towards a future that’s bright with the light of LEDs…we’re well on our way, jump aboard!
I’m in countdown mode, and I’ll tell you why. We are less than 80 days away from one of the best music festivals this country (if not this world!) has to offer. Yes, I’m talking about Coachella Music and Arts festival, held in Indio, CA in April! Now, I’m not only this excited because Coachella’s 2010 music lineup looks amazing (and it does, believe me). I’m also dying to see what the art line up will look like this year. See, one of my favorite things about Coachella besides the music is the stellar interactive and visual art lineup the festival curates each year. And one of my favorite pieces of past lineups has been an LED light installation called the Cubatron. Created by Mark Lotter, the Cubatron is “a 3D LED light sculpture. It consists of 5 Modular Cubatron arranged in a rectangle 8×40 feet wide and 13 ft high. Each Modular Cubatron is made up of 1000 lights within an 8×8x8ft open aluminum frame. They sit on top of a 5ft high steel pipe platform. People can view from any direction or crawl underneath.” Each light is individually controllable by computer to any color and brightness level. (Thanks to Mr. Lotter for that explanation!) Needless to say, the Cubatron is visually stunning, and also a ton of fun for festival-goers to explore. I love it because it’s beautiful and interactive, and allows you to create a peaceful, reflective moment in your otherwise jam-packed, hectic day spent bouncing from concert to concert. And, of course, the Cubatron couldn’t exist without the wonderful technology of LED lights. Because of their lightweight and energy-efficient nature, Lotter was able to use LEDs to put together a sculpture that is relatively easy to set up and store, and doesn’t use a lot of power, all of which Coachella appreciates, I’m sure. If you get a chance to go to Coachella this year, be sure to keep an eye out for the Cubatron…you’ll be glad you did!
We all know LEDs are great for the health of the planet and for the, shall we say, girth of your wallet. But did you know they can also help cure certain health ailments? One of the most recent discoveries on this topic concerns migraines, the splitting and sometimes unbearable headaches that affect millions of Americans. While lots of culprits may cause migraines (including stress, allergens, contact lenses or glasses), new research by the Migraine Action Association shows that light exposure, especially exposure to “low-energy light” can cause the onset of migraines. Keep in mind that there is a difference between low-energy lighting and “energy-saving light bulbs.” Florescent and CFL bulbs are low-energy fixtures and have been linked to migraines. Lee Tomkins, director of Migraine Action, says that changing light bulbs could help avoid the problem. In fact, switching specifically to LED light bulbs can perhaps even cure migraines, according to the same organization. This new research confirms “some things we already knew, including the fact that light can exacerbate pain within a migraine attack and that migraineurs tend to be sensitive to the blue light waves in the light spectrum.” The research also illustrated that changing the light bulbs can provide relief.
So if you suffer from migraines and are looking to replace your florescent bulbs with something a little healthier, cheaper, brighter and all around better for you and the planet, take a look at some of our LED retrofit products. Our 60 W Replacement Bulb and 40 W Replacement bulb, for instance, can easily screw into most of your current lighting fixtures. Pretty soon, you’ll notice fewer headaches of all varieties–those caused by migraines and those caused by high electricity bills as well.