This lighting blog covers a wide range of lighting topics including current events, the lighting industry and product related blogs. I, Dr. Edison Bulb have 30+ years of lighting experience, my specialties include LED, commercial lighting and sports lighting. I am continuing my learning by keeping up with current lighting events and keeping track of them in this lighting blog.
It wasn’t too long ago when I, Dr. Bulb, was completely against the use of LED tubes. Back then, T8 LED retrofit tube lights had not advanced to the point where it made sense to use them in place of T8 fluorescent tubes. LED tubes, or TLEDs as they are becoming known as, were less efficient, did not last as long, and were more expensive than high performance T8 fluorescent lamps and ballasts. Who would want that? This is no longer true. TLED technology has advanced and is now a cost effective solution when retrofitting T12 and T8 linear...
read moreOutdoor lights have an important use that many of us take for granted. They keep us moving after the sun goes down, allowing us to to safely drive our cars, attend sporting events, walk down sidewalks, and countless other activities. However, all of this lighting uses electricity, which costs money and takes a huge portion out of the budgets of cities and town across the United States. Money they could be spending in other critical areas. According to a blog post by Dan Utech, the Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate,...
read moreUsing the wrong lighting can often lead to a waste of energy, lack of aesthetics, or inconvenience. But, sometimes, the wrong lighting can even lead to physical harm. In a hospital in Portland, Oregon, at least 10 patients suffered burns due to lights that did not have their filters replaced. In September 2013, staff at the Silverton Hospital changed the diffusers in the halogen lights in question, but did not know to change the filters, according to hospital officials. Then, in June 2014, individuals who had been patients at the time began...
read moreMore than three decades of research support that long-day lighting, or LDL, is a proven method to increase milk production in farm cattle. LDL involves exposing milk herds to 15 to 20 foot-candles of light for 16-18 hours each day followed by a dark period (less than three foot-candles of light) of six-eight hours. Maintaining such precise conditions can be especially difficult for small, independent farmers; fortunately, some researchers at Michigan State University have made the process simpler for all dairy producers. Part of the...
read moreLight pollution, or an excessive amount of artificial light in the environment, can alter animals’ natural instincts and cause detrimental disturbances on many ecosystems. In coastal locations, it can cause newly-hatched sea turtles to orient away from the ocean where they’re inevitably killed. Fortunately, many coastal locations have minimum standards that require wildlife-friendly lighting. Amber LED lamps are a specific wavelength of 590 nanometers, which is not visible to most animals affected by light pollution. Humans can see...
read moreAre you still debating LED lighting vs. traditional lighting technology? Well, you may have another option to consider with OLED. OLED is typically used in devices such as computer monitors and mobile phones, but it’s also used in general lighting applications. Compound Semiconductor reported that recent advancements in OLED technology have enabled interest to increase and it is predicted it will continue to do so. Just in the past few years, developments in OLED have reduced the average selling price for an OLED panel. In 2013, the average...
read moreSoldiers are constantly performing critical tasks and making decisions that could result in life or death. For this reason, it’s important that they maintain awareness of their situation and are able to make timely and correct decisions in order to optimize performance and keep everyone safe. In the past, there has been a lot of research on the effects of lighting on humans. It can affect alertness, sleeping patterns, or productivity. Yet, lighting has rarely been studied in military applications. Soldiers set up maps, have meetings and...
read moreLED lighting has many benefits compared to other sources—but only if it is used correctly. Using the wrong Kelvin temperature can cause an unattractive glow, while incorrect placement of the luminaires can lead to light trespass. Richard Smith of Tonawanda, New York is experiencing both issues. According to WIVB.com, he claims that bright lights across from his home are harming his quality of life. The light that is meant to illuminate an apartment complex is also shining into his windows. What happened is the management of Newall Avenue...
read moreLED lighting isn’t always the best choice for every application, but every year it gets closer to that point. Lighting companies are seeing an increase in LED sales as customers start to realize the value that LED presents compared to traditional sources like metal halide or high pressure sodium. Recently, Access Fixtures reported that LED sales have increased drastically from 2013—and the year isn’t even over yet! The Massachusetts-based commercial and sports lighting company announced that revenue from the sales of LED products...
read moreEngineers at Idaho-based company Rohinni have been working on a new lighting product that is as thin as paper and similarly versatile, according to fastcolabs.com. They call it Lightpaper, and it allows them to apply LED lighting to almost any surface in an unlimited variety of shapes. Although still in development, Lightpaper’s base is a mixture of ink and microscopic-sized LEDs that is added to a conductive layer. This layer is then sealed between two additional layers. This combination allows the LEDs to light up once a current is run...
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