Commercial LED lamps recalled

(Reuters) - About 42,000 LED lamps are being recalled voluntarily because of a potential fire hazard, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Wednesday.
The lamp can overheat when used with a Class II transformer, posing a fire risk, the CPSC said in a statement. No injuries have been reported, but there have been two reports of overheating.
Maine-based Eco-Story, which makes the lamps, sold only to commercial clients between December 2007 and August 2010.
The affected 12-volt lamps have the UL number E316865. Those who purchased the lamp should contact the manufacturer for a free replacement.
(Reporting by Wendell Marsh; Editing by Jerry Norton)


http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE70I69620110119

LED vs traditional Christmas lights

If you're shopping for Christmas lights, you'll notice more and more LED (Light Emitting Diode) lights on the shelves, and fewer traditional light sets.

The LED lights all claim they will save you money on your electric bill.

But considering their higher cost, are they really worth it?

LED Lights Dominate

Walk into any big retailer, as I did recently with a hidden camera, and you will find the new LED lights everywhere.

While Walmart still had plenty of traditional Mini Lights (at a bargain $2.48 a box), at Target and Lowe's, the new LED lights now dominate the shelves.

Consumer Reports Magazine says LED's only downside is they are a bit dimmer. But it says they are safer, last longer, and use between 50 and 90% less power.

The magazine says that's an energy saving of $1 - $2 per strand of miniature lights over a holiday season, roughly 300 hours.

Put up 10 strands, as many homeowners with outdoor displays do, and save at least $10 on your December electric bill.

Bigger outdoor bulbs will save even more, as much as $50 on your December bill.

Doesn't that Stink?

But from the "Doesn't that Stink?" file, the fact that LED lights require a big initial outlay.

It's hard to justify paying $9.98 for a box of 60 LED lights at Walmart, for instance, with those $2.48 standard bulbs just down the rack. Doesn't that stink?

If stores want us to make the move to energy saving bulbs, lower prices would help.

Money Saving Option

Don't mix LED and standard bulbs: the light each gives off is very different, and does not blend well.

If you'd like LED lights, but right now can't justify their price on a tight holiday budget, consider waiting until after Christmas. You'll be able to buy them for next year, at half the price they cost now.

That way you don't waste your money.

http://www.abc2news.com

Solar street light LED Bulkhead is ideal for demanding environments

Date Announced: 15 Oct 2010

With LED technology and a rugged, intelligent design, Sollatek’s LED Bulkhead for solar street lighting sets a new standard for demanding lighting applications. The British designed and manufactures bulkhead offers a life expectancy of over 50,000 hours, which is more than 11 years’ operation at 12 hours a day. The IP 44 rated bulkhead’s robust construction protects the LEDs from traffic vibration, and the LEDs’ efficiency maximises the lamp’s use of available solar energy. These features create a street light ideal for remote and rugged environments, where weather can be highly variable and extreme, maintenance visits are difficult and expensive, and mains power is not available.

The LED Bulkhead’s cool white light is an attractive alternative to the harsh orange output of SOX lamps. With efficiency comparable to that of fluorescent lighting, the LED Bulkhead is smaller than other lamps of the same output. Its instant start, with no warming-up period is a significant advantage for event triggered security lighting. The LED Bulkhead, rated at up to 60W, is the most powerful of a range that starts from 20W. With supply inputs ranging from 23.5W to 70.6W, this range has an electrical efficiency of 90%. The LEDs typically yield 100 lumens per watt and the light has a colour temperature of 5000 to 7500 K.

The LED Bulkhead accepts a 24 VDC nominal input, with a maximum current of 3.7A at 20V. It can also accept a 12VDC input with a maximum current of 7.3A at 10V. The entire input range is 10V to 30V maximum. Input power screw terminals accommodate cables up to 6 mm², with an integral fuse. The LEDs within the lamp comprise an array of 6 banks with 10 LEDs each. The modular design features a separate controller for each bank, so if one fails the others remain lit without compromise. The controllers’ highly efficient, high frequency PWM constant current design ensures an even brightness across the LED array, with maximum operating efficiency for each LED.

The LED Bulkhead has an environmental protection rating of IP 44. Its tough two-part aluminium enclosure has a rising top section for good service access. The unit’s operating temperature range of -10˚C to +50˚C and operating humidity of 10 to 90% RH equip it well for its dusk to dawn operational role. An optional cooling fan can be fitted for high temperature applications. Comprehensive protection functions are also provided; these include short circuit, over current, spike, over and under voltage, over temperature and reverse polarity connection. If any bank of 10 LEDs becomes too hot, power is automatically reduced to maintain a safe operating temperature. Full brightness is automatically restored as the temperature reduces. Brightness adjustments are nearly continuously variable to minimize the visible effects of change.


The LED Bulkhead can also dim or turn off after a time delay; both the length of the delay in hours and the depth of dimming as a percentage of full power can be user set. Delays of up to 12 hours and dimming levels from Off to Full Power are possible. The timing features allow users to ensure that the LED Bulkhead only operates in darkness, or when it is needed. This maximizes battery autonomy and the LED Bulkhead’s ability to be available on demand.




If the battery is subjected to heavy loading or poor solar input, voltage issues can also be mitigated. Battery levels from 10 to 12 volts and dimming levels from Off to Full Power can be set. Full brightness is restored when the battery voltage increases beyond the ‘low battery dim’ set point. Both the Delay Dim and Low Battery functions can be disabled if required.

Sollatek is to supply 500 LED Bulkheads in a new project for the Southern Oil Company in Iraq. These are to be installed into the remote oil fields near the city of Basra in the southern part of the country – an area known for poor lighting and recurring security issues. The LEDs’ 50,000 hour maintenance free lifespan is an essential advantage in this remote area, given the difficulty and cost of access for maintenance. The bulkheads each output 6000 lumens of bright white light, and feature an intelligent automated switching schedule operating from dusk to dawn.

In hot, sunny climates such as Iraq’s, solar energy is a plentiful resource, and solar lighting is a natural solution. However Sollatek is also using its solar technology expertise and experience to ensure the commercial and ecological success of installations into the UK and other regions with cooler climates. Success depends largely on optimizing the more limited sunlight hours and lower solar energy levels usual in such latitudes.
Contact
Tel: +44 1753 688 300 
sales@sollatek.com
E-mail: sajad.hussein@sollatek.com
Web Site: www.sollatek.com

For Replacement Lamps, LEDs are Different

There are many possible reasons for this decline in the market share of CFLs. New users have not been added to the market as disposable incomes have declined and customers are sensitive to higher prices Early adopters bought the long-lasting CFLs and the rest of the market has not followed suit Color quality issues of CFL persist and cannot be overcome with incentives Fear of mercury in CFLs has not been adequately addressed.

In order to promote energy savings, CFLs are heavily discounted or are being given away, and incandescent bulbs are scheduled to be banned in the U.S beginning in 2012 (they are already banned in Europe). In spite of heavy investment in promoting CFLs, incandescent technology has proved difficult to unseat, especially in the residential segment.

There is no publicly available data on the number of CFLs that are recycled, but in a report on CFL recycling programs around the world published in July 2009 by the Northeast Waste Management Officials’ Association (NEWMOA), CFL recycling rates vary from 87% in Taiwan (which includes all fluorescent) to 3% in 2004 in Canada. Only 2% of CFLs were recycled by German households in 2008. There is increasing evidence that efficient recycling of CFLs is going to require heavy investments in new infrastructure and public education.

Although CFLs were introduced in 1980s, they became a part of energy policy only in this century. If it had been left to the markets, CFLs would likely have made only a small dent in the market by now.

Today CFLs are the technology most closely associated with energy- efficient lighting, but LED lighting has started gaining mind share, at least in energy efficiency circles. The economic downturn has dampened the rate of the transition to efficient lighting technology. However, issues relating to global warming, energy security and environmental degradation are now a part of the public psyche. Although not many people have invested in efficient lighting, the awareness about efficient lighting options has increased. The LED lighting industry has continued to grow in spite of the economic downturn.

Since 2008, the price of HB LEDs has declined 10% to 25%. More LED manufacturing capacity has been created. The quality of white LEDs in terms of lumen output and CRI has improved. Warm white LED luminaires are comparable in terms of quality of light with incandescent lamps, but without their inefficiencies. However, the volumes have not yet reached critical levels at which the costs can be as competitive with CFLs.

There have been attempts around the world to design “demand pull” and “supply push” strategies for CFLs. The rate of penetration is directly proportional to the investments made in promoting CFLs. The outright ban on incandescents with distribution of free CFLs in Cuba has paid off. Similar strategies can be directed to LED applications that are ready to be pushed into the marketplace with no fear of releasing mercury. Moreover, LEDs can be used with controls that can offer further energy savings that are not possible using available CFL technology.

China has made developing LED technology one of its national priorities. It has embarked on the 21-city program, which will showcase LED applications, and it is expanding LED manufacturing clusters to seven regions. The grand experiment with LED streetlight installations is going through iterations, improving these products in the process.

Just three years ago LEDs were too dim for street lighting; in 2009 Los Angeles is installing 7,000 streetlights, with tens of thousands more planned for following years. There is an expectation that the problems relating to toxic material content, quality of light, and reliability of performance, like those encountered by CFL products, can be avoided by LED technology. There are agencies and organizations working to prevent those problems in spite of market pressures to flood the market with substandard products. This time it can be different.