News Updates for the Week of March 3

1.      2013 Outdoor Competition Winners - Next Generation Luminaires congratulates the winners of the 2013 Solid-State Lighting Design Competition! Twenty-six commercial LED outdoor lighting products received awards for excellence, including six Best-in-Class winners. The judging panel selected the luminaires on the basis of color quality, appropriate illuminance, light distribution, glare control, appearance, serviceability, value, and energy efficiency and lumen maintenance. The awards event took place during the 2014 Strategies in Light Conference on February 27, 2014. http://www.ngldc.org/13/outdoor/winners.stm Best in Class:

2.      Voters Overwhelmingly Support Energy Efficiency - The poll released by NEMA and NAM commissioned by McLaughlin & Associates, found that 9 in 10 likely voters support energy efficiency as a key part of the solution addressing our energy challenges. Results showed a desire for greater adoption of efficient technologies throughout our economy, including the federal government, where tax dollars can be saved. A national survey among 1,000 likely voters clearly illustrates broad support for energy efficiency that cuts across demographic and political lines. Two-thirds are more likely to vote a candidate for Congress who supports energy efficiency policies. http://www.nema.org/Policy/Documents/National-NEMA-NAM-Memo.pdf

3.      ASE Test Develops Industry's First SSL Test System - ASE Test, a division of Automation South Electronics, has developed the industry's first automated test system that is specifically designed for quickly testing the electrical performance of LED drivers, LED arrays and LED fixtures. Designated the ASE SSL 3.0 Test System, this flexible test system can be used for design, design validation and volume manufacturing testing to verify quality of production.  http://www.asetest.net/

4.      Indoor Lighting Can Affect Decision Making - Facility managers may want to take care while adjusting indoor lighting. According to new research, the way a room is lit can affect decision making, with bright light acting is a possible catalyst for more intense emotions.  Researcher Alison Jing Xu says the effect bright light has on our emotional system may be the result of the light being perceived as heat, and the perception of heat can trigger our emotions. The majority of everyday decisions are also made under bright light. So turning down the light may help people make more rational decisions. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1057740813001174

5.      Hubbell Lighting Launches Lighting Upgrade Program for Colleges and Universities - Hubbell Lighting announced a new energy efficient lighting program to cut electricity costs by 84%, enhance the quality of light and reduce the financial risk of upgrades. The initiative, called createchange® consists of two innovative offerings from Hubbell Lighting: 

• A suite of unique audit tools and other product selection resources that allow schools to precisely forecast the economic impact of various lighting retrofit strategies and identify any utility rebates that are available.
• A 90-day risk-free trial program called "Compare in the Air", which allows customers to validate cost saving estimates in buildings or outdoor environments with up to four Hubbell Lighting products. http://www.hubbelllighting.com/solutions/retrofit/applications/education

6.      CUNY Gets ARPA-E funding for Metacapacitors for LED Lighting - City University of New York (CUNY) Energy Institute is developing less expensive, more efficient, smaller, and longer-lasting power converters for energy-efficient LED lights. LEDs need more sophisticated converters because they require a different type of power (low-voltage direct current, or DC) than what's generally supplied by power outlets. CUNY Energy Institute is developing sophisticated power converters for LEDs that contain capacitors made from new, nanoscale materials. http://www.arpa-e.energy.gov/?q=arpa-e-projects/metacapacitors-led-lighting