Juno Lighting Group Launches New Energy Calculator

Because rising energy costs and environmental pressures are becoming a major concern for customers, Juno Lighting Group has created the new Energy Plus Calculator™ to help save energy and money on lighting. This new tool, a free download available at www. junolightinggroup.com, will help facility managers (fms) find solutions when making complex decisions about construction or remodeling projects.

“We've created this calculator to help the user make decisions based on pay back and returns on investment (ROI) with a report on how their lighting decision will impact the environment,“ said vice president of affiliate sales Scott Walters. “Juno has been considered a leader in lighting applications for years. This tool is one more resource that we know our customers will use in the decision-making process."

The Energy Plus Calculator delivers comprehensive reports on short and long term energy costs, helping users consider carbon footprints. It can also be used as a business tool, to help create more effective business proposals and get quick tax savings calculations. When the knowledge from the calculator is applied, it can help avoid costly code violations and reduce operating costs

Users of the calculator begin by entering specific building and project information. The base system information that is entered should include fixture specific data for any type of lighting fixture, ranging from project information to space or building setup. A few clicks of the mouse will produce a report that compares the base system with up to four different solutions. The options will include calculations of potential energy savings, tax benefits, and an analysis of environmental impact.

Reports will be customized, taking into account building information, fixture comparisons, lighting controls, energy comparisons, HVAC factors, maintenance time, maintenance costs, the Energy Policy Act (EPAct 2005), and other factors, such as rebates and financing.

Once downloaded, the calculator is available offline. It is completely portable and accessible without an Internet connection. The application can be accessed via the energy resources tab at www.junolightinggroup.com. The Energy Plus Calculator is a Microsoft Excel based application available for use in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.

Haworth Light Wins Gold

Brazo, a LED task light introduced by Haworth, has been awarded a 2008 Gold Industrial Design Excellence Award (IDEA). The IDEA competition is a worldwide design competition and a celebration of innovative product and product concept designs of the year.

Designed by Pablo Pardo of Pablo Designs in San Francisco, Brazo has fully adjustable, calibrated light control and a precision quality machined recyclable aluminum body. “I was fascinated with this product's refined sophistication and precision technical detail. This design allows precise control and positioning of light through the clever and appropriate use of LED technology,” said Andrew Hartman, IDSA, creative director of new business at Philips (The Netherlands).

Winners of the 2008 IDEA competition exhibited a focus on sustainability, attention to detail and, in a slowing economy, many offered surprisingly affordable price points. Out of 1517 entries, 35 were awarded the gold award, while 76 received silver awards and 94 won bronze awards. For the first time this year, 389 finalists were named in addition to the winners.

“I’m thrilled to have the design and innovation of brazo recognized through this coveted award,” said Pablo Pardo of Pablo Designs in San Francisco. “This project has taught me a great deal about the lighting needs of the workplace and how far we are capable to explore its potential.”

“With its clean aesthetic, sustainable design, and high level of user control, brazo contributes to the design and performance of Haworth’s organic workplace solutions,” said Iain Thorp, Haworth’s head of design for North America.

Brazo is the first task light to offer focus control, allowing the user to both direct and choose any desired light spread. It features a slender, multi adjustable arm which conceals 18 high powered LED lights, 360˚ head rotation with 90˚ head adjustability, height adjustment, and tangle free wire rotation. The light uses luminous and energy efficient LEDs which are 85% more efficient than incandescent lamps, and have a life span of up to 50,000 hours. Brazo is 97% recyclable.

LED Display In Philadelphia's Comcast Center Unveiled

Barco, a manufacturer of display technology, recently announced the grand opening of The Comcast Experience at Philadelphia’s Comcast Center, an LED wall comprised of 6,771 Barco NX-4 LED modules.

Situated in a seven story high glass atrium, The Comcast Experience is a joint gift to the citizens of Philadelphia from Comcast Corporation and Liberty Property Trust; one that combines sculpture, architecture and technology in a public environment.

By transforming a public transportation hub into an artistic focal point for the city, The Comcast Experience encompasses a number of important “firsts.” From a technology standpoint, the world’s largest four millimeter LED wall is 83.3' wide by 25.4' high. With 10 million pixels mounted in a seamless flat array, the wall provides an extremely high degree of photo-realism, at five times the resolution of high-definition television. Behind the scenes, Barco image processing equipment includes six DX-700 LED digitizers, seven Encore Video Processors and three MatrixPRO routers.

From an architectural standpoint, the installation marks the first time that audio and video technology at this scale has been incorporated into the design of a major urban building. Adding to the complexity, the LED wall includes rectangular cutouts for the lobby’s three banks of elevators. (Photo above, courtesy of Barco, shows those cutouts with nature scene on screen above.)

All of the content for The Comcast Experience was designed and produced by the Niles Creative Group. The installation also marks the first time that an everchanging audio and video environment has been designed for an audience in transit, with artificial intelligence at the core.

“There’s never been a screen not only of this resolution, but also of this realism,” said Steve Scorse, vice president of sales and marketing for Barco's Media & Entertainment division, North America. “Not only does the screen integrate seamlessly into the Comcast Center as a forum for content, but at times, the content mimics the atrium’s natural wood paneling and virtually disappears,” said Scorse. “The resolution, contrast and seamlessness are such that you can do things with this screen that cannot be done with any other technology.”

John Gattuso, senior vice president and regional director for Liberty Property Trust, commented on the scope of The Comcast Experience. “The thought process on behalf of Comcast and Liberty evolved beyond the idea of just broadcasting content, into a larger art piece that would ultimately complement the building’s aesthetic,” said Gattuso. “When you undertake these kinds of projects that have so many components, the only way you pull all those pieces together is through an outstanding team. And while it’s not to diminish the challenges involved, it continues to remind you of how critical it is to have the best people involved in a project.”

“Barco has been a great partner and we are excited to have the world’s largest four millimeter LED screen in Comcast Center,” said Karen Dougherty Buchholz, vice president, administration, Comcast Corporation. “The combination of Barco’s wonderful technology and the Niles Creative Group’s artistic content will truly make Comcast Center a destination for Philadelphians and visitors to our great city.”

The blend of architecture, vision and technology is brought to life via the content, as designed by New York’s Niles Creative Group. “It was exciting that both Comcast and Liberty approached this as a ‘new media’ project,” said David Niles, founder of the Niles Creative Group. “This meant that we weren’t just talking about digital signage, but the creation of an extraordinary environment in a public space, to design a spectacular and inspiring visual illusion that blurs the lines between reality and the unexpected. To accomplish this, we designed a content delivery system using artificial intelligence. The system creates unique content on an ongoing basis without human intervention.”

The Comcast Experience is located in Comcast Center’s lobby, located at 17th Street and JFK Boulevard in Philadelphia, PA. As Philadelphia’s newest destination, The Comcast Experience is on 18 hours each day, delivering custom content.

Where Is The Next Winner?

Cooper Lighting has announced a call for entries for its 32nd annual SOURCE Awards national lighting design competition. The competition, which focuses on furthering the understanding, knowledge, and function of lighting as a primary element in design, is open to all lighting designers, architects, engineers, professional designers, and consultants who use Cooper Lighting fixtures in an interior or exterior design project. Students currently enrolled in any of these disciplines are also eligible to enter projects based on conceptual lighting designs utilizing Cooper Lighting fixtures and are judged in a separate student category. This year’s competition will also seek a creative use of fixtures providing energy efficient design solutions in addition to standard projects.

The competition requires the primary and predominant use of any or all of the Cooper Lighting brands, which include Halo, Metalux, Portfolio, Neo-Ray, Corelite, Sure-Lites, Lumark, McGraw-Edison, Fail-Safe, Lumière, Shaper, IRiS, Ametrix, RSA, io Invue, MWS, DLS, and Streetworks.

Projects will be judged on the blending of aesthetics, creative achievement, and technical performance and to the degree which the lighting met project constraints and design concept goals. There will be no minimum or maximum number of awards given, as each project will be judged on its own merit. Award categories will include: winner, honorable mention, and award of recognition.

Judging for the 32nd Annual SOURCE Awards competition will take place in February 2009, by a professional, independent panel of lighting and design professionals as well as a representative of the SOURCE, Cooper Lighting’s educational center. Student winner(s) will receive a crystal trophy and a monetary award ($1500), and professional winner(s) will also receive a monetary award ($2000) and a crystal trophy along with local and national recognition through publicity and advertising. Both student and professional winners will also receive an invitation to attend a lighting seminar at the SOURCE, located at Cooper Lighting’s headquarters in Peachtree City, GA. The faculty adviser of the student winner will also be invited to attend a seminar. Entries must be postmarked on or before January 1, 2009.

Over the competition’s 31-year history, winners have been awarded well over $600,000 in addition to receiving industry wide recognition. Past entry applications have included commercial offices, retail stores, galleries, libraries, banks, restaurants, convention centers, entertainment facilities, and residences. To download a complete list of rules, visit the company website at www.cooperlighting.com or contact Cooper Lighting, 1121 Highway 74 South, Peachtree City, GA 30269 or call 770.486.4800.

Can You See The Light?

As American consumers and businesses struggle with the myriad of light bulb choices available to achieve energy efficiency and other objectives, Lutron Electronics Co. Inc., has created an easy-to-read website designed to answer the basic question, "What is the best light bulb for me?"

The new site www.lutron.com/bulbs compares standard-socket (E26) incandescent, screw-in compact fluorescent (CFL), and halogen bulbs. The bulbs are evaluated in a variety of categories, including efficiency, price, performance, controllability, and quality of light.

According to the site:

• Incandescent bulbs provide rich, warm light quality, excellent color rendering, and controllability, but are the least efficient.
• Screw-in CFL bulbs are generally the most energy-efficient and have the longest life. However, they provide the least pleasing light quality, do not start up instantly, sometimes flicker, and are not disposable due to their mercury content. Additionally, they are not dimmable with a high degree of quality or reliability.
• Halogen bulbs, an efficient variety of incandescent lighting, are up to 30% more efficient than incandescent bulbs. When dimmed by just 30%, they offer the benefits of CFL and standard incandescent bulbs without any of the drawbacks.
  

"With all the various light bulbs available today, selecting the right one for your needs can be very confusing. That's why we developed this website. It helps people choose the best bulb for their needs," said Michael Jouaneh, marketing manager for Lutron. "For instance, if energy conservation, bulb life and light quality are important to you, then a good choice is a halogen bulb with a Lutron dimmer. You'll get the energy efficiency and long life of a CFL bulb with the preferred light quality of an incandescent bulb—without any of the drawbacks of either of them."

Not Such A Bright Outlook

"Troubling" is how the National Lighting Bureau (NLB) describes first-quarter-2008 National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) Lighting Systems Index data. The Index, established in 1998, is a composite measure of lamps, luminaires, ballasts, emergency lighting, exit signs, and other lighting products shipped nationally and internationally from the United States by the 430 companies that comprise NEMA.

NEMA members manufacture a wide range of products used in the generation, transmission, distribution, and control of electricity, as well as innumerable end-use products in addition to those used in lighting. The value of NEMA members' annual shipments totals $100 billion.

According to NLB Communications Director John P. Bachner, "The latest Index results exceeded fourth-quarter-2007 results by 1.1%, due principally to increased shipments of emergency lighting equipment and miniature lamps. Overall, however, the U.S. lighting market remained depressed for the second quarter in a row. The index was down more than five percent from its year-ago level."

The near-term future does not seem to promise a rebound, Bachner commented. Particularly troubling is the slowdown in nonresidential construction, which, for the past year, has buoyed overall construction activity despite severe erosion in the residential sector. According to NEMA Economic Analysis Director Brian Lego, "Data from the first quarter of 2008 show overall spending on commercial, industrial and other related nonresidential buildings sank by its largest annualized rate in nearly three years."

Even more trouble could lie ahead, Lego said. He noted that the American Institute of Architects' billings index, a forward-looking indicator, slid to an all-time low, "with readings for firms specializing in commercial and industrial work especially weak. Overall, tighter lending standards, slower profit growth, rising energy costs, and a multitude of other financial and economic concerns pose significant headwinds to nonresidential construction activity."