Stimulated by a real-world problem, the shortage of electric energy in remote areas of Peru and particularly in rural areas of the tropical forest, the Universidad de Ingeniería y Tecnología (UTEC), through a team of researchers - made up of teachers and eight students – developed a Plant lamp, an innovative alternative renewable energy generating system.    

The main obstacle that currently blocks mass-market acceptance of LED lighting, both domestically and commercially, is widespread lack of understanding and knowledge to make qualified purchasing decisions. That is all set to change, however, with the launch of Lumispec, a new and innovative lighting design, commissioning and project management application. Years of lighting industry expertise, product knowledge and training can now be accessed by anyone with a tablet device or desktop computer. As a result, understanding how to switch to energy efficient lighting has never been easier.

Hubbell Lighting, a world leader in lighting innovation, announced today that Hubbell Outdoor Lighting has launched a new high performance and competitively priced area/site/roadway LED luminaire—the new ASL. The compact designed ASL efficiently replaces up to 400w HID luminaires and is perfect for illuminating roadways and parking lots on college campuses, stadiums, arenas, amusement parks and municipal areas. Available in multiple LED configurations, the simple-to-install LED luminaire has four SKUs stocked for immediate delivery.

North American lighting leader OSRAM SYLVANIA has launched long-lasting, energy-efficient OSRAM ULTRA LED™ MR16 lamps which are true halogen equivalent lamps when comparing lumen output and center beam candlepower.  In addition to offering superior light quality, as evident by being selected for the 2015 IES Progress Report because of its industry-leading efficacy and lumen output in its category, the lamps reduce energy consumption up to 82 percent, translating into lower energy costs for businesses and homes. They are currently being tested for Energy Star certification to make them eligible for utility rebates, which can further increase ROI.

Monique Cousineau,  Social Media Manager for Philips Lighting North America takes readers on a tour of Prague’s must see lighting installations in Autumn in this latest lighting blog entry.

Alpha, the world leader in the production of electronic soldering and bonding materials, has developed advanced alloys for improved thermal stability and reliability for high temperature operation and higher thermal fatigue and vibration resistance, the first of which is known as the ALPHA® MAXREL™ alloy.

St. Martin Tower marks a huge step forward in the development of the Frankfurt office scene, both in terms of the architecture and the lighting solution. This is where LED luminaires from Zumtobel systematically provide coordinated light at the workplace and help create an inspiring atmosphere throughout the building.

American Bright Optoelectronics Corp. today released the Ingeni-AC family of linear form factor direct AC LED modules that eliminate the need for costly external AC to DC conversion and both speeds total development time while radically reducing total fixture cost. The family of light engines employees American Bright’s patented SimpleDrive® technology that eliminates the need for capacitors, resistors and advanced magnetics while allowing users to connect modules directly to 120VAC, US mains, line voltages.

TP Halo and Thailand’s Provincial Energy Agency are collaborating on launching new LED T8 tube lights in Thailand, said representatives interviewed at EcolightTech Asia 2015, which ran from Nov. 19-21, 2015 at Queen Sirikit Convention Center in Bangkok, Thailand.

Chinese solar power hardware manufacturer Solar Leading has entered the new photovoltaic (PV) street light product market, which is designed with the aim of providing longer lifetime and low energy consumption lights to cities and companies, reportedIHS Electronics 360.

The capital of Indian State Karnataka will initiate its LED bulb scheme from Dec. 11, 2015, according to a report from The Times of India.

In order to continue contributing to its goal of reducing energy cost, the New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) announced the approvals of selling utility-owned streetlights to separate municipalities, reported My Twin Tiers.

CEA-Leti and its partners in the European FP7 project PLAT4M today announced they have built three silicon photonics platforms. The four-year project, which launched in 2013, aims at building a European-based supply chain in silicon photonics and speeding industrialization of the technology. PLAT4M, which is funded by a European Commission grant of 10.2 million euros, includes 15 leading European R&D institutes and CMOS companies, key industrial and research organizations in design and packaging, as well as end users in different application fields, to build the complete supply chain.

Several Canadian cities have announced plans to swap their old traditional streetlights for more energy efficient LED lights, but the country’s sixth largest capital Mississauga, located in Southern Ontario underestimated the finance it would need to replace the city streetlights.

Kings Cross Southern Square, Cubitt Facade, London  Client: Network Rail Architect: Stanton Williams Lighting Design: studioFRACTAL Photography: Will Scott Products: Iglu, Integrex

The opening ceremony of the top division of the Saudi Arabian football championship, the Saudi Professional League, was lit by Clay Paky. The multifaceted director Marco Boarino created a short intensive show at the King Fahd International Stadium.

Power management company Eaton today announced the introduction of its Lumark Prevail light-emitting diode (LED) Luminaire, a versatile, energy-saving and affordable lighting solution for area, site and roadway applications. Featuring a patent-pending architectural design, the Prevail luminaire combines easy installation features with multiple controls options, resulting in significant installation, energy and maintenance savings for both retrofit and new applications.

Trinseo the global materials company and manufacturer of plastics, latex and rubber, showcased its plastics for LED lighting at Strategies in Light Europe at booth B8 from November 18 – 19 at the ExCel Convention Center in London, England. Strategies in Light is co-located this year with LuxLive, Europe’s biggest annual lighting event

Converting existing linear fluorescent fixtures to LED is a snap with MaxLite DirectFit T5 lamps, the plug-and-play replacement for high output linear fluorescent tubes.

Authorities of Panaji, the capital of the Indian state of Goa and the headquarters of North Goa district, decided to switch all conventional bulbs to LED ones so as to cut 50% of their streetlights bill. The conversion will cost about INR 923 million (US $13.9 million). The project will be executed by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) within six months, reported the Times of India.

Binghamton, a city of New York State is to upgrade its aging streetlights with LED lights. According to Mayor Rich David, the city will switch approximately 7,000 streetlights to LED ones.

Health Canada releases several seasonal lights recalls for potential overheating, fire and eletric shock hazards.

Elemental LED, a leading U.S.-based engineering and technology company that manufactures LED lighting solutions announced today a strategic partnership with Border States Electric that extends its Diode LED product brand into the 81 branches of Border States Electric representing close to 200 locations. Border States Electric joins the Diode LED National Account Program which offers strategic dealers advanced product training, in-field support, and innovative programs designed to help them showcase and deliver the solutions and value of the Diode LED product line to their customers. Elemental LED and its wholesale and manufacturing division, Diode LED provides a wide variety of superior quality linear, task, and accent LED lighting solutions for both residential and commercial applications.

Six Flags Over Georgia is now home to the most wonderful wintertime festival of all, as the expanded Holiday in the Park® debuts November 21. Holiday in the Park features more than one million LED lights, 24 world-class rides, spectacular Christmas trees, exclusive holiday shows, artificial snow and 13 dazzling holiday-themed sections of the park.

Wouldn't it be great to wake up to a cool blue light during a sunny morning and come home to a warm sunset lighting mood in the evening? With Qube™ smart light bulbs, you can do just that. The new Qube, a 24/7 connected Smart Bulb with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), ensures maximum ease, affordability and functionality -- right in your home.

Gooee has announced is now now working in association with five more Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) ahead of LuxLive 2015, where it is launching its industry-leading ‘Gooee Inside’ technology.

With the growing popularity of handheld devices nowadays, face recognition becomes the hottest technology after fingerprint authentication in response to the rising trading mechanism of mobile payment and mobile commerce to strengthen personal data protection. Face recognition technology is used to detect and to recognize user’s facial features which can unlock handheld devices and PCs and authorize on-line transactions while convenience and safety are guaranteed for users. The application of face recognition will gradually be introduced to mobile devices to replace the traditional password entry and to reinforce transaction security.

Plummeting LED bulb prices has been a major issue around the globe, and the brunt has been felt by Thai LED manufacturers in a way more than ever before. LED bulb and tube prices have fallen drastically over the past year, as much as 50% for LED T8 tube lights. With prices hitting rock bottom, growing number of LED manufacturers are switching to EMC models, according to LEDinside interviews at Ecolight Tech Asia 2015, which took place from Nov. 19-21, 2015 at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand.

Highlights this week: The India market’s demands for star labelled efficient products has doubled with falling prices and increased participation of private companies, as the country follows its commitment to lower carbon footprint ahead of climate change talks to take place in Paris later this month. Following Osram’s announcement last week that the company is to invest EUR 1 billion in a new Malaysia-based plant for LED chips, a leading investor in Osram expressed opposing opinions about Osram’s latest strategy. LEDinside’s analysts initial estimates that about 30% of the EUR 1 billion investment will go into constructing the factory, and probably 30% in chip processing while Osram might be investing around EUR 400 million in MOCVD equipment. ON Semiconductor and Fairchild Semiconductor announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for ON Semiconductor to acquire Fairchild for in an all cash transaction valued at approximately US $2.4 billion.

Authorities in Anhui, China reported seizing counterfeited Philips LED pendant lights from the local architectural material market. The luminaires labelled with Philips’s trademark were confirmed to be fake by officials of Royal Philips. Authorities found 236 counterfeited luminaires, worth RMB 20,000 (US $3,134).