Panasonic intends to close two LED factories in Japan by late September 2015 to raise the company’s profitability, reported Japanese media Kyodo News.

LEDs are up to 80 percent more energy-efficient than normal light bulbs and last around five times as long as energy-saving light bulbs. As a result they are being used more and more frequently as a source of light. Nevertheless, white LEDs still have room for improvement, as current manufacturing processes are either very expensive or result in the lifetime of the LEDs being reduced. Researchers at FAU have now developed a new, rather unusual manufacturing method: their LEDs are partly made of fluorescent proteins.

The Midwest in U.S. is a tornado prone region that many residents in The Heartland have set up weather alerts on their phones to prepare ahead of severe weather, according to WorldNow and KFVS12 report.

A LED fanny pack might sound a bit lame, but this waist pack, BSEEN, aims to do more than just make athletes visible on the road.

Toshiba Corporation’s Semiconductor & Storage Products Company today announced the addition of 4 new products to its line-up of the “TL1L4 series” of high power white LEDs, that achieve high luminous flux of 140lm(min.). Shipment of the new products starts from today.

OSRAM will present its LEDsBIKE range of bike lights at EuroBike 2015 with a personal appearance by Olympic champion, Sabine Spitz. As an indicator of trends in the bicycle industry, EuroBike attracts 45 000 visitors each year. Visit us this year from 26th to 29th August at the Friedrichshafen trade fair grounds and discover our high-performance bike lights with efficient LED technology at OSRAM stand 808 in Hall A3. See you there!

Chinese manufacturers are delivering solid performance for first half of 2015, especially San’an Opto, which was the most profitable among a survey of 14 Chinese LED manufacturers. Osram recalls nearly 50,000 LED T8 tubes over burn hazards. The number of resigning Chinese managers nearly double in the industry in 2015, which could indicate the general economy situation has become much tougher. GE discontinues some traditional lighting products to turn its focus to LED lighting.

In December 2014, the Chinese government announced it would no longer be encouraging local governments to issue financial subsidies to LED manufacturers. The announcement which could have brought a sigh of relief to foreign competitors, had come perhaps a bit too late for some. Yet, it is probably too early to make the Chinese government as the scapegoat for the woes of the LED industry. Here’s why.

Energy-saving renovation project is the Key projects of "the 12th Five-Year Plan", and the most important is the scientific and reasonable standard of energy-saving renovation project energy savings measurement and verification of boundaries, principle, measure and validation method those important technical links such as scientific and reasonable regulations. Spark, as the record companies of national development and reform commission (NDRC),strongly support the implementation of the national relevant energy saving policy, actively participate in and dominate the drafting of national standard “ Technical requirements of measurement and verification of energy savings- Lighting system”, standard no.GB/T 31348-2014.

EURASIA Light Antalya, International Lighting, Electric, Security and Building Automation Technologies Fair will be held in Antalya Expo Center from 27-30 January 2016 organized by Pyramids Group with its 22 years of experience and supported by Fiberli. 

Government of India will replace all street lights of the country with LED bulbs in next 24 months. This is in line with the Ministry’s motto of providing energy efficiency and dependable energy in the country. Under Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme efforts are being made to replace all domestic bulbs into LED said Shri. Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal and Renewable Energy. Addressing the first Foundation Day Celebrations of the Association of Renewable Energy Agencies of the States (AREAS) in Bengaluru today Shri. Piyush Goyal said that Karnataka should join hands with the Central government in its energy efficiency programmes.

Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation and Pioneer Corporation announced that MCC and Pioneer have successfully developed the first bluelight-less OLED lighting module made with a wet coating process for the light-emitting layer, and will begin shipping samples on August 1.

A Florida State University engineering professor has developed a new highly efficient and low cost light emitting diode that could help spur more widespread adoption of the technology.

Global Tech LED continues to raise the bar by creating and manufacturing revolutionary LED products, and is proud to announce that its LED Solstice System has been awarded U.S. Patent numbers 9,091,424 and 8,979,304.  Global Tech LED delivers LED lighting experiences and products consumers expect from its number one selling retrofit line and there is much more to come.

Spurs Sports & Entertainment and Bexar County have partnered with Musco to provide the AT&T Center with new state-of-the-art LED lighting as part of the $100+ million in technology and infrastructure renovations at the AT&T Center. The new Musco custom lighting system will include more than 200 luminaires and more than 40,000 LEDs featuring advanced individual optics that will direct the LEDs with pinpoint precision to dramatically reduce glare, enhance playability for athletes, improve HD broadcasts and create a stage-like atmosphere for spectators. The increase in lighting performance will also reduce energy consumption by 78 percent.

GlacialLight, the diversified LED technology provider, announces the availability of its 2015 LED industry outlook report – “LED Lighting Industry and Value Chain Shift” – an in-depth look at the current state of the $27.5 billion LED lighting industry, and a forecast of upcoming changes based on market trends. Authored by Shawn Hsieh, Chairman of GlacialTech, the report makes a number of observations and predictions including: a shift in profit margins from the core LED package to the thermal module and LED driver, price competition in the LED package segment, the growing popularity of CoB LEDs, and the opportunity for smaller companies to grab market share.

The Classix 6" LED downlight by Amerlux® shines new light on high profile projects while featuring high performance optics with exceptional efficiency and beam control. With a unique blend of architectural form and function, Classix offers a variety of wattages and color temperatures to perform perfectly in a wide range of large retail and commercial spaces.

As several biker accessories have been introduced, including COBI which navigate biker through the urban jungle with smartphone, Vivid Lock that keeps both biker and the bike safe, a company called CycleLabs may have made a pretty good sum up with their Kickstarter project, Smarthalo.

In an internal memo, GE announced it will be discontinuing production of certain traditional lighting products including HID, incandescent lamps, fluorescent lamps and other interactive or sensor embedded lighting products as of Jan. 1, 2016.

The French government is planning to give away one million LED bulbs to low income families in the country, reported French media The Connexion.

Edmund Optics® (EO), the premier provider of optical components, announces that customers in China now have direct access to over 1,600 high performance laser optics from Edmund Optics’ large inventory of stock optics ready for immediate delivery. In addition, custom design and manufacturing of laser optics is now being offered for the first time to meet growing customer needs.

KIHOU is an indirect lighting product using two kinds of liquid and air bubbles. A ceramic bowl is filled with sticky liquid and a thin layer of black silicone oil floats on top. A small pump and LEDs are embedded in the bottom of the bowl, making luminous bubbles rise to the surface from the black liquid. The rhythm of bubbles, unexpected noise, stickiness of the liquid and lightness of the oil, and the mysterious contrast between the golden light and black surface all breathe life into this small cube, sublimating it into a product that people can feel an affinity with.

Ecobuild - Southeast Asia's most anticipated event for sustainable design, construction ,energy and the built environment is going to present to you  a new twist and jam-packed with dozens of green awareness activities. Its an annual exhibition that you will not want to miss. 

A Wacom Bamboo tablet I brought years ago has collected dust on top of my bookshelf for the last few years. After a few futile attempts of working with the tablet on the computer, I quickly became frustrated with the process. The tablet was definitely not functioning in the same way as physical paper, and the image evoked in my mind was not translating onto the computer screen very well.

The Sanskrit word “prana” refers to a cosmic life force that originates in the sun and enters the body through the breath. In the act of breathing, we form a connection between ourselves and the universe.

Paul Mercier is heavily involved in the lighting industry. As the principal and founder of Lighting Design Innovations, with offices in Calgary, Alberta and Batavia, New York, recent textbook author, various industry association memberships and certifications, adjunct teaching positions in the US and Canada, and significant IES (Illuminating Engineering Society – www.ies.org) involvement, including the recent conclusion of his term as President of the society, his passion for lighting clearly shines.

Ripple effects from volatile Chinese stock market has directly impacted LED capital market, shaking many companies’ management structures. Up to 18 managers in listed LED manufacturers have resigned as of Aug. 25, 2015, nearly double the number of senior managers that retired in 2014.

Lamps can overheat and melt, posing a burn hazard.

Arsenal Football Club unveiled Musco’s new state-of-the-art LED floodlights at their first evening game of the 2015/16 season against Liverpool at Emirates Stadium.

LumiFi, a design and technology-centric company enabling people and businesses to unlock the full potential of connected lighting through a lighting control software, has filed for U.S. and international patents. LumiFi is seeking to patent its unique smart lighting algorithm that combines wireless lighting technology from multiple manufacturers and the expertise of award-winning designers to offer preconfigured and customizable lighting moods, transforming hotel, home and workplace environments.