Philips looks to LEDs to restore lighting profits
As margins are hit by weak economies and high materials prices, Philips revises down its growth expectations for the lighting market.
Pricing pressure and increases in raw materials costs have badly impacted Philips’ lighting business in the second quarter of 2011, off-setting a 21% year-over-year increase in sales of LED-based lighting products.
The giant company, headquartered in The Netherlands, posted revenues of €1.78 billion from its lighting business for the three months that ended in June. Although that represents a decline from €1.86 million in the equivalent period in 2010, Philips said that “comparable” sales were actually slightly up, and that the company was hit by unfavorable currency fluctuations.
But the real impact was felt on the company's bottom line, with a €1.4 billion impairment charge relating to lowered growth expectations leading to a net loss of €1.2 billion for the second quarter.
Philips CEO Frans van Houten added that the weak performance reflected a “sluggish post-crisis environment”, with the company now intending to raise prices to restore its margins. Despite that, the growth in LED-based general lighting applications has been strong, with consumers in Japan said to be buying the new technology to help mitigate the impact of restrictions on electrical power supplies following the earthquake and tsunami in March.
But because of the slower-than-expected recovery from the economic crisis, and the uncertainty generated by worries over debt burdens and austerity measures around the world, Philips has revised downwards its expectations of growth for the lighting market over the next few years.
Whereas it had previously forecast compound annual growth of 7-9% between now and 2015, Philips is now anticipating only 5-7%, with the annual global lighting market reaching a size of around €80 billion by mid-decade – and with LED-based technologies accounting for just under half of the market by then. The current level of LED penetration in general lighting is estimated at below 5%.
LED-based lighting products accounted for 15% of the company’s overall lighting sales in the latest quarter; equivalent to €267 million. Paradoxically, Lumileds – Philips’ LED chip manufacturing subsidiary based in San Jose, California – saw its revenues decline.
2011年7月20日 星期三
Associated of Los Angeles Partners with Seesmart, Inc. to Light City of Los Angeles
Associated of Los Angeles Partners with Seesmart, Inc. to Light City of Los Angeles
Associated of Los Angeles (ALA), the oldest electrical distributor in the Los Angeles, California area and the primary electrical vendor for the City of Los Angeles, is also the newest dealer of Seesmart, Inc.'s LED products.
The partnership enables ALA to provide Seesmart's cutting-edge LED lights to the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles County, and other ALA customers. Additionally, the partnership provides Seesmart with a conduit to the City of Los Angeles and its many facilities. As a member of Seesmart's network of over 30 dealers and distributors, ALA offers the complete product line of over 325 Seesmart products and receives extensive sales and engineering support from Seesmart.
"ALA has been instrumental in establishing demonstration projects for Seesmart throughout the City of Los Angeles," stated Ken Ames, Chief Executive Officer of Seesmart, Inc. "One of these projects is the Los Angeles Mall, located in the City's downtown. The Mall's fluorescent U-tubes and incandescent flood lights have been replaced with 1,300 Seesmart LED products. This has caused the energy consumption of each retrofitted tube light fixture to drop by over 72%, from 88 Watts to just 24 Watts. Importantly, the LA Mall is not only saving energy: its new LEDs have significantly increased light levels. Under fluorescent lighting, the Mall achieved around 12 footcandles at 30 inches above the floor. Now, under Seesmart LEDs, it achieves 19.5 footcandles at that level."
Seesmart is also working with ALA to retrofit a Los Angeles 911 call center. The soffit and overhead tube lighting in the call center will be upgraded to Seesmart LED lighting.
ALA is a subsidiary of Steven Engineering, the largest industrial control and components supplier in the American West. Among ALA's customers are manufacturers, local governments, and entertainment facilities. Remarks Seesmart, Inc. President Ray Sjolseth, "Seesmart is very proud to welcome ALA, a true institution in the greater Los Angeles area, to our international network of over 30 dealers and distributors. We look forward to educating ALA in LED technology for implementation across its extensive client base."
Associated of Los Angeles (ALA), the oldest electrical distributor in the Los Angeles, California area and the primary electrical vendor for the City of Los Angeles, is also the newest dealer of Seesmart, Inc.'s LED products.
The partnership enables ALA to provide Seesmart's cutting-edge LED lights to the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles County, and other ALA customers. Additionally, the partnership provides Seesmart with a conduit to the City of Los Angeles and its many facilities. As a member of Seesmart's network of over 30 dealers and distributors, ALA offers the complete product line of over 325 Seesmart products and receives extensive sales and engineering support from Seesmart.
"ALA has been instrumental in establishing demonstration projects for Seesmart throughout the City of Los Angeles," stated Ken Ames, Chief Executive Officer of Seesmart, Inc. "One of these projects is the Los Angeles Mall, located in the City's downtown. The Mall's fluorescent U-tubes and incandescent flood lights have been replaced with 1,300 Seesmart LED products. This has caused the energy consumption of each retrofitted tube light fixture to drop by over 72%, from 88 Watts to just 24 Watts. Importantly, the LA Mall is not only saving energy: its new LEDs have significantly increased light levels. Under fluorescent lighting, the Mall achieved around 12 footcandles at 30 inches above the floor. Now, under Seesmart LEDs, it achieves 19.5 footcandles at that level."
Seesmart is also working with ALA to retrofit a Los Angeles 911 call center. The soffit and overhead tube lighting in the call center will be upgraded to Seesmart LED lighting.
ALA is a subsidiary of Steven Engineering, the largest industrial control and components supplier in the American West. Among ALA's customers are manufacturers, local governments, and entertainment facilities. Remarks Seesmart, Inc. President Ray Sjolseth, "Seesmart is very proud to welcome ALA, a true institution in the greater Los Angeles area, to our international network of over 30 dealers and distributors. We look forward to educating ALA in LED technology for implementation across its extensive client base."
2011年7月14日 星期四
Zimbabwe's second City looks to make massive savings on street lighting
Zimbabwe's second City looks to make massive savings on street lighting
ZDDT assists Bulawayo in testing out new technologies that could cut the city's street lighting bill by 88%
Pics: 1) The new street light bulb being trialled in Bulawayo 2) The test unit (left) alongside the old 3) Cllr Edward Manning poses at the test site 4) Newspaper vendor, Mr Masotsha plies his trade in the vicinity of the test site.
BULAWAYO – As a start to an exciting new development in Zimbabwe's second city - Bulawayo - cutting edge lighting technology was recently put on test at a site in the city where pedestrian activity is particularly dense.
This technology consists of LED lighting units that are cost effective and energy efficient meeting the objectives of the City of Bulawayo’s energy saving policy.
Effectively, power consumption will be reduced by 88% and lighting intensity increased by 20%. With a bulb life span exceeding 25 years, the investment is well worthwhile as a full return on cost is achieved within 3 years. Ultimately, the carbon footprint of the city will be reduced significantly.
Harare based consultant and manufacturer, Alternative Energy Consultancy (Pvt) Ltd, (AEC), supplied one of these units to the City of Bulawayo, free of charge, for purposes of testing. The test unit was installed alongside an old style lighting component, at the busy Lobengula Street Pedestrian Mall that doubles as a vending market. This was specifically done in order to allow effective comparison between the two systems.
Field Correspondent, Lewis Jones, recently visited the site as a means of sounding out the opinions of shop owners and vendors in the vicinity as well as those from passers-by.
Commenting about the new lighting technology, clothing store owner, George Batty remarked; “The new unit gives off a satisfactory bright glow. The additional and constant light source may certainly act as a deterrent to would be burglars besides generally enhancing security in the area.”
Newspaper vendor Chris Masotsha made the following comment: “The old lights wore out so quickly and often remained unattended for lengthy periods, making it difficult for vendors to catch the evening rush-hour business, particular during these winter months. Maybe with this new system our prospects will be better.”
A passer-by, Given Ncube, remarked; “I usually get home early. But I imagine that, with the installation of this new system, those who leave work late in the evening will feel safer when passing through this place.”
Cllr. Edward Manning of Ward One, the test site’s location, feels that the new lighting technology will be a boost for the neighbourhood’s leisure activities besides providing increased security for those who do business in the area and saving the hard pressed ratepayer a lot of money on the ZESA bill. “It will certainly improve security for business people and their customers,” he said. The Councillor added; “With this constant light source, the many impromptu drama and comedy groups who perform here will have more time to entertain the public, from whom they receive various amounts of cash as tokens of appreciation. In addition, it is bound to add value to the area as a whole.”
The City of Bulawayo is testing this technology with a view to initial installation along two of its busiest thoroughfares, extending eventually to wider areas of the city.
ZDDT takes pride in the active role it has played by providing the linkage to bring together the City of Bulawayo and AEC in this essential partnership and for availing its well visited website in promotion of such progressive developments.
ZDDT assists Bulawayo in testing out new technologies that could cut the city's street lighting bill by 88%
Pics: 1) The new street light bulb being trialled in Bulawayo 2) The test unit (left) alongside the old 3) Cllr Edward Manning poses at the test site 4) Newspaper vendor, Mr Masotsha plies his trade in the vicinity of the test site.
BULAWAYO – As a start to an exciting new development in Zimbabwe's second city - Bulawayo - cutting edge lighting technology was recently put on test at a site in the city where pedestrian activity is particularly dense.
This technology consists of LED lighting units that are cost effective and energy efficient meeting the objectives of the City of Bulawayo’s energy saving policy.
Effectively, power consumption will be reduced by 88% and lighting intensity increased by 20%. With a bulb life span exceeding 25 years, the investment is well worthwhile as a full return on cost is achieved within 3 years. Ultimately, the carbon footprint of the city will be reduced significantly.
Harare based consultant and manufacturer, Alternative Energy Consultancy (Pvt) Ltd, (AEC), supplied one of these units to the City of Bulawayo, free of charge, for purposes of testing. The test unit was installed alongside an old style lighting component, at the busy Lobengula Street Pedestrian Mall that doubles as a vending market. This was specifically done in order to allow effective comparison between the two systems.
Field Correspondent, Lewis Jones, recently visited the site as a means of sounding out the opinions of shop owners and vendors in the vicinity as well as those from passers-by.
Commenting about the new lighting technology, clothing store owner, George Batty remarked; “The new unit gives off a satisfactory bright glow. The additional and constant light source may certainly act as a deterrent to would be burglars besides generally enhancing security in the area.”
Newspaper vendor Chris Masotsha made the following comment: “The old lights wore out so quickly and often remained unattended for lengthy periods, making it difficult for vendors to catch the evening rush-hour business, particular during these winter months. Maybe with this new system our prospects will be better.”
A passer-by, Given Ncube, remarked; “I usually get home early. But I imagine that, with the installation of this new system, those who leave work late in the evening will feel safer when passing through this place.”
Cllr. Edward Manning of Ward One, the test site’s location, feels that the new lighting technology will be a boost for the neighbourhood’s leisure activities besides providing increased security for those who do business in the area and saving the hard pressed ratepayer a lot of money on the ZESA bill. “It will certainly improve security for business people and their customers,” he said. The Councillor added; “With this constant light source, the many impromptu drama and comedy groups who perform here will have more time to entertain the public, from whom they receive various amounts of cash as tokens of appreciation. In addition, it is bound to add value to the area as a whole.”
The City of Bulawayo is testing this technology with a view to initial installation along two of its busiest thoroughfares, extending eventually to wider areas of the city.
ZDDT takes pride in the active role it has played by providing the linkage to bring together the City of Bulawayo and AEC in this essential partnership and for availing its well visited website in promotion of such progressive developments.
Out Last Night: Britney Spears at the AAC (With Photos)
Out Last Night: Britney Spears at the AAC (With Photos)
The dancing was phenomenal and the lyrics were crystalline, too bad neither had anything to do with Britney Spears. At her concert last night at the American Airlines Center, however, Britney brought in a special breed of fan that needs only one thing to enjoy a concert: her presence. The concert pulled out all the bells and whistles to make it visually over the top, but the fans cheered the loudest when Britney was just standing and talking to the crowd.
The 40-minute countdown clock for Britney started on the big screens as soon as Nicki Minaj left the stage. And as the last few minutes ticked by, the entire arena was standing and screaming. As soon as her infamous “It’s Britney, b*tch” sounded through the arena, it was like the dam broke. The excitement, however, was suddenly stalled as the show started with a video plot line of “female fatale” that continued to interplay between her songs. Soon enough, the mega screen opened, and the people received their pop princess. Britney rolled in on an iron throne and stepped onto an elevator that brought her down to the stage. This was definitely a different Britney from my teenage years. Her moves were slower, more rigid, and minimal. However, her ten-plus back up dancers definitely picked up the slack, as the girls were grinding in cages and the guys, suited in full police attire (sunglasses and nightstick included) jumped and flipped on stage.
Britney wouldn’t know that her performance was anything less than what it was ten years ago because as soon as she started walking the stretch of the stage, out to the fans, people went nuts. And the further she got into the thick of the audience the bigger her smile grew as the noise of the crowd increased. And as far as lip-syncing, yes, she was obviously doing it. You could clearly hear each lyric come out of her baby soft voice anywhere in the whole arena. Sure, it was fake, but something should be said for actually being able to hear lyrics at a concert. I, at least, wasn’t complaining.
And even though her attempts at choreography may have been meager, she never stopped trying. She was suspended in the air on a platform for “Piece of Me,” and the entire time she never stopped moving, even if she was only kicking one foot out in front of the other. During “Big Fat Bass” one of her cornrowed dancers was breakdancing, hopping, and kicking upside down on one arm for at least 30 seconds (only receiving minimal applause). All Britney had to do, on the other hand, was fist pump on one of the multiple life-sized stereos and the crowd went wild.
These fans didn’t come for the show, they came for Britney, and even though the arena exploded with applause after every song, it wasn’t even close in comparison to how the walls shook when she would simply say, “Well thank you Dallas!”
Of course Britney robbed the spotlight, but her dancers were amazing. During “Don’t Let Me Be The Last To Know” Britney was elevated on a swing while one of her male dancers lifted himself into the air by holding onto two straps hanging from the chair, all the while doing aerial twists and turns. He ended his routine completely horizontal in an “x-out” position 20 feet in the air, making it look effortless (though he did have eight rippling abs aiding his act).
The dancing was phenomenal and the lyrics were crystalline, too bad neither had anything to do with Britney Spears. At her concert last night at the American Airlines Center, however, Britney brought in a special breed of fan that needs only one thing to enjoy a concert: her presence. The concert pulled out all the bells and whistles to make it visually over the top, but the fans cheered the loudest when Britney was just standing and talking to the crowd.
The 40-minute countdown clock for Britney started on the big screens as soon as Nicki Minaj left the stage. And as the last few minutes ticked by, the entire arena was standing and screaming. As soon as her infamous “It’s Britney, b*tch” sounded through the arena, it was like the dam broke. The excitement, however, was suddenly stalled as the show started with a video plot line of “female fatale” that continued to interplay between her songs. Soon enough, the mega screen opened, and the people received their pop princess. Britney rolled in on an iron throne and stepped onto an elevator that brought her down to the stage. This was definitely a different Britney from my teenage years. Her moves were slower, more rigid, and minimal. However, her ten-plus back up dancers definitely picked up the slack, as the girls were grinding in cages and the guys, suited in full police attire (sunglasses and nightstick included) jumped and flipped on stage.
Britney wouldn’t know that her performance was anything less than what it was ten years ago because as soon as she started walking the stretch of the stage, out to the fans, people went nuts. And the further she got into the thick of the audience the bigger her smile grew as the noise of the crowd increased. And as far as lip-syncing, yes, she was obviously doing it. You could clearly hear each lyric come out of her baby soft voice anywhere in the whole arena. Sure, it was fake, but something should be said for actually being able to hear lyrics at a concert. I, at least, wasn’t complaining.
And even though her attempts at choreography may have been meager, she never stopped trying. She was suspended in the air on a platform for “Piece of Me,” and the entire time she never stopped moving, even if she was only kicking one foot out in front of the other. During “Big Fat Bass” one of her cornrowed dancers was breakdancing, hopping, and kicking upside down on one arm for at least 30 seconds (only receiving minimal applause). All Britney had to do, on the other hand, was fist pump on one of the multiple life-sized stereos and the crowd went wild.
These fans didn’t come for the show, they came for Britney, and even though the arena exploded with applause after every song, it wasn’t even close in comparison to how the walls shook when she would simply say, “Well thank you Dallas!”
Of course Britney robbed the spotlight, but her dancers were amazing. During “Don’t Let Me Be The Last To Know” Britney was elevated on a swing while one of her male dancers lifted himself into the air by holding onto two straps hanging from the chair, all the while doing aerial twists and turns. He ended his routine completely horizontal in an “x-out” position 20 feet in the air, making it look effortless (though he did have eight rippling abs aiding his act).
2011年7月7日 星期四
O-Train expansion moving ahead
O-Train expansion moving ahead
Kanata North council notes
The O-Train has operated successfully since its introduction as a pilot project in 2001. The Bombardier Talent diesel-powered trains operate seven days a week in an eight-kilometre corridor between the Greenboro and Bayview Transitway stations. It is now one of the city’s most important public transit links for those traveling north and south. Each of the three trains has surpassed one million kilometres of service, and the O-Train’s historical passenger count is quickly approaching 10 million.
The O-Train pilot project’s initial ridership target was 5,100 to 6,400 customer trips per day. Actual ridership has now reached more than 12,000 customer trips per day. The growing ridership, along with the need to enhance non-transit way service corridors during the east-west light rail transit (LRT) construction, highlights the need to increase the frequency and capacity of the O-Train service and will reduce the need to add buses for the short time the LRT is under construction.
Council has approved increasing the frequency of the O-Train from Bayview to Greenboro from every 15 minutes to an eight minute headway. This requires the construction of more passing lanes and the purchase of 8 new trains. The expanded service will be operational in September 2014.
In the fall, the transit commission will receive a further report on the possible extension through the Greenbelt to serve Riverside South. I support that move since it will provide service at a fraction of the cost of running electric LRT on that corridor, freeing up funds to expand the planned LRT further to the east and west. At the time of the approval of the Transportation Master Plan in 2008 I had presented the Wilkinson Option which extended the O-Train to Leitrim. Although not accepted at that time, it is now being accepted as the way to go.
I am also inquiring about the possibility of running an O-Train type of service from Kanata. By rebuilding a connection that used to connect to the O-Train line, a rail service could run along the line that passes through Kanata Lakes. The track would need to be upgraded to make that happen.
As part of the city’s smart energy program, the Public Works Department is undertaking a pilot project to replace the street light heads with LED luminaries, which have a significantly longer lamp life than high pressure sodium or metal halide lights, as well as providing significant energy savings.
The city is converting the 47 existing street lights on Goldridge Drive and Stikine Drive to LED lamps. The existing street light fixtures have an available LED retro fit kit that converts the light source without changing the look thus preserving the character of the neighbourhood. The proposed LED lighting will maintain the existing light levels and will provide the added benefit of “instant on lighting” – no warm up period is required as with the existing fixtures to achieve full light capacity. With regard to safety, LED’s white light source provides for improved facial recognition and colour rendering. The preliminarily calculations indicate there will be a 33 per cent energy savings by retrofitting these fixtures to LED lamps.
Kanata North council notes
The O-Train has operated successfully since its introduction as a pilot project in 2001. The Bombardier Talent diesel-powered trains operate seven days a week in an eight-kilometre corridor between the Greenboro and Bayview Transitway stations. It is now one of the city’s most important public transit links for those traveling north and south. Each of the three trains has surpassed one million kilometres of service, and the O-Train’s historical passenger count is quickly approaching 10 million.
The O-Train pilot project’s initial ridership target was 5,100 to 6,400 customer trips per day. Actual ridership has now reached more than 12,000 customer trips per day. The growing ridership, along with the need to enhance non-transit way service corridors during the east-west light rail transit (LRT) construction, highlights the need to increase the frequency and capacity of the O-Train service and will reduce the need to add buses for the short time the LRT is under construction.
Council has approved increasing the frequency of the O-Train from Bayview to Greenboro from every 15 minutes to an eight minute headway. This requires the construction of more passing lanes and the purchase of 8 new trains. The expanded service will be operational in September 2014.
In the fall, the transit commission will receive a further report on the possible extension through the Greenbelt to serve Riverside South. I support that move since it will provide service at a fraction of the cost of running electric LRT on that corridor, freeing up funds to expand the planned LRT further to the east and west. At the time of the approval of the Transportation Master Plan in 2008 I had presented the Wilkinson Option which extended the O-Train to Leitrim. Although not accepted at that time, it is now being accepted as the way to go.
I am also inquiring about the possibility of running an O-Train type of service from Kanata. By rebuilding a connection that used to connect to the O-Train line, a rail service could run along the line that passes through Kanata Lakes. The track would need to be upgraded to make that happen.
As part of the city’s smart energy program, the Public Works Department is undertaking a pilot project to replace the street light heads with LED luminaries, which have a significantly longer lamp life than high pressure sodium or metal halide lights, as well as providing significant energy savings.
The city is converting the 47 existing street lights on Goldridge Drive and Stikine Drive to LED lamps. The existing street light fixtures have an available LED retro fit kit that converts the light source without changing the look thus preserving the character of the neighbourhood. The proposed LED lighting will maintain the existing light levels and will provide the added benefit of “instant on lighting” – no warm up period is required as with the existing fixtures to achieve full light capacity. With regard to safety, LED’s white light source provides for improved facial recognition and colour rendering. The preliminarily calculations indicate there will be a 33 per cent energy savings by retrofitting these fixtures to LED lamps.
LED lights could soon brighten Main Street
LED lights could soon brighten Main Street
For some West Main Street residents, the future looks a little brighter.
The city's Board of Public Works today was to consider a project that would add dozens of high-quality streetlights along the West Main Street corridor to improve light levels, energy efficiency and safety.
By replacing existing lights with 48 LED units, the city could produce a higher quality of light while using only half the electricity required by older lights, said Herb Berg, design coordinator with the city's streetlight engineering department.
LED lights put out a purer white light than traditional sodium bulbs, improving visibility and safety at night, Berg said.
“Security people love it because you can tell a red shirt from a black shirt,” he said. “Safety should improve significantly. It'll give you that sense of security.” Additional lights at street corners will double the light level at intersections, he said.
Because the project has not yet been put out for bid, Berg would not reveal its exact cost, but he said it would be “well over” the $100,000 range. Funding will come from the Community Economic Development Income Tax.
The project, which would also include the installation of historic light fixtures, is part of an ongoing community development plan to spruce up the Nebraska neighborhood, said Mary Jane Slaton, City Utilities spokeswoman.
Berg said the LED lights are also more durable than traditional bulbs and should last at least 15 years before any noticeable reduction in light output.
“We're hoping for 20 years, maintenance-free” with the project, he said.
For some West Main Street residents, the future looks a little brighter.
The city's Board of Public Works today was to consider a project that would add dozens of high-quality streetlights along the West Main Street corridor to improve light levels, energy efficiency and safety.
By replacing existing lights with 48 LED units, the city could produce a higher quality of light while using only half the electricity required by older lights, said Herb Berg, design coordinator with the city's streetlight engineering department.
LED lights put out a purer white light than traditional sodium bulbs, improving visibility and safety at night, Berg said.
“Security people love it because you can tell a red shirt from a black shirt,” he said. “Safety should improve significantly. It'll give you that sense of security.” Additional lights at street corners will double the light level at intersections, he said.
Because the project has not yet been put out for bid, Berg would not reveal its exact cost, but he said it would be “well over” the $100,000 range. Funding will come from the Community Economic Development Income Tax.
The project, which would also include the installation of historic light fixtures, is part of an ongoing community development plan to spruce up the Nebraska neighborhood, said Mary Jane Slaton, City Utilities spokeswoman.
Berg said the LED lights are also more durable than traditional bulbs and should last at least 15 years before any noticeable reduction in light output.
“We're hoping for 20 years, maintenance-free” with the project, he said.
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