Concord Council to Hear Presentation on Copper Wire Theft

Since 2007, the Concord has experienced a significant increase in the incidents of copper wire theft and damage to electrical pull boxes that house copper wire for streetlights, parks lighting and irrigation control systems. These incidents have cost the City almost $400,000 in replacement and repair costs.

The Concord City Council will hear a presentation by Interim Public Works Director Mike Miller on this issue at its meeting on Tuesday, May 1, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at Civic Center, 1950 Parkside Drive. The presentation will include a plea to the public to assist the City in stopping the thieves who damage City and private property.

"The replacement costs for copper wire theft and related repairs as a result of vandalism were not a significant issue in the past ten years and, therefore, not projected in past budgets," said Miller. "As the value of copper wire has increased, incidents of copper wire theft has increased substantially. This is not just a City of Concord phenomenon; it has become a problem nationwide."

Wire theft is one of the major contributing factors to the growing backlog of service requests to repair streetlights and park lights. Although numerous efforts have been made to make it harder for the thieves to access the wire, many locations have been hit five to seven times, giving the public the impression that no repairs have been completed.

The public is welcome to attend the meeting to hear the presentation or view the meeting broadcast on Concord cable TV channel 28 (Comcast), channel 29 (Astound) and AT&T U-verse channel 99.

Philips Lumileds Lighting, San Jose, Calif., has been assigned a patent developed by Walter Daschner, Half Moon Bay, Calif., Xina Quan, Saratoga, Calif., and Nanze P. Wang, San Jose, Calif., for a "multiple die LED and lens optical system."

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: "A light emitting device includes a number of light emitting diode dies (LEDs) mounted on a shared submount and covered with a single lens element that includes a corresponding number of lens elements. The LEDs are separated from each other by a distance that is sufficient for lens element to include separate lens elements for each LED. The separation of the LEDs and lens elements may be configured to produce a desired amount of light on a target at a predefined distance. In one embodiment, the lens elements are approximately flat type lens elements, such as Fresnel, TIR, diffractive lens, photonic crystal type lenses, prism, or reflective lens."

'Healthy apps' may turn smart phones into life-saving devices

With a mixture of multi touch technology and GPS recognition, smartphones have become a vital part of the lifestyles of nearly 100 million Americans according to Geekwire.

With many people having their phones attached to them as if they were their organs, now they can check their actual organs vital functions with the comfort of their own mobile device.

Software applications (or apps) available at the Apple and Android store now can save peoples lives.

With health conscious apps categorized as "Health and Fitness" and others that are familiar, there is no excuse not to stay healthy.

The free app "Heart Rate" on the iPhone takes advantage of the phones camera as well as it's fixed LED light.

After placing the index finger on the camera, the LED light starts flashing sensing and counting the hearts pulse rate.

The phone's camera senses your blood pressure and displays a very close estimate of the actual reading of the pulse.

Other apps like the "Pocket First Aid & CPR from the American Heart Association" comes on both platforms, the iPhone and Android.

The app includes up-to-date emergency information from the American Heart Association, illustrations and information about topics such as CPR, choking, bites, bruises and more.

The apps navigation includes training photos and videos of the CPR procedure , essential medical information incase of emergency and a first aid basics section.

The "Zombies, Run!" app offers an alternative to jogging.

Instead of counting your calories on the treadmill, the app gives the consumer the opportunity to run from zombies.

A story line gets fed to the users ears via headset creating a whole new world filled with zombies.

The app puts the user in a situation where they hear zombies coming towards them and all they have to do is survive.

The apps description on the Apple stores says "Zombies. There's only one thing you can do: Run!"

With a high price of eight dollars, the app is considered high compared to other jogging apps that cost less than one dollar.

A costumer review reads "Like most people out there I laughed at the price, but after I got over the shock of paying $8 I couldn't be happier."

PJ Faulkner, a sophomore nursing major of Paragould, said if jogging isn't your cup of tea and you choose to meditate instead, "Serenity: Chill Out" is the app to relax your mind.

Green School Project completes first phase

The United States Green Building Council's Orange County chapter has completed the first phase of planning and installations at Davis Magnet School in Costa Mesa. The Green Classroom Project is a plan to renovate and "green" an existing classroom at the school.

The classroom "greenovation" will include a new energy-efficient HVAC system (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), day-lighting and natural light installations, and improved acoustics. A second classroom will serve as a control, with no green upgrades, to illustrate the difference in environmental improvement and other factors.

Wendy Rogers, chair of the Green Schools Project for the USGBC-OC, explained that the benefits of greening the classroom translate to lower facilities and operating costs and healthier learning conditions.

"The economic environment that our public schools operate in is challenging. Green schools can be part of the solution. Less money spent on facility costs can be spent on our students for books, computers or even a teacher's salary," Rogers said. "Good teachers are the most important factor in improving student performance, but healthy school facilities contribute significantly as well. Healthy indoor air quality and classroom acoustics are just two elements of green schools that can contribute directly to enhanced student and teacher performance."

The first phase of the project, which included the installation of air-quality monitoring equipment in both classrooms, was completed in December of last year. The equipment's sensors are collecting information on carbon dioxide levels, temperature and humidity, as well as tracking information on energy usage, distinguishing between energy consumed by lighting, outlets, heating, air conditioning and ventilation.

Phase II of the project will begin in the summer, while the students are on break. During this phase, the classroom will be retrofitted, with any necessary construction and heavy equipment installations.

While Davis Magnet School is publicly funded, the project does not rely on any sources of public funding for its support; instead, corporate donations from local and national firms, including Disney, LPA Inc. and McCarthy Building Cos., have allowed the project to move forward. Contributions from Disney and Sunbelt Controls provided funding for the materials and the labor necessary for the monitoring systems installed in Phase I of the project.

Rogers explained that there are already a number of green schools in the region; the seventh in Orange County, Stonegate Elementary in the Irvine Unified School District, opened in September 2010. Her hope is that the Green Classroom Project at Davis Magnet will encourage other districts and communities to consider greening their school campuses.

"It's not just for the students, but also for the good stewardship for our dollars," she said, describing the project as "a good incentive for other school districts that might be wavering, to see the data, the change in air quality and energy use."

NEW PRODUCT FLASH: LED Lamps from Toshiba

Toshiba International Corporation recently introduced new PAR38 and MR16 lamps to its LED lighting line. The PAR38 and MR16 lamps offer higher lumen output while still providing energy savings when compared to similar lumen halogen bulbs.

Toshiba's new PAR38 1100 Series is a direct replacement for 90 to 110W halogen lamps, offers outputs of up to 1170 lumens, and uses up to 75% less energy than halogens. Meanwhile, the new MR16 450 Series is a direct replacement for 35W halogen lamps, offers lumen outputs of up to 475 lumens, and uses up to 80% less energy than halogens.

Both models are dimmable, contain no mercury or lead, and last up to 20 times longer than halogens. Based on an average use of three hours a day, Toshiba's MR16 is rated to last 22.8 years, and the PAR38 is rated to last 36.5 years. The lamps are also designed to fit most gimbal rings, so they can be used in existing fixtures.

The lamps in both series are geared for providing bright light in entryways, stairways, lobbies, and reception areas. Because of higher lumen outputs, these can be set higher in a room without sacrificing light quality, or they can be placed farther away from the wall for track lighting.

The PAR38 1100 Series is available in 2700K, 3000K, 3500K, and 4000K. The MR16 450 Series comes in 2700K, 3000K, and 4000K color temperatures. Both are also available with beam angles of 25° or 35°.

Currently, 100% of Toshiba's current lighting product offering and lighting product development in the U.S. is based on LED technology. To demonstrate its commitment to LED technology as a superior choice for lighting, Toshiba, headquartered in Japan, abandoned production of incandescent light bulbs in March 2010.

The government is mulling over extending the use of LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs for road lighting nationwide, depending on the outcome of a pilot project in the Klang Valley, the Dewan Negara was told Tuesday.

Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin said LED lights were energy-saving, last longer (up to 50,000 hours), environmental-friendly and had a high level of lighting efficiency.

"We are also taking the initiative to promote the use of this kind of bulbs in buildings, park areas and open space as well as for street lighting," he said when replying to a question from Senator Datuk Dr Yeow Chai Thiam.

The Public Works Department installed the LED road lighting system in June last year along the Federal Highway, Middle Ring Road 2 and at the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang.

'Literary Hybrids' and Aesthetics of Collocation

Cesare Syjuco uses both inductive and deductive collocations in a diverse and complex manner. His 'media-collocation' elicits a discursive interpretation of the binary elements from referential (object) to the main concept of the composition. The collocated elements, i.e., texts, images and three-dimensional objects, complement each other to form a strong symbolic presentation: subliminal and suggestive, witty and intelligent, Freudian and existential.

For instance, in "Weapons of Mass Destruction," during a 2008 exhibit "2 Minds, Many Madnesses" with his wife Jean Marie Syjuco at Mag:net Gallery, he carefully arranged a series of framed artworks with corresponding texts and illustrations on the wall. Here, the artist employs a 'deductive method' by arranging the elements of his subject in a logical and linear progression. The textual content of each picture is interchangeably designated with odd sound that belongs to either one of the referential objects (animal or insect).

The texts and images can be seen and read as follows: (1) If it grunts like an ox, (snail), (2) If it quacks like a duck, (mouse), (3) If it bleats like a sheep, (grasshopper), (4) If it squeals like a pig, (lion), (5) It must be bum yeggs, (eggs). Then, in a hypothetical proposition, he arrives at the conclusion in the sixth frame by saying, (6) "It could mean a World War!"

As if in an ominous and playful manner, the artist engages the viewers with a seemingly absurd question: What would happen if a mouse quacks like a duck, a lion squeals like a pig, or a grasshopper bleats like a sheep? Although, the syntactic propositions defy the logical principles, there is but one reality that the artist wishes to convey -- the weapons of mass destruction and its imminent peril to humanity.

In another compelling work of the same show titled "Divinities," a rectangular one-meter acrylic panel is vertically attached on the wall backlit by fluorescent light. On the transparent surface is an almost invisible caption running upward parallel to the vertical fluorescent bulb. At a relative distance, the acrylic panel appears to be an ordinary installation. However, at a closer inspection, the object signifies more than what it represents.

Human perception and judgment can sometimes fail to see the detail, and, in this case, to know the truth behind the transparent acrylic panel. Unless the viewers are keen enough, they will notice a very tiny inscription that says, "God Speaks to Cesare."

In this work, the artist uses an 'inductive collocation' to test how sharp and observant the viewers are in understanding the concept of his work.  For God, as the artwork signifies, can be everywhere, speaking to anyone in any form or manner, not just to Cesare. The parallelism of collocated elements are obvious, the inscribed texts (God Speaks to Cesare) and the fluorescent "light," an allusion to the bible that refers  God as  the "light" of the world amidst the darkness of evil.

Conversely, Cesare A.X. Syjuco's compositions through media-collocation are neither abstruse nor irrational, leaving the audience defeated in translation.  On the contrary, most of his works are like a riddle to be deciphered or decoded by a perceptive mind. Finding the answer or the message of his work in the process is a plus factor. It is not only intellectually rewarding, but also a fulfilling phenomenological encounter of art as a revelation of reality.

Earth Day: Bemidji residents get jump start on gardening

The Minnesota Department of Commerce encourages people to think about their energy use in recognition of Earth Day by looking at ways to conserve energy and save money while saving the environment.

Bemidji Ace Hardware Operations Manager Bill Shaw said there has been an increase in environmentally friendly projects over the years and people are becoming more knowledgeable.

"Organic and 'go green' is more expensive but for some people it doesn't matter, they want the organic soil because of the chemicals and what they are doing to our bodies but for others who come in looking for organic they come in and are surprised by the price and then go with the regular products," Shaw said.

Shaw said the market for organic soil has increased because it is more natural and comes directly from the ground without the added chemicals. He said that organic soils are more expensive and require people to use natural manure fertilizers as food for plants to grow. For a cheaper, but still environmentally friendly product he recommend using Milorganite Fertilizer, which is made of recycled waste from sewage and provides lawns with a dark green grass.

"It is not poop in a bag," Shaw said. "It's the scale that builds up the micro-organisms and that is what they scrape off to make the fertilizer."

For consumers like Kay Murphy and her daughter Kaitlin Graham who did some garden shopping at Home Depot Saturday afternoon, Earth Day weekend is time to jump start some of the gardening projects. For Graham, she was buying a few plants to plant around a group of newly sprouted trees around her home to add to the aesthetics of her yard. She also grows a vegetable garden in the summer time growing tomatoes, cucumbers green beans and raspberries as a hobby. For Murphy, who lives on seven acres of land, she just likes things to maintain the natural environment around her home.

"I don't mow all of it because I think it's harmful. I like to let it go and leave it as natural as possible," Murphy said. "I just said enough is enough. I leave the dead trees for the birds and keep it as more of a natural environment."

Energy conservation is another way that Minnesota Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman hopes to see people improve on. Simple projects and home improvements can reduce household consumption of gas and electricity; like simply changing a light bulb. Jim Leclaire, an electrical department employee at Home Depot said that the market for market for LED (light-emitting diode) has increased because of the long term savings that they provide.

"This last year the LED market has picked up a lot and it is getting to where people have to make a choice," Leclaire said. "CFL (compact florescent light bulbs) are going to be phased out because 'green' won't go near them because they have mercury in them."

In addition to changing light bulbs, the Department of Commerce offered a list of steps to conserve energy including sealing air leaks, making sure machines are running efficiently, installing a programmable thermostat, controlling hot water use and reducing stagnant power by plugging in appliances as needed.

Shaw said there is an increase in energy efficient and environmentally friendly products across the industry and though the price of these products can be high in the store, many young people are interested in the money they can save long term.

Herp Marketplace: Generate a Surge in Reptile Lighting Sales

Another trend involves multifunctional lamps and bulbs that are easier to install and take up less space in an animal's habitat, said Ralf Rombach, a biologist on the research and quality management team at JBL GmbH & Co., in Neuhofen, Germany. Equally important, he added, are products that offer precision-tuned levels of light to establish in captivity what an animal would experience in the wild. JBL's newest lamps, the ReptilDesert LUW and ReptilJungle LUW, were designed to take lighting to the next level, Rombach reported.

Marie Person, a sales associate at The Bird and Reptile Connection in Walpole, Mass., said her customers would welcome longer-lasting UVB bulbs and devices that alert hobbyists when it's time to replace a lamp—something that JBL's TempSet unit does.

"When customers come in to buy bulbs, I tell them to remember they need new ones in a year," Person pointed out. "If they come in on, say Memorial Day weekend, I tell them to remember that holiday next year as your new bulb-buying time."

A product retailers like Person can recommend to customers who want to measure UVB levels with the click of a button is Solartech Inc.'s Solarmeter 6.2. Steve Mackin, president of the Harrison Township, Mich., manufacturer, said herpkeepers need to monitor the intensity and age of lamps so animals always receive the correct amount of UVB.

"The Solarmeter was designed for convenience and accuracy," Mackin noted. "It's a handheld device that users can point at a lamp to get a bright LED readout. It's an affordable purchase for most consumers."

At Azo Reptiles, an online store based in Yonkers, N.Y., a new product that's selling well is the Nature Zone High Noon Compact Hybrid Lamp.

"This is the most innovative product we've seen in awhile," reported the store's owner, Tom Barone. "It's nice and bright but doesn't seem to bother the reptiles' eyes. The product is also really easy to mount inside cages."

The lamp is composed of three "U" tubes mounted in a self-ballasted base, said Paul Benson, president of Chico, Calif.-based Nature Zone.

"What makes our lamp unique is that two of these "U" tubes output a bright daylight 6500 K spectrum light," he noted. "The third light outputs a 10 percent UVB light. The brightness helps stimulate a more normal behavior in the reptile, resulting in increased breeding and better appetite."

Affordable innovation continues to be a big concern for consumers, retailers reported.

For this reason, Fluker's Sun Spot Mercury Vapor Bulbs and Sun Dome lighting fixtures are strong sellers at Azo Reptiles, Barone said.

"We use both the 100- and 160-watt bulbs," he pointed out. "They are inexpensive and provide both UV and heat. The Sun Dome's shape allows both heat and light to be concentrated expertly where you want it to be."

School of Medicine Research Building Receives Prestigious LEED Gold Certification

The School of Medicine Research Building at the University of California, Riverside has received LEED Gold Certification by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), recognizing efforts to design and build a facility with measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.

The award, along with information about the green building will be on display Thursday at the UCR Bell Tower as part of the campus' Earth Week events. The building is the first on the UCR campus to receive any level of LEED certification.

The School of Medicine Research Building (SOMRB) is a three-story, 58,000 square foot building that features highly flexible biomedical and population health research facilities that can accommodate a variety of disciplines. It was originally designed by SRG Partnership, Inc. to meet LEED Silver requirements, but Campus Architect Don Caskey and Sustainability Coordinator John Cook were able to document that the university had taken its environmental efforts to the next level.

"We went back in and found points that hadn't been applied for, such as restoring habitat, maximize open space, alternative transportation parking, heat island effect," Cook said, explaining that the certification process requires documentation of all claims.

LEED certification was developed by the USGBC in 2000 and features four different levels: platinum, gold, silver and "certified." Buildings are given points for reaching specific milestones in a variety of areas, including sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. The University of California Office of the President has made a system-wide commitment that all new campus construction and renovations meet a minimum of LEED Silver standards.

"To have our School of Medicine Research Building achieve the LEED Gold rating is a tremendous accomplishment because it is challenging especially to design and construct a laboratory building with the sustainability features necessary for this prestigious certification," said G. Richard Olds, dean of the medical school. "In addition to its green design and operation, this building will provide the advanced research facilities necessary to recruit the additional faculty we will need to open the medical school and train more physicians for our region."

"For our first LEED certified project to make gold is marvelous," Caskey said. "It has a lot of innovations, and I like the fact that we are on the cutting edge, trying things. We are out of the box with a bang and it sets the stage for where we are going with future construction."

Caskey said that the new Glen Mor II housing project will seek LEED Gold certification in 2014 and that the campus would be pursuing LEED Existing Building: Operations and Maintenance (EBOM) certification on several older campus buildings.

Cook said it is a major accomplishment for a laboratory building like SOMRB to earn LEED Gold Certification due to the power demands of laboratory equipment.

Shopping for light bulbs after the incandescent

As stores continue to phase out incandescent light bulbs, you may be confused about what's left on the shelf.

CFL, LED, incandescent- the light bulb aisle can be a confusing place, especially now that the old style of bulbs are being phased out.

"It was a lot easier before," said shopper John Fithian of Berlin Center. "You didn't have all the choices and everything. What's supposed to save energy or use more, I'm not really sure."

Companies are trying to enlighten the consumer with labels touting energy efficiency and cost.

"We are required now to provide this label which is very similar to the nutrition label that the food industry goes through," explained Sylvia Hart of GE Lighting. "We're standardizing across brightness, energy cost, life and color temperature."

As incandescent bulbs disappear, they're being replaced by CFLs, or compact fluorescent lamps, and LED's or light emitting diodes.

"Right now they are a little bit pricier," explained Electrical Specialist Ellery Dodson of the Boardman Home Depot. "But they're going to last you 20 years. You're not going to have to go out and buy new bulbs every two to three years and they use a lot less energy."

The spiral-style CFLs are cheaper, about $7 a piece, and last for about nine years. The newer LEDs last longer and cost a bit more.

"These come in a daylight and they come in a bright white," said Dodson. "So they are different brightness's."

There's also some extra care involved. CFL bulbs contain mercury. Stores like Home Depot offer recycle bins where you can wrap the bulb in a bag and leave it to be recycled.

Saying goodbye to the classic bulb has been tough for many customers.

"Oh yeah, they've been coming in, buying them by the box load!" laughed Dodson.

Luminus Big Chip LEDs(TM) Now Deliver 120 LPW Efficacy

Light + Building -- Luminus Devices, Inc. announced today that its white light LEDs are achieving 120 lumens per watt (LPW) at standard test conditions as specified by the Department of Energy (DOE). The 120 LPW efficacy represents the middle of the company's production distribution and aligns Luminus with the DOE roadmap for best in class efficacy.

"Luminus' efficacy performance is measured with its commercially available LEDs driven at DOE standard current, and represents the median of our production distribution -- not just our top bin," said Arvind Baliga, Ph.D., Vice President of Engineering at Luminus Devices. "Frequently, efficacy is reported using low drive current that artificially inflates the result or using laboratory results for an LED that is not commercially available."

"The recent accreditation of our test laboratory to the LM-80 standard, awarded by NVLAP (National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program), illustrates Luminus' commitment to providing our customers with accurate performance data about our LEDs," said Keith T.S. Ward, President and CEO of Luminus. "Everyone at Luminus is excited about having reached another milestone in the development of our technology, as well as shipping LEDs that deliver state-of-the-art efficacy with our Big Chip industry leading high brightness packages."

"High efficacy is only part of the story when it comes to our white light LEDs," commented Chuck DeMilo, Global Director of Product Marketing at Luminus. "Our Big Chip LED technology provides customers with an efficient and powerful point source of light that enables precise optical control and the highest center beam candle power in the lighting industry for applications including retail display spot, high bay and outdoor area lighting."

Luminus is exhibiting in Hall 4.2, Stand G02 at Light + Building, April 15-20 at Messe Frankfurt in Frankfurt, Germany. For more information on how Luminus is enabling the conversion of today's conventional lighting fixtures to LED.

About Luminus Devices Luminus Devices is a leading developer and manufacturer of LED technologies and solutions for the multi-billion dollar global illumination market. Luminus' high efficacy and high brightness LEDs are used by many of the world's biggest companies for general lighting, projection display, entertainment, ultraviolet curing, medical, portable, transportation and digital signage lighting applications. Luminus has more than 144 patents/patents pending worldwide, and its revolutionary Big Chip LED(TM) technology enables new markets for solid-state lighting.

Luminus Releases High CRI LEDs Enabling Conversion of Conventional HID Lighting Technologies

Light + Building -- Luminus Devices, Inc., announced today the CBT-90 white LED is available with guaranteed minimum CRI (color rendering index) of 90 and typical CRI of 93. The product has a typical R9 value of 85, allowing it to beautifully render deeply saturated reds.

"CBT-90 with high CRI takes our customers to the next performance level," said Chuck DeMilo, Global Director of Product Marketing for Luminus. "Physicians can now accurately render deep red colors of tissue and blood during endoscopic surgery. Entertainment lighting fixtures will make flesh tones look warmer and more vibrant during theatrical productions. Retail display lighting designers emphasize high CRI, as it makes merchandise look more attractive and increases sales. Our customers are very excited about this development."

Luminus recently increased the lumen output of the CBT-90 by 25%. The product is fully qualified at input currents up to 1.5A/mm2, delivering thousands of lumens with unparalleled brightness. The CBT-90 LED, manufactured and sold by Luminus since 2009, has been designed into volume lighting products by the world's leading companies. Typical applications include medical, automotive, machine vision and entertainment lighting where Luminus' Big Chip LED(TM) technology has displaced traditional lighting technologies including xenon, metal halide and halogen.

Luminus will be exhibiting in Hall 4.2, Stand G02 at Light + Building, April 15-20 at Messe Frankfurt in Frankfurt, Germany, where the new high CRI CBT-90 will be on display. For more information on how Luminus is enabling the conversion of today's conventional lighting technologies to LED.

About Luminus Devices Luminus Devices is a leading developer and manufacturer of LED technologies and solutions for the multi-billion dollar global illumination market. Luminus' high efficacy and high brightness LEDs are used by many of the world's biggest companies for general lighting, projection display, entertainment, ultraviolet curing, medical, portable, transportation and digital signage lighting applications. Luminus has more than 144 patents/patents pending worldwide, and its revolutionary Big Chip LED(TM) technology enables new markets for solid-state lighting.

Stuart Based SEPCO Lights Road to Witham Field with Solar Power

The installation of Solar LED lighting is a major portion of a current Martin County project to resurface the road and improve the utilities around Airport Road in Stuart, FL. Stuart based contractor Sunshine Land Design substantially completed the $1.6 million project, funded by grants from the Economic Development Administration and Florida Department of Transportation, on March 30.

The county chose to install solar LED lighting instead of conventionally powered sodium vapor or metal halide light sources. The 27 solar lighting systems were provided by Stuart based manufacturer Solar Electric Power Company (SEPCO). According to Martin County Project Manager Paul Bangs, the county chose to use the solar lights in order "to do something innovative" and "likes that they are energy efficient."

The lights will save Martin County both short and long-term costs. Besides eliminating future electrical utility expenditures, the solar lights do not require the additional installation expense of trenching wires to run power to each light pole. Bangs stated, "You don't have to run permanent power to the solar lights" which sometimes "can be a pain in the neck." Project Manager for Sunshine Land Design Mike Dexter added, "The lights are easy to assembly and install."

Bangs also stated that he is "very happy with the LED lighting", referring to the technology used in the light fixtures. LED's, short for light emitting diodes, provide a whiter and more efficient light source when compared with other lamp technologies, enabling lower wattage fixtures to be used while providing the same or better performance. Airport Manager George Stokus echoes these sentiments stating, the LED lights provide "better lighting quality than the sodium vapor lights on the power poles" and "add appeal to the road."

According to SEPCO Project Manager Matt Cirrito, "Although SEPCO is an international manufacturing company, we have a large presence in Martin County and throughout the local area. SEPCO has provided equipment for numerous installations of solar sign, roadway, and park lighting in Martin, St. Lucie, and Palm Beach counties."

Cirrito adds, "We are very happy to have this installation of our product in our backyard. As more counties and municipalities are made aware of the benefits and performance of solar lighting, projects such as this will start appearing more and more frequently."

Harken back to the days of Edison with these Menlo Park Lamps

While eco-conscious homeowners are busy updating their lamps to modern and efficient CFL and LED bulbs, one design outfit based in Atlanta, Georgia has been going the other direction in time. The Dapper Llama's Menlo Park Lamps are inspired by the bulbs Thomas Edison showed off back in 1879, in the park of the same name.

The ultra-simple lamps use reproduction bulbs for the lighting component of the lamps. TDL says that the light from the bulbs is relaxing and provides an ambiance to the room. They've created several different versions from the single bulb to a double, triple and even a hanging pendant version (Though we couldn't find any evidence of that last one and aren't sure how it would work in practice.)

The pictured pieces are made from solid cherry wood, but  it appears that TDL will make the pieces from nearly any wood, though. They feature light-up push-button switches and vintage power cords and plugs for detail.

Menlo Park Lamps can be found on The Dapper Llama's Etsy store, and are custom made to order. They sell for between $95 and $180, and you can order replacement bulbs for $12 apiece.

This year, Tridonic will be presenting the highest number of innovations in company history. A comprehensive portfolio of LED products for general lighting applications will be on show. The lighting components manufacturer is expanding its offering to include innovative LED lighting modules.

At the same time, Tridonic is also focusing on the further development of electronic ballasts and products for lighting controls. Zumtobel Group CEO Harald Sommerer explains the importance of the trade fair for Tridonic: "This year's Light + Building will mark an important staging post for Tridonic. We have developed our portfolio and geared it towards the future with a new platform for electronic ballasts as well as an innovation drive centred on LED in the area of general lighting. This represents a major step towards securing Tridonic's competitiveness in this dynamic market."

Tridonic's showing at the trade fair will include the TALEXXengine STARK RLE, an LED light engine designed for outdoor applications. Another highlight will be the LED systems TALEXXengine STARK QLE and LLE. These open up entirely new creative possibilities for luminaire manufacturers. In a square or linear design, the modules can be installed separately or as a combination of models.

A new generation of non-dimmable and dimmable electronic ballasts is also certain to attract a lot of attention. Both series are to be launched in a range of price/performance categories. This will enable customers to choose the ballast best suited to their light fitting.

Innovation capability will be demonstrated in the next generation of lighting from Tridonic: the organic light-emitting diode (OLED). Three series of OLED modules offering uniform light and an extremely low profile are to be presented at Light & Building. These are ideal for decorative lighting applications, architectural lighting and wide-area effect lighting. Needless to say, Tridonic also offers the required driver system for each product to ensure simple integration of the lighting modules.

On And Off-Road Lighting Tips And Tricks

Nothing changes your perspective on nighttime wheeling or even just driving down paved roads like a good set of lights. And unless you're driving a brand new $50,000 4x4, your factory lights suck in comparison to what is available. There are multiple ways to put more light in front of your 4x4, including off-road lights and headlight upgrade kits. But these can range from $40 to over $500, so it pays to know a little bit about the technology before whipping out the platinum credit card.

In most vehicle lights, electricity flows through a thin piece of metal called a filament just like the soon-to-be-outlawed (in some areas) incandescent light bulbs in your house. The metal heats up almost to the point of melting, and the resulting glow puts the light in your lights. The reflector in the housing focuses the light in one direction, making it more intense.

Headlights are rated in watts, and the most basic way to get a brighter light is install higher watt bulbs. These have larger filaments and sometimes different types of metal that handles higher amperage without melting. However, the filament is held in a gas chamber, and the type of gas affects the light output. Really old sealed beams were incandescent, and they use an inert gas.

These lights give off a very warm, yellow glow. The filament starts to decay from the first time it is used, becoming dimmer and dimmer until they finally give up. The two most common gases used today for automotive headlights are halogen and xenon. Halogens produce a primarily white light, and the halogen gas causes a chemical reaction that redeposits separated parts of the filament back on the metal when the light is turned off, extending the life and maintaining the brightness of these lights over their life. Xenon is another gas that can be used in lights that have filaments, producing either a pure white or a blue tint.

The color is caused by a different temperature at which the filament glows. Both halogen and xenon bulbs produce brighter light with longer life. To add some confusion, xenon is also often used to describe High Intensity Discharge (HID) lights.

These lights have been used for decades by pro off-road racers for ultra-bright systems that operate at a moderate amp draw and lower temperature. An HID light doesn't use a filament at all. Instead of heating a filament to the point of glowing, an HID uses electrodes that do not touch. When the gas in the tube heats up to the point of evaporation, an arc of light connects the electrodes.

They use xenon gas in the tube, but don't confuse a xenon light bulb with an HID. In addition to special bulbs – which some companies call a burner to distinguish them from filament-type bulbs – these systems also require a transformer to increase the voltage and create the arc, as well as a starter which literally starts the arc.

While a halogen or xenon light attains its full brightness as soon as you turn it on, an HID has a warm-up period. A knock against HID lights has been the expense, but there have been several affordable off-road lights and headlight conversion kits introduced in the past few years.

Shedding light on how to choose the best bulb

About five years ago, various provinces began working toward eliminating old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs from our lives. The idea is that since such a small part of electricity used by incandescent bulbs actually gets turned into light, these bulbs must be wasteful.

The true situation is more complicated and I believe incandescent bulbs are not the bad things they're made out to be. But whether you agree with me or not, we all face the need to buy different sorts of light bulbs in the future and choosing wisely isn't as easy as it looks.

One of the brightest lights on the new bulb horizon is offered by LED technology. This acronym stands for Light Emitting Diode and it's much better than the transitional technology of compact fluorescent bulbs. LEDs offer the potential for much greater lifespan and lower energy consumption than anything else. That said, I use the word "potential" for a reason.

The high price of LED bulbs has attracted hucksters to the market. Sooner or later, you'll be standing in a hardware store aisle, looking at two 100-watt LED light bulbs. One bulb costs $45, the other one $8. Which is the more economical choice?

Tom Herstad knows more about the flood of bad, expensive LED lights than most people because he's trying to counter this deceptive trend. It's not easy. He makes it his business to bring high-quality LEDs to market through his company, Regal Lighting Designs and he offers several things to look for as you assess LED bulbs.

The main issue is something called thermal management. Even though LEDs do use less energy than incandescent bulbs, they still need to get rid of waste heat - more waste heat than you might think, in fact. Greater surface area on cooling fins (thin, fin-like protrusions that increase surface area to boost the rate of heat loss) is better than less and that's something you can compare by eye in stores. In tests I conducted in my shop, full-sized LEDs made to thread into conventional sockets had fins that become too hot to touch after 15 minutes of use. Fins are definitely an important issue. "Cheap LEDs have no heat-management features," says Herstad, "and that's one reason they fail more quickly than they should."

Another thing to watch for is price. Bargain-basement $8 LEDs deliver less value than $45 equivalents because they burn out proportionally faster while delivering less light. Herstad says that of all the offshore LED manufacturing countries, Taiwan currently shows the highest commitment to quality along with reasonable price levels. Country of origin is another thing you can look for as you shop.

Today's best LEDs offer warm tones of light equal to incandescents. Look for lights rated to deliver light in the 2700 kelvin (K) range of colour temperature. Many people find colour temperatures higher than this to be too white and clinical looking.

Japan's new reality show a picture-perfect trip

When visiting Japan, it's worth remembering -- and stop us if you've heard this one before -- that there's more to the country than kimonos, sushi, tradition and temples. A lot more.

According to those in the know, Japan is one of Asia's hot spots for contemporary modern art -- manga and anime, anyone? -- and exhibitions worth at least a half day out of your trip are thick on the ground.

The Hoki Museum, about an hour's drive from Tokyo, is one of a slew of outstanding new centers that take Japan's reputation for cutting-edge art to another level.

The astounding-looking building, which opened a few months before the 2011 earthquake, is the creation of Tomohiko Yamanashi, the architect behind the stunning art venue.

The museum is dedicated to the contemporary Realist art collection of retired tycoon Masao Hoki, whose lifelike portrait is one of the works on display.

"When people see this kind of painting at a glance they say it's like a photograph," Yamanashi tells CNNGo.

"But if it's a photograph, people cannot be so attracted. If you look at it very carefully, you see it's done by hand, and you start to realize it is very well-controlled pigment," he says.

"When you focus on details like the brushwork, then the paintings also become very modern and abstract."

amanashi's building is designed to aid this process of intense contemplation by "erasing architecture," as he calls it, and bringing us closer to the paintings.

But don't worry -- erasing the building doesn't mean it's going to fall down. That's just architectural jargon for making the things that comprise the structure, such as pillars, joins, corners, doorways and light fixtures, less obtrusive, allowing the viewer to enter more fully into the reality presented by each painting.

Rather than having rooms like a normal gallery, the Hoki takes the form of a gently curved continuous tube, folded over on itself to create three levels.

This presents a relatively continuous and seamless space in which the paintings can be enjoyed sequentially with no aimless wandering.

Another key feature is the lighting system. This uses myriad small, adjustable LED lights set into the ceiling in a scatter pattern that is both aesthetically pleasing but also breaks up any regularity that might distract from the paintings.

As many as 20 lights can be trained on one painting, creating varied lighting in different parts of the canvas.

So, what do the artists make of it all? Despite the fact that they are creating what many people would regard as old-fashioned art, they seem extremely pleased.

"I've never seen such a futuristic museum as the Hoki," Sousuke Morimoto, one of the artists in the exhibition, tells CNNGo. Kazuhiro Uno, another painter agrees.

"I like the Hoki Museum," he says. "The light is good to view paintings. The interior design is simple, so that we can concentrate on the paintings."

High octane offence leads Blackhawks to sixth straight win

Here's hoping there's a sale on red light bulbs in the area, why? Because the Island City Blackhawks are rapidly burning them out lately throughout some Eastern Ontario arenas.

The Hawks lit the lamp nine times at home as they edged the Kemptville Classics 9-6. They then headed to Kemptville for a Monday night tilt with the Oxford Millers and flicked the switch there 13 more times en route to a 13-3 drubbing.

"Boy when we are healthy and skating like we have been lately we're a tough team to contain. We have so many weapons at our disposal and they are all contributing right now," Blackhawk management stated after the Oxford Miller game.

"Our veterans have literally carried this team the second half and for a few of these guys it's really nice to see that they can still do it."

The Blackhawks are now 18-14-3 with one game remaining in their season. The win last Monday night in Kemptville was the Blackhawks' sixth win in a row. They have lost only once in their last 10 games, quite the turnaround.

"I'm so proud of those guys in that dressing room, they didn't quit. There's alot of pride in there and our veterans with their passion to win led the charge. We have alot of fire power on this team and it's nice to see the guys take turns carrying the load."

The Blackhawks came out of the gates struggling mightily in the first period as the Millers came out seeking revenge after the 14-1 drubbing they took back at the Youth Arena a month ago.

The Blackhawks' rogue of the roped rotunda, Spencer Utman, had to be sharp as the Millers came out and aggressively forechecked the Hawks throughout the first period.

The chubbiest of the Murray boys, Nate, opened the scoring in the game for the Hawks midway through the opening stanza to give the visitors a slim 1-0 lead which they managed to hold onto until the period ended.

But the second and third period, well that was a totally different story. The Blackhawks assembled an all-out assault on the red light district. The Island City lads rippled the corded palace 12 times in those last two periods.

Leading the charge was 'Chubby' Murray as he added four more goals, including his 22nd on the year. The hulked up 'Velvet Fog' Rob Carter muscled his way to scoring three times which gives him 34 this season.

'The Ageless Wonder' Peter Culp snapped two howitzers into the top shelf where his momma used to hide the Oreos. 'The Champ' Wayne Morrow notched his 21st of the season while Mike 'The Wall' Mulder scored his 11th of the year. Jeff 'Youngblood' June found the back of the net for the 16th time this season.

The Blackhawks took full advantage of the Millers' weak goaltending again and it enabled them to fill the net on a regular basis in the final two periods. This game was by no means played like it was a 10-goal difference, more like a two or three-goal game at the most.

NYSERDA explains New Ways to Look at Buying Light Bulbs

New lighting choices and light bulb packaging are showing up on store shelves due to energy efficiency standards launched nationwide at the beginning of January.

This means shopping for light bulbs is different than it's been in the past, according to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

The new standards require that light bulbs be 25 percent more efficient than traditional incandescents. The first changes, which began in January, are to 100-watt bulbs, followed by 75-, 60- and 40-watt bulbs over the next two years.

In addition, new packaging for light bulbs will make it easier to compare bulbs that use different technologies, such as incandescents, Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs), halogens and Light Emitting Diodes (LED).

The new light bulb standards will result in more lighting options than before. Consumers can choose among energy-efficient incandescents, CFLs, halogens and LED technology – all of which will be at least 25 percent more energy efficient than the 125-year-old Edison light bulb, one of the most inefficient products in most homes.

The new light bulb packaging includes a new standardization measure – lumens. Lumens measure how much light a bulb produces rather than how much energy it uses, which is measured in watts. Lumens make it easier to buy the amount of light you need. A bulb with more lumens produces bright light, regardless of the type of bulb. Less lumens means dimmer light. With this new standardization, comparison shopping by lumens will help consumers compare "apples to apples" across incandescent, CFLs, halogens and LEDs.

In addition to lumen and watt information, the new Lighting Facts Label includes estimated yearly energy cost, life expectancy of the bulb and light appearance on a scale of warm (more yellow) to cool (more blue). With more lighting technologies to choose from, this information will make it easier to determine the right bulb for the job.

The new lighting standards will help consumers use less energy and spend less money on energy bills for the same amount of light. A typical household could potentially save $100 to $150 per year on electric bills by using a combination of the more energy-efficient bulbs.