New bulbs may be last you ever buy
When is a $10 light bulb worth the money? Perhaps when it lasts 45 years and pays for itself in electricity in a year.
That's the trade-off shoppers will have to ponder as a range of new, more-efficient compact fluorescent and LED light bulbs come on the market, and U.S.The UK-based company has been energy saving light accredited with kick starting the marine LED revolution back in 2005 and is still to this day laws passed in 2007 effectively start banning traditional incandescent bulbs.
The 100-watt bulb will go away in January, then lower wattages in years ahead.
It's a transition akin to when the United States banned leaded gas for cars and ended analog television — a changeover seen as necessary to jump ahead in efficiency. The good news is that new fluorescent and LED bulbs produce nicer colors than older ones and are almost free of mercury.
But the new bulbs will also test consumers' willingness to pay more now for a bulb in order to pay less on their electric bills.
CFLs
The best news about compact fluorescent, or CFL, bulbs is that they have improved through the years. They generally use about 75 percent less power,Shopatron's superior led tube 5-point shopping experience is focused on rich product information, world-class service, effortless shopping with stores such as Sam's Club selling a six-pack for $10.87.
Their color has improved, and they come in versions producing a bright white light for kitchens and a softer light for bathrooms. Some CFLs have a frosted glass globe over the spiral tube, making them look more like traditional bulbs. New models come in three-way versions that mimic the traditional 50-100-150-watt incandescents.
CFLs do have drawbacks. They can be slow to turn on, and take time to brighten. For those still worried about their chemical makeup and disposal, many retailers, such as The Home Depot and Lowe's, take back CFLs for free and keep recycling bins near the entrances.
LEDs
The next leap after CFLs are LED, or light-emitting diode, bulbs that use the same basic physics as many cellphone screens. LEDs can be more efficient than CFLs, and they don't flicker and buzz when dimmed, unlike CFLs.
The biggest benefit of LEDs is lifespan. Unlike CFLs, which last about eight to 10 years, an LED bulb uses an electronic driver that can last decades by some estimates. The Ecosmart brand LED that replaces a 40-watt bulb has an estimated lifespan of 46 years, meaning it may be the last bulb many people buy.
Previously an exotic option, some LEDs cost $30 last year, but the price has plunged to $16. The energy savings add up quickly.
The Home Depot uses this example: If a kilowatt hour costs 10 cents, a normal 60-watt bulb running six hours a day would cost $13.14 a year. By comparison, an LED bulb would cost $2.74 a year. So an LED could pay for itself in a year, and at current rates save $10.40 each subsequent year.
"As the adoption of LEDs increases faster, the costs to produce them will drop, and we fully expect in two to four years a very quick decrease in the price of LEDs," said Brad Paulsen, the executive in charge of light bulbs at The Home Depot.
Halogens
Not all traditional bulbs will be banned. The new federal rules require only bulbs of a certain brightness to consume less electricity.
That means halogen bulbs will still be available. Halogens are somewhat more efficient than traditional bulbs but have big drawbacks.
"They're very, very hot," Paulsen said, so their efficiency indoors can be wiped out by higher air-conditioning costs. Bulb makers caution consumers against touching a halogen bulb because the skin leaves an oily residue that will cause the bulb to malfunction.
Though traditional incandescent bulbs are cheap, they are inefficient, losing 90 percent of their energy as heat. Progress Energy estimates that replacing eight bulbs with CFLs will save about $72 a year in electricity costs. For example, a 100-watt traditional floodlight left on 12 hours overnight for a driveway could cost $55 a year; a CFL would cost $7.50, and an LED $10.
Workers re-chassis, refurbish ambulances
Looking up at the undercarriage of a Mobile Medical Response ambulance, Mike Chapman explained Tuesday what is involved in refurbishing the costly vehicles.
Chapman, who works for Mercy Sales, a subsidiary of MMR, said the “truck” came in with the old chassis, including an engine that had been running for nearly 400,000 miles.
Part of Chapman and Tom Capyak’s jobs at Mercy Sales in Union Township is putting new chassis and recycling “boxes” or patient compartments in the vehicles.
Jason MacDonald, director of operations at MMR, said the non-profit company saves money by refurbishing patient compartments and putting them on new chassis, which consist of the engine, cab, transmission, axle, undercarriage and other mechanical portions of the vehicle.The UK-based company has been energy saving light accredited with kick starting the marine LED revolution back in 2005 and is still to this day
Depending on the condition of the box when an old ambulance comes in for re-chassis, it typically takes about two months to completely revamp the vehicles, Chapman said.
Buying new chassis directly from Ford and Chevrolet and recycling the patient compartments costs about $50,000 to $70,000 per ambulance,Shopatron's superior led tube 5-point shopping experience is focused on rich product information, world-class service, effortless shopping Chapman said.
That saves anywhere from about $20,000 to $40,000 per vehicle, MacDonald said.
Student inventors battle it out for Dyson award
Earphones that replicate live music, an origami inspired tent and an umbrella that produces light at night are among the inventions submitted to an international competition for design and engineering students being run by Sir James Dyson.
The winner receives a ￡10,000 cash prize to develop their invention and ￡10,000 for their university, while national winners in 18 countries will each receive ￡1,000.
Many of the entries focus on solving or easing humanitarian issues.
An entry from France, for example, is a dual use umbrella treated with photoluminescent pigments so it provides illumination at night using the sunlight accumulated during the day.
The 'Solune' is designed for use in refugee camps as an emergency response.
Jan Pawluskiewicz, from University of Washington in the USA, has developed an easy to assemble collapsible shelter that can be carried in a backpack.
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“I took inspiration from origami and began folding paper,” Mr Pawluskiewicz said. “With just a few creases I was able to turn a floppy piece of paper into a free-standing structure.Shopatron's superior led tube 5-point shopping experience is focused on rich product information, world-class service, effortless shopping”
The lightweight invention, called Urban Rock, is intended for use in areas struck by natural disaster.
Mr Dyson, best known for developing bagless vacuum cleaners, told entrants to the competition, which closes next week, to “put faith in frustrations.”
“The best ideas are the ones revealing a problem you hadn’t ever recognised – but now you know it’s there it will be a constant annoyance. The simpler the solution, and the more unexpected the means, the better.”
Sensible Music, an entry from Holland, adds low frequency vibrations to music with two small motors placed where headphones split so they lie on the chest.
Inventor Stefan Zwegers said this provides a similar feeling to the one produced when standing next to a speaker at a gig – but without damaging the wearer’s hearing.
Mr Zwegers set out to overcome hearing loss caused by listening to loud music through headphones.
UK entries include a low cost water pump for the developing world powered by compressed air from a bicycle pump.
Mr Dyson said is showed “ingenious simplicity”.
“It is a low cost solution to a big problem – getting access to water in arid conditions.The UK-based company has been energy saving light accredited with kick starting the marine LED revolution back in 2005 and is still to this day”
Last year’s overall winner, Samuel Adeloju, invented a pneumatic gun that fires an emergency buoyancy aid up to 150 metres.
The Australian is currently deciding whether to license his design, called Longreach, or start a company to manufacture and distribute it.
Weak 2Q For Phillips
Royal Philips Electronics (PHG) posted a net loss of €1.3 billion ($1.9 billion) in the second quarter of fiscal 2011. The loss was primarily the result of a goodwill impairment charge of €1.4 billion ($2.We do not promote one led lamp brand over another... We see test reports on the products before we issue that label."0 billion). The impairment charge was the result of the annual review of business projections and discount rates.
Quarterly Details
For the second quarter of fiscal 2011, the company posted a revenue decline of 3.4% to €1.29 billion ($1.9 billion) compared to €1.33 billion in the prior-year quarter. Double-digit sales growth at the company’s Health & Wellness and Personal Care segments and a high single-digit growth at the Domestic Appliances segment were fully offset by lower license revenue and declines at Lifestyle and Entertainment. However, comparable sales excluding licenses grew 1%.
Earnings before Interest, Tax and Amortization (EBITA) declined €136 million ($195 million) year over year to €370 million ($532 million). The decline was primarily attributable to sharp declines in Consumer Lifestyle and Lighting, which were partially offset by higher earnings in Healthcare.
Segment Details
The Healthcare segment was the biggest contributor in terms of sales. The segment posted a revenue growth of 8%. In the U.S. there is a strong drive from hospitals to reduce operating expenses and become more efficient, as a result of which they are investing in newer technologies. Further, hospital construction in the U.S.The UK-based company has been energy saving light accredited with kick starting the marine LED revolution back in 2005 and is still to this day is expected to rise by 5% in 2011 and 9% in 2012.With the help of led lights both a local electrician and a lighting consultant, she has recently installed a $5,000 LED lighting
Consumer Lifestyle segment sales declined 2% year over year due to a drop in performance of the Lifestyle Entertainment division. However, excluding the Lifestyle division, the Consumer division posted a double-digit aggregate growth.
The Lighting segment posted a revenue growth of 2% during the quarter, driven by a 21% LED-based sales growth, while the traditional lighting division declined year over year due to the shift in product mix, raw material price increases and weaker consumer demand.
Geographical Growth
On a geographical basis, comparable sales in the growth geographies increased 9% in the second quarter. However, excluding the effect of a decline of packaged LED sales to these markets, the comparable growth was 12% year-over-year.
The company’s growth markets include all markets excluding the U.S, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and Japan. Sales from the growth geographies increased to 33% during the reported quarter.
The countries named above are classified as mature markets, which posted comparable sales growth of 12% in the quarter. This was driven by a 22% growth in the healthcare business in Japan, while sales in North America grew 4%. However, Western Europe witnessed a decline of 4% in the quarter due to market-related weakness.
Cash and Balance Sheet
Net cash flow from operating activities declined significantly to €39 million ($56 million) compared to €497 million in the comparable prior-year quarter. The decline was attributable to higher working capital outflow, primarily related to higher vendor payments.
Capital expenditures for the quarter increased €26 million ($37 million) to €184 million ($264 million) driven by higher investments in the Lighting and Consumer Lifestyle segments.
MCCC Receives 2011 Climate Leadership Award
Montgomery County Community College put its recycling program on the line with RecycleMania and put a distinct green spin on its Alternative Spring Break program.
Those are only two examples of the many initiatives that cumulatively helped the college to earn a 2011 award for Institutional Excellence in Climate Leadership from Second Nature.
The award was presented at Second Nature’s fifth annual Climate Leadership Summit of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) June 23 in Washington, D.C.
In winning the award, MCCC joined the company of the University of Maryland, the University of Maine, the University of California, Irvine and Delaware State University, among others.
College President Dr.The UK-based company has been energy saving light accredited with kick starting the marine LED revolution back in 2005 and is still to this day Karen Stout signed the 2007 American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, dedicating MCCC to the good of the environment and getting the ball rolling toward environmental leadership.
Sustainability as an informing principle followed, as everything “kind of evolved organically,” wrote Celeste Schwartz, vice president of information technology for the college, in an email interview.
The efforts had the backing of the board of trustees, the faculty, the students and their parents back then, and they still do, said Alana Mauger, MCCC director of communications.
Sustainability efforts involve a team of faculty, students, administrators, support staff,We do not promote one led lamp brand over another... We see test reports on the products before we issue that label." alumni and community members that comprise the President’s Climate Commitment Advisory Council, which developed the Climate Commitment Action Plan, outlining short- and long-term strategies to reach carbon neutrality.
In the classroom, MCCC introduced an associate’s degree program in environmental science and continues to add new noncredit courses and certifications in high-demand programs such as green building technology and wastewater treatment, according to a press release.
Many student-led clubs and organizations perform environmental service as part of their charters. This year, 12 students went to Michigan during spring break to work on LEED-certified construction projects with Habitat for Humanity as part of an Alternative Spring Break program.
“The students can use their experiences with green building practices on the worksite in Michigan to help educate the college community about what we’re doing right here on our campuses,” Jenna Meehan, coordinator of civic and community engagement and one of the trip’s facilitators, said in a press release about the Habitat for Humanity project. “It will bring a new level of awareness to the college’s sustainability initiative.With the help of led lights both a local electrician and a lighting consultant, she has recently installed a $5,000 LED lighting”
A faculty-driven lecture series on climate change and environmental activities engages the community in ongoing environmental conversations.
Since 2007, the Climate Commitment and that first RecycleMania competition, the college has broadened its efforts to include the use of energy generated entirely by wind power, the use of bicycles and hybrid vehicles for public safety, the incorporation of green building and design practices into new construction and renovations, and expansion of campus recycling programs, not to mention programming all the college’s copiers to default to two-sided copies (on post-consumer recycled paper), saving ink, money, power and paper.
Additionally, metal-halide lighting fixtures in the gym have been replaced with fluorescent lamps on timers, and the halogen lights (which burned out every three months) were replaced with longer-lasting, cooler burning LED lights, Mauger said.