New York State is funding the development of LED light engines

New York State is funding the development of LED light engines

LED Specialists was recently awarded a contract by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to develop Solid State Light (SSL) motors for outdoor lighting applications. LED Specialists is an engineering services company based in Kings Park, NY, specializing in the development and integration of high brightness LED technology for lighting applications.

The objective of the agreement is to develop and commercialize a family of high-performance, flexible and robust SSL engines that would enable outdoor lighting manufacturers to adapt their traditional lighting product lines to SSL technology more quickly and economically.

The “engine” technology includes the LED light source, optics, drive electronics, thermal management and appropriate packaging for the intended environment.

This should lead to broader SSL usage in commercial and residential outdoor lighting applications, ultimately reducing costs and reducing energy demand across the country and particularly in New York State.

LED specialists will seek input from outdoor lighting manufacturers on SSL product design requirements to assist the broadest possible range of manufacturers and lighting product lines. “We welcome suggestions and recommendations on topics such as light output, form factor, packaging and integration methods,” says Mike Fusco, president of LED Specialists.

U.S. government studies show that incandescent bulbs use 42% of the nation's lighting electricity but provide only 12% of the light output. In commercial establishments, 32% of the energy is consumed by incandescent lamps, in residential buildings the figure is as high as 90%. Additionally, 6% of commercial lighting energy consumption is in outdoor applications and 13% in residential buildings.

Today's LED technology offers the potential to save energy consumption by 50 to 70% compared to incandescent lamps. A successful transition to LED technology in these outdoor applications alone could save New Yorkers nearly $2 billion and the U.S. nearly $30 billion over the next 15 years. Although LED technology is now more expensive than incandescent bulbs, it offers 25 times the lifespan. This represents a 30% reduction in life cycle costs when considering energy, lamp replacement and maintenance costs over a 5 year period.

Lighting manufacturers are invited to participate in the “request phase” of this program by calling Mike Fusco or Mary Mosca at (631) 269-0841 or alternatively contact LED specialists via email.

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