Yours truly with Bill McKibbin, founder of 350.org. Yeah, he's kind of a big deal.

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RGB power LED wall washers lit the speakers' stage

The LED Street Lighting Industry Alliance of Taiwan and the Fujian Optoelectronics Industry Association of Fujian Province, mainland China recently co-unveiled mutually recognized standard for LED streetlights and signed a mutual recognition agreement (MRA) on LED standards.
 
The agreement and the recognized standards suggest that LED streetlights made in Taiwan or Fujian are allowed into the other signatory.
 
The recognized standards are only applicable to high-power LED streetlights and streetlight-used LEDs while the agreement lays foundation for mutual recognition of LED standards between Taiwan and the mainland and cooperation between the two sides on LED streetlights.

According to the China News Service, mainland China’s No.2 state-owned news agency, the Fujian Provincial Government adopts over 30 suggestions offered by Taiwan’s organizations regarding the two recognized standards after consulting with the attending Industry Technology Research Institute (ITRI), and Taiwan Optoelectronic Semiconductor Industry Association in addition to the LED street lighting industry alliance.

The provincial government’s senior officials pointed out that their standard is consistent with the standard worked out by Taiwan’s organizations in main context and crucial index, providing seamless connection between Taiwan’s and the mainland’s standards for the first time.

Sectary general of the Fujian optoelectronics association, Peng Wanhua, said that through a common standard platform LED-streetlight makers in Taiwan and the mainland will be able to co-push into global market with Chinese brands.

Director general of ITRI’s Green Energy and Environment Research Laboratories, C.H. Tong, pointed out that the pilot run of a common LED standard is conducive to the LED industry in Taiwan and the mainland in shaping a common market and creating greater development strength.

Fujian Provincial Government introduced incentives for LED development in 2007 and set up special task force in 2010 to facilitate the development of the LED industry. So far, the province has around 300 LED-related enterprises running business ranging from substrate, epitaxy wafer, chip and package manufacturing. The industry produces an estimated RMB20 billion (US$3.1 billion at US$1:RMB6.4) in revenue a year and is estimated to produce RMB60 billion (US$9.3 billion) in 2015.

LumiGrow, Inc., the leader in LED-based horticultural lighting solutions, announced today that it will provide energy-efficient illumination for Green Winter Farm, an indoor farm in Palmer, Alaska. LumiGrow LED lighting solutions will enable Green Winter Farm to grow vegetables with half the energy consumption and cost required by current farming methods.

A family of four in Palmer, Alaska spends an average of $1,300 more on groceries each year than does the same-size Portland, Oregon family, according to the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service. This is largely due to the fact that 98 percent of Alaska’s produce is imported from out of state, per the Alaska Department of Natural Resources. Greens travel great distances to reach Alaskan consumers, running up fuel costs along the way.

Greenhouses with conventional lighting systems make it possible to cultivate crops in challenging climates, but are expensive to operate because of their high energy demands. Alaskans pay among the highest rates for electricity in the US. Their rates are 50 percent higher, according to the US Department of Energy.

Green Winter Farm founder Crystal Boze sought a more economically and environmentally viable alternative to conventional greenhouse light fixtures, which rely on high intensity discharge (HID) technology. HID lights waste half the energy they consume because they emit broad swaths of the color spectrum unusable by plants. The USDA Farm Services Agency pointed Mrs. Boze to energy-efficient LED lighting, which can be designed to emit only those portions of the color spectrum that trigger healthy plant responses. A USDA loan helped Green Winter Farm establish a hydroponic basil farm, illuminated exclusively by LumiGrow LED systems, within a windowless steel building.

“As a farmer and mother of two young children, I know just how important it is, yet how hard it can be to put healthy food on the table,” said Mrs. Boze. She continued, “Green Winter Farm required a lighting solution proven to produce bountiful crops without the high energy price tag. In reviewing third party studies, I realized that not all LED lights are created equal. LumiGrow is the clear winner.”

LumiGrow LED lights will also make it easier to regulate the farm’s temperature. Mrs. Boze explained, “LumiGrow LED systems don’t produce waste heat. With hot-running conventional HID lights, we’d be forced to take in outside air or blast an air conditioner, or even both, to keep the temperature at an acceptable level.”

In addition to basil, Green Winter Farm will grow strawberries, peppers, rosemary and cilantro. All of the farm’s crops are grown pesticide-free. Green Winter Farm currently sells through farmers’ markets and recently signed a distribution agreement with Carr-Safeway grocery stores.

“Green Winter Farm exemplifies the resourcefulness of growers,” said Kevin Wells, CEO of LumiGrow. “We’re pleased to support a local farmer in serving her community with affordable and healthy greens,” added Mr. Wells.

About LumiGrow, Inc.

LumiGrow, Inc., the leading provider of high-efficiency LED lighting solutions for horticulture, enables commercial growers and agribusinesses to achieve operational efficiencies, reduce energy consumption and improve crop yield. LumiGrow offers a range of third-party proven solutions for use in greenhouses, indoor farms and scientific research chambers. LumiGrow solutions are eligible for energy efficiency subsidies from Pacific Gas & Electric, Puget Sound Energy and other utilities. The Company’s 500 commercial and institutional customers include Dow AgroSciences, Duke University and the USDA. Headquartered in Novato, California, LumiGrow is privately owned and operated.

With European Union officials making efforts to reduce electricity consumption and to eliminate traditional, inefficient incandescent light bulbs by 2012, European LED chip and luminaire maker Optogan says that it has entered a new market for solid-state lighting (SSL) luminaires in Romania.

The market for solid-state lighting luminaries has significant potential over the next 3–5 years, given the EU’s efforts to reduce energy consumption by up to 80%, says Optogan. “In the Balkan area, we estimate a €25–30m market for SSL luminaries by the end of 2012, and we expect Romania to be one of the key countries for developing the region,” says Ove Sörensen, Optogan’s senior director sales & business development.

Optogan’s products will be distributed in Romania, Greece and Bulgaria through a strategic distribution partnership with Bucharest-based KDF Energy, Romania’s largest trader in greenhouse-gas emissions certificates.

KDF Energy expects to invest €1.5m over the next 12 months to develop distribution channels for Optogan products in the region. Romania is a strategic part of the first wave of development for Optogan in Eastern Europe, according to KDF Energy’s owner George Brailoiu.

Founded in Helsinki, Finland in 2004 by Russian entrepreneurs and scientists from Ioffe Institute in St Petersburg, Optogan is a vertically integrated develoer and manufacturer of HB-LEDs for applications including solid-state lighting. In addition to having an R&D facility in Helsinki, since founding Optogan GmbH in Germany in 2005 it has established epitaxy and chip R&D plus a pilot line in Dortmund and, last year, its Fab1 chip fabrication plant in Landshut. Also, after founding CJSC Optogan in Russia in 2009, in 2010 it acquired an industrial facility in St Petersburg, where it has established LED component and luminaire production lines.

Based on its existing strong market in Russia, Optogan aims to establish itself as the SSL market leader in Eastern Europe. With the support of KDF Energy as a key partner, it expects to see rapid growth in LED adoption in the next 18 months in the Balkan region, according to KDF Energy’s  business development manager Robert Ambrozie (responsible for coordinating the partnership with Optogan in the Balkan region).

Optogan develops products for both interior and exterior lighting designed to withstand extreme temperatures without affecting their quality of light. With an LED component luminous efficiency of up to 130 lumens per watt, products are designed specifically to reduce electricity consumption. Optogan says that its LED retrofit bulbs consume just 9W of power (about seven times less than the equivalent 60W incandescent bulbs). Its lamps also have a life-time of up to 50,000 hours, so a household using the lighting system for an average  of 4 hours each day, 365 days a year, can use an Optogan LED lamp for 34 years (or 6 years of continuous illumination). In a firm where lights are turned on 8 hours a day from Monday to Friday, it can be used for 24 years.  

EU officials estimate that, in the future, SSL lamps and luminaries will become a viable alternative to replace incandescent bulbs and compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) lighting, which include mercury in their production process. The advantages for SSL lamps and luminaries include: up to 50,000 hours of operation, electrical power consumption rates seven times lower than classic bulbs, and the absence of toxic elements. EU data projects annual savings of €5–10bn just from using energy-saving bulbs, and funds are expected to be used in developing other green technologies.

Globally, LED lighting was first adopted in 2007 and currently represents about 5% of the total luminaire market. SSL luminaries have been adopted by large companies, and are becoming a viable alternative for the public sector and residential lighting, says Optogan.

A global study, conducted this year by Strategies Unlimited, shows that sales of SSL LED luminaries will experience 20% annual growth through 2014. The main drivers will be improvements in technology, price reduction, energy-efficiency strategies across the globe, and fiscal measures applied by various governments.

Optogan says that, through KDF in Romania, it aims to sell a range of products (LED lighting chips, LED components for luminaries, and a variety of lighting panels) addressing the business-to-business, business-to-consumer and public sectors.

General Electric International Inc (NYSE:GE) and Tune Hotels, the pioneering value hotel chain under Tune Group, signed a Memorandum of Collaboration (MoC) today to explore opportunities on sustainable developments. The MoC was signed by Chief Executive Officer of GE ASEAN, Stuart Dean, and Group Chief Executive Officer of Tune Hotels, Mark Lankester, to identify opportunities for collaboration with the aim of achieving cost savings and energy efficiency in Tune Hotel’s operations globally.

The signing was witnessed by Dato’ Sri Peter Chin, Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water, with Mohamed Butt, Chief Executive Officer for Asia, GE Lighting and Mitul Lakhani, Chief Financial Officer of Tune Hotels also present at the ceremony.

Stuart Dean expressed GE’s commitment to working with local partners to develop environmentally driven business strategies that will help drive Malaysia towards becoming a high income nation.

“Our partnership with Tune Hotels demonstrates GE’s commitment to accelerate the development and deployment of innovative technologies through open collaboration. Using our ecomagination & GE Sustainable Cities approach, we have been building sustainable developments certified by various Green Building Certification programs in multiple jurisdictions across the globe, powered by our new technologies and solutions. We hope to contribute and share our expertise across the spectrum of products and services we offer and work with Tune Hotels to achieve the desired impact for its operations,” he said.

“This collaboration is a testament of GE’s commitment to support the Malaysian Government’s aspirations to promote efficient green solutions,” he added.

Under the agreement, GE’s role will be to assist Tune Hotels in reviewing, planning and designing properties by contributing its knowledge and expertise in the areas of low-cost operational modeling, sustainable development, cost-saving infrastructure, energy efficiency and green technology such as GE’s LED lighting solutions. The collaboration will also help Tune Hotels work towards achieving relevant eco-building certifications such as with Malaysia’s Green Building Index, the Singapore Building and Construction Authority’s BCA Green Mark and the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system.

The agreement will also explore the development and implementation of sustainable energy solutions within Tune Hotels’ operations and allow them to leverage GE’s ecomagination™ line of products and cutting-edge technologies in creating environmental solutions for both their existing and upcoming projects, such as the replacement of Tune hotel Kelantan, Malaysia signage from neon lights to GE’s energy efficient Tetra Minimax LED module that enabled Tune hotel to achieve increased cost savings in their operations.

Tune Hotels’ Group CEO Mark Lankester said: “Tune Hotels has been in consistent pursuit of green technologies and eco-friendly approaches to ramp up our service and business efficiency. Having pioneered the pay-as-you-use concept that has gained huge popularity amongst travellers and holidaymakers from across the world, we are proud to be working with GE on exploring environmentally driven business strategies. This will not only benefit our business but more importantly our guests who can look forward to enjoying further savings and convenience.”

Tune Hotels, which is part of the lifestyle conglomerate Tune Group currently, has 13 hotels in its global network. Its 10th Malaysian hotel is opening in Kulim, Kedah later this month, on top of 2 hotels in Bali, Indonesia and one in London, England. More Tune Hotels are scheduled for opening in Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, the UK, India and Malaysia from Q4 this year through 2012.

About GE ecomagination
GE is driving a global energy transformation with a focus on innovation and R&D investment to accelerate the development and deployment of clean energy technology. Since its inception in 2005, more than 90 ecomagination-approved products have been brought to market with revenues reaching $18 billion in 2009. With $5 billion invested in R&D its first five years, GE committed to doubling its ecomagination investment and collaborate with partners to accelerate a new era of energy innovation. The company will invest $10 billion in R&D over five years and double operational energy efficiency while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption. As part of the initiative, GE launched “GE ecomagination Challenge: Powering the Grid”, a $200 million financial commitment challenging innovators to join in building the next-generation power grid.

About Tune Hotels
Since Tune Hotels was first launched in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2007, over 2 million guests have stayed in its properties spread across Malaysia, Indonesia and the United Kingdom. It now has 13 hotels located in Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, KLIA-LCCT Airport, Penang, Johor Bahru, Kota Damansara, Bintulu, Kota Bharu and Kulim in Malaysia; Kuta and Legian in Bali, Indonesia; and London in the United Kingdom.

All Tune Hotels hotels feature space-efficient, streamlined rooms focusing on high-quality basics: 5-star bed, powerful hot showers and energy-saving fans. The strategically located hotels provide housekeeping services, electronic keycard access into rooms, CCTV surveillance, and prohibits access into the main lobby without a keycard past midnight.� Through Tune Hotels’ ‘Less Waste, More Earth’ pay-as-you-use system of add-ons wi-fi, TV, laundered towels and other energy-consuming facilities and amenities, Tune Hotels aims to help guests conserve both their funds as well as the earth’s resources.�