AMA Warns of Risks With LED Street Lighting

When I was doing my daily search of the news making headlines around the world, a story on www.cnn.com last week caught my attention and forced me to look closer at the whole issue of Light-Emitting Diode (LED) and impacts on healthcare.

It all started with "community guidance" by the American Medical Association (AMA) earlier this month to reduce the harmful human and environmental effects of high intensity street lighting.  While many American communities, including Guam, are taking significant efforts to modernize  roadway lighting systems, it appears that converting to "improper" LED technology can have great impacts on health and the ecosystem near these lighting fixtures. 

The AMA cites the Blue Lighting, or the white light of an LED to the naked eye, can decrease visual acuity which can create a road hazard for drivers.  The AMA guidance also cites the impacts of LED lighting on species of animals that need a dark environment in which the related systems can disorient some birds and sea-life in and around the modern streetlight. The AMA guidance would imply that all Guam drivers and much of our mangrove ecosystems, in and around our main roadways, are at risk.  There were recommendations to utility companies to use among other things lower correlated color temperature fixtures, LED lighting shields to minimize glare and utilize dimming technologies in the street lighting during peak time periods as a way to reduce such risks. 

"The guidance adopted today by grassroots physicians who comprise the AMA's policy-making body strengthens the AMA's policy stand against light pollution and public awareness of the adverse health and environmental effects of pervasive nighttime lighting, " said the AMA in a news release.

The AMA did recognize LED street lighting does have energy efficiency benefits. Nearly 10 percent of the Nation's roadways feature LED lighting today. More of Guam's roads can expect to see more of this technology installed during these times of rising costs to manage this important public program as directed by the Guam Consolidated Commission on Utilities.

"The new AMA guidance encourages proper attention to optimal design and engineering features when converting to LED lighting that minimize detrimental health and environmental effects," said AMA Board Member Dr. Maya A. Babu.

University of Connecticut School of Medicine Professor Richard G. Stevens also noted that there is almost never a completely satisfactory solution to a complex problem-the impacts of LED Streetlights to human health. 

"We must have lighting at night, not only in our homes and businesses, but also outdoors on our streets, said Dr. Stevens. "The need for energy efficiency is serious, but so too is minimizing human risk from bad lighting, both due to glare and to circadian disruption. LED technology can optimize both when properly designed".

For more information on bringing an LED lighting solution to your facility, please contact us at GET, LLC at 671-483-0789 or see our website at www.get-guam.com for details of the technologies that can be of significant value to all building and property owners-All Made in America!!!

Energy Efficiency-A Priority for All Island Schools

The news recently that Guam schools were taking the plunge into powering campuses with solar photovoltaics made me think that a couple of huge steps may have been missed prior to drafting and negotiating the first power purchase agreements as outlined by recently enacted legislation.  While I am sure the Guam Power Authority has been supportive of the Solar PV initiatives by our education system, they also are going to be losing some revenue-a huge customer taking a modern step to keep valuable and limited resources in the classrooms from Yigo to Merizo. Federal tax credits will be secured-no doubt about that. 

But what happened to grabbing the low hanging fruit of lighting, building controls, and modern-HVAC Systems? Did school administrators just ignore these important steps as part of a comprehensive energy efficiency plan in our schools?  Did they forget the multiple presentations of a variety of sustainable solutions presented to them over the past 10 years by the policy wonks at Adelup, vested federal government agencies and private sector advocates? 

Energy efficiency is one of the simplest and most cost effective ways schools can save money—money that can be spent on the tools, provisions, and facilities needed to provide students with a high-quality education. Reducing a school’s energy bill can save the school much needed funds that it can use towards important building upgrades or improving its educational infrastructure. Not to mention, that using energy efficiently sets a positive example for a school’s students and community, encouraging them to use energy efficiently in the future and throughout their lives-so very important for living on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

The lowest of the hanging energy efficiency fruit is lighting.  

Lighting is one of the easiest sources of energy expenditures to adjust and regulate; however, alarmingly, over 25 percent of a typical school’s energy consumption is attributed to lighting. Our friends at Deco Lighting and other lighting manufacturers have said that LED lighting is the most energy efficient lighting technology on the market, and upgrading or retrofitting traditional lighting, such as fluorescent lamps, to LED is the most effective way to reduce the energy costs attributed to lighting. 

The Commerce, California based company offers several LED retrofit kits that simultaneously improve the quality of light and reduce power consumption by up to 75 percent when compared to fluorescent tubes. Deco’s Linea Troffer and Parabolic LED Retrofit Kit upgrades standard 1X4, 2X2, and 2X4 fluorescent troffers in as little as five minutes. Moreover, there is no need to go above the ceiling or remove any existing housing when installing Deco’s Linea Retrofit Kit, which prevents exposure to any asbestos that the ceilings of many old buildings and schools may contain. Recently, the Guam International Airport Authority purchased these kits and the GIAA Team sees the value of such retrofits towards reducing their operating costs while addressing their critical lighting needs.  All of Deco’s LED solutions are also backed by a 10-year, 100,000-hour warranty, which includes labor.

Additionally,students and teachers can do a lot to help save energy in their schools. Energy-saving things they do at home can also be done at schools. By turning out the lights when a classroom is unoccupied, the school can save money. The school may also want to consider "occupancy sensors" that detected whether there are people in the room. If no one is there, the switch turns off the light.  Hot water is another area that uses a great amount of energy. By fixing dripping hot water faucets, you can save water and save energy. If it's cold water, fix the dripping faucet anyway because sanitizing and delivering water takes energy too.  Leaving doors wide open to a room or building may make it more inviting to come in, but it wastes energy. Don't prop doors open but allow them to close after people walk through the doorway. And If the school has not set up a recycling effort, do it now. Reusing paper and recycling paper saves money and energy. Recycle aluminum cans and plastic bottles

To find out more about how lighting retrofits can help improve energy efficiency and reduce energy costs in schools, check out our website for solutions at www.get-guam.com or give GET, LLC a call at 671-797-0789.  We are a provider of Independence LED Lighting and Deco Lighting Inc. products-Made in America!!!

LED Lighting Can Help Your Business

GET, LLC works diligently to pass along advice to small business owners on how they can improve their operations and importantly their collective bottom lines.  Among the many ways this has been done through this Blog has been through our writing on the use of energy efficient lighting solutions-specifically Light-Emitting Diode or LED Lighting.  A great piece of advice was shared with us recently by our friends at Deco Lighting and we thought we would do the same to you-LED lighting can boost your business.

"Converting your business from traditional lighting solutions to LED lighting fixtures is an excellent way to get started on a new path toward energy efficiency and true lighting control. Because LED lights are so advanced compared to their traditional competitors, investing in LED can have an incredible impact on your business’s bottom line and its appeal to customers. LEDs are also environmentally friendly, giving you one more angle to highlight when promoting your business.

It is estimated that converting your entire business to LED lighting fixtures will generate enough energy savings to provide a return on the investment within two to three years. LED lights use only a third of the energy required by old-school lighting solutions and burn less of this energy off as heat. You can also use fewer LED lights, as the light created is brighter and more uniform.

If you have a customer-facing operation, converting to LED lighting fixtures delivers ancillary benefits. LED lights can be finely-tuned to create exactly the atmosphere you desire, and the reduction of glare and hotspots makes for no better way to attractively light a given space than with LED technology.

LED lighting fixtures enable you to demonstrate incredible control over where your light does and doesn’t go. If your business is located in an area where strict regulations cover light spill, LED lights can assist you in ensuring your business is well-lit without infringing on nearby homes or other businesses. This control is simply unavailable in standard incandescent or florescent lighting setups.

The way in which you light your business is critical for the productivity of your employees, the attraction of your customers, and the total on your monthly energy bill. LED lighting fixtures give you flexibility and efficiency you won’t’ find in any other lighting solution; investing in an LED lighting conversion will certainly pay off for you and your business over the long term."

To learn more about the lighting products that GET, LLC provides, including the LED lines of our partners, Independence LED Lighting and Deco Lighting Inc., please check out our website at www.get-guam.com or call us at 671-483-0789 to discuss solutions for your important lighting needs-All Made in America!!!

Independence LED-"More Efficient" say DOE

When the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) talks about energy efficiency, America listens.  Our friends at Independence LED Lighting have won accolades recently from DOE and continue to outclass the Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Tube Lighting marketplace.

According to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) report data, Independence LED tubes are 15% more efficient in lumens per watt than the average from the field of over 30 LED manufacturers, including tubes from major competitors Philips, Cree, and Osram Sylvania.

In the report, the DOE found that LEDs are more efficient than ever. The CALiPER Summary Report 21: Linear (T8) LED Lamps concludes: “Compared to previous CALiPER testing of the same product type, there have been notable performance gains. With the efficacy (lumens/watt) of many lamps now equivalent to or exceeding that of fluorescent lamps.” 

Independence LED has stayed well ahead of the curve. As the below chart indicates, the U.S.-made Independence LED tube is 15 lumens per watt more efficient than the average of the tested field (15.95%) and over 10% more efficient than global lighting companies like Philips, Osram Sylvania, and Cree.

“We could not be more proud of how our American-manufactured LED lights squared up in the 2014 Department of Energy CALiPER Report," said Independence LED Lighting CEO Charlie Szoradi. "Independence LED tubes are substantially more efficient than competitors, yielding extraordinary energy savings, particularly when retrofitting existing light fixtures. Safety is a paramount concern, and Independence LED’s external-driver system ensures that switching the lights won’t be shocking anything but your electric bill. And because we manufacture right here in America, Independence LED tubes and fixtures are supremely reliable, allowing us to offer an industry-leading 10 year warranty.“

Also, the 2014 report indicates that, based on their design, Independence LED tubes are potentially safer than competitor products. Typical fluorescent fixtures bring line voltage into the fixture via Alternating Current (AC), and then convert it through the ballast to lower-voltage Direct Current (DC). Internal driver LED tubes – like most of Independence LED’s competitors -- override the ballast, creating a potential safety issue. 

Additionally, the Report did elaborate on how the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) approved clamp system for Independence LED provides safety and the ultimate flexibility to either use, or not use, the existing fixture sockets. This flexibility is important for de-lamping to center new tubes in two to one retrofits.

What does this all mean?  

The cost and performance of an individual LED tube is only a subset of the fixture performance, so end users should look at the LED efficacy, warranty, and cost to determine the technology and manufacturer that is most appropriate for their facility.

Keep up the great work Independence LED Lighting!  

To learn more about the lighting products that GET, LLC provides, including the LED lines of our partners, Independence LED Lighting and Deco Lighting Inc., please check out our website at www.get-guam.com or call us at 671-483-0789 to discuss solutions for your important lighting needs-All Made in America!!!

LED Spec Assistance-Use of External Drivers

In an attempt to provide assistance to specification writers that are tasked with identifying the most cost-effective energy efficient lighting for their commercial, industrial and federal government properties GET, LLC through our friends at Independence LED Lighting offer up advice to help those writers and readers of this blog to identify key specification areas of focus in the use of LED lighting technology. 

Our focus: external drivers.

External drivers, a key selling point of LED lighting, have multiple efficiency, smart control, operation, and life safety advantages over Internal Drivers.  It is suggested that by separating the heat created by the drivers from the LEDs on the linear “Tube” modules, the combined system runs more efficiency, maintains its color more consistently, and lasts longer. Heat is simply the enemy of the LED. 

Also external drivers provide increased flexibility over internal drivers, when it comes to maximizing future connectivity for dimming, occupancy sensors, light harvesting, alert signals, and WIFI control. Many end users are focused, in the short term, on the energy savings with LEDs but the modular advantage of an external system is the ability to improve the technology as it evolves by connecting into other smart controls.

Since the external driver is a separate module, it can be easily replaced in the same way that a fluorescent ballast is replaced upon failure without throwing out the whole tube. This is the simple model of “don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater”, since the LEDs and the tube component are more valuable than the driver component. Modularity creates operating as well as energy efficiency. Think of the driver as the starter on a car or the power supply on a computer. It is best to specify Non-Proprietary Drivers for maximum flexibility over time to purchase if necessary additional drivers.  For failure diagnostics, if a tube goes dark completely then the failure is most likely in the driver versus any of the diodes on the tube, but personnel can always easily cross check by simply connecting a failed tube to a nearby fixture. Given that the drivers are the weakest link in the LED system, request a nominal extra inventory of drivers (e.g. 1 per 100 Tube sets) to have at hand in the event of failure. This is not unlike stocking extra ballasts in a project.

Finally, fluorescent tube fixtures to date have been typically designed to bring alternating current (AC) line voltage typically at 120V to 240V into the fixture and then step it down to safer lower voltage via the fluorescent ballast to Direct Current (DC). The danger of using internal driver LED tubes is that the step down to the lower voltage occurs inside the tube. So the installer of internal drivers bypass the ballast and run the higher voltage directly into the socket “tombstones” of the fixture. This means that the dangerous line voltage is right at hand in the fixture. If personnel touch the sockets, they WILL RECEIVE A SHOCK, and they are at risk of falling back off a ladder at the 120V level breaking an arm, hitting their heads, or worse.  There is an increased likelihood of  fatality for fixtures that are powered with higher 240V with the internal drivers. By contrast, external driver LED technology mirrors the model of the original fixture design by replacing the fluorescent ballast with the external driver and stepping down the voltage as it is fed into the tubes for increased safety.  LED tube solutions should include options for external drivers that are non-proprietary  to a sole source, so that the drivers can be replaced if necessary either during or after warranty periods. 

Need an LED solution for your facility? Check out our website at www.get-guam.com or give GET, LLC a call at 671-797-0789.  We are a provider of Independence LED Lighting and Deco Lighting Inc. products-Made in America!!!

Unified Communications Market = $61.9 Billion in 2018

The trend is making its move in Micronesia-an aggressive effort to cut expenses, grow productivity and increase efficiency.  The Albany, New York-based Transparency Market Research released a report recently that says that the unified communications market could grow from $22.8 billion in 2011 to $61.9 billion by 2018.

GET, LLC has confirmed that a number of the largest corporations in Micronesia are moving towards unified communications (UC)-the integration of real-time communication services such as instant messaging (chat), presence information, telephony (including IP telephony), video conferencing, data sharing (including web connected electronic whiteboards interactive whiteboards), call control and speech recognition with non-real-time communication services such as unified messaging (integrated voicemail, e-mail, SMS and fax).

UC becomes even more important in this era of increasing workforce mobility and bring-your-own-device (BYOD) practices, the analysts said.

Because of these trends, IT departments increasingly will be forced to provide cost-effective and flexible ways to communicate. Driving the adoption of UC are video, audio and Web conferencing because of their ability to link geographically dispersed organizations, according to the report.  Many of the corporations here in the Western Pacific have presence from Majuro to Manila. UC makes sense for them all.

UC comes with the promise of simplified management of collaboration technologies—from voice and video to email and instant messaging—and a better user experience for employees, partners and customers looking for better ways to work together. Like Transparency Market Research, other analyst firms also see a huge upside for the market.

While industry observers have said the UC market hasn't grown as quickly as expected over the last several years, due in part to the complexity around the technologies, such trends as a mobile work force, the growing use of video and cloud computing will help fuel interest and spending. According to Transparency Market Research, the proliferation of mobile devices capable of video communications and the growth of networks that can more easily handle video as well as voice and data will further drive UC adoption.

At the same time, there are no shortages of challenges, according to the analysts. Enterprises and service providers need to ensure the quality of the service on networks that are being asked to handle multiple services, they said. At the same time, security remains a concern. Other factors impeding adoption of UC technologies include the lack of interoperability between vendor platforms and the amount of money organizations need to spend to put a UC system in place.

GET, LLC is a proud Cisco Registered Partner providing the latest Cisco products and services direct to businesses and organizations-including unified communications. For more on the benefits that our Partnership can bring to you and your respective business contact us at 671-483-0789 or check out our website at www.get-guam.com for more information.

A Year Concludes and A New Year Holds Promise-Reflection by GET, LLC

As we close the book on 2013, we would be remiss if we did not take a moment to reflect on the past year.  GET, LLC was so very privileged to be able to share with you more about our business and insight into the happenings here in the Western Pacific.  We hope you gained further understanding more about the casegood furniture business, structured cabling and energy efficiency lighting industry and aerial lifts.  Additionally, you read a different perspective into Paradise Guam-our home. We wrote about the important issues of the day-a direct reflection of the discussions of our friends and neighbors.  These blog posts were what people were talking about around water coolers, dinner tables and back kitchens all across Micronesia. All the writing in this blog reminded me of some important things-all of us should not take things for granted and knowledge is surely power.  GET, LLC is excited for what 2014 will bring.  We will continue sharing more information and exciting insight into the world around us.  Thanks for reading and may you and yours have a prosperous new year.

Independence LED Lighting Collaborates With Domino's Pizza to Set World Record for LED Lighting Efficiency

A great story out of New Jersey as Vanguard Energy Services NJ and our friends at Independence LED Lighting recently worked with Domino's Pizza to complete the most energy efficient restaurant lighting retrofit in the world.

"We have many 'firsts' across the public and private sectors, but Domino's hits a special chord," said Charlie Szoradi, CEO of Independence LED. "Back in the '80s, I delivered Domino's pizza to help pay for my University of Virginia undergraduate architecture degree. Decades later, the massive potential quarter billion dollars in cost savings across Domino's worldwide footprint is part of in a global energy tipping point."

The location in  Dover, New Jersey has secured a place in energy history.  Vanguard is one of the Authorized Resellers for the US made Independence LED tubes and fixtures, which previously set the restaurant record in 2010 for the Applebee's in Newtown, PA.

Typical 2' x 4' fluorescent troffer fixtures include four 32 watt tubes, but the 15 watt Independence LED tubes were able to go from 128 to 60 watts for the 2010 Applebee's record. For Domino's, Vanguard recommended using the updated, Independence LEDs at only 50 watts per fixture. For roll-out to Domino's and other accounts, Independence LED can now go down further to 44 watts per fixture.

Business owners can save over 65% with a Return on Investment (ROI) over 40%, and have reliable US made products with the strongest 10 year warranty in class.

What will Domino's Pizza save?

The numbers don't lie: Pilot Location: $2,400 per year and $25,000 over LED life. Plus 325,000 lbs of CO2 saved. (1.35 lbs per kWh or 13 lbs per dollar saved).

Good job, Charlie!!! GET, LLC is proud to be an authorized distributor for Independence LED Lighting and can bring a similar solution to your respective building.  To learn more about the American-made LED products that GET, LLC provides, please check out our website at www.get-guam.com or call us to discuss solutions for your important lighting needs.

Major Market Penetration Predicted for White-Light LED Over The Next Two Decades

Gotta give credit where credit is due.  Since 1976, the Maryland-based non-profit  National Lighting Bureau has served as the Nation's most trusted lighting information source.  With sponsors to include GE Lighting, Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES), Lutron Electronics Company, Inc., National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) and the U.S. General Services Administration they surely have their finger on the collective pulse of this industry.  A recent NLB report comes at a time when many across our industry were wondering if bad news is becoming the new normal.

Energy Savings Potential of Solid-State Lighting in General Illumination Applications says that growing reliance on Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting will conserve 2,700 terawatt-hours (2.7 trillion kilowatt-hours) of energy use over the next 20-years saving building owners about $250 billion at today’s energy prices while reducing greenhouse-gas emissions by 1.8 billion tons of carbon, assuming today’s power-plant generating mix stays in place.

The NLB report predicts that, compared to conventional incandescent, halogen, fluorescent, and high-intensity-discharge (HID) white-light sources, the rate of LED market penetration will increase steadily, rising to 36% of general-illumination lumen-hour sales in 2020, and to 74% percent by 2030.

“In 2030,” the report states, “the annual energy savings due to the increased market penetration of LED lighting is estimated to be approximately 300 terawatt-hours, or the equivalent annual electrical output of about fifty 1,000-megawatt power plants. At today’s energy prices, that would equate to approximately $30 billion in energy savings in 2030 alone. Assuming the current mix of generating power stations, these energy savings would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 210 million metric tons of carbon. The total electricity consumption for lighting would decrease by roughly 46 percent relative to a scenario with no additional penetration of LED lighting in the market – enough electricity to completely power nearly 24 million homes in the U.S. today.”

“The predicted reductions in energy consumption, greenhouse-gas emissions, and operating and maintenance costs are extremely positive. Nonetheless, not just a few lighting-industry insiders believe that the role of LED lighting may not be quite as prominent as forecasted, principally because of the efficiency and longevity advances being made by alternative sources, fluorescent in particular," said National Lighting Bureau Chair Howard P. Lewis "As such, LEDs may have more competition in the years ahead, not less, all of which is a good thing. More products and more types of products will be competing on the basis of efficiency, cost, and functionality, meaning not only that the study’s forecasts about energy and cost savings will likely be realized, they may even be exceeded.”

The study focuses on four principal sectors of the U.S. lighting market – residential, commercial, industrial, and outdoor stationary – where an array of lighting products competes for market share.

With energy costs in the Western Pacific among the highest in America, it is time to take a serious look at those solutions to reduce consumption and improve efficiencies where you can.  

To learn more about the LED lighting products and other related electrical products that GET, LLC provides, please check out our website at www.get-guam.com or call us to discuss solutions for your important lighting needs.

Some Great Reasons to Choose Independence LED Lighting For Your Next Lighting Project

GET, LLC continues to work with Independence LED Lighting to provide one of the industry's top lighting solutions to your respective organizations.  Why choose Independence LED?  Here are some reasons:

-The "Best Built LED Tubes" continue to lead the industry with the highest lumen per watt tubes, aircraft grade aluminum deep fin heat sinks, and external drivers.

-Independence LED Lighting has increased their LED tube efficiency to over 112 lumens per watt. This is 20% more efficient than completing LED tubes and saves 65% or more over fluorescent tubes.

-Lifetime Savings:

Sample Savings over T8 and Metal Halide across 60,000h at $.12/kWh

Our 4' Fluorescent T8 Replacement: SAVINGS = $165.60

Our Parking Fixture: SAVINGS = $943.20

Our High Bay Fixture: SAVINGS = $2,404.80

-OVERALL: Market Traction

In 2012, Independence LED Lighting doubled their revenue for the fourth year in a row, and the tubes are now installed across Fortune 100 companies as well as U.S. civilian Government and military retrofits.

Did we say that Independence LED will be at LIGHTFAIR® International (LFI®)-the largest trade show in its history in Philadelphia on April 21-25 2013.  The event will have additions to the show floor, conference program and events schedule designed to deliver technologies and information that will define the future. The LFI 2013 trade show will feature more than 500 exhibitors spanning more than 200,000 net square feet; 80+ first-time exhibitors; the addition of two new product categories—solar power and software; the debut of the new Exterior & Roadway Lighting Pavilion.  If you are in the area, please check it out.

Give Trish or I a call or please send an email so we can set aside time to discuss how we can provide a lighting solution to you or your organization.