Following a preliminary installation at the museum beginning in October 2010 and involving multiple manufacturers, Solais Lighting’s 18 Watt PAR 30 Long-Neck LED lamps with 10°, 25°, and 40° beam spread successfully met performance objectives and were selected from a wide field of competitors to participate in next-tier testing, the outcomes of which will be officially monitored by the Department of Energy through the installation’s appointment as a DOE Solid State Lighting GATEWAY Demonstration Project.

Solais Lighting’s PAR30 LED lamps are currently being evaluated by the Smithsonian American Art Museum for their performance in a permanent collection gallery which displays more than a dozen early modernist artworks and a mural by Thomas Hart Benton. Within the room, which features 15-16 foot ceilings, the museum aims to upgrade to a high quality, long-lasting, and more energy-efficient light source than the technology previously installed and is testing the LED lamps’ ability to light the walls flatly and achieve a broad distribution of light on the floors while spotlighting the artwork precisely.

According to Naomi Miller, Senior Lighting Engineer within the Energy and Environment Division at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, “performance criteria include beam spread, color appearance, light output, and the absence of UV or IR that could damage artwork without providing any visual benefit, as well as how the LED lamps fit into the museum’s existing track heads and deliver the desired effect.” As part of the DOE’s GATEWAY initiative, the lamps’ performance will be tracked and documented at several different points over their lifespan.

Solais Lighting’s PAR30 Long-Neck lamps combine the long life and outstanding energy efficiency of LEDs with the high output and intensity of halogen technology, resulting in a high-performance product ideal for track and recessed applications within commercial, museum, retail, hospitality and residential settings. Delivering a CRI of 82 and sporting a rated average life of 50,000 hours, the lamps are fully dimmable, free of hazardous substances such as lead and mercury, and are ETL-certified (certified to UL Standard 1993) and RoHS-compliant.

“We’re delighted to have been selected to participate in such an elite lighting test within one of the most prestigious and discriminating applications in the world,” said James Leahy, president of Solais Lighting. “Through the unique thermal management capabilities enabled by our Luxiance technology, Solais offers the lightest and best-performing LED lamps on the market, delivering superior light quality and higher light output than passively-cooled LED lamps with bulky metal heat sinks. We’re excited to be recognized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum for our cutting-edge lighting technology and to be in consideration for supporting the lighting performance and environmental goals of this national treasure.”

When grilling, it helps to be able to see.

Grilling is all about good times that nobody wants to see come to end. So despite the encroachment of dark, boundaries get pushed as one more item gets thrown on the grill. And then ends up burnt to a crisp because nobody can see when grilling in the dark. Fun in the sun is fun and all, but when the sun goes down, it doesn’t mean the party (or the food) has to end.

The LED Barbeque Grill Light is a heavy-duty model that supplies illumination via 18 LEDs. The 13-inch light mounts horizontally, vertically, or even to angled surfaces up to almost 5 inches thick. The business end of the light is at the end of a flexible gooseneck, allowing for maximum versatility and illumination wherever the light is needed.

Capable of extending the grill session well past the recommended limit (at least as dictated by Mother Nature), the light also features a weatherproof housing. Three D batteries supply the oomph needed to get through the night, and the unit features an automatic shutoff for those who forget. With low heat, bright LEDs supplying the light, and three hefty batteries the power, the oncoming of night doesn’t need to mean the end of the good times–or anymore burnt hot dogs and burgers.

It doesn’t matter whether the market is thronging with people hunting down an 18” LED TV or one that stretches to 55”. Samsung has them covered with a huge array of LED TVs including 3D-capable models. Most of these feature Smart TV capabilities, Samsung Smart Hub and the company’s One Design concept.

The 31.5” UN32D6000 and 40” UN40D6000 are available in the market for $899.99 and $1,099.99, respectively. The UN55D8000 and UN55D6000 sport 54.6” displays. They are attached with price tags reading $3,599.99 and $2,099.99, correspondingly. Also falling within this bracket in terms of screen size are the UN55D7000, UN55D6400 and UN55D6300 costing $3,099.99, $2,399.99 and $2,299.99, concurrently.

“The living room is the activity center for many people and the TV is an ideal media hub for the home. Our products make it easy for anyone to instantly access and share the content they want, when they want it,” remarked John Revie, senior vice president of Home Entertainment, Samsung Electronics America. “Together with new breakthrough designs, Samsung is encouraging people to take entertainment to the edge with our TVs.”

Flaunting 45.9” panels, the UN46D7000, UN46D6400 and UN46D6300 may be picked up for $2,299.99, $1,599.99 and $1,499.99, respectively. The list does not stop there. The 40” UN40D6400 is pegged at $1,299.99, while the 40” UN40D6300 has been stuck with a $1,199.99 label. The UN22D5010 and UN22D5000 share the same 21.5” screen size as well as the $299.99 cost.

The four other LED TVs Samsung has on offer include the 40” UN40D5500, 18.5” UN19D4000, 31.5” UN32D5500 and 31.5” UN32D4000. The last two are chalked at $529.99 and $699.99, correspondingly. The UN40D5500 can be purchased for $899.99 and the UN19D4000, that happens to be the most modest-sized in the group, costs $249.99.

Apart from the TVs, Samsung also tossed in four new pairs of 3D active glasses, one of which is the SSG-3700CR with ergonomically designed flexible ‘legs’ and nose pad.

Although it is true that CFL bulbs do save energy, they also contain mercury, which is a hazardous material, and these bulbs cannot be disposed of easily. If the bulb is broken, there is a huge problem because the mercury is disbursed throughout the area.

The future in lighting is the use of LED (light emitting diodes) lamps.

First, the operational life of current white LED lamps approaches 100,000 hours. The key strength of LED lighting is reduced power consumption approaching 80 percent efficiency, compared to an incandescent lamp, which operates at about 20 percent efficiency. LED lamps are now available on the Internet and at Wal-Mart.

If, in fact, a bulb burns out in your lifetime, it can be disposed of easily and if broken there is no contamination.

I would urge all Village News readers to learn about LEDs and stop purchasing the dangerous CFL mercury contained lamps.

The folks responsible for traffic lights have started replacing the red, yellow and green lamps with LEDs; you can distinguish the LED lamp because the light is made up of clusters of round LEDs which make up the light.

I recently purchased a GE PAR 30 long neck LED lamp at Wal-Mart to try in my kitchen ceiling. I am very pleased and it only draws 10 watts of power, compared to the 65 watt incandescent bulb that the LED replaced.