Let's start with some highlights from the Webcast that we hosted on Tuesday, August 21, which focused on outdoor lighting and was presented by expert Nancy Clanton. The presentation covered details of the BUG rating for outdoor lighting and how it's applied in both the Model Lighting Ordinance and the RP-8 standard for roadway lighting. Clanton described how characteristics such as glare, uniformity, contrast, and luminance all come into play in effective roadway lighting.
Perhaps the highlight of the presentation came when Clanton covered some preliminary data from the roadway lighting tests conducted in Seattle back in March. We described the structure of the tests in our April issue, but these were the first publicly revealed results. The tested 105W LED lighting generally outperformed 400W high pressure sodium lights in small object visibility tests measured by detection distance. The LEDs could be dimmed to 50% and still deliver superior results, and even 25% with dry pavement – especially in the case of a fixture with 4100 kelvin color temperature. Clanton remarked that 4100 kelvin may be optimum because it is very close to the color temperature of moonlight.
If you missed the Webcast you can register and view the archive. Just go to the resources tab on our home page.
Moving to business news, Osram and Samsung have agreed out of court to settle their long running intellectual property dispute that included legal filings in various jurisdictions across the globe. The parties expect to complete all of the dismissals by the end of August. The former adversaries say they may work together going forward with a partnership-based competition relationship. Despite the conciliatory tone, rumors persist that Samsung will pay Osram considerable licensing fees.
We have yet another Olympic-oriented solid-state lighting story. It turns out that both the BBC and NBC TV networks used LED lighting in their London studios. The Production Resource Group fixtures utilized remote-phosphor technology from Intematix. The lighting offered improved color rendering relative to legacy lighting.
LEDs also continue to impact under developed regions around the globe in a positive manner. Philips will install solar-powered LED outdoor lighting in 100 locations near rural schools across Africa that don’t have access to the power grid. The lighting will provide venues for sports and other communal activities.
