LEED Grocery Store Incorporates LED Lighting | GreenandSave.com | Green News, Tips, and Services for saving money, energy and the planet.

A California grocery store was recently built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold standards, incorporating energy and water reduction measures, efficient lighting and recycled materials.

The Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market in Cathedral City, Calif., just opened the store’s first certified LEED Gold by the U.S. Green Building Council. The construction used 90 percent recycled steel and typically Fresh & Easy’s stores incorporate solar tracking skylights, automatically dimming lights, and LED lighting.

Fresh & Easy’s stores are typically 10,000 square feet, smaller than the typical supermarket, and use 30 percent less energy. Fresh & Easy recycles or reuses all of its shipping and display materials and uses environmentally-friendly trailers to transport food.

Fresh & Easy currently has 127 stores in Southern California, Arizona and Nevada, with 71 stores in Southern California. The company is a pilot member of the LEED Volume Certification Program and has invested in a 500,000 sq ft solar roof installation on its distribution center in Riverside, Calif.

via greenandsave.com

Being Green is good for Business.

Every business and individual can play their part in the fight against climate change. A significant amount of electricity can be saved by utilising LED Lights in place of your existing lighting technology. LED Lighting may require a more substantial investment initially, but with many years of maintenance free operation and low electricity usage, pay back can usually be achieved within 2 years.

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Alberta Ice Arena Lowers Energy Consumption 28% With LEDs · Environmental Leader · Green Business, Sustainable Business, and Green Strategy News for Corporate Sustainability Executives

By switching to high bay LED lighting, the Bowden Ice Arena in Alberta was able to decrease the amount of energy used on lighting by 28 percent, while increasing the amount of light put into play.

With fixtures mounted 16 feet from the ice level, the use of LEDs resulted in an increase in light from 50 foot-candles to 80, an improvement of 60 percent. The energy consumption, meanwhile, dropped from 458 watts to 325 watts, according to a press release.

Previously, the arena used fluorescent high-bay lighting.

The fast-pace of hockey benefits from having brighter LEDs, said Andy Weiss, Bowden Administrative Services Manager.

LEDs perform better in the cold interior of the arena than fluorescents, said Jason Korbelik, Sales Manager at Albeo Technologies, which manufactured the lighting.

via environmentalleader.com

Every business and individual can play their part in the fight against climate change. A significant amount of electricity can be saved by utilising LED Lights in place of your existing lighting technology. LED Lights may require a more substantial investment initially, but with many years of maintenance free operation and low electricity usage, pay back can usually be achieved within 2 years.

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TEXAS ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT Blog | The Dallas Morning News

American Airlines parent company AMR Corp. plans to replace 1,600 lights in its parking garage with energy-efficient LED lights to save $130,000 a year.

That's not a lot of money for one of the largest airlines in the world, but these days, every penny counts.

The switch to light-emitting diode technology is part of a program offered by Oncor. Oncor, the regulated utility that operates North Texas power lines, will give AMR $362,887 in incentives to change the lights. The incentives are part of Oncor's Take a Load Off, Texas, program.

AMR spokesman Tim Wagner wouldn't say how much the switch will cost the airline. He said American will recoup the investment through cost savings in 16 to 18 months.

This is a big example of how simply changing your light bulbs can save you money. Try it at home, and watch your electricity bill shrink.

via energyandenvironmentblog.dallasnews.com

You might not be able to save as much as American Airlines, but everyone needs to know that a significant amount of electricity can be saved by utilising LED Lights in place of your existing lighting technology. LED Lights may require a more substantial investment initially, but with many years of maintenance free operation and low electricity usage, pay back can usually be achieved within 2 years.

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Panasonic: New LED bulbs shine for 19 years | Crave - CNET

Panasonic has launched a new household LED lightbulb in Japan that it says lasts 40 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

The screw-in bulbs are part of the EverLed line, and they're scheduled to hit stores in Japan on October 21, with monthly production at 50,000 units. No changes to lighting equipment used for incandescents are required.

If used an average of five and a half hours per day, the new bulbs can last up to 19 years, according to Panasonic. That's 40 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

The bulbs use only an eighth the power of incandescents. That means a 60-watt-equivalent LED bulb would cost only 300 yen (about $3) a year instead of 2,380 yen ($25.80)--a significant savings over a lifetime.

Panasonic hasn't set a price for the new EverLeds, but Nikkei suggests standard versions will cost about 4,000 yen (about $40).

LED bulbs aren't new. Their relatively high cost is one factor keeping them from gaining popularity, but in Japan at least, Panasonic represents about 50 percent of the domestic bulb market. That means EverLeds should raise the LED profile there considerably.

Panasonic is also doing market research to launch EverLeds in the U.S., Europe, and Southeast Asia.

via news.cnet.com

Bulbs that last up to 19 years, according to Panasonic. That is a hell of a long time! Can't wait to try them though, should make a big difference to the electricity bill.

A significant amount of electricity can be saved by utilising LED Lights in place of your existing lighting technology. LED Lights may require a more substantial investment initially, but with many years of maintenance free operation and low electricity usage, pay back can usually be achieved within 2 years.

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New “solar road” can power America - JackCentral.com - Your online Northern Arizona news source

In a recent press release, Solar Roadways, a company based out of Idaho, was awarded $100,000 to produce a prototype. Their name gives away what they plan on producing: roads that function as solar panels, and so much more.

The monetary award was given after Solar Roadways presented their designs to the Department of Transportation. The designs are also one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. 

The roads are designed with three layers: the base-plate layer will use a series of cables to transmit power and data signals; the electronics layer will carry the solar-collecting and storage cells, along with a series of LED lights that will function like the paint we have on our roads now; and the top layer will consist of glass textured to provide the same level of traction that asphalt does. 

According to their website, the United States currently has 25,000 square miles of roads, highways and the like. If the 25,000 square miles were to be replaced by Solar Roadways, they would produce three times the United States’ current electricity consumption, or nearly what the entire world consumes on a yearly basis. The estimate assumes a 15 percent efficiency rating for the solar panels (though more efficient solar-collecting technology exists). 

I’m not saying this wouldn’t be one hell of an undertaking, but the benefits seem to far outweigh the costs and difficulties of replacing current asphalt roads, parking lots, etc., with solar roadways. 

Solar Roadways plans to produce their roads for what asphalt currently costs. However, the projected lifespan of a solar roadway is 21 years — three times that of asphalt roads. Having a decentralized power grid makes it virtually impossible for large-scale power outages, as well as being more secure and safe than relying on nuclear or coal power plants, which produce a majority of America’s electricity. 

The United States should begin replacing old, worn asphalt roads with solar roads. If the prototype works as planned, we can all be living with electricity that is produced and used in a completely green, sustainable fashion.

On top of this, the LED lights will provide safer night driving. In one case in Britain, LEDs were used on a particularly curvy mountain area, reducing accidents by 70 percent. The LEDs can also warn drivers to slow down if there are nasty weather conditions, or if there is an animal on the road. The panels will also have built-in heaters, eliminating the need to plow roads. 

What Solar Roadways has to offer? No increase in cost, a decentralized power system, fewer accidents and an LED system that will illuminate lane lines far in advance and warn drivers to any upcoming danger. We, as a nation, cannot afford to continue driving on asphalt roads.

Solar Roadways has an amazing idea, and they deserve our support.

via jackcentral.com

If this technology is as good as claimed, surely our energy needs can be satisfied in no time. Is this the ultimate global warming solution?

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LED Lights Pave the Way | sdzhiwensuo

Have you heard about the wonders of LED plant lights and wondered if they’re real? 80 percent efficiency is definitely a reality. In fact, a 90 Watt LED UFO light will produce as much light as a 400 watt HPS light. If you like to grow, LED technology enables you to provide ample light for a 12 foot growing area with just a little more energy than it takes to power a living room lamp.

That’s probably why they’ve become so popular with industrial greenhouses and other professional vegetable growing operations. For those who professionally grow, LED technology can cut a greenhouse’s electric bill by 80 percent, saving any professional growing operation serious overhead.

There are other benefits as well, particularly when it comes to set-up and usability. An LED plant light doesn’t require a ballast, so there’s no complicated riggings needed. You simply suspend it above the garden. LED UFO lights can easily be suspended, and many come with their own installation kits that are easy to use.

Plus, LED lights emit little heat, so they won’t burn your plants. With LED lighting, you can position lamps close to plants for maximum light effect without risking the heath of the plant. Grow ample green gardens easily without having to sacrifice any of the light potential to distance. LED lights require no fans or complicated ventilation system. Their low heat also makes them a low fire hazard, posing less risk to the health of a greenhouse.

There’s also no complicated wiring involved. You simply plug the light in. They add immense convenience to any greenhouse.

LED lighting has definitely revolutionized the greenhouse operation, providing ample efficiency for a more affordable growing unit. There’s no carbon footprint as the energy they use is virtually undetectable, yet the light they produce is an ideal spectrum for healthy robust plants.

via sdzhiwensuo.com

Another example of how a significant amount of electricity can be saved by utilising LED Lights in place of your existing lighting technology. LED Lighting may require a more substantial investment initially, but with many years of maintenance free operation and low electricity usage, pay back can usually be achieved within 2 years.

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