The Orvis Outlet Store, a globally-known retailer of outdoor lifestyle products, has become a showcase for one of Efficiency Vermont's latest energy-conservation experiments: LED lamps for retail stores. Orvis personnel replaced about 300 lamps in the outlet store last summer. According to the company, the store has used 8,400 fewer kilowatt hours a month, which has saved almost $900 a month in electricity. The LED lights are cooler than incandescent lights so the store also saved on air-conditioning costs.

Murata Power Solutions has introduced its low-power, high brightness, three-and-a-half digit, DMS-20PC digital panel voltmeters. The company announces that they are now available with 'brilliant blue' or 'pure green' LED colors in addition to the current 'low-power red'. The DMS-20PC series provides a sub-miniature, low-cost solution in applications such as battery chargers, power amplifiers, rack-mounted power and high-end consumer electronics.

Recently, Veeco Instruments Inc. (Nasdaq: VECO) announced that LG Innotek Co., Inc. of Korea, has ordered an additional four TurboDisc® K465™ gallium nitride (GaN) Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) Systems for HB-LED production. The orders were received in the fourth quarter of 2008.

Luminus Devices announced that BenQ’s new GP1 versatile and lightweight pocket projector is powered by the high-brightness PhlatLight® LED PT-39 chipset. The company says its PhlatLight LEDs offer high levels of brightness and performance not available today in pocket projectors using traditional lamp technologies, making the GP1 an ideal mobile entertainment companion for instant projection anywhere.

A petition filed recently with the Montana Public Service Commission (PSC) seeks to require LEDs be used in all new street and area lights to save money and energy. It’s said to the requirement would save NorthWestern Energy customers between $800,000 and $2.5 million a year.

ATG Electronics announces that its Smart™ Series XPower LED Wall Washers are successfully approved by C-UL US. They are the perfect solution for dynamic illumination of facade structures and landscapes.

Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed and demonstrated a new polarization-matched LED. The new type of LED, developed in collaboration with Samsung Electro-Mechanics, exhibits an 18% increase in light output and a 22% increase in wall-plug efficiency, which essentially measures the amount of electricity the LED converts into light.

Journée Lighting Inc of California, USA announces that its Lotus LED track system is selected by the US National Park Service to illuminate the new LEED Platinum Visitor Center at the Lassen Volcanic National Park in northeast California. As the primary light source for the 1500 square foot exhibit, 50 Lotus LED luminaires illuminate interactive displays, kiosks, historic photos and much more.

Perfect for those romantic candle light dinners, it’s Lightware - the LED lit cutlery (see picture). This silverware features a silver head and an engraved crystal body, sure to add to the ambience of any darkly lit dining experience. The cutlery has a small LED powered by a watch battery at the bottom. The electronic part can be removed for washing, because otherwise things would just get gross. Your fork will still stab, but now you will be able to see what you are stabbing.

Dialight has introduced a new ETL-recognized version of its ultra high brightness Powerwhite® LV Linear Modules. The company says it is the first complete LED solution product of its type on the market and it will enable the rapid development of many LED lighting applications including existing fixture formats and entirely new product designs.

It’s reported that Philips has plans to manufacture LEDs lighting products in India in future. Philips, the largest player in the Indian lighting market, also intends to enhance the production capacity of its compact fluorescent light (CFL) plant based in Mohali (Punjab) by 50-60% by 2010.

It’s reported that Daktronics Inc will design, manufacture and install full-color LED display technology throughout Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, home of the Texas Rangers.

Renaissance Lighting has introduced the world’s most efficient, most powerful architectural grade RGB LED downlights with its Rhapsody Color Management System. The company says its Rhapsody Color Management system is a unique technology for the creation of intelligent, state-of-the-art lighting effects for these new downlight fixtures.

Philips Lumileds has launched a free online tool that makes it easier for manufacturers of LED-based luminaires to show compliance with ENERGY STAR® standards. The new tool addresses the requirements of the “Chromaticity and Spatial Uniformity” test in the ENERGY STAR® specification for LED lighting that requires the beam of light to appear the same color to the human eye, regardless of which area of the beam the viewer looks at or where they are at in relation to the light source.

It’s reported that Jameco Electronics has purchased a significant quantity of excess inventory of Lite-On brand LEDs. The inventory includes packaged LEDs of many varieties and LED-based numeric displays. It is reportedly being sold at a significant discount.

It’s reported that the residential development of more than 200 houses in Azabu no Oka, Japan will use only LED fixtures for all its outdoor lighting. That means the areas will be lit entirely by LEDs. The development is being built by Toyota Smile Life Inc and has been dubbed Toyota “LED Town.”

Dialight has introduced its innovative SafeSite range of LED fixtures - 100W high brightness SafeSite® 250 Series. The company says the LED fixture is designed to replace 250W High Pressure Sodium (HPS) light sources in hazardous location applications.

Taiwan LED maker Epistar Corp. announced that it has won contract orders from Korea’s Samsung for LEDs used in LED-backlit LCD TVs.

The Levi ski resort in Finland has installed LED street lighting from OSRAM Opto Semiconductors. It is the first LED street lighting in Finland. The local authority is investing heavily in its regional infrastructure, placing great emphasis on innovation and sustainability.

Bivar, a leading provider of optoelectronics and assembly hardware, has launched the ORCA series of Super Flux LEDs. The company says its new ORCA product family is an expansion of its high power LEDs designed for use on standard printed circuit boards (PCBs) for LED indication. The new ORCA series replaces the Bivar MAKO product family and enhances its capabilities with greater luminous intensity, higher power efficiency and additional lens configurations while maintaining its industry standard 7.6 mm square package form factor.

Cooper Lighting, a division of Cooper Industries, Ltd., announces that its Halo® LED recessed downlight meets stringent ENERGY STAR® requirements for solid state lighting (SSL) luminaries. Eligibility Criteria – Version 1.0 for Category A – Recessed Downlights. ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping consumers and organizations save money and protect the environment through energy-efficient products and practices.

San Francisco LED street lighting demonstration is one of DOE Gateway demonstrations that showcase high-performance LED products for general illumination. This Gateway report provides an overview of project results including lighting performance, cost effectiveness, and potential energy savings.

PerkinElmer, Inc. (PKI), a global leader focused on improving the health and safety of people and the environment, announced it has bought Opto Technology Inc., a supplier of LED based lighting components and subsystems, as PerkinElmer looks to broaden its presence in the LED lighting market. PerkinElmer did not disclose a purchase price for the Illinois-based company.

NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd. has announced two new amorphous-silicon thin-film-transistor (TFT) LCD modules incorporating white LED backlights for industrial applications. The company says that the modules consume less power, are substantially thinner and lighter than comparable LCD modules incorporating cold-cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) backlights.

Luminus Devices Inc. announced that it will make components for LEDs lamps that give off white light with Nichia. That makes LEDs attractive for a wide range of uses. Until now, Luminus has made chips for colored LED lights that go into projectors and TVs.

After landing big orders for LED lightings and winning bids for supplying solar cell panels, Delta Electronics Inc. projected its annual revenue to grow 5% from 2008 to hit NT$150 billion in 2009, despite the lingering global economic downturn.  

There is an umbrella invention that aims to light your way in the rain. The umbrella is created by Korean designer Sang-Kyun Park. According to the writeup on Yanko Design, the outside canopy has a conductive membrane called PDVF. As rain comes down, the impact generates electrical energy that powers built-in LEDs on the umbrella. The harder the rain hits, the brighter the light to help you see your way. Now that's literally a brilliant idea, but the lights better be waterproof or you'll end up as an electrifying light show.

Two rival LED makers, Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd. and Nichia Corporation announced that they have settled all litigations on patent and other issues as well as other legal disputes currently pending between them in the United States, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom, and Korea. The settlement includes a cross license agreement covering LED and laser diode technologies, which will permit the companies to access all of each other's patented technologies.

Introduced at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the new Ford Mustang boasts the latest lighting technology by OSRAM. The American sports car, which hits the market in 2010, features variable LED interior lighting with OSRAM TOPLED. The JOULE LED system is the basis for the American muscle car’s rear signal lighting and gives the car a modern look as well as added efficiency and security.

Gallium Nitride (GaN), a man-made semiconductor used to make LEDs, emits brilliant light but uses very little electricity. New GaN LED lighting has the potential to make LEDs a household fixture, but high production costs have made GaN lighting too expensive for wide spread use in homes and offices. However the Cambridge University based Centre for Gallium Nitride has developed a new way of making GaN which could produce LEDs for a tenth of current prices.