LumaNEXT, a provider of lighting and energy management and a leader in 21st century smart lighting technology, is back from the first international Climate Leader Summit held in Los Angeles, CA, where they participated as invited attendees and exhibitors. Hosted by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, the Summit brought together thought leaders, business owners, government officials and dignitaries to work toward the goal of global reduction in energy emissions. Guest speakers included Vice President Joe Biden, California Governor Jerry Brown and filmmaker/environmental activist James Cameron. Attendees included officials from the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Commerce, business leaders from the U.S. and China, and the newly formed Compact of Mayors, a nationwide coalition of city leaders pledging to address climate change. A special Declaration was signed, stating an unprecedented commitment to decreasing carbon emissions, increasing climate resilience and strengthening bilateral cooperation.

Low market demands in the past few months has driven Taiwanese LED manufacturer Harvatek to explore innovative LED technologies including forming a partnership that includes teaming up with Taiwan Textile Research Institute (TTRI) to develop LED thread and related technology applications

Chinese sapphire maker Aurora announced last week, it would be investing RMB 40 million (US $6.32 million) in a new investment management arm to integrate investments in the sapphire supply chain, according to a report from China Securities Network.

Ayla Networks, whose agile Internet of Things (IoT) platform provides comprehensive connectivity for any kind of product, announced that it has signed its first customer in Europe, Innr Lighting B.V. from the Netherlands. Innr is using the Ayla IoT platform, including Ayla’s Agile Mobile Application Platform (AMAP) technology, to scale its smart home lighting solution across Europe.

Kingston is a city nicknamed as K-Town in Ulster County, New York, U.S. The Common Council approved the city’s borrowing of US$ 2.1 million to install LED streetlights throughout the city. Early on, the council approved borrowing US$ 105,000 for design and engineering work for the project.

Japanese company Spread plans to construct a large fully automated vegetable factory capable of producing 30,000 heads of lettuce per day, according to a recent company statement.

The Government of Uttar Pradesh in India is distributing 200,000 LED bulbs in local city Pilibhit at a discounted price of INR 100 (US $1.54) to encourage residents to swap incandescent bulbs for LEDs, according to an India Times report.

Tata Power announced it has launched a LED tube light initiative in partnership with Osram India and other equipment manufacturers in Indian city Mumbai, reported The Hindu.

GE announced recently the creation of Current, a startup that combines energy hardware with a digital backbone to make power simpler and more efficient for customers.

Game action inside U.S. Bank Stadium is less than a year away, but installation of a high-tech lighting system that will benefit broadcast cameras and spectators has begun.

ReneSola, a leading provider of energy efficient products, is launching a new generation of eco-friendly LED Corn Lights for the US market, that significantly improves lighting efficiency and eliminates UV radiation. The new Corn Light Series has a 5-year guarantee that promises users a lower electric bill and installation and maintenance costs.

Description As part of the new RWTH Campus in Aachen, Germany, dynamic lighting installations, which are characteristic for both buildings, have been installed on the nearby façades of the Fraunhofer Institutes for Laser Technology (ILT) and Product Technology (IPT). In daylight, aesthetic artworks by German artist Annette Sauermann illuminate the outside of the buildings.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory has developed a near ultra-violet and all-organic light emitting diode (OLED) that can be used as an on-chip photosensor.

Despite technological leaps in modern electronics, the quality of lighting they provide still leaves much room for improvement.

For one sleepless night last weekend, Toronto buzzed with excitement for the 10th edition of Scotiabank Nuit Blanche. This popular all-nighter celebrating contemporary art featured more than 110 projects created by 400 artists. Since lighting installations are often a big part of these nighttime festivities, let’s take a peek at four light art projects that were featured during Toronto’s Nuit Blanche 2015.

Clinching headlines this week, GE has announced it will be spinning off its new energy businesses including LED, solar energy, electric vehicle and energy storage into a separate entity. The new company will start off with US $1 billion financing and is expected to grow fivefold to US $5 billion in the next five years, according to a Bloomberg report.

China’s exports to 70 countries under its “One Belt, One Road” strategy was up 1.5% to US$ 372 billion from January to June 2015, according to China’s custom data. The country’s imports declined 18.8% to US$ 256 billion, while its trade surplus rose US$ 65 billion compared to last year’s US$ 115.5 billion. Vietnam is China's third largest trade partner, and it has a trade surplus relation with the country.

When GE sold its home appliance division in September 2014 for US $3.3 billion to Swedish company Electrolux, market rumors surfaced that the company might sell its lighting business too. The company denied intentions of selling its century old lighting business at the time. Instead of selling its lighting business, GE announced it would be spinning off its commercial LED lighting business, solar energy, and energy storage devices into a new startup company on Oct. 7, 2015. According to aBloomberg report, the new business is expected to increase annual sales to about US $5 billion from its current start of US $1 billion.

Healthy lighting … it’s not just for your home. In fact, it’s not just for the planet earth! Or humans, for that matter. Here are five innovative biological correct lighting applications currently helping humans and certain aquatic creatures lead fuller, happier lives in a variety of environments, earth and non-earth.

Rural Agri Ventures, a business incubation firm based in Gurgaon, India, that specializes in assisting the agribusiness sector recently announced the launch of an affordable LED product ‘My Way’, according to a report from Indian media The Hindu.

The U.S. Department of Energy has released a new report on the comprehensive street lighting restoration currently being undertaken by the City of Detroit, which includes transitioning the existing high-pressure sodium (HPS) sources to LED. Entitled Restoring Detroit's Street Lighting System, the report provides an objective review of the circumstances surrounding the system restoration, the processes undertaken and decisions made, and the results to date.

Luminous Patterns opens up a world of exciting new possibilities for designers because all our lights are digitally connected, enabling you to craft dynamic effects that bring a space to life, from vibrant sequences to subtle ambiances.

Last weekend, the official celebrations to mark the 25th anniversary of the reunification of Germany took place in Frankfurt am Main. In honor of the occasion, a lighting installation designed by Sven Sören Beyer and Björn Hermann illuminated 25 bridges across the Main as part of a spectacular light show on October 3. For the technical side of things, they relied on products from Clay Paky, an Osram subsidiary.

The exhibition of LED China 2015 in Shanghai brought a perfect ending right before Chinese Mid Autumn Festival. High definition LED displays are everywhere at the show. Exhibitors demonstrated wide applications of high definition LED displays such as interactive LED screens, video walls of control rooms, alternative LED displays to replace LCD or projection screens for meeting rooms and theaters.

GE announced Current, powered by GE, a first-of-its kind energy company that integrates GE’s LED, Solar, Energy Storage and Electric Vehicle businesses with its industrial strength Predix platform to identify and deliver the most cost effective, efficient energy solutions required by customers today and in the future. Maryrose Sylvester, who as President and CEO at GE Lighting has led the transformation of one of the company’s most iconic businesses, will lead the new enterprise. Current is backed by GE’s balance sheet and financing expertise, and committed to successfully advancing ecomagination-certified technology solutions, new business models and Predix solutions for the energy sector.

UBS forecasted oversupply situation in the LED industry will continue into 2016, while sliding LED prices will nullify growing shipment volume advantages, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report.

A new specification from Zhaga adds to a scaled family of circular LED modules. The Book 11 modules operate with a separate driver, and are independently interchangeable. The Zhaga Consortium has published Book 11, a new specification that describes circular LED modules with a maximum diameter of 35 mm that are suitable for spotlighting and related applications. A Book 11 module requires a separate LED driver

Authorities of Shetland, UK, announced the subartic archipelagos will be spending more than GBP 2 million (US $3.05 million) to upgrade its streetlights to LEDs, reported Shetland news.

Philips, the global leader in lighting, in collaboration with the projects department of JSC “Electrotechnical Company Eco Svet,” illuminated the newly built Moscow Cathedral congregational mosque, which is the largest mosque in Europe. Philips experts developed a lighting project to highlight the intricate traditional Islamic design of a 6-story, 18,900 sq m building, its large dome and six prayer towers.

Bowling Green State University (BGSU), a higher education leader in sustainability efforts, selected LED lighting by Cree to replace the outdated metal halide light fixtures over its indoor turf field in the Perry Field House. The 100x60-yard field is now illuminated by Cree® CXB™ High-Bay LED luminaires, delivering much better light quality while providing the university with more than US $200,000 in energy and maintenance savings and delivering a payback of less than two years.