LEED: Business of Green

Buildings use 70% of the electricity in our country. Programs such as LEED Green Building System are leading the revolution to convert energy-wasting building complexes to more environmentally friendly structures. Buildings like the Empire State Building are reducing their energy consumption by as much as 50% by introducing cost-effective and water reduction measures as well as simple measures such as installing recycled carpeting and other kinds of environmental features. Rob Watson, founder of LEED Green Building Rating System was at the Green Building Expo show in New York to talk about what being LEED-certified means for a building and environmental benefits inherent in buildings that do get LEED certification. The interview was conducted by CNN and can be seen here:

http://money.cnn.com/video/fortune/2009/06/19/061809-LEEDintv.fortune/

Energy conservation and efficiency is about implementing modern technologies to save money, buildings operating better, and making people more productive and, in the end, healthier. Watson compares purchasing green technology to stock market investments: you have to pay money upfront to get a return on your investment. What is striking about green technology investments is that you can get 30% - 40% returns on your investments annually with essentially zero risk. These returns outperform just about every other stock market investment on the market today and you will sleep better knowing that you are helping the environment as well.

Watson labels energy inefficiency as waste and it is the object of homeowners and building owners everywhere to get rid of the waste by investing in green technology. Done properly, environmental design and green building technologies do not cost any more than normal building technologies. Because the investment is based on scientific engineering, the returns on your green building investment is virtually guaranteed; with no inherent risk factors, green building investment makes financial as well as environmental sense. Furthermore, energy efficiency technologies will save you money no matter how the stock market or state of the economy is doing. Once the initial investment is laid down, energy efficiency works for you 24/7!

The progressive company that we are, LED*Waves participated in the Green Building NY show and brought our environmentally beneficial products to green-minded consumers throughout the exhibition. LED*Waves also hopes to bring to you online soon another CNN video interview with our own LED Expert Mical Anselmo on similar issues regarding LED Lighting!

LED Broome Sweeps Away the Competition

Display cabinet lights can be ugly eyesores that do not fit into the lines of the cabinet. Or they can provide unbecoming lights that have too much glare or detract from the beauty of the product they are illuminating. Often times, their viewing angle is tiny and to narrowly focused for displaying purposes. LED*Waves presents another Light Bar to its line-up of linear LED lighting solutions: the Broome LED Display Case Light Bar! This LED light bar provides 1 to 2 feet of light that is fully extendable to meet your lighting needs. The Broome is great for illuminating display cases, cabinets, and shelving – commercial or residential. Each light bar contains 56 SMD LEDs but only consumes 4 watts of electricity. The low heat generation make is perfect for those up-close-and-personal lighting applications where a cool and powerful light is needed. The viewing angle on the Broome is impressive as well, the wide 120 degree light pours bright beams onto virtually any surface for LED lighting pleasure. The light bar features a swiveling horizontal base so that you can customize the light angle to your specifications.

Imagine this versatile LED light bar underneath your medicine cabinet or projecting onto your bedroom mirror for a symphony of white illumination. The Broome casts 6000-7000k in cool white, 4000-5000k in neutral white, and 3000-4000k in warm white. Fully extended, the Broome become 29 ½ inches long (up from an original 19.3 inches), a transformer of a fixture, able to linearly illuminate over two feet of wall or shelf space! With lengthy lights like this sometimes light bars have flickering or interference problems negatively impact the performance of the light. These problems are the result of cheaply engineered parts that are poorly soldered together. The Broome has no flickering or FR interference and has an instant soft start as well. Housed in an aluminum casing, multiple light bars can be serially connected and run by one power supply. Versatility at its finest for any display case, cabinet or shelf! The LED Broome Light Bar – sweeping away the competition!

LED*Waves In the News: Making Green by Going Green

By Joseph Walker
Manhattan, NY

Standing next to 30-pound sacks of organic soil on the 49th floor of 7 World Trade Center, Dominic Vigliotti talked excitedly how his Long Island company is selling tons of compost for roof gardens.
Ten feet away, Ken Hillman of Green Street Construction showed floor tiles made of recycled glass, and a piece of carpet woven entirely from wool. “It’s sustainable and it grows back every year,” Hillman noted. “Instead of wearing a sweater, we can make a carpet.”
Vigliotti and Hillman were among the dozens of exhibitors who came to the Building Green Expo in Lower Manhattan as part of April’s Earth Day celebrations to network with other green industry entrepreneurs, make new connections – and draw new customers.
With nearly $80 billion in the federal economic stimulus package going toward green projects throughout the country, the marriage of environmentalism and commerce is getting its biggest governmental push yet.


‘A Real Drive’
The money is starting to flow to local governments like New York City, which will spend at least $16 million in federal funds to help green the city with loans and job training.
“There’s a real drive for all of the government agencies to work together,” said Allison Leighton, a project manager at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, which is responsible for distributing federal stimulus money throughout the state.
Meanwhile, a bill before the City Council would require property owners to upgrade the energy efficiency of lighting systems in commercial buildings over 50,000 square feet.


Making Waves
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) is confident the legislation will pass by the end of the year, a spokesman said. That’s good news for companies like Brooklyn-based LED Waves, whose small, heatless lights use 90 percent less energy than a regular bulb.
“We’re lucky to be in an industry that even in a recession is growing,” said Mical Anselmo, the company’s 26-year-old “LED Specialist.”
Despite a dismal economy, some of the company reps at the Building Green Expo were optimistic about a “green recovery,” as President Obama’s special economic adviser, Van Jones, has put it.
“Even though construction is down, we’re seeing products that have to do with energy efficiency and sustainability lifting – they’re gaining market share versus the standard, non-sustainable products,” said Colby Swanson, a manager at BASF, the German chemical giant and world’s largest supplier of chemicals to construction companies.


Catering to Green Tastes
Chef Chris Siversen started Bridgewaters To Go, a Manhattan-based catering company, last year with plans to serve organic meals in recyclable packaging. “A lot of the inquiries that we’re getting are from major companies looking to go green, and by hiring us they’re green in one phone call,” said Siversen, who catered the Expo.
Jodi Smits Anderson, a state employee, was initially skeptical when she grabbed one of Siversen’s tomato mozzarella sandwiches. “A lot of green catering is a marketing ploy,” she said.
But she was happy with her sandwich: “This one was really good and healthy.”


*Article and Photo Courtesy of NYCity New Service
http://nycitynewsservice.com/2009/05/04/making-green-by-going-green/

LED Sign Counts Global Greenhouse Gases

Deutsche Bank lit a seven-story-high LED sign in the middle of Manhattan on June 18 that counts the total amount of greenhouse gases trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere. The counter’s rapidly changing digital numbers are powered by nearly 41,000 low-energy light emitting diodes. The LED lights contribute considerably less greenhouse emissions than other sign and lighting technologies by using only a fraction of the energy to power the signs.

The LED sign, the first of its kind in the world to show real-time measurement of the gases blamed for global warming. Deutsche Bank officials said they hope the sign will spark more public debate over the issue of global warming. The giant carbon counter developed by scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology hangs outside Madison Square Garden. According to the sign, the current quantity of carbon dioxide in the planet’s atmosphere is 3.64 trillion tons, the highest level in 800,000 years. Worst, the carbon levels are increasing at a rate of 800 tons a second.

“If you flipped on one of the news channels that covers the financial news... and there was a number that was updating once every five years, the commentators would have a hard time finding something to talk about,” Kevin Parker, the global head of Deutsche's asset management team, told reporters. “The minute you convert that to a real-time number, it can serve as a backdrop for lots of conversations.”

Deutsche Bank also conducts research on trading greenhouse gas emissions and has investments in environmental fields. The launch of the LED sign was praised by a range of climate leaders, including scientists and nongovernmental groups. One could not resist a stab at carbon markets, which aim to harness the power of capitalism to reward early actors who cut their emissions. The markets can also make bankers very rich.

Photo courtesy of Reuters.

Krem, Chicago, IL: Crème de la Crème of Hip Lounges

Late night hotspots need all the glitter and spectacle to entrance party-goers with hypnotic lights like flies to an outdoor sign. LED*Waves’ LED Rope Lights provide that extra sizzle needed to keep the party going at funky lounges and dance clubs.

The Project
The crème de la crème of hip lounges in Chicago, krem injects a cool blast of frosted futurism to trendy North Clark Street near Chicago’s north shore. Chill with your cocktail on krem’s low, white modern leather sofas that glow-in-the-dark under icy blue LED neon lights. Get funky on the dance floor as the club’s energy-master DJ spins electronica or hip-hop, then drop by krem’s handy champagne bar where complementary handmade truffles accompany every order! Finally, when you need a breather, sink onto krem’s 32-foot long lounge bed and you’ll swear you are floating on a snow-white raft in a neon blue sea.

“This is where you need to be.” – NBC 5 Chicago

LED Waves' Involvement
LED*Waves helped to create the futuristic, late-night wonderland that is krem by advising and providing the colors and lengths of LED Rope Lighting specified by club’s designers Ben Galatz, Mike Bowen, and Zachary Armintrout. Threads of scintillating LEDs bounce frosty blue hues from corners, columns, and sofas. White strands of LED ambient light wrap around krem’s shiny, navy blue bar, a refreshing retreat for diehard Chicago night-owls who are now even more eclectic and electric thanks to LED Waves!

Products Used
1 Row LED Flat Rope Light (Blue)
1 Row LED Flat Rope Light (White)
1 Row LED Round Rope Light (Blue)

Press
CBS News (video)
ChicagoMag.com (article)
Krem Official site