Innovation Anthology #123: Forest Reclamation Specialist
You may have strung LED lights on your Christmas tree to save energy. A new Edmonton company has its sights set on an even bigger market for LEDs or Light Emitting Diodes. And thats street lights, parking lots and buildings.
Optilume Engineered Light is western Canadas first LED manufacturer that caters specifically to outdoor lighting applications. Company president Guy Meyer estimates there are 78 million streets lights in North America and twice that in South America.
Replacing those lamps with LEDs could translate into huge energy savings for the environment.
GUY MEYER: They compete with all forms of traditional lighting, even the high pressure sodium. Directly above our heads is an example of a street light. The street light that this one would replace is a 200 to 250 watt halogen or high pressure sodium. This consumes 120 watts. And it lasts 100 thousand hours as opposed to the 30,000 hours with the high pressure sodium. The benefits are clear.
Guy Meyers of Optilume says LED works efficiently in cold temperatures. New modular designs make it easy to add more light where needed. And thin, flat LED panels could change they way indoor construction is done.
FOR INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY,
I’M CHERYL CROUCHER
Guest
Eckehart Marenholtz,
Chickadee Reclamation Services, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada,
Sponsor
Program Date: 2008-04-08