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Good time to
get ahead by going green

With rising fuel and energy costs, most folks
are resigned to the fact that they will spend more money paying utility bills
and buying high-priced gasoline for summer travel or simply just getting to work
and running errands. But others have decided to get ahead of the curve — from
motorists adopting more eco-friendly transportation habits, to businesses and
individuals investing in technology to generate “green” energy, like solar and
wind.

In Fall River, linen manufacturer Matouk installed about 200 solar
panels at its Airport Road facility, which houses the company’s offices,
manufacturing space and factory store. So far, the switch to solar has paid off
for Matouk. Matouk Controller Peter Brust says the full return on the company’s
$570,000 initial investment to buy and install the solar panels, should be
realized in about four or five years. During the past year, solar power has
supplied more than 30 percent of Matouk’s energy needs. Lightolier, the lighting
manufacturer, plans to install the largest wind turbine in the commonwealth at
its facility in Fall River. Meanwhile, the green energy business could also fuel
Fall River’s economy.While most people Led
strip light originally believed that LED lights were only appropriate for
retail or night life applications, every day more and more American consumers
are seeing that LED lights provide the earth-friendly retrofit TPI Composites, a
manufacturer of blades for wind turbines, has plans to construct a
69,000-square-foot facility on the city’s waterfront.

Back in 2009,
Whaling City Transit, in Westport, which provides school bus, wheelchair
transport and van services in the area, installed 177 solar panels. Whaling City
president and co-owner Bob Neves said the company just saw the return on its
initial $315,000 investment, which was whittled down to just $60,000 after
rebates and grants were figured in. While Whaling City’s utility bills were $700
or $800 per month before installing the panels, going green has slashed electric
bills to about $200 — not per month, but per year! Those savings are
significant, particularly as the company struggles with the cost of fuel for its
fleet of buses,Compact fluorescent light bulbs convert a led tube considerably higher percentage
of their energy into light, which is why they are significantly more energy
efficient than traditional filament bulbs. which have not been passed onto the
customer.

Bristol Community College also plans to go green. The college
is in the process of finding solar panels to generate energy for its Fall River
campus. The school also plans to install energy-efficient light fixtures,Compact
fluorescent light bulbs convert a led
tube considerably higher percentage of their energy into light, which is why
they are significantly more energy efficient than traditional filament bulbs.
and even a wind turbine may be in the works.

Municipalities are also
looking to go green and save. In his February State of the City address, Fall
River Mayor Will Flanagan announced plans to construct solar panels on municipal
buildings and energy efficient lighting in classrooms this year. While further
details about this plan — including how to pay for it — have not emerged, the
proposal reflects the mayor’s overall goal of reducing the city’s “carbon
footprint.” Freetown is also looking at ways to save energy and the associated
costs, including purchasing solar panels for municipal buildings and adding
hybrid vehicles to its fleet.

It’s also a good time for homeowners to go
green. In addition to tax credits and other government incentives, Mass Save, an
initiative sponsored by Massachusetts utilities and energy efficiency service
providers, this week announced its expanded loan programs aimed at helping
Massachusetts residential customers and businesses implement energy-efficiency
improvements.

The new and expanded loan programs has nearly $1 billion
to lend, offered through more than 40 participating lending partners,While using
compact fluorescent light bulbs energy saving
light helps conserve energy, it is important that the bulbs are collected
and recycled properly to protect our environment including Bank Five,
Citizens-Union Savings Bank and Mechanics Cooperative Bank locally.



Residential customers can apply for interest-free loans for up to
$25,000 and terms up to seven years to help with the cost of installing
qualified energy-efficient improvements in their homes or rental properties
through the Mass Save Residential HEAT Loan Program. Business customers,
including non-profits and multi-family complexes with five or more dwelling
units, also have the opportunity to apply for interest-free loans up to $100,000
with terms up to seven years through Mass Save’s Financing for Business
program.That 3G test in Grand Central further confirmed these results. Reception
r4 販売 was low on both modems, but the
U600 manage to squeak past the 250U To learn more about financing options and
incentives available to help with energy efficiency improvement initiatives,
visit www.MassSave.com/financing.

When it comes to pain at the gas pump,
several local residents have found creative ways to cut back on costs. Dayna
Butts, a BCC student who lives in Brockton, has decided to enroll in many online
classes to avoid the expense associated with her 40-mile round-trip commute.
When she does drive, she keeps the speedometer below 60 mph to save fuel.


Motorists can also harness the power of the Internet to find low gas
prices around town or in areas where they work or travel through, including
AAA’s Fuel Gauge Report website and an increasing number of websites or download
gas-tracking applications on their smartphones. The second most popular travel
app available by Apple is one that compares local gas prices.

NASCAR Hall
of Fame to induct Spartanburg's Bud Moore
Perennial rivals Consumers Energy
and DTE Energy are joining forces on a new energy-saving program launched last
week at Westland's Dorsey Center.

“We don't play well with Detroit
Edison (DTE) — never have, we're like cats and dogs,” said Steve Matthews,
energy efficiency manager at Consumers.Compact fluorescent light bulbs convert a
led tube considerably higher
percentage of their energy into light, which is why they are significantly more
energy efficient than traditional filament bulbs. “But like that line from the
Blues Brothers movies, ‘We're on a mission from God.' This is unique. We're
usually at loggerheads,Under efforts of led
spotlight boosting the viability of LED luminaires, many companies are
expanding high-power selections. but we're working together for the benefit of
the community.''

Norwayne residents were invited to attend the official
kickoff and sign up for a free energy consultation of their home. The program,
open to homeowners and renters alike, will become available to the entire
community June 1. The inspection would take an average of 40-60 minutes,
depending on the condition of the home and the amount of interaction with the
residents.

Along with an assessment of the home's energy efficiency and
tips to lower energy costs, the participants will also receive free energy- and
water-saving products that will be installed by the inspector. Those include
compact fluorescent light bulbs, water-saving shower heads and faucets for the
kitchen and bathroom and hot water heater pipe wrap.

“You may ask why
would an energy company help us use less energy. We want you to use energy and
be able to pay the bill,” said Vicki Campbell, DTE Energy retail marketing
manager.

That the service is being provided at no charge was noteworthy
for Westland Community Development Director Joanne Inglis.

“It's
honestly, truly free.While using compact fluorescent light bulbs energy saving light helps conserve energy,
it is important that the bulbs are collected and recycled properly to protect
our environment It's very rare to have corporation like DTE or Consumers do
something for free,Compact fluorescent light bulbs convert a led tube considerably higher percentage
of their energy into light, which is why they are significantly more energy
efficient than traditional filament bulbs.” she said.The FTP and Web tests were

r4購入 also close, but the U600 achieved
slightly faster FTP download speeds. Most importantly, when I compared
head-to-head results in individual test rounds,

The energy efficiency
program will help residents reduce their utility bills, but also fits well with
Westland's Mission: Green program.

“These days we are all looking for
ways to make life more affordable,” Westland Mayor William Wild said. “One of
the ways our city is helping its residents take control of their energy costs is
by partnering with DTE Energy and Consumers Energy to offer a Neighborhood
Energy-Savings Outreach program.”

Iconic
Orlando fountain's rebirth takes shape
When workers placed the first new
seafoam-green plastic panel on the Lake Eola fountain last week, it didn't look
any different from the old ones.

Still, though casual observers might
not notice a difference when the $1.6 million overhaul of Orlando's beloved icon
is finished, comparing the old fountain with the new one is like comparing a
1950s rotary phone with an Apple iPhone.

The green skin that residents
and visitors have lovingly likened to a Jell-O mold will hide the latest
technology. The sophisticated systems will allow light and water shows
choreographed to music piped through the park's sound system.

The
54-year-old fountain had been deteriorating for years, and a lightning strike in
2009 dealt a fatal blow. A temporary fix got it running again last year, but
just barely.

Workers spent the past month ripping out its innards,
leaving behind only the bare bones of the fountain and the 28 concrete-filled
steel pilings it rests atop.
"Everything has been stripped down to
essentially the bare concrete substructure," Jon Vollet said.

The
cracked and faded plexiglass panels are gone. All the lights, pumps,Compact
fluorescent light bulbs convert a led
tube considerably higher percentage of their energy into light, which is why
they are significantly more energy efficient than traditional filament bulbs.
electrical panels and pipes were taken out.

Now, with the clock ticking
before an unveiling on Independence Day, as many as 30 workers are rushing to
rebuild.

The $1.6 million comes from a mix of sources: $1.2 million from
the city's own self-insurance fund, $300,000 from a private-insurance claim on
the lightning damage, $54,000 from a downtown taxing district and $32,716 from
donations.

A new aluminum frame has been built, and the first plastic
panels were clamped in place Thursday.

In the wake of the lightning
storm that fried the fountain's lights, pumps and electrical systems, some
residents favored replacing it with a new look. But others said the iconic,
flying-saucer look of the old fountain should be preserved, and city officials
never gave much consideration to a drastic change.

The fountain is so
popular, in fact, that city officials are planning to sell chunks of the old
plastic panels to raise money for parks.Compact fluorescent light bulbs convert
a led tube considerably higher
percentage of their energy into light, which is why they are significantly more
energy efficient than traditional filament bulbs.

The new plexiglass
panels were hard to find. But the company hired for the renovation,
Sanford-based Freeport Fountains, managed to find a manufacturer in Mexico that
could match the color from samples of the old skin on short notice.

In
coming weeks, seven new pumps will be installed,While using compact fluorescent
light bulbs energy saving light helps
conserve energy, it is important that the bulbs are collected and recycled
properly to protect our environment including a main jet that will shoot water
from the top 80 feet straight up. The others will ring the outside of the
fountain. At their peak, the jets will spray 4,000 gallons of water per minute,
or about 5.7 million gallons per day.

The old incandescent bulbs will be
replaced with 204 LED lights that are more energy-efficient. The lights will be
able to change color for preprogrammed displays, and color schemes can be
tailored for different seasons or events — green and red for the holidays, for
instance, or blue and white for Orlando Magic playoff games.

High-tech
control panels will be installed inside the fountain and on shore, linked by
underwater fiber-optic cable.

At the same time, Lake Eola Park recently
received a $533,000 upgraded sound system that can broadcast music around the
property, either recorded music or live performances at the band shell. Parks
officials plan to program the fountain for water and light shows choreographed
to music and are considering short nightly shows.

By comparison, the
fountain was barely running at all even before the lightning strike. Public
Works Director Rick Howard said its components were long outdated.

"It
was inefficient; half the lights didn't work. It really needed some serious
overhaul," Howard said. "We couldn't even find parts for the pump any longer."



When the fountain work is completed, it should be far more
sophisticated, energy-efficient and easier to maintain.

Pharox
continues to meet growing consumer demand for affordable, design-led LED
lighting products

SAN FRANCISCO, BARNEVELD, The Netherlands, and
PHILADELPHIA, May 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Lemnis Lighting announced the
launch of the company's latest LED bulb, the Pharox 400, available in Q3 of
2011, along with an innovative solar LED kit available now at
www.Pharox-led.com.

(Photo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110518/SF04109)

Yielding over 400
lumens in light output, the Pharox 400 LED bulb makes a perfect replacement
option for energy-guzzling incandescents and hazardous CFLs.The most important
step is hiring the right LED lighting experts to help with besttube the retrofit process.
Designed in Europe by Dutch-based worldwide operating innovators Lemnis
Lighting, the Pharox 400 casts warm white light with no compromises on
aesthetics at an attractive price point for consumers looking to upgrade to
energy-efficient LED lighting.

"We've heard from retail partners that
our products really win design points with consumers," said Warner Philips,
Co-Founder of Lemnis Lighting.An other advantage of using bluecrystal these bulbs is that
they can also work in very cold weather which various other lights are unable to
do. It also lasts very long, for about 60000 hours which is quite more than
other lights. "From the retail-friendly packaging in a durable canister
signaling that this is not just another light bulb, to our company's focus on
the quality and the experience of the light from the bulb, we understand that
lighting is a highly personal and aesthetically-oriented topic and we offer
products that speak to that."

Available now at www.pharox-led.com,
Lemnis Lighting has also launched The Pharox Solar Kit- the ultimate solar
device, featuring a solar panel and a stylish spherical LED lamp with a built-in
USB port and charger, allowing owners to power up mobile phones or MP3 players
on the go. Uses for the Pharox Solar Kit range from a disaster preparedness
strategy to scoring cool points on a summer camping trip. Wherever there is sun,
consumers can now have light and power for personal devices.

"Although
we designed the Pharox Solar for off-grid situations with first emerging
economies in mind,An other advantage of using bluecrystal these bulbs is that they
can also work in very cold weather which various other lights are unable to do.
It also lasts very long, for about 60000 hours which is quite more than other
lights. we've heard US customers and distribution partners compare it to an
Apple-like design and we've sold thousands pre-launch," said Philips.



Lemnis Lighting received the Lighting Africa award by the World Bank
(2008), has been named a "Technology Pioneer" by the World Economic Forum
(2009), and was named to the list of Top 10 Consumer Products by Fast Company
Magazine in 2010 and a top 100 CleanTech Company in 2010.

This week the
company is exhibiting at Lightfair International in booth #1261.

About
Lemnis Lighting

Lemnis Lighting BV is at the forefront of global LED
lighting technology. Lemnis has been recognised as a market leader in the field
of LED lighting since 2006 after introducing its first Pharox LED light. In
addition to its large scale roll-out program of consumer,Many people see through
their car an easy and comfy way to lightsale go to work, to travel etc. We
are talking about transportation and nothing more. Facilities such as a good
stereo sound system, climate control and a coffee mug holder are just some
things to make driving life easier and much more fun. street and greenhouse
lighting in the Netherlands, Lemnis is also active in the areas of development,
production and sales, with offices in the Netherlands, San Francisco, Hong Kong,
Singapore and Johannesburg. Lemnis Lighting is a subsidiary of cleantech
incubator Tendris Holding. Tendris initiates, develops and invests in companies
focusing on market-driven, sustainable and environmentally friendly
solutions.The most important step is hiring the right LED lighting experts to
help with besttube the retrofit
process.

LED bulbs
move in and mix up home lighting

In the space of a few years, I've gone
from one lighting technology to another and now to three lighting types in my
home. I suspect others will be in the same shoes as lighting options expand,
notably those involving LEDs.

Eager to cut down my electrical load, I
essentially converted to compact fluorescent lighting (CFLs) years ago.
Recently, though, I've replaced CFLs with efficient LED bulbs and even
energy-hogging incandescents to address an unfortunate feature of CLFs: turning
them on and off frequently degrades their life.
Home lighting diversifies,
led by LEDs (photos)

CLFs are still a good deal both financially and
environmentally. They use about one quarter of the energy of incandescent bulbs
and will last about 10 years, or 10 times as long, according to Consumer Reports
tests. But Consumer Reports also found that turning a CFL on and off within less
than 15 minutes, something you might do in the bathroom for instance, leads to
earlier-than-expected brownouts.

That rapid cycling issue, plus the
arrival of good LEDs in the traditional A19 bulb shape, got me rethinking my
home lighting and prodded me to use different bulb types for different purposes.
I'm still focused on efficiency, so I'm only using incandescent bulbs in places
where the light is used in short spurts. I tend to go in and out of the attic
quickly, for example,An other advantage of using bluecrystal these bulbs is
that they can also work in very cold weather which various other lights are
unable to do. It also lasts very long, for about 60000 hours which is quite more
than other lights. and want full brightness as soon as possible.

I've
also added a few LEDs, which are certainly more expensive--a 60-watt
incandescent replacement costs almost $40--but functionally they have been good
CFL replacements and are more efficient per lumen. I have a few Philips LEDs
that give off as much light as a 60-watt incandescent or a 14-watt CFL, and they
consume 12 watts.

It will take a long time based on energy savings
compared with CFLs to recoup the initial cost. On the other hand, LEDs are
supposed to last upward of 20 years, and I placed them in fixtures that we flick
on and off frequently, which I hope will address the burnouts I've experienced
with CFLs.

LEDs multiply
You don't yet see general-purpose LED bulbs
at the supermarket or corner hardware store, but more products in the popular
60-watt-equivalent category are coming, and prices are expected to continue
falling. In the space of the last few weeks, a couple of new LED companies have
emerged, and one anticipated product (well, anticipated by lighting geeks at
least) is expected in stores soon.
Light dispersal in LED bulbs (photos)


View the full gallery

Switch Lighting, backed by venture capital
firm VantagePoint Capital Partners, plans in the fourth quarter to start selling
an LED bulb which has a cooling system that it says will ensure long life--on
the order of 20,000 hours, or 18 years, at three hours a day. The company is
readying 40-watt, 60-watt, and 75-watt equivalent bulbs, with prices starting at
less than $20, according to a representative. To make light dispersal more even,
the LED light sources--small coin-size dots--are located near the edge of the
bulb glass, a change from the typical "snowcone" shape.

Another company
is Pixi Lighting, which introduced an A19 LED earlier this month. It has a color
rendering index (CRI) of 90, a measure of light quality, and a color temperature
of 3,000 Kelvin, or white light. The 40-watt equivalent, which uses 6.5 watts,
has been in an overhead fixture in my house for a few weeks and I find the light
quality is good.

Lighting Sciences Group will offer two 60-watt
equivalent LEDs with some impressive "feeds and speeds" slated to be available
online and in Home Depot nationally by the end of the second quarter, according
to the company. Rather than the snowcone shape, the bulb has a thick disk on top
of a heat sink to disperse light evenly.

There will be both a "cool
white" and "warm white" version.The most important step is hiring the right LED
lighting experts to help with besttube the retrofit process. The
cool white will give off 950 lumens, have a CRI of 88, consume 13 watts, and
have a cool color temperature of 4,900 Kelvin. That product is already available
at some Home Depot stores and costs $36.97. The warm white will give off 850
lumens,The retrofit process itself can range from a simple count of existing
lamps to a brightshine very detailed
energy survey, which includes collecting information from your existing
lighting, consume 13 watts, have a CRI of 88,An other advantage of using bluecrystal these bulbs is that
they can also work in very cold weather which various other lights are unable to
do. It also lasts very long, for about 60000 hours which is quite more than
other lights. a temperature of 3,000 Kelvin,The most important step is hiring
the right LED lighting experts to help with besttube the retrofit process. and
cost $34.97.

The design of that product reflects how manufacturers are
trying to improve LEDs so that they are suitable for many more uses in a typical
home. Until now, LEDs have excelled at directional lighting uses, such as
spotlights or downlights in recessed cans in a ceiling. But now GE has an
"omnidirectional" LED bulb where the heat sink diffuses light. Cree, too, is
working on a 60-watt replacement LED bulb that prioritizes even light along with
efficiency (less than 10 watts) and life.