The sailors and Marines of The US Navy have engaged in TechSolutions program, in which they are encouraged to submit their ideas for technology innovations.

According to the Inhabitat site report, the US Navy’s submarine fleet is getting an overhaul of its internal lighting system — from fluorescent lighting to more energy efficient LED lighting. Therefore, the TechSolutions program is proven to be an illuminating exercise.

The idea came from a sailor’s recommendation: “One crew member complained that the lights produced a noisy hum. As a result, the Office of Naval Research is working on a new high tech LED lighting system that will not only not hum, but also use about 50 percent less power to produce the same amount of light.”

According to　Roger Buelow, chief technology officer at Energy Focus Inc. and principal investigator for the Navy’s Solid State Lighting project,because of TechSolutions, the fleet now has a qualified LED version that runs at five watts, delivers the same light output and will last for a decade without maintenance.