The Lighting Research Center (LRC) announced that LEDVANCE has joined the Light and Health Alliance which aims to enhance human health and wellbeing with indoor lighting. The mission of the Light and Health Alliance is to bridge the science of light and health to practical applications, and to provide objective information grounded in basic and applied research. The Alliance works to generate and disseminate new knowledge on the topic of light and health via outreach and education. (Image: LRC/LEDVANCE) LEDVANCE will join other members of ...

The Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has published a new report on the energy and economic performance of LED horticultural luminaires. The LRC evaluated key factors such as power demand, life-cycle cost, luminaire intensity distribution, and luminaire shading. Of particular importance is the fact that the LRC considered the effectiveness of the entire lighting system for a controlled growing environment.

Mariana Figueiro, director of the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, will reveal how lighting can optimize health based on the latest research at National Association of Innovative Lighting Distributors’ (NAILD) Innovation 2018 on Feb. 13-16 in Rancho Mirage, California.

The light emitted by portable electronic devices (PEDs), particularly when used at night, has drawn a great deal of interest among sleep researchers, healthcare professionals, and the media. Research shows that exposure to light at night (LAN) may be associated with poor sleep and may lead to diminished alertness and performance throughout the day. Exposure to LAN can also acutely suppress melatonin, a hormone produced at night and in darkness, which tells the body it is nighttime. The short-wavelength “blue” light emitted by electronics can be especially disruptive to melatonin production, and the proximity to the eye when PEDs are in use only aggravates the threat to getting a good night’s sleep.

Two key physical properties of light participate in color vision: wavelength and power. They factor into a light source’s spectral power distribution, which describes the amount of light power at each wavelength in the visible spectrum (which ranges from approximately 380 nanometers to 780 nanometers) that is emitted by that particular source. Power is a measure of the amount of light from each wavelength that arrives at a defined location per unit time.

The Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is collaborating with Cornell University on a $6.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Specialty Crop Research Initiative to develop the next generation of grapes. The project, VitisGen2, is a collaboration of 25 scientists from 11 institutions who are working in multidisciplinary teams to accelerate development of new grape varieties that are more flavorful and sustainable.

In the June issue of LEDs Magazine, Dr. Nadarajah Narendran, Director of Research at the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, discusses LRC research focused on LED system reliability in the article, "Industry test standards must evolve to ensure accurate LED system life estimates." 

The Lighting Research Center has released a new version of its free, open-access circadian stimulus (CS) calculator with more robust and flexible functionality to help lighting professionals select light sources and light levels that will increase the potential for circadian-effective light exposure in architectural spaces.

The Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is expanding its research, education, and industry activities to organic light-emitting diodes, also known as OLEDs, by establishing the OLED Lighting Education and Application Program (OLED-LEAP) at the LRC. The goals of this new program are to help New York-based companies develop energy-efficient OLED lighting products and to help create market demand for lighting products that deliver value.

The Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute recently evaluated a newly constructed building at Siena College—Rosetti Hall, a 25,000 square foot, 3-story, contemporary brick building that includes classrooms, meeting rooms, and offices. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) awarded funding to change the lighting specification from the originally specified conventional fluorescent lighting to all light emitting diodes (LEDs), designed by Engineered Solutions of Clifton Park, N.Y., and to have the project evaluated as a DELTA demonstration project by LRC. The 20-page full color, illustrated report, “LED Lighting in a Campus Building” detailing the project evaluation and findings, is available for free download from the LRC website.

The Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has launched a new collaborative initiative, the Lighting Energy Alliance, to increase the benefits of lighting while reducing its environmental and monetary costs.

The Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has launched a new collaborative initiative—the Light and Health Alliance—to bridge the science of light and health to practical applications, and to provide objective information based on basic and applied research. The Alliance is led by Dr. Mariana Figueiro, LRC Light and Health Program director and associate professor at Rensselaer.