LED production has grown tremendously, accompanied by a significant fall in prices that will further propel the sale of this energy-efficient digital-lighting technology. But challenges remain on the road to widespread adoption. Figuring out ways to use power efficiently for lighting will be crucial for a future when the world’s population will likely be much larger. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Can microscopic LED lights actually be used to transmit data at up to 1 gigabit-per-second? Yes, says a team of researchers in the UK. Here’s how it works. Read more »
LED lighting is becoming popular for warehouses and factories. Not just because the lights save the building owners money, but because they are digitally networked and controlled. Startup Digital Lumen’s LED systems now cover 50 million square feet of industrial space. Read more »
GE’s lighting division has acquired an LED startup based in Boulder, Colorado: Albeo. The move shows how LED technology is dropping in price and improving in performance — at least for the commercial and industrial sectors. Read more »
Quite a few greentech companies closed sizable funding rounds this week, and Battery Ventures is involved in three of them. Is cleantech support holding on in the venture world? Read more »
Twenty-one cleantech startups from across the U.S. competed for a grand prize of $250,000 in investment and services at this year’s Cleantech Open Business Competition. And the winners are . . . Read more »
While we’re all waiting for efficient LED lighting to one day become mainstream, venture capitalists are continuing to back LED innovation. LED chip maker startup Illumitex has raised another $13.52 million in equity, according to a government filing on Monday. Read more »
Is the greentech industry headed for a breakout year or is it retrenching for hard times to come? The first three months of 2011 provided evidence that could support both assertions, with a big rise in venture capital investment and a big drop-off in global energy financing. Solar power remained the largest green technology sector in terms of venture capital investment, while in the world of electric vehicles, GM’s Chevy Volt hybrid and Nissan’s all-electric Leaf — the first two mainstream plug-in vehicles — hit the showroom floors in significant numbers. Meanwhile the smart grid sector’s relative dearth of VC investment was more than made up for by the massive round of acquisitions. Companies mentioned in this report include NRG Energy, Microsoft, Silver Spring Networks, Tesla and BrightSource Energy. For a full list of companies, and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Folks in commercial and public buildings will see the light by 2014 — next-gen light, that is, thanks to adoption of technologies including advanced fluorescent lamps, light emitting diodes (LEDs) and automated controls, according to a report out today from Lux Research. Read more »
In a few years, we’ll look back at 2010 and remember it as the year that LEDs turned a corner and went from a pricey niche lighting technology to a mainstream contender. Here are three reasons ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
The upcoming Michael Cera film Youth in Revolt, opening tomorrow in theaters, isn’t your typical teen comedy, at least judging by the trailer. So how do you get teenagers to see it? Hitch the Michael Cera star to one of the biggest teen trends going today […] Read more »
Each year, the holidays spill well into January for tech-obsessed geeks, thanks to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). In 2010, CES will continue that tradition with some decidedly green flair. Like Japan’s CEATEC this fall, eco-consciousness will be a major theme, from the show’s larger Sustainable ... Read more at GigaOM Pro »
A Year Later, Coal-Ash Spill Still on EPA’s Long To-Do List: One year after the failure of an earth-and-ash dam holding back 1 billion gallons of waterlogged ash from a Tennessee power plant, most of the ash that flooded out and covered 85 acres of land, […] Read more »
Concentrating photovoltaic technologies, which magnify sunlight and direct it onto solar cells, hold potential to increase the efficiency of a solar-power system. But several analysts — including Jenny Chase, head of solar research at New Energy Finance — say that CPV is likely to be more […] Read more »
In another sign that greentech investments could be back on the rise, organic electronics company Plextronics said today it has raised $14 million in financing. Pittsburgh, Penn.-based Plextronics has developed technology to make conductive inks and materials for printed electronics, specifically for organic plastic solar cells […] Read more »
Let there be light. The Obama administration unlocked $346 million in stimulus funds for energy efficiency earlier this week, including $50 million for advancing solid state lighting, or SSL, technology. The Department of Energy designed the program as “a coordinated development of advanced manufacturing techniques” and […] Read more »
While light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, have long played a role in consumer electronics and displays, solid-state lighting (SSL) is now emerging as a potential technology for everyday commercial and residential lighting applications. As incandescent light bulbs are phased out because they use too much energy, and concerns over mercury affect sales of compact fluorescent bulbs, SSL is receiving increasing attention from consumers and governments seeking to reduce energy costs and lower their carbon footprint. Once LED costs come down, SSL will have a major impact on the global lighting market. While LEDs themselves are not made with silicon, silicon chips are an integral component of SSL fixtures. Thus, the sector represents a significant market opportunity for chip makers. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Take your laptop outside, and you’re likely to find yourself squinting at the screen. The glare is even more pronounced with mobile computing devices, which users usually view downward (like a piece of paper), catching more light than when the screen is vertical. But putting brighter […] Read more »
http://www.youtube.com/v/vsCpIeLLoT8&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1 Earlier today, I attended a web conference with Intel. The two topics covered were the next-generation Atom platform and the Moblin operating system that’s optimized for Atom chips. There actually was very little detail on the Atom front: Pine Trail is the internal name for […] Read more »
Energy-efficient lighting investments are starting to trickle back onto the scene after cleantech deals plunged in the first quarter. On Tuesday, Braemar Energy Ventures raised its bet on lighting with a $10 million investment in Hawthorne, Calif.-based Fulham Inc., a 7-year-old company that makes components for […] Read more »
