Lighting as a Service Market to 2021: N.A. Dominates 46% CAGR Global Growth

The lighting as a service market is projected to hit USD 638.7 million by 2021 with municipal end user segment expected to grow at a highest CAGR while North America is expected to be the largest market for lighting as a service.

Lighting as a service (LaaS) is an enhanced form of lighting that is enabling the move from traditional lighting to smart lighting using sensors and Internet of Thing (IoT) technology to reduce energy cost and increase energy efficiency without any investment from the end-user. Increasing demand for energy efficient lighting and government policies and regulations for adoption of energy efficient lighting systems are expected to drive the lighting as a service market. Lack of awareness about the true value propositions of the lighting as service model is acting as a restraint for the growth of the lighting as a service market.  

The Municipal segment is expected to witness fastest demand during the forecast period. The municipal end users include lighting offered by local governments for streets, open public spaces, walkways, bridges, public parking areas, and highways. Plans to develop smart city infrastructure is driving municipalities to adopt advanced, intelligent lighting systems.

Go here for full article:
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lighting-as-a-service-market-to-2021-na-dominates-46-cagr-global-growth-596818471.html

Martinsville Speedway Announces LED Lighting Project

Martinsville Speedway remained one of the few tracks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule without permanently installed track lighting. That all changed on Wednesday afternoon.

The historic Martinsville Speedway is set to install lights. Martinsville track President Clay Campbell, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Bill Mansfield from Graybar (company installing the lights) announced plans on Tuesday. The lighting project will cost five million dollars and the expected completion date is the end of 2016.

Track lighting will be implemented for “insurance” purposes after last year’s Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500. 18 cautions and threat of rain almost stopped the event short due to darkness. While the race was completed in it’s entirety, Jeff Gordon’s victory lane celebration took place under spotlights.

Martinsville is the first track to install LED lighting which is energy efficient and can be turned on instantly. LED lights will make the race look better both on TV and in person.  Earnhardt Jr. added, “I think it’s great for the racetrack and it certainly opens up a ton of possibilities for the future of the track itself.”

Fans have been asking about a night race at Martinsville Speedway for many years. However, NASCAR’s start times in 2017 are already locked in. Campbell said talk of anything beyond 2017 would only be speculation.

While a night race at Martinsville would be great, there’s something traditional about short track racing on a Sunday afternoon. Martinsville Speedway is the poster child for tradition. On the other hand a night race at Martinsville could bring a whole new sense of excitement to the track.

The Sprint Cup Series will visit Martinsville Speedway again on October 30th. This race will kick off the Round of Eight in the 2016 Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Written by: Aaron Hale

Original Article: http://beyondtheflag.com/2016/10/13/martinsville-speedway-announces-lighting-project/

Customer Service Disruptions Likely To Drag Down Cree's Top-Line In Q1'17 Too

Leading LED manufacturer, Cree  ( CREE ) is set to report its Q1 2017 earnings on October 18th.   (Fiscal years end with June.) Going by the company's guidance for the quarter, we can expect its revenues and margins to decline in Q1'17, both sequentially and on a year-over-year basis. The primary reason for the decline can be attributed to the customer service disruptions caused by an ERP system upgrade that was initiated by Cree in fiscal Q3'16. It is worth noting that the company's sales cycle lasts around two to three quarters, and for this reason we can expect the negative impact of service disruptions caused in Q3'16 to last into Q1'17 as well. Furthermore, Cree expects its operating revenues to remain flat in FY 2017, even though it forecasts the overall market size to expand during this period. Fierce competition in the LED industry, and its impact on pricing, are the reasons behind sluggish revenue growth for the company.

Read more: http://www.nasdaq.com/article/customer-service-disruptions-likely-to-drag-down-crees-top-line-in-q117-too-cm693628#ixzz4NO8yqK67

ABB Lighting Renames as Above All Lighting

ABB Lighting, a leading manufacturer of LED fixtures, announced that it has officially changed its name to Above All Lighting. The "Above All" name helps create a more distinct name for the company as it strives to continuously improve and earn a spot among the best in the LED lighting field.           

In addition to re-branding the company, the Above All Lighting Board of Directors has announced other changes to the management team.

To read the full article go here:  http://www.ledinside.com/news/2016/10/abb_lighting_renames_as_above_all_lighting

Verizon acquires IoT startup Sensity Systems to make cities smarter through LED lights

Verizon has acquired Internet of Things (IoT) startup Sensity Systems(“Sensity”), a company that provides smart LED lights for streets, airports, malls, and more. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Founded out of Sunnyvale, California in 2010, Sensity wants to capitalize on a global shift toward LED lighting in cities. The Climate Group has called on every“city and utility” around the world to switch to LED by 2025, with some conurbations already well on their way. Indeed, New York City (NYC) began rolling out energy-efficient LEDs on its streets back in 2015.

Sensity has said that the billions of LEDs that are expected to permeate cities in the near future will enable it to create a “high-speed, sensor-based, multiservice IoT platform.” Lighting owners can embed networking technology within their systems, meaning they can introduce a range of sensors for detecting moisture, ambient light, seismic activity, radiation, wind, temperature, air quality, and even parking availability. All of this is backed by a high-bandwidth wireless network that supports both point-to-point and mesh networks. Sensity says it already has 42 smart city installations around the world.

“Rapid urbanization is putting a huge strain on city services globally, coupled with inefficiencies caused by an aging infrastructure that currently supports critical functions, such as fire and emergency services, public transportation, lighting, sewer and sanitation systems,” said Sensity chairman and CEO Hugh Martin, in a press release. “Sensity realized early on that IoT could be the key to breaking out of this dilemma.”

To read the full article: http://venturebeat.com/2016/09/12/verizon-acquires-iot-startup-sensity-systems-to-make-cities-smarter-through-led-lights/

Cree LED T8 Lamp Recall Take 2

Cree Recalls LED T8 Lamps Due to Burn Hazard; Includes T8 Lamps Provided as Replacements in Previous Recall. The recalled lamps can overheat and melt, posing a burn hazard.

Units

About 104,000 in the U.S. (in addition, 8,500 were sold in Canada)

Description

This recall involves Cree LED T8 Replacement Lamps, including lamps that were provided as free replacements for a previous recall in June 2015 and new lamps sold since the recall. These lamps are used indoors to replace traditional two-pin T8 fluorescent tubes. The white lamps have a cylindrical shape and measure 48 inches long. “Cree,” “BT848 Series Lamp,” the product number and a four-digit date code are printed on the lamp or on a white label affixed to the lamp.

Product Number	Lamp Description	Date Codes
BT848-17027FLW-BDG13-2C100	Linear LED T8 Replacement Lamp, 4 Ft, 1700 Lm, 2700K, 1-pack, US	06/15 07/15 08/15 09/15 10/15 11/15 12/15 01/16 02/16 03/16 04/16 05/16
BT848-17040FLW-BDG13-2C100	Linear LED T8 Replacement Lamp, 4 Ft, 1700 Lm, 4000K, 1-pack, US
BT848-17027FLW-BDG13-2C120	Linear LED T8 Replacement Lamp, 4 Ft, 1700 Lm, 2700K,10-pack, US
BT848-17040FLW-BDG13-2C120	Linear LED T8 Replacement Lamp, 4 Ft, 1700 Lm, 4000K, 10-pack, US

Incidents/Injuries

Cree has received 12 reports of the recalled lamps overheating and melting. No injuries have been reported.

Remedy

Consumers should immediately stop using, disconnect or switch off the fixture, remove the recalled lamp, put it in a safe place and contact Cree to receive a full refund. If consumers have received a free replacement lamp as part of the previous 2015 recall, they also should stop using the replacement lamps and contact Cree.

Cree toll-free at 888-338-7883 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, email atT8Rledlamps@cree.com or online at www.cree.comand click on “Recalls” for more information.

http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Recalls/2016/Cree-Recalls-LED-T8-Lamps/

GE to close two Kentucky plants

GE Lighting announced Thursday that it plans to close its Lexington Lamp Plant and Somerset Glass Plant by August 2017.

The Lexington plant employs 139 people, most of which are bulk manufacturing jobs.

The Somerset plant makes halogen lamps and employs 71 people.

In a release, a GE spokesperson said that consumer demand for traditional lighting is at an all-time low, and as a result, the Lexington plant is operating at 15 percent capacity.

Looking forward, GE Lighting will focus entirely on driving innovation and growth in LED technology," the GE spokesperson said in a statement. "By 2020, half of the US market’s consumer light bulb sockets will be LED and more than 80 percent of all global lighting revenues will come from LED."

The Somerset plant was also operating at about 20 percent capacity due to the market shifting to LED lighting, said Jack Mazurak, a spokesperson for the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development.

Original article: http://www.wkyt.com/content/news/GE-closing-Lexington-Lamp-Plant-150-people-losing-jobs-389901122.html