As Idaho and Boise and ponder the world shift triggered by a low carbon economy, the winners of the next generation have to be anticipated.
I have written a lot about wind, solar and geothermal technology and even the computer-driven smart grid software opportunities that are taking off as carbon-free energy alternatives are rewarded in the marketplace. But power generation isn’t the only kind of innovations that will come from our new energy world. Another equally important technology is around lighting.
For more than a century incandescent light bulbs have been our major source of light, replacing candles, gas and oil light sources back in the 19th Century. These lights, however were inefficient, producing more heat than light. Almost overnight we are converting to compact fluorescent bulbs, which fit into our current light sockets but contain a small amount of mercury, making them hazardous waste when they break or burn out.
The next generation is the light emitting diode, commonly called the LED, which uses far less energy and can last many times longer than most bulbs and contains no lead or mercury. It’s a technology on the verge of taking off. LED-based lighting could save $115 billion in electricity costs in the U.S. alone by 2025, scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara predict.
The technology has matured to the point it is ready for a wide variety of uses such as parking garages and auto tail lights. Inovus Solar , the Boise developer of the SmartPole uses LEDs with its patented solar panel technology for its street lights.
Both Boise and Idaho Falls already are considering retrofitting some of their street lights for LED technology. With a national lab in our borders, smart electronic engineers working for our companies and in some cases looking for work, this energy technology is likely to be in the mix.
http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2009/03/02/rockybarker/energy
_opportunities_arent_only_power_generation
