Energy Efficient Signtronix LED Business Signs
August 28, 2008
Forward thinking energy conscious business owners are always looking for ways to cut expenses and increase revenue. The new wave of LED business signs are doing just that! LED powered displays are popping up all over the business landscape, in both exterior and interior applications.
Green Technology - Compared to traditional business signage, the LED display is a power miser. The average ultra-bright LED only consumes one-tenth of a Watt per light source, and has an average operating life expectancy of 100,000 hours. This equates to a potential power consumption savings of 95% over other lighting methods, with a life span that is ten times longer.
The new breed of digital signage does not suffer from a loss of brightness in daylight conditions. Clustering technology (multiple individual LEDs per pixel) that can produce over 10,000 NIT (candle power) of light. In addition, patented technology’s like Optec Displays “Knife Edge LED” expand the angle of viewing eliminating any loss of viewability when looking at a sign display from the side.
Outdoor Advertising on Steroids – The real business story behind the new LED signs are the results on retail business owners bottom lines. This new breed of signage delivers a non-static image that can include anything from simple text to full motion video. In a recent survey it was demonstrated that an electronic message center sign could capture the attention of over 90% of the drive-by traffic. Compare that to a static or non-lit signage that generates an average of 10% recognition, according to the Small Business Administration.
Outdoor advertising expert Jim Callahan states it simply, “In my 30 years of experience consulting business owners, the new LED signs are the most effective, least expensive form of advertising for the small business owner. I am getting reports of business owners getting customer traffic increases of 25% to 50% on a regular basis with these products!”
Power to The People – California based manufacturer Signtronix is leading the nation in the development and distribution of power saving LED sign products for small business. By leveraging mass production techniques Signtronix can deliver top quality LED business signage at an entry level price. The companies products range from interior and window LED signs that require almost no installation, to outdoor displays that can include anything from basic text style messaging to full-blown color and video.
LED signs are controlled and programmed via a remote control or personal computer. Signtronix Marketing Director, Tom Johnson Jr. added, “We have paired our product line with easy lease-to-own financing terms putting this technology within reach of every business on the street.”
Going Green for business has never been easier (or more profitable) than it is using todays LED technology paired with advertising products.
Notes:
Find: Optec Displays is a wholesale manufacturer, end users wishing to purchase LED signs should contact Signtronix LED Sign Company.
Grow: Looking for a career in this growing industry? Positions are available nationwide with Signtronix.
Read: Find out more about Signtronix Signs recent Signtronix Press
Biomass Biofuels Production
May 8, 2008
Todays production of biofuels like ethanol are created primarily from grain products like corn, but there are sizable undeveloped resources of organic biomass that could be harnessed as a green renewable source of fuel energy. Current refining processes leverage the starch content of grains converting them into sugars distillates that can be transformed in to ethanol fuel. The power efficiency of grain conversion biofuel is not optimal.
The cell walls of plant byproduct and waste represent a giant source of untapped energy for the future. Plant material byproduct biomass contains cellulose, which is harder to refine and convert to sugars for distilling. Plantmass sugar (hemicellulose) contains a wealth of carbohydrate structures that have to be chemically consumed by microorganisms to be converted in to fuels. The future development of low cost efficient refinement to convert the cellulose biomass into fuel is slowed by lack of development of biomass energy crops. The challenge is separating the biomass fuel components, the slow activity of chemical enzymes that deconstruct biomass product, and the resistant effect of fuels and processing waste on organisms responsible for converting biomass into usable fuels.
The $125 million Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) is one of three national centers created by the DOE, each funded for up to $25 million a year to address the challenges and future of biomass biofuels.
NanoSolar-The Future of Solar Cell Technology
March 20, 2008
Nanosolar of Palo Alto, California is emerging as the world leader in solar energy technology. The companies solar electricity panel production utilizing a unique printing technique, delivers cost efficiency, enabling applications to deliver green power on an expanded basis.
The offset printing press combined with a proprietary Nanoparticle ink (which Nanosolar owns the processes and designs to) produce the world’s most cost-efficient solar cells and deliver them in many versatile product forms. Solar cells can now be printed on flexible sheets of metal or plastic, and fabrics in rolls which can be applied to large surfaces.
Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page are among the prominent investors in the companies Thin-film solar cell technology. Other noted investors in Nanosolar include Mohr Davidow Ventures and Benchmark Capital. Nanosolar holds at least 42 patents on the technology. Contributers from the scientific community include Stanford professor Michael McGehee, a leading expert on photovoltaic technology, and the University of California at Berkeley. Read more
Environmentally Friendly Vehicles Take a Back Seat
March 15, 2008
Brain dead consumers are still ignoring the impact of purchasing vehicles with low eco-scores even with the price of gas moving past the $4 per gallon mark in some metro areas. A low number of new car buyers are willing to pay the upfront cost of an “environmentally friendly” vehicle, according to a J.D. Power & Associates survey.
“The marketing buzz in the automotive industry is all about green cars and trucks,” said Jon Osborn, director of research at J.D. Power and Associates. “While most consumers immediately think of hybrids when considering an environmentally friendly vehicle, the price premium of hybrids may be prohibitive.” While many new car shopper have an interest in purchasing an environmentally friendly auto, only 11 percent are “very willing” to spend more to do it, Osborn said.
In a recent edition of the Power Auto Media Report they discovered that new car shoppers that were willing to pay more for an environmentally friendly auto are more likely to be female, and are highly educated. Not exactly the demographic you might find at your local Hummer Dealership! In addition, the study noted that one in ten of the eco-conscious car shoppers have previously purchased a hybrid vehicle. Additionally, the owners of hybrid vehicles have a higher household income on average, the study found.
The Nationwide survey found that the concentration of consumers willing to pay extra for environmentally friendly alternative products is largest on the West Coast of the United States, and the smallest is in the Midwest. Coincidently, the largest Hummer Dealership can be found in St. Louis, Missouri.
The J.D. Power study also reports that new car shoppers who say they are willing to pay more for an auto that is eco-friendly are also more likely to choose a smaller compact auto than the average auto shopper. The environmentally conscious buyer also has a history of owning smaller vehicles previously.
“However, consumers don’t have to buy a hybrid vehicle to be environmentally friendly. One can still be environmentally conscious by buying a more fuel-efficient vehicle that gets good gas mileage,” Osborn said. “Despite heavy media attention on hybrid vehicles and the emergence of a greener auto industry, the hybrid market is still in its infancy, and currently comprises only about 2.2 percent of the new-vehicle market,” Osborn says. “However, this segment will continue to grow as more hybrid models are offered in the marketplace, particularly since gasoline prices are likely to increase and more stringent gas mileage standards are expected to be imposed on automakers.” Read more
Rising Oil Prices make Going Green Affordable
March 13, 2008
The per-barrel Oil price hit near record levels of $110 dollars in the market, propped up by the declining US dollar.
The movement of investors into the commodities market looking for a safe place to hedge against inflation and the weakening US dollar was also contributing to the rise in crude prices.
In early morning trading, the New York Stock Exchanges main contract, light sweet crude for April delivery reached trading levels at 110.12 US dollars per barrel before ending trading at $109.85 dollars per barrel.
London’s Brent North Sea crude oil prices for April delivery eased 22 cents to $106.05 US dollars.
“Fundamentals are well and truly out of the window when it comes to oil prices,” said Jan Lambregts, head of regional research at Rabobank in Hong Kong.
“A lot of money’s obviously looking for a place to park and crude oil appears to be one popular destination among commodities in general,” he noted, and then added “the weak dollar doesn’t help one bit at this stage.”
The failing US dollar has also fueled a jump in world oil prices because crude that is priced in US dollars and has become cheaper to buy for purchasers holding stronger currencies abroad.
The US dollar dropped to a new low with an exchange rate of 1.5570 dollars to one Euro on Wednesday.
Note - 1 Barrel of oil = 159 Liters or 42 Gallons Read more
Daylight Savings Time aims to Save Energy
March 8, 2008
Daylight Savings Time 2008
Spring your clocks forward one hour on March 9th at 2am. Daylight Savings Time starts 3 weeks earlier to conserve energy nationwide. One of the primary reasons we change our clocks to Daylight Saving Time (DST) is that the the extra daylight during evening hours can save energy. Home energy consumption and the demand for electricity for lighting our homes has a direct connection to when we go to bed at night, and when we get up in the morning. Bedtime for most of us is late evening through the year. When we go to bed, we turn off the lights and TV.
On average, 25 percent of electric consumption is for lighting and small appliances, such as Tvs, VCRs and stereos. A high percentage of energy consumed by lighting and appliances occurs in the evening when families are home. By setting your clock ahead by one hour, homes can reduces the amount of electricity used each day.
A study conducted in the 1970s by the U.S. Department of Transportation concluded that we trim the nations electricity consumption by about one percent EACH DAY with Daylight Saving Time.
Daylight Saving Time creates the illusion that the sun will set one hour later and therefore reduces the period between sunset and bedtime by one hour. This means that less electricity would be used for lighting and appliances late in the day.
Off The Grid-On The Grid-Grid Tied
February 2, 2008
On-Grid energy storage allows producers of electric energy to send their excess electricity to the transmission grid, or to a temporary electricity storage site which can be used as a producer of energy if the demand ever becomes great. This is a stellar method of storing off-peak power which can be used during peak electricity usage times. This can also make it unnecessary for photovoltaic or wind turbine users to keep battery storage, because connecting themselves to the grid makes what is essentially a giant battery available to them. Grid energy storage is generally very closely related to the concept of distributed generation, which only functions correctly when arrangements like vehicle-to-grid systems and net metering are put into place. Additionally, regulatory support is often needed. Read more
