GE’s New Tetra® miniMAX LED System Maximizes Brightness and Uniformity in Shallow Channel Letters
Welt Online

The new Tetra® miniMAX LED System from GE Lumination, GE Consumer & Industrial’s LED business, is the brightest solution for shallow-depth channel letter applications available today. Tetra miniMAX is over three times brighter and illuminates a surface area that is four times larger than previous generation Tetra® Mini, making it the perfect solution for sign OEMs and business customers needing to see better results—visually and financially.

The compact size of the Tetra miniMAX enables it to fit in applications as shallow as 1.5 inches (38mm) while also setting a new standard in efficiency and performance for shallow channel letter lighting. When compared with the previous generation Tetra Mini, it:

* Delivers over 3 times brighter light at 24 lumens/module (6500 Kelvin) and 20 lumens/module (3200 Kelvin) respectively;
* Offers more than 4 times greater surface coverage or 42,084 sq mm (at 3 in. depth);
* Offers a 41 percent wider viewing angle at 155-degrees to enhance uniformity of light throughout the application; and
* Uses fewer LEDs per sign to achieve optimal performance, while reducing the cost of materials for sign manufacturers.

"Our latest LED technology positively impacts the sign owner, OEM and distributor by providing compact, long-lasting LEDs for applications that require a lot of light in a limited amount of space,” says Eric Stevenson, global product manager-signage, GE Lumination. "Now, even the shallowest channel letters can pack a huge visual punch.”

The Tetra miniMAX’s unique design features OptiLens™, a patent-pending optical lens that captures otherwise wasted light and redirects it toward the illuminated surface in a broad, 155-degree pattern. By harnessing the light, the OptiLens technology helps the Tetra miniMAX LED system efficiently deliver bright, uniform light throughout the sign.

About Lumination, LLC

Lumination, LLC, a subsidiary of General Electric Company (NYSE:GE), drives innovation, energy efficiency and cost savings for customers that use LED products, systems and solutions. Fitted with robust, low–voltage, long–life LED light engines, Lumination solutions deliver world–class, GE–grade performance. For more information, please visit www.lumination.com.

Editor’s Note:

Full-text release and high-resolution images available at:

http://www.geconsumerproducts.com/pressroo...a_miniMAX09.htm

Grant Street electronic billboard denied in court

Friday, June 26, 2009
By Ed Blazina, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Lamar Advertising won't be flashing messages any time soon on its proposed electronic billboard Downtown.

Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Joseph M. James on Wednesday upheld the city Zoning Hearing Board's decision to deny the controversial billboard that has been a lightning rod for more than two years.

The billboard, which initially was approved administratively with no public hearing process, led to the resignation of the head of the city Urban Redevelopment Authority and a flurry of lawsuits over how it was handled.

Neither Lamar executives nor the company's attorney could be reached for comment on whether the company will appeal the decision or remove the partially installed billboard.

Lamar had already begun work on the 19-by-58-foot LED sign, expected to cost upwards of $1 million, at the new Grant Street Transportation Center when the project was stopped by complaints. The center, featuring two parking garages and the Greyhound bus terminal at Grant Street and Liberty Avenue, is owned by the Pittsburgh Parking Authority.

Although the billboard would be larger than the limits for signs located Downtown, Lamar initially received over-the-counter approval for the billboard. The company said it was relying on what it considered a long-standing city policy allowing advertising companies to install an electronic billboard if it agreed to eliminate several vinyl boards.

The parking authority had approved it, too, but the project became controversial when it was revealed that URA executive director and parking authority member Pat Ford was friends with a top Lamar executive with whom he and his wife exchanged Christmas gifts.

As a compromise to end a series of lawsuits, Lamar agreed to stop the project and apply for permission to install the billboard through normal channels. After an extensive hearing before the zoning hearing board, the board voted 1-1 with one abstention on Dec. 19, effectively denying the project.

The decision also denied a 2.5-by-433-foot "ticker" scheduled for the face of the facility.

Lamar went to Common Pleas Court to challenge whether that split decision should act as a denial. Judge James ruled it should.

"It is well established in this Commonwealth that a tie vote of a governmental body constitutes a negative decision rather than the absence of a decision," he wrote.

Since the board held a proper hearing, there was no legal reason to overturn the 17-page decision written by board member Alice Mitinger, he said.

The controversy surrounding the billboard led to Mr. Ford's resignation from the URA and parking authority and raised questions about developers having undue influence on Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's administration.

Ms. Mitinger, whose term expired at the end of 2008, continued to serve on the board until she was replaced by the mayor this week.

Permlight for Signs Launches Next-Generation El Plato, Industry's Brightest White LED Module

Source/Type: Compound Semiconductors Online - Company News Releases

June 25, 2009... − 747 Series Replaces High-Output Fluorescent Tubes − Tustin, California USA--Permlight for Signs today announced the upgrade of its flagship 747 Series El Plato light-emitting diode (LED) module for large illuminated box signs, channel letters and canopies. The new series boasts industry-leading brightness equivalent to high-output fluorescent at about half the power. “The latest El Plato is so bright it can now replace the high-output fluorescent tubing typically used in box signs,” said Fernando Lynch, CEO of Permlight. “This allows our sign manufacturing customers to design and build box signs that consume half the energy, last five times longer, reduce maintenance and cost less.” Permlight for Signs’ entire line of LED sign modules, including the 747 Series, simplifies compliance with California’s Title 22 regulation, which legislates that the disposal of any hazardous waste such as mercury, which is contained in some neon, is illegal. The 747 Series contains no hazardous materials and features the same internal construction and LED as Permlight for Signs’ award-winning Green Building “Product of the Year” – the six-inch recessed LED downlight.

Offering the Brightest White

Named for the Spanish translation, “the plate,” El Plato features a large, flat aluminum heatsink that is part of Permlight for Signs’ well-known patented thermal management system. Its large module size allows for significant installation flexibility and optimized brightness. In fact, independent industry testing has confirmed the 747 Series is brighter than 60mA neon and can “punch through” even the toughest materials such as day/night plex.

The 747 Series features LED in amber, red, green and blue, as well as various shades of white – from warm “incandescent” white at approximately 2850 Kelvin to cool white at approximately 6500 Kelvin – and shades in-between. El Plato uses the latest high-brightness LED from Nichia of Japan, the world’s largest LED chip manufacturer, and offers an exceptional lifetime of more than 10 years with constant operation at night. As with all Permlight for Signs LED sign modules, El Plato runs on the industry standard 12 volts DC with Permlight for Signs’ own series of 60-watt, 240-watt and 480-watt remote power supplies. It also can operate with other Permlight-approved power supplies, which limit output to a maximum of five amps and 12.3 volts per channel.

About Permlight for Signs

For more than a decade, Permlight has been a leading developer and manufacturer of thermally managed LED light engines. Founded in 1995, Permlight’s patented light engines are bright, efficient and long lasting, and are used in both signage through its Permlight for Signs division and general illumination through a newly formed division. Along with bringing superior products to market with unmatched speed, Permlight for Signs is dedicated to partnering and collaborating with its customers to create brilliant signage solutions. Based in Tustin, Calif., the company’s mission is echoed by its proven track record of providing LED lighting systems that combine high brightness levels, low energy consumption, long lifetimes and low maintenance with competitive pricing. Additional information is available at www.permlight.com or by calling 714-508-0729.

CONTACT: Christine Welch
714-573-0845

GE's New Tetra® LED Lighting System Helps Lighting Designers to Imagine Boldly, Watch Efficiency

GE Company, GE Lighting
Release date: June 23, 2009

CLEVELAND - Lighting designers now have an array of options when specifying lighting to meet the latest efficiency standards. The new Tetra® LED Lighting System Architectural Series from GE Consumer & Industrial's lighting business offers up to a 50,000-hour rated life and delivers proven LED performance and exceptional energy savings for designs incorporating border lighting, architectural accent lighting, cove lighting and wall washing.

To serve the immediate and emerging needs of lighting designers, GE took its Tetra LED systems-used successfully in signage applications for several years-and developed it specifically for architectural lighting design. Available in a wide range of colors for architectural applications, the new systems feature a UL 2108 rating as indoor luminaires. Each provides easy installation, long life for less frequent maintenance and consistent performance in a variety of applications and environments.

"Tetra LED systems perfectly embody GE's ecomagination initiative, optimizing energy efficiency while maximizing design flexibility and creativity," says Jim Benson, marketing manager, GE Consumer & Industrial.

GE's Tetra LED Lighting System Architectural Series includes:
Tetra Contour - designed to resemble exposed neon, this 2-part LED system is available in a wide range of colors that can be formed to custom shapes and designs. Tetra Contour is up to 40 percent more energy efficient than neon.
Tetra Contour LS - a linear LED system for border and accent lighting that provides the classic look of neon without using fragile glass. Tetra Contour LS is up to 40 percent more energy efficient than neon.
Tetra PowerGrid - a modular LED system that replaces fluorescent in applications that require broad, uniform lighting. Tetra PowerGrid is up to 64 percent more energy efficient than fluorescent.
Tetra miniMAX - a low profile LED system that distributes bright, uniform light in a broad 155-degree pattern. Tetra miniMAX delivers a huge visual punch in small, shallow spaces.
Tetra MAX - a flexible, bright LED system that is ideal for a wide range of architectural lighting applications. It is up to 80 percent more energy efficient than neon.
Tetra PowerWhite XL - a flexible LED lighting system that features high brightness 1-watt LEDs that provides 66 lumens of brilliant white light per module.

More than 14 million linear feet of Tetra LED systems are installed worldwide with a warranty return rate of less than 0.05 percent. For each of these new luminaires, a robust design provides long-lasting durability over the life of the product and eliminates the fragile glass tubes used in neon and fluorescent.

GE Consumer & Industrial spans the globe as an industry leader in major appliances, lighting and integrated industrial equipment, systems and services. Providing solutions for commercial, industrial and residential use in more than 100 countries, GE Consumer & Industrial uses innovative technologies and ecomaginationSM, a GE initiative to aggressively bring to market new technologies that help customers and consumers meet pressing environmental challenges, to deliver comfort, convenience and electrical protection and control. General Electric (NYSE: GE), imagination at work, sells products under the Monogram®, Profile™, GE®, Hotpoint®, SmartWater™, Reveal® and Energy Smart® consumer brands, and Entellisys®, Tetra®, Vio™ and Immersion® commercial brands. For more information, consumers may visit www.ge.com. Company Information:
Name: GE Company, GE Lighting
Address: 1975 Noble Rd., Nela Park
City: Cleveland
State: OH
ZIP: 44112
Country: USA
Phone: 216-266-2121