Lighting

A new experiment has demonstrated something that sounds physically impossible – light itself casting a shadow. If you manipulate a laser just right, then hit it side-on with another light source, it’s possible to create this bizarre optical effect.

When you pull your car up on a quiet street at night, do you park under a street light thinking it will dissuade a thief from breaking into your car? New research challenges that assumption, finding rates of vehicle theft drop when street lights are off.

A recently announced partnership with a New York City-based start-up is set to bolster Las Vegas' commitment to renewable energy sources. Soon enough, some of "Sin City's" sidewalks will be illuminated by EnGoPLANET's innovative, sun- and people-powered street lights.

Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) that could fit into standard light sockets only hit the market in the 1980s, but the signs are their days may be numbered. GE has announced it will cease production of CFLs this year and instead switch its focus to producing LEDs.

Using Philips' LED and Power over Ethernet (PoE) tech, the new intelligent lighting system at the recently opened Watt Family Innovation Center at Clemson University in South Carolina is set to deliver energy savings​ of around 70 percent.​

“Dark Sky Places” provide visitors with the sparkling views of the night sky that our recent ancestors enjoyed. They also help raise awareness of the problems that light pollution poses for the environment and human health.

A team of scientists at Arizona State University has developed a laser that can produce white light that is brighter and more efficient than LEDs and could find applications in lighting and other fields.

UK company Pro-Teq is trial-testing a glow-in-the-dark spray applied elastomeric coating that could prove a cheaper alternative to conventional street lighting.

Solar powered street lights are an attractive proposition for places where electricity is at a premium, or locations that are off the grid completely. The Spirit Solar Powered Lighting Column is the first example we've seen which rolls the post and the panels together in a standalone design.

Researchers have proposed new LED street lamps designed to shine efficiently only where needed without splashing into unwanted areas as a way to reduce light pollution while providing better lighting.

Gizmag discusses some of the finer points of Energy Star certification of LED light bulbs with Switch Lighting's Gary Rosenfield.

Philips has teamed up with UNEP to pilot a project in Kenya's capital Nairobi to light the streets with an efficient type of solar LED lights.