While not widely publicized, many lighting manufacturers are struggling with dramatic changes in China’s approach to their manufacturing sector.  Some horror stories might illustrate the issues.

One large lighting factory was simply closed without notice.  When their customers realized there were problems and went to China to see what was happening they found the place locked and vacant.  Unfortunately all of their molds, dies, drawing, etc were locked inside and they were unable to get anyone in China to allow them to retrieve their property.  In order to supply their customers that firm has moved to Vietnam and is working to get a new manufacturing plant up to speed on their products. US buyers trying to order those products are seeing backorder dates of up to 6 months.

As a decree driven economy, wage pressure has suddenly bloomed in China.  Reports of overnight increases in wages to be paid to workers in the lighting factories range from 3 to 5 times.  No warnings, no negotiation, pay or leave.  Products in the pipeline and pending orders are instantly marginalized as they are feeding a supply chain in this country with published prices in effect.  Until alternatives are found those products are unprofitable for the importers.

Raw materials present another interesting problem.  Contracts and pricing agreed to for production runs have little meaning.  When a shipment is ready it likely won’t be delivered for the agreed upon price.  The explanation, costs for fuel, materials, labor, etc have changed and there is no one to appeal to in their system as agreements are only enforced if to the benefit of the local party.

These rapid changes have lead to dramatic price escalation for all types of lighting products.  This is particularly difficult for the industry in the face of the current housing and construction crisis in the states.  We are going to see the failure of many local lighting retailers as well as a shakeout in the importers and manufacturers with Chinese factories.

While difficult for this particular industry it may lead to more domestic production which would be a good thing.

Popularity: 32% [?]

A Light Emitting Diode (LED) is a semiconductor device which converts electricity into light. LED lighting has been around since the 1960s, but is just now beginning to appear in the residential market for space lighting. At first white LEDs were only possible by “rainbow” groups of three LEDs — red, green, and blue — by controlling the current to each to yield an overall white light. This changed in 1993 when Nichia created a blue indium gallium chip with a phosphor coating that is used to create the wave shift necessary to emit white light from a single diode. This process is much less expensive for the amount of light generated.

Each diode is about 1/4 inch in diameter and uses about ten milliamps to operate at about a tenth of a watt. LEDs are small in size, but can be grouped together for higher intensity applications. LED fixtures require a driver which is analogous to the ballast in fluorescent fixtures. The drivers are typically built into the fixture (like fluorescent ballasts) or they are a plug transformer for portable (plug-in) fixtures. The plug-in transformers allow the fixture to run on standard 120 volt alternating current (AC), with a modest (about 15 to 20 percent) power loss.

The efficacy of a typical residential application LED is approximately 20 lumens per watt (LPW), though efficacies of up to 100 LPW have been created in laboratory settings. Incandescent bulbs have an efficacy of about 15 LPW and ENERGY STAR® qualified compact fluorescents are about 60 LPW, depending on the wattage and lamp type. Some manufacturers claim efficacies much higher than 20 LPW; make sure to examine system efficacy, which accounts for the power use of all components. In December 2006, the U.S. Department of Energy studied the efficacy of four luminaries. All four fell short of the manufacturers’ claims; the study implies that manufacturers are relying on measurements of how much light an isolated LED produces, rather than how much light an LED luminaire actually delivers.

LEDs are better at placing light in a single direction than incandescent or fluorescent bulbs. Because of their directional output, they have unique design features that can be exploited by clever designs. LED strip lights can be installed under counters, in hallways, and in staircases; concentrated arrays can be used for ceiling lighting. Waterproof, outdoor light fixtures are also available. Some manufacturers consider applications such as gardens, walkways, and decorative fixtures outside garage doors to be the most cost-efficient.

LED lights are more rugged and damage-resistant than compact fluorescents and incandescent bulbs. LED lights don’t flicker. They are very heat sensitive; excessive heat or inappropriate applications dramatically reduce both light output and lifetime. Uses include:

Task and reading lamps
Linear strip lighting (under kitchen cabinets)
Recessed lighting/ceiling cans
Porch/outdoor/landscaping lighting
Art lighting

Night lights

Stair and walkway lighting

Pendants and overhead

Retrofit bulbs for lamps

Popularity: 77% [?]

The chandelier may be the oldest form of decorative lighting, marking its earliest appearances in medieval churches as suspended wooden crosses from which candles were mounted. As time went on, it was discovered that natural rock crystal helped reflect candlelight to illuminate larger areas. As crystal became more commonly used to ornament light sources, the crystal chandelier evolved from functional to aesthetic, and eventually became symbols of wealth and power.

The development of lead oxide glass in the 17th century changed chandeliers for ever, as it was much softer and easier to cut than natural crystal - and much more brilliant. To this day we use the word ‘crystal” for this lead glass. The new innovation allowed more intricate designs and enhanced the light-scattering properties of the ‘crystal’, encouraging artisans the world over to create the magnificent and varied styles of crystal chandelier we see today.

Crystal Grades
Strass® Swarovski Crystal
Regarded by industry leaders as the finest crystal in the world, Strass® is noted for its incredible clarity and internal flawlessness. Strass® crystals are composed of over 30% lead and are cut by machine to achieve technical perfection; their razor sharp facets meet precisely at one focal point to achieve peak refraction and an optically pure prism. Each crystal is then polished by hand, given an optical coating to resist dust accumulation, and finally laser inscribed, giving each piece the Strass® mark of excellence.

Swarovski Spectra® Crystal
Manufactured in the Austrian Alps through the same process as the Strass® crystal, but without the optical coating. Spectra® offers both design appeal and quality for the crystal connoisseur looking for a great value.

The recent purchase of Schonbek, the leading crystal chandelier manufacturer, by Swarovski, the consummate crystal source, brings together the best of both worlds for truely state of the art crystal beauty.

Popularity: 33% [?]