SEPTEMBER 2018 • FOGHORN 17 FOGHORNFOCUS: TECHNOLOGY IMTRA COLORS 2016 Primary Use Secondary Use Blue Pantone 647 96C 54M 5Y 27K Pantone Cool Gray 7 20C 14M 12Y 40K Pantone Cool Gray 2 5C 3M 5Y 11K Black 0C 0M 0Y 100K Pantone 368 65C 0M 100Y 0K Pantone 629 36C 0M 9Y 0K The Trusted Source for Advanced LED Lighting NAVIGATION LIGHTS • DECK LIGHTING • ENGINE ROOM LIGHTS • SEARCHLIGHTS • CABIN LIGHTING 508.995.7000 LED www.imtra.com lent annual electrical output of 44 large electric power plants (1000 megawatts each), and a total savings of more than $30 billion at today’s electricity prices.” On the commercial front, the DOE “has estimated that advancing ener- gy-efficient electric lighting in U.S. buildings could conserve more than 50 percent of lighting energy with corre- sponding savings in electricity costs to building operators.” As with most new products hitting the marketplace, the cost for LED lighting was extremely expensive in the beginning, therefore making its price prohibitive for many mariners. But, as markets are sure to do, over time with more supply available, the cost for LEDs have come down making them an affordable purchase. Consumers quickly caught on to the benefits of making the switch and by May 2017, Bloomberg reported that more than 450 million LEDs have been installed in the U.S. and that 70 percent of Americans have purchased at least one LED bulb. Of course, it wasn’t just consumers who appreciated the monetary savings that come with screwing in a better bulb. The U.S. Navy appreciated the advantages for its fleet. In an October 2014 blog, Seeing the Light: Shipboard LEDs, Rear Admiral Kevin Slates announced to the Navy of the change- over of lighting aboard three of its ships. RADM Slates cited many reasons for the change, including better light quality that leads to improved working conditions and safety. “LEDs will enable us to more easily see the details of our work, identify hazards, and perhaps avoid mishaps in previously dark areas of ships that will now be better illuminated,” Slates wrote. Slates also explained that installing long-lasting LEDs would be benefit the ships because there’s less time (up to 80 percent) spent on ladders and lifts to change bulbs as well as needing less storage for replacement bulbs. Slates also noted that, “LED lights are also more durable than regular bulbs, meaning they are less prone to failure due to vibration and temperature fluc- tuations. Unlike older bulbs, LEDs also contain no hazardous materials — and that means wewon’tbeexposedtothose chemicals when LED bulbs break, which improves safety.” The high-ranking Naval officer also made the point that using less energy for lighting is important. “LED lights use approximately 50 percent less energy than conventional florescent bulbs,” RADM Slates said. “This reduces ships’ electrical load.” The rest of the maritime community was also paying attention to this tech- nological breakthrough. Passenger vessel operators quickly realized the advantages of changing out older styles of bulbs with the newer, high-tech LEDs for many of the same reasons that the U.S. Navy did. And, for the most part, the LEDs have performed as anticipated. However, there have been