I am a technologist in the field of electro-mechanical and electronic design and have contributed many innovative designs and software products that sold in the millions for more than thirty years and for the last 7 years have been heavily engaged in the LED lighting industry.
I have resisted to speak out and tried to carve out my niche against the massive brands out there by providing better performing and longer lasting lighting products to make commercial and industrial lighting a durable good again.
However, I am afraid to say that large corporate interference through politics has come to a new crest affecting many innovation-lead companies in any field where the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Energy (DOE) guards the markets for the incumbents.
Europe
The European Union has given 39 million Euro's to Philips for the development of OLEDs. People do generally not know that an LED driven at low temperatures will last a lifetime and the phosphors used to convert the blue light into the remaining components to produce white light will not change their efficiency in thousands of years, a good transparent epoxy or rubber compound can last for 30 years.
Hence the industry was looking for a way of having the compound in which the phosphors are held in proximity to the blue laser deteriorate in a programmed way. The incumbent players came up with the idea of making the carrying compound from an organic material. This will allow the incumbent players to program the decay, and make lighting a consumable again.
USA
The Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) and EnergyStar Lamp Specs are not called for. They pretend to protect the consumer, when they are not. They are made to continue the monopoly of the incumbent players like GE, Acuity-Brands, Philips and a hand full of others.
A government department like the DOE or the EPA should not have the most powerful brand and dictate the way lights are constructed, nor should they brand themselves experts when they are clearly not.
No sane person would share any innovation with the DOE as it will inevitably land in the hands of the incumbent players and the DOE and the incumbent players will scheme against you.
The belief that the world has invented whatever can be invented and our government departments know what is best is simply wrong. The consequences of allowing this to continue will be less progress and less safety as once regulated, safety no longer gets questioned.
What is Wrong with Safety Standards
Nothing! Electrical standards as to safety have been in existence for decades and are more effective than ever. They are harmonized throughout the World so a manufacturer of products can get acceptance for their product anywhere.
The Implementation of those standards must not be regulated!
What is wrong with CEE and EnergyStar Specifications
Everything! The implementation of safety standards must not be regulated. Specifications issued by EPA, CEE and Design Light Consortium (DLC) that are all part of the Monopoly Club that the incumbent players have created.
Their Specs are effectively written by incumbent players with only one thing in mind, to keep lighting a consumable and divert billions of citizens' dollars into their bank accounts.
Do you enjoy changing lamps, tubes and Metal Halide lamps, do you enjoy putting mercury in your and other systems by using any form of fluorescent tube or lamp technology, do you think you have a right to be ignorant? If the answer to all these questions is yes then you probably do not want to hear the truth and continue living in your bubble.
Do you want to make a change, looking for an effective way to break the monopoly and create a really better world for more people than the few monopolists? Then I have the following suggestions:
Lobby
We can lobby the publishing and media industry to add a category "Regulation" or "Over-Regulation" under the "Business" category. The idea will be that writers can submit articles and give the issue more exposure and discussion, in the hope that thought leaders will get involved and get this on the agenda of the law makers.
You may also suggest to Facebook, Twitter and Google to add those categories where appropriate.
Voice Your Concern
A colleague and I were invited to a meeting with the EPA regarding dimming of lights and what would qualify as an EPA LightingFacts approved product. Lutron, a leading manufacturer of lighting control products, was clearly the one that made the suggestions and other manufacturers were invited to rubber stamp the EPA's view of how the industry should solve the problem.
We were congratulated by many smaller and larger manufacturers after the meeting for calling the issue of the EPA having no business in legislating what is the best or most desirable design. We were also told that the smaller manufacturers were happy for us to make their case as they are frightened of the EPA's powers to harm their business even more than they already do. Do not be afraid, voice your concern.
Let Oversight Know
There is the Inspector General that deals with complaints against government departments overstepping their purpose and more importantly looks at cases where significant tax dollars are used to facilitate such practices.
For example the EPA running million dollar advertising, dedicated websites, involving millions of dollars worth of external consultants to create conferences to create technology regulation that it should not consider in the first place in aid of incumbent players.
To be effective you must make the case to the Inspector General clear it will have to be able to be tested in court, so do your homework. Keep the documentation for every claim you make. Be polite, name the problem, name the part that you believe is over-regulated or not the role of the department. If you have knowledge of the moneys being spent to facilitate any over-regulations, name them.
Encourage Whistle Blowers
If you know anyone in the EPA who has knowledge of large player sponsoring encourage them to go public and read up on Whistle Blower Act of 2002. Any of this stuff is not a national security issue so the Act applies.
I believe the EPA is fully aware and probably has studies as to the effect of mercury laden lamps and their improper disposal, which is still common practice.
The EPA, due to the power of the incumbent players making this bad technology is not only quiet, but still promotes that bad technology, making every effort to hold down more efficient and longer lasting technology.
In fact, longer lasting was voted out by the incumbent players as a criteria and replaced by a 50,000 hour life cycle or maybe 25,000 hours and in Europe the EU has legislated this to be 5000 hours. It must be clear to an idiot that this is a rigged game that does not have the consumer in mind but the monopolists, it is not driven by expert opinion but pure greed.
Conclusion
If we want a progressing society, then we need flexibility. We do not need government departments like the DOE and the EPA that have indisputable ties to big monopolists interests and a God Complex on top of it, which is my personal experience when trying to have a rational argument with the EPA and the DOE in an appropriate forum.
I do understand that the world is never going to be a fair place, that money always controlled politics and will in the foreseeable future. However, when the level of unfairness reaches a certain level, no matter which party you are supporting, all will suffer the consequences to the benefit of a very few.
Klaus Bollmann is a 30 year veteran in energy conservation, resource saving innovative products for a sustainable environment. Click the link If you are interested in ActiveLED high performance lighting and LightSpace energy saving control products.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Klaus_Bollmann
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8471257
