Comments on: Fifth Light Technology comes out from the dark http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2005/11/07/fifth-light-technology-comes-out-from-the-dark/ Trends, happenings and innovations in the clean technology market Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:28:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Anonymous http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2005/11/07/fifth-light-technology-comes-out-from-the-dark/comment-page-1/#comment-117 Anonymous Wed, 15 Feb 2006 20:00:25 +0000 http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2005/11/07/fifth-light-technology-comes-out-from-the-dark/#comment-117 65% is possible. I've seen it with my own eyes. As for the combined efficiency? I'm not sure. DALI is not all it claims to be in my eyes. There are better solutions out there and you'll probably be seeing a glimpse of them in the oncoming year. 65% is possible. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. As for the combined efficiency? I’m not sure.

DALI is not all it claims to be in my eyes. There are better solutions out there and you’ll probably be seeing a glimpse of them in the oncoming year.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2005/11/07/fifth-light-technology-comes-out-from-the-dark/comment-page-1/#comment-116 Anonymous Tue, 29 Nov 2005 04:44:29 +0000 http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2005/11/07/fifth-light-technology-comes-out-from-the-dark/#comment-116 I find this very interesting that anyone would consider this technology. The saving of 65% makes no sense. What is the combined efficiency of having two circuit driving the lamps?The labor costs are the same as DALI system and as stated before not compatible. You will shortly see a much better system! I find this very interesting that anyone would consider this technology. The saving of 65% makes no sense. What is the combined efficiency of having two circuit driving the lamps?The labor costs are the same as DALI system and as stated before not compatible. You will shortly see a much better system!

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2005/11/07/fifth-light-technology-comes-out-from-the-dark/comment-page-1/#comment-115 Anonymous Mon, 14 Nov 2005 17:45:28 +0000 http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2005/11/07/fifth-light-technology-comes-out-from-the-dark/#comment-115 DALI protocol is a very robust/versatile protocol that can be used for ALL forms of lighting systems. There mere fact that it is an open protocol makes it much more appealing in my opinion. The above post is actually very insightful in many ways. It also raises a few questions for me: Can anyone confirm that FifthLight actually uses EXISTING magnetic ballasts? Or does it replace the existing ballasts during installation? How about the existing tubes? On a grand scale, why replace upwards of 1 billion magnetic ballasts with electronic ones when we can simply make the existing magnetic ballasts more efficient? Assuming that FifthLight actually uses the existing ballasts, it does seem like a more environmentally sound solution, but maybe only in the short term� Are magnetics harder to recycle or dispose of than electronics? Are they easier or harder to manufacture? What is the waste byproduct? Would it be wiser to simply replace all magnetics right now? Or slowly faze them out? Or not faze them out at all if they can be dimmed? Does it even matter? If we were segue to electronics in coming years, would we even have the facilities to even dispose of such a huge amount of magnetics? What would the impact be? Again, does it matter? These are all questions that no one seems concerned about when comparing both technologies. I�m curious as how much typical FifthLight installation will cost. As for a purely electronic solution, I believe cost is really the only limiting factor. The technology is still very expensive and no one is ready to endure that kind of price tag just yet. Very few companies provide a complete solution, too. The Encelium website leads me to believe that they only provide the controls required but don't actually produce addressable electronic dimming ballasts. Is this true? Also, they don't seem provide anything but a "package" for you to install, at which point you seem to be on your own. They basically hand you the hardware and the instructions and it�s up to you to figure it all out. Is this true? I�ve never actually heard of Encelium until now so forgive me if I got it all wrong. Now, FifthLight on the other hand seems to offer a complete solution from start to end, according to press releases I've read. They leave little for you to worry about before, during and after. Until someone can offer such a complete solution at a reasonable price, I don�t see anyone adopting either technology too quickly. DALI protocol is a very robust/versatile protocol that can be used for ALL forms of lighting systems. There mere fact that it is an open protocol makes it much more appealing in my opinion. The above post is actually very insightful in many ways. It also raises a few questions for me:

Can anyone confirm that FifthLight actually uses EXISTING magnetic ballasts? Or does it replace the existing ballasts during installation? How about the existing tubes? On a grand scale, why replace upwards of 1 billion magnetic ballasts with electronic ones when we can simply make the existing magnetic ballasts more efficient? Assuming that FifthLight actually uses the existing ballasts, it does seem like a more environmentally sound solution, but maybe only in the short term�

Are magnetics harder to recycle or dispose of than electronics? Are they easier or harder to manufacture? What is the waste byproduct? Would it be wiser to simply replace all magnetics right now? Or slowly faze them out? Or not faze them out at all if they can be dimmed? Does it even matter? If we were segue to electronics in coming years, would we even have the facilities to even dispose of such a huge amount of magnetics? What would the impact be? Again, does it matter? These are all questions that no one seems concerned about when comparing both technologies.

I�m curious as how much typical FifthLight installation will cost. As for a purely electronic solution, I believe cost is really the only limiting factor. The technology is still very expensive and no one is ready to endure that kind of price tag just yet.

Very few companies provide a complete solution, too. The Encelium website leads me to believe that they only provide the controls required but don’t actually produce addressable electronic dimming ballasts. Is this true? Also, they don’t seem provide anything but a “package” for you to install, at which point you seem to be on your own. They basically hand you the hardware and the instructions and it�s up to you to figure it all out. Is this true? I�ve never actually heard of Encelium until now so forgive me if I got it all wrong.

Now, FifthLight on the other hand seems to offer a complete solution from start to end, according to press releases I’ve read. They leave little for you to worry about before, during and after. Until someone can offer such a complete solution at a reasonable price, I don�t see anyone adopting either technology too quickly.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2005/11/07/fifth-light-technology-comes-out-from-the-dark/comment-page-1/#comment-114 Anonymous Fri, 11 Nov 2005 19:57:37 +0000 http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2005/11/07/fifth-light-technology-comes-out-from-the-dark/#comment-114 From the FLT specification on their website, it appears that the device needs to be installed into each fluorescent fixture, wired in front of the existing magnetic ballast. If you do this, you might as well replace the magnetic ballast! You would use an addressable electronic dimming ballast (with DALI protocol - an open standard). Can the proprietary FLT technology be cheaper than and existing industry-wide standard with competitive suppliers? I would not bet on it. However, I cannot help feeling the politicos don't know zilch (to use a polite term) about the technology or market they are fiddling in. From the FLT specification on their website, it appears that the device needs to be installed into each fluorescent fixture, wired in front of the existing magnetic ballast. If you do this, you might as well replace the magnetic ballast! You would use an addressable electronic dimming ballast (with DALI protocol – an open standard). Can the proprietary FLT technology be cheaper than and existing industry-wide standard with competitive suppliers? I would not bet on it.

However, I cannot help feeling the politicos don’t know zilch (to use a polite term) about the technology or market they are fiddling in.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2005/11/07/fifth-light-technology-comes-out-from-the-dark/comment-page-1/#comment-113 Anonymous Thu, 10 Nov 2005 21:09:06 +0000 http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2005/11/07/fifth-light-technology-comes-out-from-the-dark/#comment-113 Here's another website for FifthLight: http://home.cogeco.ca/~dimandsave/contacts.htm Here’s another website for FifthLight:

http://home.cogeco.ca/~dimandsave/contacts.htm

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2005/11/07/fifth-light-technology-comes-out-from-the-dark/comment-page-1/#comment-112 Anonymous Thu, 10 Nov 2005 18:20:31 +0000 http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2005/11/07/fifth-light-technology-comes-out-from-the-dark/#comment-112 I also have a problem with the fact there's no background information, given the company is benefitting from public funds. It would be nice to at least know who the executives are, as well as get a history of the company and some more technical information on its technology. I don't expect any financials, however, as this is a start-up. I've run into this problem with other SDTC-funded projects, where the companies involved don't want to talk about their technologies. If any money is handed out, there should be something written in the contract that says the companies involved have to disclose certain details of the project before they get the funds. Without such transparency, SDTC risks the perception that it's a slush fund for companies that may have deeper relationships with the folks in government. I also have a problem with the fact there’s no background information, given the company is benefitting from public funds. It would be nice to at least know who the executives are, as well as get a history of the company and some more technical information on its technology. I don’t expect any financials, however, as this is a start-up. I’ve run into this problem with other SDTC-funded projects, where the companies involved don’t want to talk about their technologies. If any money is handed out, there should be something written in the contract that says the companies involved have to disclose certain details of the project before they get the funds. Without such transparency, SDTC risks the perception that it’s a slush fund for companies that may have deeper relationships with the folks in government.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2005/11/07/fifth-light-technology-comes-out-from-the-dark/comment-page-1/#comment-111 Anonymous Thu, 10 Nov 2005 14:49:08 +0000 http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2005/11/07/fifth-light-technology-comes-out-from-the-dark/#comment-111 Strange that FLT's website has no mention of who is behind it & no financials, and as you've noted it's "conducted itself largely in stealth mode". And even more interesting is that other type-of- lighting fixtures are the future. If $3,000,000 of taxpayers dollars has been given to this company isn't it only fair that they provide us with an accounting of how that money has been spent? Strange. Strange that FLT’s website has no mention of who is behind it & no financials, and as you’ve noted it’s “conducted itself largely in stealth mode”. And even more interesting is that other type-of- lighting fixtures are the future.

If $3,000,000 of taxpayers dollars has been given to this company isn’t it only fair that they provide us with an accounting of how that money has been spent?

Strange.

]]>