Dio LED Path & Park Lights
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 09.29.05
The Dio is said to be a socially and ecologically responsible light. Not entirely sure of the social aspect, but the eco side of things seems to come from its use of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). Now, apparently the Dio packages up a bank of LEDs with some new technology to get enough lumens out that they provide illumination for pathways and parks, equivalent to moonlight. Maybe that should be marslight, because in their standard configuration it’s an orangey glow, as seen here. Each light, we read, operates at “80% less power than a conventional globe. This saves approximately 7000 litres of oil per light per year.” One of their other selling points is that they reduce light spill, i.e, that wasted light escaping into the night sky above city streets, that gives those fascinating satellite photos, you use to see in National Geographic, but is otherwise lost energy. ::Dio Park Lights
Dim, monochromatic light, just like an old dark room safelight. I kind of like the idea of a little light without total night vision destruction, but I imagine it's going to be a tought sell in the USA. Also, since electricity doesn't come from oil, I don't know how it's going to save oil, except in the few, remote towns where the electricity actually is generated by Diesel power, in which case the high cost might make dim lights easier to sell.
While only a few states in the US produce significant amounts of electricity from oil (Hawaii, New York, Florida) there are many other places where oil is burned for electricity.
The light produced by these lamps is not monochromatic. If you read the website, it says that the high efficiency orange lamp produces red, yellow, and green light which provides color discrimination similar to a high pressure sodium lamp, and better than low pressure sodium lamps. Also, white light is available (as well as colors other than orange, which is no surprise as LEDs come in all colors these days) but orange is the highest efficiency.