Philips Illuminates World’s First LED Nation

North Dumpling Island to achieve net zero energy; converts exclusively to LED lighting

BURLINGTON, Mass., Dec. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Battling today’s energy crisis with technology and ingenuity, North Dumpling Island will become an “off-grid” model of efficiency for others to follow — in part by adopting LED lighting.

The three-acre island off the Connecticut coast is owned by prolific inventor Dean Kamen, who has established North Dumpling as an independent nation – complete with its own constitution, flag and national anthem. When the U.S. Coast Guard cut electrical connectivity to the island’s lighthouse in favor of solar power, Kamen seized the opportunity to exclusively use renewable energy sources together with the latest technical innovations in lighting, water purification and appliances – many of which are his own inventions. As a result, the island will achieve net zero energy – meaning its energy use will be negated by its energy generation.

The fully converted and self-sustaining island will be unveiled in the Spring during a two-day fundraising event for FIRST, an organization founded by Kamen to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology.

“With increasing strain on our world’s energy resources, our goal is to make North Dumpling a small but prominent example of what can be achieved on a larger scale with today’s emerging energy-saving technologies. It’s an excellent demonstration of science and engineering as the antidote to the complex challenges of our time,” said Kamen. “The role of lighting alone as a chief energy drain has been well proven, and Philips’ LED lighting systems merge the best of technical innovation with societal benefit.”

Philips Color Kinetics will be the official lighting provider to the island. Installation is now underway and includes:

• Replacing incandescent sources with LED alternatives inside Kamen’s properties, cutting their lighting-related energy by 70%
• Adding controllable, multi-color LED lighting for special effects on the island while still cutting overall energy by nearly 50%
• Improving the “usefulness” of illumination via the directional nature of LED sources which, unlike the island’s former floodlighting system, project light exactly where it’s needed for greater efficiency
• Allowing the basement space to be illuminated, where the prior incandescent sources generated too much heat to be safely installed

“There’s a common misperception that adopting energy-efficient lighting means sacrificing the quality and experience of light that we’re accustomed to. That’s simply not the case with LED systems, which when engineered properly can mimic nearly any ‘shade’ of white light – from warm incandescent to cool fluorescent. Moreover, the inherently digital and directional nature of LED sources allows us to control and customize light as never before,” said Fritz Morgan, Chief Technology Officer, Philips Color Kinetics. “We’re thrilled to install our technology on North Dumpling Island as a demonstration of its wide-ranging uses – from decorative to functional – all while curbing energy use.”

Philips participates in numerous government and industry initiatives related to energy conservation. As a founding member of the Next Generation Lighting Industry Alliance, the company has helped to develop a technology roadmap for the U.S. Department of Energy as well as Energy Star criteria for LED lighting. Philips also played an instrumental role in the formation and leadership of the Lighting Efficiency Coalition, and recently received a Champion of Energy Efficiency Award from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy – largely for leading the charge to phase out inefficient incandescent lamps in the U.S. market.

Digital images are available upon request.

About Philips Color Kinetics

Philips Color Kinetics transforms environments through dynamic and more efficient uses of light. Its award-winning lighting systems and technologies apply the benefits of LEDs as a highly efficient, long lasting, environmentally friendly, and inherently digital source of illumination – reinventing light itself as a highly controllable medium. Headquartered in Burlington, MA, USA, Philips Color Kinetics is the leading center of innovation and product development for Philips’ global LED lighting systems business. The organization also enables widespread adoption of LED lighting through OEM partnerships in diverse markets. More information is available at http://www.colorkinetics.com.

About Royal Philips Electronics

Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is a diversified Health and Well-being company, focused on improving people’s lives through timely innovations. As a world leader in healthcare, lifestyle and lighting, Philips integrates technologies and design into people-centric solutions, based on fundamental customer insights and the brand promise of “sense and simplicity”. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs approximately 128,000 employees in more than 60 countries worldwide. With sales of USD 42 billion (E27 billion) in 2007, the company is a market leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as lifestyle products for personal well-being and pleasure with strong leadership positions in flat TV, male shaving and grooming, portable entertainment and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.

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SOURCE Philips Color Kinetics