LED smartbulb helps regulate circadian rhythm

LED lighting is not just about energy saving, or as greener alternative to incandescent light bulb. There is more to it - LED bulbs can be tailored into smart bulbs that 'nourishes' your circadian rhythm.

If you have trouble falling asleep or wake up groggy, you can now purchase a light-emitting diode (LED) smartbulb that reportedly can be programmed to tweak your circadian rhythms throughout the day.

The Smart Bulb Halcyon system. Photo - Halcyon

First, what's circadian rhythm

A circadian rhythm is a roughly 24 hour cycle in the physiological processes of living beings, including plants, animals, fungi and cyanobacteria. In a strict sense, circadian rhythms are endogenously generated, although they can be modulated by external cues such as sunlight and temperature.

Circadian rhythms are important in determining the sleeping and feeding patterns of all animals, including human beings.


How can LED smartbulb help

Circadian disruptions, and the anxiety, insomnia and fatigue that they can cause, can decidedly be linked to the modern era, with people working late into the evenings in offices dominated by artificial light or looking at computer screens before bedtime, which research has found can leave people in an almost permanent state of jet lag.

British LED lighting company PhotonStar Technology Ltd. has announced its new consumer Smart Bulb system Halcyon, to be available to the general market in early 2014 but with a small pre-production run to go to Kickstarter backers. Early adopters can purchase three lightbulbs for £94 (about US$150), with delivery expected in April.

That's approximately RM496 at the current exchange rate.

An obvious contender against the Philips Hue sold in Apple stores and the upcoming LIFX Wi-Fi enabled, multi-color LED light bulb, the new Halcyon system is focused more on a multi-user solution for the whole home and family than its rivals, the company says.

The company claims that Halcyon is also the first smart lighting system to provide automatic circadian lighting, similar to the system commissioned by NASA to improve health and well-being by simulating changes in natural light, and preventing jet lag type effects.


How do you use it

To use, set your system to help you wake up in the morning with bright alertness-boosting light. "Design and select a scene to cook, whilst your partner takes a relaxing bath," the website says. "As your guests arrive, change the mood to something more relaxing."

"Any light that you turn on will be at the correct color and spectrum for the time of day, mimicking daylight, nourishing your circadian rhythm," the company says.



Source: TheBorneoPost's Nature & Health section, November 30, 2013, pp.21

Malaysia to raise Electricity Tariff by 10% - 20% in 2014

This is what was announced in a very general manner by the Minister, to which it would normally be construed as tariff hike by TNB alone. But I have reason to believe that Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) will also be affected the same way.

Don't ask me why and how I came to such conjecture, but let's just speculate that if it happen, it will most likely be by similar quantum to the one in July 2011, which is 15%. Do you feel your business is hurt already?

But...if you think about the bigger picture, electricity tariff revision is actually inevitable as we move forward towards industry competitiveness, and that can be achieved by reducing subsidies, but let's do it in gradual manner and not making this a yearly affair.


"Anything below 20% is reasonable." - Datuk Dr. Maximus Ongkili


Electricity tariffs to go up next year
(The Star, November 28, 2013)

Consumers should brace themselves for a 10%-20% hike in electricity tariffs next year.

“The quantum (of increase) is not finalised … but anything below 20% is reasonable,” said Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili.

The final decision on the increase has yet to be made by the Cabinet, but the hike could happen anytime in 2014, he told reporters on the sidelines of a Parliament session yesterday.

The move, he said, would be in line with the Government’s plan to gradually cut subsidies.

It would also be in line with its efforts to boost efficiency and competitiveness in the Malaysian power industry, as well as to ensure sufficient returns to capital for utility company Tenaga Nasional Bhd to cover its costs.

A tariff hike will see rates for both industrial and households increase, but any hike for businesses will be mitigated against the need for them to remain competitive. A home appliance that is rated at 1,000 watts, if left switched on for one hour, would use 1 kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity.

A 10%-20% hike would translate into an increase of 3.35 sen/6.7 sen per kWh to 36.85 sen/40.2 sen per kWh. This is based on the prevailing tariff rate of 33.5 sen per kWh, which is about 8.5 sen below the “true cost” of power at 42 sen per kWh.

In comparison, electricity tariffs in the Philippines and Thailand are 58 sen per kWh and 48 sen per kWh respectively.

Ongkili said the Government would implement a “stabilisation” programme to protect consumers, especially the low-income group, when the tariff hike takes effect. Details of the programme have yet to be finalised.

The electricity tariff was last revised in June 2011 after the Government raised the subsidised gas price for the power sector to RM13.70 per million metric British thermal unit (mmbtu) from RM10.70 per mmbtu.

Gas accounts for about 50% of electricity generation in peninsular Malaysia. Coal accounts for 40%, hydropower about 8% and renewable sources around 2%.

Subsidies for the power sector are RM8bil to RM12bil per year, depending on the prevailing price of gas. The Government’s share is RM150mil and the rest is borne by Malaysian oil and gas company Petroliam Nasional Bhd.


TheGreenMechanics: They say it's done in the name of efficiency & competitiveness. Let's see if we can achieve this.

FiT attracts RM4.3billion investment from private sector

Malaysia claimed that it is one of the earliest nations among the ASEAN regional grouping to implement FiT mechanism to promote renewable energy. To date, this has attracted around RM4.3 billion in investment from the private sector.


RE sources in Malaysia that fall under FiT mechanism: Solar PV, Small Hydro, Biogas & Biomass


Pretty good start but we are definitely not in the front rows. I reckon Thailand and Singapore would occupy the first two slots in terms of aggressiveness in implementing renewable energy and energy efficiency, with or without FiT.

The news piece below (quoting Bernama) is a bit confusing as it mentioned "to promote and increase non-renewable energy to about 2,000 MW (2 GW) by 2020".

I think it should read "renewable" and not "non-renewable". Non-renewable sources refers to fossil fuels (petroleum, coal, natural gas, etc) and at present we are already generating more than 15 GW of energy from non-renewable sources.

What we are targeting for in 2020 is to generate 2,000 MW of renewable energy.

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For your reading pleasure....

531MW Non-renewable Energy Under FIT Offered
Bernama, November 22, 2013

PUTRAJAYA -- The Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry has offered 531 Megawatt (MW) electricity to the renewable energy sector under the Feed-In Tariff (FiT) incentive mechanism until the first half of next year.

Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili said the implementation of the FiT mechanism for the renewable energy sector has attracted investments totalling RM4.3 billion from the private sector.

The investments are estimated to provide 11,700 new job opportunities, he said at the ministry's 2013 Industry Award presentation.

Ongkili said Malaysia was among the earliest nation in the 10-member Asean regional grouping to implement the FiT mechanism to promote and increase non-renewable energy to about 2,000MW by 2020.

The minister also said his ministry was taking measures to improve the FiT mechanism besides exploring other mechanisms to increase non-renerwable energy in the country. Ongkili also said Malaysia, among the first country to implement the electric vehicle programme in 2009, has established 20 electric vehicle charging stations in Greater KL and in Melaka.

"Tests on electric buses are progressing smoothly. It is hoped that the target to have 2,000 electric buses by 2020 will be realised.

"We've to pursue the electric vehicle programme rigorously like what other countries are doing. They've implemented the programme seriously.

"For instance, millions of electric vehicles will be on the road in the United States by 2025," he added.