In July 2010, there was a power outage in the Washington DC area that left 280,000 customers in the dark. The electric company was able to restore power to some quickly but it took days to get everyone back on line.
Several years ago just before we first launched the Mr Beams products onto the market, we created a test program with more than 50 friends, family, people we worked with, potential customers etc to make sure that people we trusted to give us an honest review of our products were happy with our battery powered LED lights. They tested the MB360 spotlight and MB530 step light both battery power LED lights with motion sensors. We got very good reviews, fixed a few problems that had been caught and then launched the products as quickly after the test run as we could.
It just so happens that a few of our test group lives in the Washington DC area and were hit by the power outage. One was hit for several days. It was nice to get calls from people using the lights for over 3 years that called to say how happy they were that they had battery powered lights installed on their stairs, in their hallways, outside of their houses and did not have to carry a flashlight around for the whole power outage.
We feel strongly that a small number of battery powered LED lights permanently installed will be there where you need them when that power outage inevitably rolls around.
Showing posts with label emergency light. Show all posts
Showing posts with label emergency light. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Living Off the Grid in Nigeria
CNN reports today on the problems with the electrical supply in Nigeria. There is a story about a hospital that was constantly suffering from the effects of power outages. One night 12 accident victims came in and nobody could treat them because there wasn't any light to see their wounds.
According to Amara Nwankpa in the CNN story, “Less than half the population has access to grid electricity and those who do typically have power for nine or 10 hours a day, but sometimes go for three or four days with no power at all."
Wireless Environment is focused on improving the quality of lighting in off-grid situations. We help countries like Nigeria by providing lighting that runs without wires, and a hybrid version of lights that tap into the electrical grid when it is working and then switch to battery power when it is advantageous.
Our Mr. Beams line of products helps residents of Nigeria operate during power outages and rolling blackouts. For interiors, the Ceiling Light can light up an entire room with enough bright light to read by. It is battery-operated so power outages do not affect it. It turns on with motion and stays on as it detects motion. The Mr. Beams Stair Light can provide safety lighting to prevent falls in the home. It also is battery operated and turns on when it detects motion.
For outside, the Mr. Beams Spotlight can provide security lighting to protect a house. It turns on a bright LED when it detects motion. Like all other Mr. Beams lights, it is weather-resistant and can survive extreme environmental conditions. And because it is battery-operated it works off the grid in countries like Nigeria.
Wireless Environment is also developing battery systems that are contained inside light fixtures. These batteries store electricity when it is available and then discharge power when grid power is not available.
According to Amara Nwankpa in the CNN story, “Less than half the population has access to grid electricity and those who do typically have power for nine or 10 hours a day, but sometimes go for three or four days with no power at all."
Wireless Environment is focused on improving the quality of lighting in off-grid situations. We help countries like Nigeria by providing lighting that runs without wires, and a hybrid version of lights that tap into the electrical grid when it is working and then switch to battery power when it is advantageous.
Our Mr. Beams line of products helps residents of Nigeria operate during power outages and rolling blackouts. For interiors, the Ceiling Light can light up an entire room with enough bright light to read by. It is battery-operated so power outages do not affect it. It turns on with motion and stays on as it detects motion. The Mr. Beams Stair Light can provide safety lighting to prevent falls in the home. It also is battery operated and turns on when it detects motion.
For outside, the Mr. Beams Spotlight can provide security lighting to protect a house. It turns on a bright LED when it detects motion. Like all other Mr. Beams lights, it is weather-resistant and can survive extreme environmental conditions. And because it is battery-operated it works off the grid in countries like Nigeria.
Wireless Environment is also developing battery systems that are contained inside light fixtures. These batteries store electricity when it is available and then discharge power when grid power is not available.
Monday, September 27, 2010
What Is Off-Grid Lighting?
What Does Off-Grid Lighting Mean?
Wireless Environment has observed and classified three major reasons for taking lighting off-grid. Our vision is to become the leader in shifting lighting off-grid for maximum efficiency, utility and value.
The three reasons to go off the grid with you lighting are:
1. No Access to Electricity
2. Power Outage / Rolling Blackout
3. Economic Gain
Here is how we define the three categories of off-grid lighting:
1. No Access to Electricity
The majority of locations in the world are off-grid. In remote locations there are often no electrical wires. But even in your own home, there is are many areas where you want light and have no wires. Think about your driveway, your backyard, the corner of your house and many of your closets. For all of these areas that need light, battery-powered or solar-powered lighting is the best option. Battery-powered lights can provide brighter light without wires.
Products like the Mr. Beams Spotlight can attach to a tree anywhere. When it detects movement through its motion sensor, a powerful LED lights up a driveway, walkway, backyard, porch. There is also a remote control Spotlight that can be activated by the remote control or turn on with its motion sensor. For detached sheds and detached garages, the Mr. Beams Ceiling Light can provide bright light. It is weatherproof, like all Mr. Beams wireless lights, and has a sensitive motion detector. Once someone enters the garage, shed, gazebo or closet, the Mr. Beams Ceiling Light emits a bright white light until the auto shut-off turns it off. Other Mr. Beams lights include the Stick Anywhere Night Light and the Stair Light. Both lights have daylight sensors to keep the lights off during the day and conserve battery life. They also are weatherproof and have motion sensors. They provide lighting where there is no electricity, and can significantly help reduce the number of falls.
2. Power Outage / Rolling Blackout
I recently blogged about the increase in the number of blackouts in the U.S. As the grid becomes more strained, we will experience more power outages. For this reason Mr. Beams is developing a line of batteries that can be installed inside light fixtures. These batteries will detect a power outage and then provide enough back-up power to allow for safe exit. Technology will also help extend the battery life and thus the useful light for exit or other operation.
3. Economic Gain
In the future world of increased demand on the electrical grid, there will be a strong incentive to reduce electricity use during certain times. Currently the peak demand times are between 2pm and 5pm during the business week – especially during hot days. Electric companies are paying facilities to go off the grid at these times. With the Wireless Environment battery technology, a facility can transfer its lighting to battery power during these peak times. The facility can collect a fee for going off the electrical grid, and take advantage of lower electricity costs by re-charging the back-up batteries for the lighting during an off-peak time. In some areas of the country, the spread in the cost between peak-demand electricity and off-peak electricity can be significant. With LED light fixtures and the Wireless Environment battery technology, lights can shift off-grid and still operate at the same lumen level.
In our future, we will all face the need to go off-grid more often. Products are being developed to help manage lighting off of the grid. We will continue to update the progress of developing off-grid lighting products and components.
Wireless Environment has observed and classified three major reasons for taking lighting off-grid. Our vision is to become the leader in shifting lighting off-grid for maximum efficiency, utility and value.
The three reasons to go off the grid with you lighting are:
1. No Access to Electricity
2. Power Outage / Rolling Blackout
3. Economic Gain
Here is how we define the three categories of off-grid lighting:
1. No Access to Electricity
The majority of locations in the world are off-grid. In remote locations there are often no electrical wires. But even in your own home, there is are many areas where you want light and have no wires. Think about your driveway, your backyard, the corner of your house and many of your closets. For all of these areas that need light, battery-powered or solar-powered lighting is the best option. Battery-powered lights can provide brighter light without wires.
Products like the Mr. Beams Spotlight can attach to a tree anywhere. When it detects movement through its motion sensor, a powerful LED lights up a driveway, walkway, backyard, porch. There is also a remote control Spotlight that can be activated by the remote control or turn on with its motion sensor. For detached sheds and detached garages, the Mr. Beams Ceiling Light can provide bright light. It is weatherproof, like all Mr. Beams wireless lights, and has a sensitive motion detector. Once someone enters the garage, shed, gazebo or closet, the Mr. Beams Ceiling Light emits a bright white light until the auto shut-off turns it off. Other Mr. Beams lights include the Stick Anywhere Night Light and the Stair Light. Both lights have daylight sensors to keep the lights off during the day and conserve battery life. They also are weatherproof and have motion sensors. They provide lighting where there is no electricity, and can significantly help reduce the number of falls.
2. Power Outage / Rolling Blackout
I recently blogged about the increase in the number of blackouts in the U.S. As the grid becomes more strained, we will experience more power outages. For this reason Mr. Beams is developing a line of batteries that can be installed inside light fixtures. These batteries will detect a power outage and then provide enough back-up power to allow for safe exit. Technology will also help extend the battery life and thus the useful light for exit or other operation.
3. Economic Gain
In the future world of increased demand on the electrical grid, there will be a strong incentive to reduce electricity use during certain times. Currently the peak demand times are between 2pm and 5pm during the business week – especially during hot days. Electric companies are paying facilities to go off the grid at these times. With the Wireless Environment battery technology, a facility can transfer its lighting to battery power during these peak times. The facility can collect a fee for going off the electrical grid, and take advantage of lower electricity costs by re-charging the back-up batteries for the lighting during an off-peak time. In some areas of the country, the spread in the cost between peak-demand electricity and off-peak electricity can be significant. With LED light fixtures and the Wireless Environment battery technology, lights can shift off-grid and still operate at the same lumen level.
In our future, we will all face the need to go off-grid more often. Products are being developed to help manage lighting off of the grid. We will continue to update the progress of developing off-grid lighting products and components.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Mr. Beams: Your Defense Against Blackouts and Power Outages
A recent CNN story announced the startling fact on power outages: "U.S. Electricity Blackouts Skyrocketing". Those of us caught in the blackouts have known this for a long time - the electrical grid is strained more and more every year. Utilities can not keep up with demand. This strain leads to more and longer power outages. The reason they are also called "blackouts" is because the loss of lighting is the major inconvenience.
Mr. Beams lights are your best defense against blackouts. They are indoor / outdoor LED lights that are powered by batteries. You mount them anywhere in just a few minutes - no electrician, no wires. As soon as the space is dark and the light detects motion, it shines brightly, illuminating large areas with bright LED light.
Here is the installation locations we recommend for your home to provide safety and security lighting during a power outage:
1. Stairways - Most important lighting is on the stairways. Good stair lighting during a blackout will help prevent the most dangerous falls. Mount the MB980 Ceiling Light on the ceiling of the stairway. As soon as there is darkness, the Mr. Beams Ceiling Light detects for motion. If you are upstairs during the power outage and need to go downstairs, you will have a lighted path to safely guide you. We also recommend installing two Stair Lights, which will glow lightly as soon as it is dark to show you where the stairs are. Once they detect motion, they light up brightly.
2. Entrances - On your inside entrance we recommend the Mr. Beams Ceiling Light mounted near the entrance. As soon as the light go off, the Ceiling Light turns on its motion detector. If you need to exit your home, the Ceiling Light will detect you and light up the entire entrance way with a bright Nichia LED. Once there is no motion, the Ceiling Light will turn off to conserve its batteries for when it is needed. For outside entrances, we recommend the weatherproof MB360 Spotlight. This is our brightest light with the largest motion sensor diameter. If anyone approaches your home during the blackout - be they wanted or unwanted - the Motion Sensor Spotlight will turn on a bright light to scare them away or let them approach safely. You will be the only home in the neighborhood with lighting during a blackout. this will deter intruders from approaching your home.
3. Basements - If you have ever had a blackout when you are in your basement you know how difficult it can be to exit. Some basements are in total darkness, and there are many obstacles in your way. Imagine your kids yelling for you from upstairs during a power outage and you need to get out of your basement quickly. For the basement ceiling we recommend the Mr. Beams Ceiling Light mounted near the stairs and in the back area. As soon as the light go off and you move ever so slightly, the Ceiling Light turns on its bright light to light up enough of the basement with a bright Nichia LED. Once there is no motion, the Ceiling Light will turn off to conserve its batteries for when it is needed.
4. Hallways - Since many power outages occur at night, it is important to be able to exit your bedroom in safety. We recommend the MB723 Stick Anywhere Night Lights for this reason. The Stick Anywhere Night Lights mount anywhere with the adhesive tape provided. They are perfect to light the path between you and the bathroom, you and the kids room, or you and the exit. They are battery powered so no electrician is required. As soon as you approach these motion sensor lights, a bright LED will go on to light your way and help prevent falls. As soon as you pass, the lights have auto shut-off to conserve battery life.
So be prepared for the next blackout. Install Mr Beams wireless LED lights with motion sensors. They come in Spotlight, Stair Light, Ceiling Light and Stick Anywhere Night Light forms. Install them throughout your home to have emergency lighting for the next blackout. Prevent falls between blackouts. And experience battery-powered lighting that does not rely on your electric company.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Celebrate Innovation on Labor Day
An advisor to Mr. Beams recently said he wanted to brainstorm about new products. This guy is a brilliant product developer who has created big product lines that have revolutionized lighting controls. His prerequisite for helping us was that we create breakthrough products, and not just slight improvements. His statement first created an energy and excitement for me that I get when allowed to dream big dreams. It was then followed by the part of my brain that remembers how intense and grinding it is to truly innovate. In my early days as a product manager I could not wait to launch my first product line. It was with Black & Decker in their power tool division and I owned every element of the product line – the feel, the color, the motor, the box, the accessories, the user manual. I was not yet married and that allowed me to spend late nights at the office - it consumed me. But it needed to consume me in order to innovate in a field where everything had been done already.
Innovation in many consumer products has slowed down. Part of it is because of the recession, but I believe there is a more nefarious reason. The power wielded by so few retailers has created greater barriers for entry to smaller companies. Often it is the smaller companies that innovate, but the possible reward of a successful product is now lower because the largest retailers do not want to work with smaller companies. Large Retail knows it limits the innovation that they can offer their shoppers, but it makes logistics so much easier for them. If they are buying 30 items from Category Manager A, and they like 2 products better from a smaller company, they are not going to set up a new vendor of questionable shipping abilities to provide those 2 products. Instead they buy the unimaginative version from the incumbent.
At first this did not limit innovation so much – the larger companies were still investing in new ideas and generating innovative products. But soon the consolidation of retailers meant that 3-5 companies made up 90% of their revenue. They now need these companies to like their products. So here is how new products are now developed: the VP of Sales for a company calls on Big Box Buyer and brings sketches of 5 product ideas. They have learned that getting buy-in from Big Box Buyer is the key to get new products placed. So they ask Big Box Buyer her opinion and she prefers one concept. VP of Sales leaves the meeting and immediately calls the product manager and tells him what the next product will be. Suddenly that new product is the darling of the product management team and gets priority resources.
Is this innovation? I would argue that Big Box Buyer knows her customer best. But the customer only knows what they have already seen, experienced and used. There is a possibility for incremental improvement in the product. But the chance of Big Box Buyer picking out a breakthrough product is slim.
Small companies do not have access to Big Box Buyer. We innovate by observing how people live, what they struggle with and what they enjoy. We know that an incremental improvement won’t cut it, so we work harder and risk more for that product that makes people fall in love with them. As I write this I am listening to a product that does that – it is a Sonos Digital Music System. I can pull up any song anywhere through one hand-held device. Every few months the smart people at Sonos add another great feature. I access Rhapsody, XM Radio, iheartradio through this system and can play different songs or radio stations in different rooms. These team at Sonos observed how people want to access and interact with music and are constantly working on improving the joy that the product provides.
Why am I wasting precious blog space on innovation rather than promoting my products? Probably because it is Labor Day today and days like this separate the innovators from the entrenched. Innovators hate these one-day holidays because no innovation gets done. People at large companies love these days because they get paid for doing their own thing. Have we innovated at Mr. Beams? I think so. We make the world’s best wireless LED lights. We are creating a system of emergency lighting for homes that will automatically provide light in the event of a power outage. We make the best Closet Light you ever installed on your own. We have used motion sensors and bright battery powered LED lights to eliminate darkness in so many places in a home. We have prevented countless falls due to dark hallways and stairs. When my 90-year-old Aunt Mille calls me the first thing she says in her Brooklyn accent is “Oh David that light you sent me is my favorite possession. I get up to go to the bathroom twice a night and that light goes on every time so I can find my way.” To me that is more rewarding than anything Big Box Buyer can say. So support your small company and please recognize that there is tremendous innovation in alternative distribution channels - like www.mrbeams.com
Innovation in many consumer products has slowed down. Part of it is because of the recession, but I believe there is a more nefarious reason. The power wielded by so few retailers has created greater barriers for entry to smaller companies. Often it is the smaller companies that innovate, but the possible reward of a successful product is now lower because the largest retailers do not want to work with smaller companies. Large Retail knows it limits the innovation that they can offer their shoppers, but it makes logistics so much easier for them. If they are buying 30 items from Category Manager A, and they like 2 products better from a smaller company, they are not going to set up a new vendor of questionable shipping abilities to provide those 2 products. Instead they buy the unimaginative version from the incumbent.
At first this did not limit innovation so much – the larger companies were still investing in new ideas and generating innovative products. But soon the consolidation of retailers meant that 3-5 companies made up 90% of their revenue. They now need these companies to like their products. So here is how new products are now developed: the VP of Sales for a company calls on Big Box Buyer and brings sketches of 5 product ideas. They have learned that getting buy-in from Big Box Buyer is the key to get new products placed. So they ask Big Box Buyer her opinion and she prefers one concept. VP of Sales leaves the meeting and immediately calls the product manager and tells him what the next product will be. Suddenly that new product is the darling of the product management team and gets priority resources.
Is this innovation? I would argue that Big Box Buyer knows her customer best. But the customer only knows what they have already seen, experienced and used. There is a possibility for incremental improvement in the product. But the chance of Big Box Buyer picking out a breakthrough product is slim.
Small companies do not have access to Big Box Buyer. We innovate by observing how people live, what they struggle with and what they enjoy. We know that an incremental improvement won’t cut it, so we work harder and risk more for that product that makes people fall in love with them. As I write this I am listening to a product that does that – it is a Sonos Digital Music System. I can pull up any song anywhere through one hand-held device. Every few months the smart people at Sonos add another great feature. I access Rhapsody, XM Radio, iheartradio through this system and can play different songs or radio stations in different rooms. These team at Sonos observed how people want to access and interact with music and are constantly working on improving the joy that the product provides.
Why am I wasting precious blog space on innovation rather than promoting my products? Probably because it is Labor Day today and days like this separate the innovators from the entrenched. Innovators hate these one-day holidays because no innovation gets done. People at large companies love these days because they get paid for doing their own thing. Have we innovated at Mr. Beams? I think so. We make the world’s best wireless LED lights. We are creating a system of emergency lighting for homes that will automatically provide light in the event of a power outage. We make the best Closet Light you ever installed on your own. We have used motion sensors and bright battery powered LED lights to eliminate darkness in so many places in a home. We have prevented countless falls due to dark hallways and stairs. When my 90-year-old Aunt Mille calls me the first thing she says in her Brooklyn accent is “Oh David that light you sent me is my favorite possession. I get up to go to the bathroom twice a night and that light goes on every time so I can find my way.” To me that is more rewarding than anything Big Box Buyer can say. So support your small company and please recognize that there is tremendous innovation in alternative distribution channels - like www.mrbeams.com
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Hurricane Earl: Be Prepared!
To our friends in North Carolina and along the Eastern seaboard who are expecting a visit from Earl: Hang in there!
A quit note about emergency preparedness: in the five years since Hurricane Katrina, there has been a heightened awareness among communities and families about the importance of establishing a safety plan for your home. A basic safety plan doesn't have to revolve around a specific disaster--every family should have the following in the event of any sort of unforeseen catastrophe:
*Central meeting place on or near your property as well as meeting place in a more public area, such as a parking lot, in the event that all family members are mobile and cannot get home
*Central emergency out-of-state contact who can serve as a clearinghouse for family members to learn the status/whereabouts of other family members
*Non-perishable food and water--one gallon of water per family member and pet per day
*Blankets and waterproof gear
*Battery-operated radio or rechargeable radio
*Flashlight
*Portable light sources, like the Mr Beams LED lights
*Charged cell phone--even if it is not associated with an active account, most newer cell phones are capable of dialing 911 if charged
*Matches and candles
It is a good idea to stick emergency documents, such as copies of insurance cards and contact information, in a storage bag and tape it to the inside of your refrigerator. The refrigerator is basically fireproof and waterproof, so by the time you are able to access the information, it should be safe and legible.
Be sure to contact your local American Red Cross (www.redcross.org) to learn more about creating an emergency kit for your family. They can also provide you with important contact information in the event of a local/regional/national disaster. Don't be caught in the storm. An ounce of prevention is still worth a pound of cure.
A quit note about emergency preparedness: in the five years since Hurricane Katrina, there has been a heightened awareness among communities and families about the importance of establishing a safety plan for your home. A basic safety plan doesn't have to revolve around a specific disaster--every family should have the following in the event of any sort of unforeseen catastrophe:
*Central meeting place on or near your property as well as meeting place in a more public area, such as a parking lot, in the event that all family members are mobile and cannot get home
*Central emergency out-of-state contact who can serve as a clearinghouse for family members to learn the status/whereabouts of other family members
*Non-perishable food and water--one gallon of water per family member and pet per day
*Blankets and waterproof gear
*Battery-operated radio or rechargeable radio
*Flashlight
*Portable light sources, like the Mr Beams LED lights
*Charged cell phone--even if it is not associated with an active account, most newer cell phones are capable of dialing 911 if charged
*Matches and candles
It is a good idea to stick emergency documents, such as copies of insurance cards and contact information, in a storage bag and tape it to the inside of your refrigerator. The refrigerator is basically fireproof and waterproof, so by the time you are able to access the information, it should be safe and legible.
Be sure to contact your local American Red Cross (www.redcross.org) to learn more about creating an emergency kit for your family. They can also provide you with important contact information in the event of a local/regional/national disaster. Don't be caught in the storm. An ounce of prevention is still worth a pound of cure.
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