Ripley Lighting Controls News

Ripley Adds National Sales Director

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 20:45:32 +0000

Columbia, SC — July 19, 2010 — Ripley Lighting Controls, Division of SouthConn Technologies, Inc. announced today the addition of Michael Hodgdon as National Sales and Marketing Director to focus on the company's growing network of North American sales representative agencies.

"We are extremely excited about having Michael join our team," said Tom Shackett, President. "He has an extensive background with all facets of sales, marketing & distribution".

He brings to Ripley Lighting Controls a track record of increasing sales, reducing cost and stream lining operations as well as building a premiere distribution networks. Along with possessing outstanding interpersonal abilities, excellent leadership and training skills, Michael is hardworking, ambitious and technically savvy.

With more than 25 years of Sales and Marketing management experience, Michael has developed a sharp eye and expertise in building successful sales teams. As a Fortune 500 Sales and Marketing leader, he has been fortunate to enjoy key positions with well known firms; United Technologies, General Electric and Safety-Kleen to name a few.

Ripley Lighting Controls continues to be the leader in the lighting control industry for over 70 years. Headquartered in West Columbia, South Carolina, Ripley Lighting Controls manufactures a complete line of lighting control products, and continues to Provide Solutions for Tomorrow, Today.

2011 IES Street and Area Lighting Conference

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 14:16:39 +0000

More information will be posted when available

LIGHTFAIR® INTERNATIONAL

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 13:39:53 +0000

LIGHTFAIR^®INTERNATIONAL

May 17th - 19th, 2011

Pennsylvania Convention Center

Philadelphia, Pennsylvannia

www.lightfair.com

IES Street and Area Lighting Conference -Sept. 26-29

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:33:09 +0000

Street and Area Lighting Conference

September 26-29, 2010

Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Hotel

Huntington Beach, CA

GovEnergy 2010 - Aug. 15-18

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:17:26 +0000

GovEnergy 2010

August 15-18, 2010

Dallas Convention Center

Stop by our booth #305

North American Roadway Lighting Conference May 18-20

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:59:34 +0000

North America Roadway Lighting Conference

Crowne Plaza Hotel, Fredericton, NB

May 18-20, 2010

Amoung the speakers: Tom Shacket, topic "Are You Wasting Energy With Your Control?" May 19th

Aladdin System Used in San Jose

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 20:45:17 +0000

Roadshow: LED streetlights mostly get a thumbs up

By Gary Richards
grichards@mercurynews.com

Posted: 03/09/2010 12:00:00 AM PST
Updated: 03/09/2010 10:23:07 AM PST

I was returning from a demonstration of new, brighter streetlights one rainy night recently when a jaywalker in dark clothing strolled into my path under the dim amber lights along Saratoga Avenue.
I threw on my brakes, having spotted this person way too late. He seemed oblivious, but it shook me up.
Nothing could have driven home the point better that it's time to get rid of San Jose's antiquated amber streetlights in favor of brighter, whiter bulbs.
I had attended a nighttime survey by the city of San Jose seeking residents' input on several sets of light-emitting diode (LED) and induction lights that give off a bright white glow but use little electricity. The test was performed along a closed, nearly milelong stretch of Hellyer Avenue east of Highway 101.
About 140 residents participated over two nights, offering their assessments of the alternatives. Results, which will be announced April 7, could help the city select a new system as it converts its 62,000 streetlights to lights that throw off a more soothing and brighter white glow by 2022.
Hurray for the white light!
Three decades ago, the low-pressure amber lights were heralded as an energy-saving system whose reduced glare would pose fewer conflicts with the powerful telescopes at Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton as they scanned the night sky.
They did that, but their use has led to constant griping from motorists, pedestrians, police and homeowners over the years. The amber lights almost exactly resemble yellow traffic signals. They distort colors, darken lane markings, turn roads and sidewalks into shadows and make spotting a careless pedestrian on a rainy night far too difficult.
"I remember when San Jose went to the low-pressure lights," said City Councilwoman Judy Chirco, who went on the walking tour. "I didn't like them then. I'm not fond of them now.
"But I'm really, really excited about something that saves energy, costs less and give us better lighting."
So far, 273 new LEDs have been installed in the city, the most recent on Tasman Drive. They will last 12 to 13 years, compared with the three-year life span of the amber lights, and use much less energy than their predecessors. An additional 1,650 could be installed in another year or two, thanks in part to nearly $2.3 million in stimulus funds.
The zero-emission lights will be powered by solar panels. They can be monitored remotely and dimmed at night to allow Lick's telescopes a decent view of the stars.
And if one goes out, traffic central gets an almost instant message that pinpoints the precise location. Now, it usually takes a call from residents, who often fail to provide needed information such as an identifying number on the signal pole.
"We'll get a call about a light being out on King Road and that's all," said San Jose streetlight maintenance boss Tony Ortiz. "Well, King Road is a long road."
Cities across the region are turning to these new lights. They'll be installed on Mission Boulevard between Hayward and Fremont this summer. Palo Alto, Sunnyvale and Morgan Hill are testing LEDs citywide. Santa Cruz, Campbell and Saratoga are putting them in downtown areas. Santa Clara County is trying LEDs at two Almaden Expressway intersections.
But few cities are as gung-ho as San Jose, which conducted a detailed survey focused on safety. Would you feel safe walking here alone with these lights? Is there too much light on the street? Not enough? Are the lights glaring? Can you tell the color of things along the way? Can you see oncoming cars? Would you like these lights on your street?
Most people on the tour seemed pleased, with Julien Lecomte, a 31-year-old software engineer from San Jose, calling it "a very positive experience" and saying, "I applaud the city."
Others left with concerns.
"I would have liked to see the lights displayed in a residential area, as opposed to a highly driven freeway type of street," said Vickie Marin, an elementary schoolteacher who lives in downtown San Jose. "These types of lights are extremely important in high crime areas, where witnesses can see and describe people and cars in full detail."
And a worried Emiliano Pedroza, who joined the tour with his wife, Mari, said:
"We live on a dimly lit street that dead-ends — which is an attractive spot for loitering and trash dumping. The lights that we were shown illuminated straight down and out toward the street and gave out shadows behind it. How is anyone to feel safe when there are shadows lurking?"
Then there are the finances. San Jose's street lighting bill is $3.9 million a year, and it got so high that the city turned off 900 streetlights two years ago to cut costs.
Although the new lights will cost maybe $50 million to install, the city estimates it could recoup its cost within 10 to 12 years, with up to an 80 percent savings on energy costs.
That's all good. But for me, there's another reason. With better lights, I may more easily spot a clueless jaywalker crossing midblock on a busy six-lane street on a rainy night.
Contact Gary Richards at mrroadshow@mercurynews.com or 408-920-5335.

This article was posted with permission of the author
Gary Richards
San Jose Mercury News
Direct line: (408) 920-5037
Roadshow line: (408) 920-5335

West Coast EMC Expo June 15-16

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 17:41:22 +0000

West Coast Energy Management Congress

Stop by our booth #618 June 15-16, 2010

Seattle, Washington - June 15-16, 2010

Washington State Convention & Trade Center

Call Us to recieve your FREE Expo Admission Ticket

Energy Efficiency,Power,Green Renewables,Building Systems and More

Seasonal PhotoClock® aides nesting sea turtles

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Ripley introduces new Seasonal PhotoClock® a compact photocontrol that reduces Sea turtle disorientation by scheduling shore area outdoor lighting to remain off throughout sea turtle nesting season.

Ripley Lighting Controls, Division of SouthConn Technologies, Inc. announces the release of their RS8454 Seasonal PhotoClock®. The patented design achieves highly accurate photocell and time-of-day control of outdoor lighting, while keeping the same lighting turned off throughout a factory preset extended seasonal "off" period, such as sea turtle nesting season (May 1st through November 1st).

Beyond seasonal considerations, laws and ordinances are increasingly pushing for lighting curfews. The Federal Energy Act, California Title 24, and the Dark Sky Initiative are requiring manufacturers to rethink and implement lighting controls that conserve energy, minimize light pollution, and still maintain nighttime safety. In order to comply, outdoor lighting controllers must be aware of exact time and date, have the ability to automatically adjust for daylight savings time, and accurately recover from power outages.

The Seasonal PhotoClock® utilizes broadcast time signals from the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s atomic clock in Boulder, Colorado to achieve finite accuracy and precision in its control objectives. An integrated radio receiver continually synchronizes the unit’s internal clock to the exact time received from atomic clock broadcasts.

Besides conventional on-at-dusk/off-at-dawn photocell control, and on-off time scheduling, the Seasonal PhotoClock® has a setting for optionally turning back on, then off again in a specific time block for scheduled lighting operation prior to sunrise. Additional settings select the user’s time zone, and whether or not to observe daylight savings time.

Sophisticated, intelligent control in a compact standard twist-lock configuration, and the ability to suspend lighting operation for planned seasonal events, are what puts the Ripley Seasonal PhotoClock® in a category all its own.

Introducing RA8416 Lighting Control

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Automatic sunset and sunrise calculation now in a programmable lighting control unit.

Smart on-off programmable time switch optimizes lighting. Turn-on and turn-off times by accurately calculating sunset and sunrise times based on longitude and latitude. Unit employs sophisticated astronomical mathematics for sunset and sunrise calculations; therefore light sensors are not required.

Capabilities include scheduling multiple part-night and weekend operations for two independent zones of control.

Ripley Lighting Controls, Division of SouthConn Technologies, Inc. announces the release of the RA8416 Lighting Control Unit. The RA8416 is a two zone, ON-OFF, programmable electronic astronomical time clock. Powered by 110-240 Volts AC, the unit automatically calculates daily sunset and sunrise times for adjusting and optimizing Turn-On and Turn-Off times for numerous lighting applications.

The RA8416 utilizes Astronomical Mathematics to calculate Sunset and Sunrise times each day. These calculations are based on Longitude and Latitude values (daylight sensors are not required) and are accurate to +/- 2 minutes in calculated Sunset/Sunrise time. Additionally, Daylight Savings Time shifts are managed automatically; eliminating the need and labor expense of field adjustments required by mechanical time clocks.

The RA8416 is designed for DIN rail mounting in an enclosure. Its compact size and small footprint make it an ideal choice as a direct replacement for existing inaccurate and unreliable mechanical time clocks. The unit measures approximately 3.5"H x 2.8"W x 2.6"D and weighs only 7.5 ounces.

An alphanumeric liquid crystal display provides four lines of operating and programming information at twelve characters per line. An eight button built-in keypad facilitates setup and programming, and also serves as a means to manually override programmed functions.

Two SPST relay outputs provide two zones of programmable ON-OFF control. Each relay can be independently programmed for ON or OFF operation by specifying the Time-Offset and Off-Hours in reference to sunset and sunrise. The reference time can be based on either Sunset/Sunrise or Begin/End of Twilight. Referencing ON/OFF operation to twilight provides maximum utilization of natural lighting throughout the year. Relay contacts are rated for 8 amps resistive load from 30 Volts DC to 240 Volts AC.

Operating mode features for two independent outputs include: ON/OFF/PULSE; for daily, part-night, and weekend scheduling of either output, Off-Hours Switching; to turn off either output for a specified time period (maximum 23 hours), Alternate Mode; for alternating settings between outputs, Weekly OFF; for specifying extended weekly off periods, and Season Mode; for specifying time offset for rainy or cloudy seasons.

An optional memory card allows for convenient user backup and quick reprogramming. Optional PC software facilitates serial communications with the RA8416 for easy programming, file loading, file saving, file transfers, and for graphically viewing sunset and sunrise data for an entire year.

Introducing Ripley PhotoClock

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 00:00:00 +0000

Ripley lighting controls introduces "Ripley PhotoClock" (patent pending) - a new smart - photocontrol incorporating radio monitoring of atomic clock to address lighting curfews and energy conservation for outdoor lighting.

The Ripley PhotoClock continually synchronizes with the national atomic clock to achieve extremely precise time of day control for outdoor lighting. The photoclock is designed to address new directives pertaining to lighting curfews, the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) initiatives, the federal energy act, and california title 24.

The Ripley PhotoClock is an all-in-one, integrated twist-lock photocontrol, incorporating a radio receiver that continuously synchronizes to the National Atomic Clock (NIST) to achieve extremely accurate time of day control, while providing the normal turn-on at dusk and turn-off at dawn functionality of a conventional twist-lock photocontrol. Simple user settings include: time zone selection, daylight savings time observance, Turn-Off Time for lighting curfew, and Back-On Time for early morning lighting operation if desired.

New directives pertaining to Lighting Curfews, The Federal Energy Act, California Title 24 and The Dark Sky initiatives, are requiring manufacturers to rethink and implement lighting controls that conserve energy, minimize light pollution and light trespass, and maintain nighttime safety. The innovative design of Ripley’s PhotoClock simplifies compliance with these regulations and ordinances. Designed around the industry-standard twist-lock base of conventional photocontrols, the Ripley PhotoClock offers an ideal easy replacement for most standard photocontrols, without any additional wiring or components.

The Ripley PhotoClock completely eliminates the need for separate astronomical clocks to control outdoor lighting. Therefore, the wiring, manual resets due to power failures, daylight savings time manual adjustments, and timing inaccuracies associated with traditional astronomical clocks, are no longer a factor.

In the past, problems with tolerance levels and timing inaccuracy prevented the lighting industry from fully complying with lighting curfews. The Ripley PhotoClock offers a uniquely simple, yet highly accurate, and economical solution.

Ripley Lighting Controls has been a leader in the lighting control industry for over 70 years. Headquartered in West Columbia, South Carolina, Ripley Lighting Controls manufactures a complete line of lighting control products, and continues to introduce innovative solutions with rock-solid performance.