Roger Buelow
CTO
Energy Focus Inc.
You could say Energy Focus Inc. has a bright idea — but that would only be part of the story. Thanks to a process it adopted to go through the expensive and time-consuming steps to obtain a patent, and by following a unique methodology, EFOI is able to protect the advanced technology and ideas that go into its lighting products, allowing the company to innovate the LED field.
When the U.S. Navy recently contracted with EFOI for LED lighting, a portion of the order was for LED fixtures already qualified and manufactured at EFOI. But the remainder required a solution to a legacy 2-foot fluorescent fixture with more than 1 million lamps in total, which is the major general shipboard lighting fixture for the fleet.
EFOI then developed the M1 IntelliTube. A cross-disciplinary team lead by Roger Buelow, CTO, worked almost exclusively for months on the challenges to meet strict military standards.
The success of the M1 IntelliTube and the contract means that 7 percent of the U.S. fleet will now use LED lights. This will save the Navy 1.8 megawatts in power, which translates into 1 million gallons of diesel fuel per year.
In addition, the M1 IntelliTube allows for a 40 percent reduction in total ownership cost over the fixture’s lifetime by eliminating the maintenance/storage burden.
The next step is to supply the rest of the fleet with LED solutions, increase EFOI’s LED military product line, and penetrate emerging markets like the Navy support fleet and ally navies.
How to reach: Energy Focus Inc., (440) 715-1300 or www.energyfocusinc.com
