"The three-acre island off the Connecticut coast is owned by prolific
inventor Dean Kamen, who has established North Dumpling (off the coast of Connecticut) 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."
"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"
Photo credit from this gallery in NY Times
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