LITEPANELS CASE STUDY: White House Press Briefing Room

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Far less energy required to run the lights
Far less energy required to cool the studio

“...In fact, the new lights have doubled the illumination and reduced power requirements (and heat generated) by 95%. ."

Television technology has come a long way since the White House Briefing Room was built at the beginning of the Nixon administration. Film cameras gave way to video tape camcorders, copper wire to fiber optic cable, and conventional tungsten/fluorescent lighting to the Litepanels pioneering LED lighting fixtures.

As part of a nearly one-year renovation of the Whitehouse Press Briefing Room, New Jersey based system integrator Shadowstone, utilized more than 46 Litepanels 1x1 5600°K light fixtures to replace the tungsten Fresnel fixtures that had previously lit the room.

"It was just time to upgrade and do it right," Drew Thomas, Associate Director, White House Office of Communications, explained to "Government Video" magazine. "We want to have a state-of-the-art facility that best represents the government of the United States. It's a nice, neat, clean space now."

Litepanels LED technology was the preferred choice because it uses significantly less electricity and generates less heat, he said. The choice of 5600°K fixtures also allows the lighting to balance more closely to the color of the 45" LCD monitors installed near the podium.

Some of the Litepanels 1x1s are installed facing back toward the press corps so that they are properly lit when shown asking questions. Even with these extra fixtures, Litepanels' LEDs generate almost no heat at all, allowing the room to remain a comfortable temperature.

In fact, the new lights have doubled the illumination and reduced power requirements (and heat generated) by 95%. Video camera operators aren't the only ones whom the Litepanels fixtures have benefited. The extra illumination also allows still photographers to shoot with more depth of field and to see further back in the room.

The Litepanels-lit Briefing Room drew accolades from the boss. Thomas told "Government Video" magazine that the President is very happy with the improvements. "When you're in the room during the briefing," said Thomas, "it's just a very refreshing place to be now. You don't feel so much like you're in a studio."