Minnesota Based ONCE intends to Challenge IEEE 1789 Standard and the Process of Standard Development

PLYMOUTH, Minn., July 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Once Inc., a Minnesota-based research, development and manufacturing company with a focus on implementation of LED technologies into production agriculture, optogenetic and photobiology announced today its intent officially challenge IEEE 1789 standard and look into the process of the adoption of IEEE 1789 standard, including potential misconduct. 

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The new IEEE 1789 standard which published June 5, 2015 suggests additional design requirements on LED lighting devices operating at frequencies below 200Hz based on health concerns that is detrimental to popular AC driven LED technologies. In the standard development process, IEEE 1789 committee failed to produce support or conclusive scientific study supporting these alleged concerns. In a move unrelated to ONCE, NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) released a position paper requesting regulatory bodies to refrain from creating specifications based on IEEE 1789 until additional consideration takes place with concern being raised that the standard adopted is overly strict for many applications.

"The bias in the IEEE 1789 committee was evident almost immediately. Members of IEEE 1789 working group, including myself, brought up concerns that studies were being ignored or taken out of context during meetings and all written counterpoints and concerns raised were simply ignored," stated Zdenko Grajcar, CEO of ONCE.

"One needs to look no further than the standard itself to see the bias. The line voltage LED technologies described in the standard are not used in general illumination applications. How a standard can regulate flicker and associated line voltage LED technologies without even discussing the AC step driver technologies that have been prevalent and widely adopted in the marketplace for years is head scratching. If implemented for all lighting products, IEEE 1789 would not only eliminate LED line voltage technologies but also standard incandescent lamps and majority of HPS lighting as a high risk as a high health risk lighting. That is not a mistake, according to the IEEE 1789 standard, incandescent lamps we have been using for past century are highly dangerous to your health," Grajcar concluded.

"It is our belief that the exclusion of fair and equitable consideration of opposing viewpoints was used to hinder the progress of the standards development activity. We also believe to prevent discussion of opposing views, no official meetings of the IEEE 1789 working group were held since May 26^th, 2011," stated Josef Hoffmann, General Counsel of ONCE. "Our requests with IEEE management over the last month to address this troubled standard have been largely ignored. We are now looking into all potential remedies to withdraw the IEEE 1789 standard."

ONCE is fully committed to the study of the effects of light on human, animal and environmental health. As industry knowledge of how new lighting technologies can impact human, animal and environmental health expands, combined with the customer's demands and industry advances, the industry should endorse the need for reasonable regulation and standards, and should support companies and organizations committed to continuous improvement in these areas. However, we have to do this based on the scientific facts, remove personal opinions and subject entire standard and regulation making process to full transparency and unbiased discussion.

ONCE requests any other LED companies with similar concerns regarding IEEE 1789 to contact Josef Hoffmann by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at (763) 381-5621.

SOURCE Once Inc.