After acquisition, Ruud Lighting rewards employees

Two days after an announcement that Ruud Lighting was being acquired for $525 million, all 750-plus employees received the largest bonuses the company had ever handed out. On Aug. 17, Cree Inc. of Durham, N.C., and Ruud jointly announced an acquisition by Cree for $525 million. They said Ruud Lighting, 9201 Washington Ave., will continue to be based here and will operate as a subsidiary of Cree's lighting business.
Cree makes light-emitting diode, or LED, elements and Ruud Lighting makes LED fixtures. Cree had been Ruud Lighting's main supplier of LEDs.

Stocking up on light ahead of bulb phase-out

Karen DeCoster is thinking of entering the lighting business. DeCoster, a certified public accountant from Detroit, has no experience in the field, but after hoarding 100-watt incandescent bulbs for months, she’s hoping to sell them on Craigslist for a profit. Starting in January, the traditional 100-watt incandescent bulbs that many Americans look to when lighting their homes will become a hot commodity. New federal efficiency standards, passed as part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, will make the production of these bulbs illegal then, followed by 75-, 60- and 40-watt bulbs in later years.

LED market continues to grow rapidly

As shown in the latest DisplaySearch Quarterly LED Supply/Demand Market Forecast Report, market indicators continue to predict a rise in LED usage across applications, with lighting leading the way in LED applications with a predicted increase of 20% over 2010. The total package revenue for backlight and lighting applications was $7.2 billion in 2010 and is forecast to reach $12.7 billion in 2014. A heightened demand for LED lighting applications is the main driver of this dramatic increase.

LED streetlights have a bright future in Ilion

Light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, could shed new light on how municipalities can keep their streets bright at night — and save some money, too. About 100 LED streetlights were installed a couple of years ago along Barringer Road in Ilion in coordination with Frankfort’s Fiberdyne Energy, Chief Executive Officer Peter Polus said. Ilion Mayor John Stephens said the test program has worked out great for the village by reducing energy costs.

HB-LED market to grow just 8%

The high-brightness (HB) LED market is forecasted to grow just 8% year-on-year to $9bn in 2011 instead of the previously expected $10.6bn, according to market research firm LEDinside (an LED research division of TrendForce). Contributing factors include: weak demand in the backlighting market, and the plummeting LED average selling price (ASP), resulting in over-supply in the LED market. The over-supply situation is likely to remain unchanged in the short-term, reckons TrendForce. In fact, if the inventory level continues to rise and the price declines more than expected, then the HB-LED backlight market might decline further.

Wireless data may eventually be delivered by LED light

One IT visionary says we could make data accessible anywhere in the world — with no additional cost for infrastructure. Turn existing light fixtures — from street lamps to smartphone LED screens — into rapidly pulsating data transmitters. Harald Haas, a professor of engineering at Edinburgh University, even has a name for this new networking technology: “Li-Fi,” for light-fidelity. At a recent TED conference, Haas pitched his proposal for Li-Fi data transmission, suggesting that the applications and capacity for data would be limitless — from using car headlights to transmit data, or employing line of sight light sources as data transmitters.

Larson Electronics Magnalight Announces Release of Military LED Spotlight

Larson Electronics' Magnalight.com has announced the release of the HML-5M-LED Handheld LED Spotlight with magnetic base designed to provide reliable and powerful illumination under tactical and professional conditions. Producing 3,600 lumens and pulling only 1.6 amps on 24 volts, this handheld LED spotlight is based on Magnalight's proven HML series of military spotlights that have seen use in Iraq and Afghanistan as a part of the Military's Escalation of Force Kits. Operating on any voltage from 9 to 32VDC, this LED spotlight produces a 1600' long by 120 feet wide beam and will withstand operation under highly demanding conditions.
The Magnalight HML-5M-LED Handheld LED Spotlight offers operators in military, law enforcement and professional utility and emergency services a powerful and efficient alternative to traditional halogen and HID equipped spotlights. Equipped with Magnalight's waterproof PAR46 solid state LED bulb, this LED spotlight produces more light while consuming less power. This means longer run times when operated from vehicle and equipment electrical systems without draining batteries. The rugged weatherproof and UV resistant housing and LED lamp in this unit provides excellent durability and reliability while a 100 lbs grip magnetic base provides simple and secure mounting to metal surfaces. A polypropylene handle and heavy gauge steel handle bracket provides easy positioning of the light. This LED spotlight is also available in blue, green, amber and red colors as well as 850nm and 940 nm 12 watt infrared versions for use in covert operations in conjunction with night vision equipment. A variety of power connections are available including 16 and 25 foot straight cords with cigarette plug, 21 foot straight cord with battery clamps, 16 foot straight cord with battery ring terminals and 16 foot coil cord with cigarette plug. With a housing made in the USA and an LED lamp that is Made in the USA compliant, the HML-5M-LED Handheld LED Spotlight produces more light of a higher quality than comparable halogen spotlights, while providing unmatched durability and efficiency.

Now, just light a bulb to switch on your broadband

Imagine that by simply turning on the light bulb in your room, you can also switch on your wireless Internet connection at home. Well, it's a reality now, thanks to a leading British physicist of Edinburgh University who claims to have developed a technology which can send data through the same connection as a normal lamp.

The remote-controlled Sharp LED bulb

One day lights will be as digital as our cell phones. I was reminded of this coming trend after using Sharp’s remote-controlled LED lightbulb that fits in a standard light socket. Sharp was kind enough to send it to me this week, and the surprisingly heavy bulb comes with a slim remote control (see photo) with seven different light-dimming and light-color functions that make the light dimmer and brighter and warmer and cooler. Unlike many LEDs, the bulb screws right into a standard light socket, and it remains cool even after being used for a while.

Osram IPO threatened by economic woes and LED slowdown

Siemens has planned to take its lighting subsidiary Osram public in a fall IPO, but bad news in financial markets and slower than expected LED sales could change those plans. Siemens AG announced in March a plan to publicly list its Osram GmbH LED and lighting subsidiary in an initial public offering (IPO) planned for this fall, but recent stories in the press have suggested that Siemens may change its plans. The combination of a tough solid-state-lighting (SSL) market and weakness in the equity markets may have significantly lessened the potential IPO value.

Charge of the LED brigade

LEDs are already widely used as the backlights for mobile phones, computer monitors and televisions. A recent report by McKinsey & Co., a consultancy, reckons that by 2020 LEDs could make up 59 percent by value of the total lighting market compared with 10 percent in 2010. Revenue from lighting will hit $160 billion, roughly what the world will spend on televisions. Three-quarters of that will go on "general lighting" for homes, the biggest part of the market, and on workplace and outdoor illumination such as streetlights. The change is being driven by regulations, technical improvements and fickle consumers. Nearly half the world's light sockets have an incandescent bulb, according to Philip Smallwood of IMS Research.

German firm Osram files LED lawsuit against LG, Samsung

German lighting group Osram said Monday it has filed a complaint in South Korea against industrial giants LG and Samsung for patent violations, a move it has already taken in four other countries. Osram, a unit of the German industrial group Siemens, says the two South Korean companies have violated patents on LED lighting, now commonly used in television sets and computer display screens.

Energy Mad to offer shares

Christchurch-based light bulb maker Energy Mad has announced an initial public share offer to raise up to $10 million and aims to list on the stock exchange in early October. The offer values the company, which makes energy-efficient light bulbs, at $37m. Up to 10 million new and existing shares would be made available to new investors at an offer price of $1. The offer opens on August 29 with the company to market it among New Zealand brokerages with that process to close on September 23.

Lighting technology firm nets £639,000 investment

Lighting technology firm Design LED Products has raised £639,000 in a second round of funding. The money raised by the company, which is part of Braveheart Investment Group, follows on from the £1.1m investment round, which completed in January this year. DLP, which was formed in 2004 and is based in Livingston, Scotland, has developed and patented technology to embed light emitting diodes (LEDs) within printed light-guide devices. The technology produces thin, flexible, high-efficiency light panels and displays suitable for a range of applications from consumer electronic devices to large area LED lighting and LCD TV backlighting.

China’s LED Industry Lights Up to Nearly $6 Billion in 2011

Buoyed by government support and increased penetration into new applications, China’s light-emitting diode (LED) market will jump to $5.8 billion in 2011, up a robust 23% from $4.7 billion last year, according to the IHS iSuppli China Electronics Supply Chain Service from information and analysis provider IHS. The LED market in the world’s most populous country is forecast to reach $6.9 billion next year on its way to $11.1 billion by 2015, equivalent to a five-year compound annual growth rate of 17.7%, as shown in the figure below.

Access Fixtures Bollard Lights Using LEDs Exceed CFL Performance

Access Fixtures has been testing the new LEDnovations EnhanceLite light emitting diode (LED) 180 degree directional lamp as an LED light engine in bollards. The outcome is truly astounding. Using our best selling Bollard Lights with a reflector, the efficiency of one a 6.1 watt light engine compared equally with a the light output against a 100W equivalent compact florescent lamp (CFL). The break through in efficiency is achieved by the light engine generating over 100 lumens per watt and focusing all the light in one direction versus a CFL or incandescent lamp that blows light everywhere. Click to see this bollard.
“LED lamps achieve equivalent performance by focusing the light directly at the bollard’s reflector, as opposed to CFLs and incandescent lamps that disperse light in all directions.” explains Access Fixtures senior lighting specialist Steve Rothschild. “Now LED Bollards can equal CFL brightness while using 73% less energy or only 6.1 watts. Additionally, the LED will operate for 50,000 hours reducing maintenance.”
Access Fixtures LED bollard lights using the LEDnovation directional light engine is reducing energy use by 73-95% and maintenance costs too. On a photopic basis, the LED Bollard light generates over 90 %of the light that the CFL can emit. On a scotopic basis, the LED is equivalent or better. LEDnovation LED lamps and light engines are made in the USA. For clients that require higher light output levels from their bollard lights, Access Fixtures continues to offer bollard lights with Xicato light engines and Philips Advance Xitanium drivers.

River Walk may get new holiday sparkle

A proposal before the City Council of San Antonia would fundamentally change the colorful holiday light display that attracts thousands to the River Walk each year. The traditional 85,000 incandescent lights would be replaced by 1.76 million multicolored LED lights. The new lights are more energy efficient, but rather than cascading from the River Walk's tree canopy, they would be wrapped around tree trunks.

Cree Acquires Ruud Lighting

Cree Inc. (CREE), a maker of energy- efficient lighting products that are used indoors, purchased Ruud Lighting Inc. for about $525 million in cash and stock to expand into the market for outdoor illumination. Cree completed the acquisition today and expects Ruud’s results to be “slightly” dilutive to its fiscal 2012 net income, the Durham, North Carolina-based company said today in a statement. Ruud will continue to be based in Racine, Wisconsin, and operate as a subsidiary of Cree.

LEDs for bikes

The Kickstarter campaign launched on August 9 and has been garnering significant buzz in the cycling community because the current Revolights prototype (v4) projects solid LED beams of white light forward and red light backward and create solid arcs of light when viewed from the side, giving nighttime cyclists 360 degree visibility to motorists. The current prototype weighs less than 8 ounces per wheel.

Equipment slowdown may stabilize LED prices

The sharp downward pressure on prices of high-brightness LED chips should start to ease after manufacturers pushed out a number of planned installations of production equipment originally scheduled for 2011. Ross Young from the analyst company IMS Research, who closely monitors shipments and sales of the metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) tools that are the key pieces of equipment determining production volumes, says that there has been a significant slowdown in tool adoption recently.

Solar light bulb sheds light on social entre­pre­neur­ship model

Problems facing the developing world are wide-ranging and include the need for potable water, adequate food and efficient, affordable lighting. Inventor Stephen Katsaros’s solar-powered light bulb may go a long way towards fixing the last of those three. Katsaros created a solar light bulb that uses the sun’s rays to charge a battery-powered LED light supply for roughly four hours. The battery, which is replaceable, lasts roughly 300-500 charges, while the product itself can last as long as five years.

Philips introduces Fortimo LED high brightness module

Philips announced a new addition to its Fortimo LED family - the Fortimo LED High Brightness Module (HBM). Fortimo LED HBM is an easy to design-in, compact, high lumen LED module for white light applications. The product delivers all the benefits of LEDs without the complexity and recurring R&D costs of lens optics-based LED solutions.
The HBM is an “LED lamp” – a compact rectangular light engine which allows for creation of different light distributions using a metal reflector. This LED solution can be used by luminaire manufacturers to develop LED-based luminaires. The design-in is further simplified with one form-factor offering multiple lumen packages, so a single design can be translated into a full portfolio of products.
The Philips Fortimo LED High Brightness Module is a future-proof solution – its light emitting area, optical and electrical characteristics, and mechanical interface will remain constant, incorporating future LED efficacy upgrades.

Nanoco Look to Use Cadmium-Free Quantum Dots in LED Lighting

Nanoco Group plc has signed a joint development agreement with one of the world's largest lighting companies which is already a major producer of light emitting diode (LED) lights. The objective of the development agreement is to incorporate Nanoco's cadmium-free quantum dots (CFQDTM) into the lighting company's LEDs to create LED lighting with superior performance characteristics.
LED lighting has many advantages over traditional lighting - including long service life, reduced power consumption, compact size and shock resistance - but its colour performance is one factor that has limited its adoption. Nanoco's quantum dots have been shown to overcome this limitation, opening up the possibility of the widespread use of LED lighting in commercial, residential and other settings.
The 12 month agreement with the lighting company is expected to be followed either by further development work or by proceeding to product launch. The financial details of the agreement are not being disclosed.

Hinkley Lighting Gallery Urges Use of Dark Sky-Rated Fixtures for Home Lighting

Hinkley Lighting Gallery is urging homeowners to light up their outdoor spaces the ‘Green way’ by encouraging the use of outdoor lighting fixtures rated by the International Dark Sky Association. Hinkley Lighting Gallery has been carrying Dark Sky light fixtures for over a year and reiterates its advocacy of eco-friendly lighting as the city of Boston implements a push towards sustainability.
With the help of Hurry Associates, Boston has replaced more than 14,000 mercury-vapor street and roadway lights with Philips Hadco’s light-emitting diodes (LED), the New RX1 and RX2. According to a press release distributed by Philips Electronics North America, these light bulbs maximize energy savings while providing a relaxing and appealing white light. The city is expected to save around $1.1 million annually in electricity costs by cutting an estimated 8.9 million kilowatt hours of energy consumption because of this simple and easy change.

Republicans Pushing for Repeal of New Lightbulb Rule

With a January deadline looming on a U.S. law mandating energy-efficiency standards for lightbulbs, some political forces don't want to turn out the lights. More than a dozen Republican lawmakers are backing efforts to repeal the 2007 law that requires bulbs to consume less energy. Meanwhile, Texas has enacted a law that would exempt itself from the federal requirement, and other states are debating similar legislation.

Philips Recalls 1.86 Million Light Bulbs

Royal Philips Electronics NV is recalling 1.86 million light bulbs because they can cause cuts, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said. Philips has received 700 reports of the glass globe falling after the glue that attaches it to the bulb body fails, the commission said today in a statement. Two injuries and three instances of property damage have been reported, the Washington- based agency said. The recall applies to three EnergySaver and Marathon models, compact fluorescent bulbs usually used in recessed lighting. They were manufactured by Philips Lighting Co., a Somerset, New Jersey-based unit of the Amsterdam-based company, and sold from March 2007 to July 2011.

CFLs Transcend Blue States/Red States

Thomas Edison’s old incandescent light bulb is swiftly becoming a thing of the past, according to recent analysis by E Source that shows 81 percent of U.S. households already using at least one CFL bulb. And lest you think the eco-savvy states are swinging the numbers here, consider this: in the two states with the lowest market penetration of CFLs (North and South Dakota), more than two thirds of all households have one.

Riding the Light with Cree

Light emitting diodes, or LEDs, are everywhere. Applications include the obvious, such as video screens and gaming displays, as well as uses one may not consider, like automobile interior back lighting. Our focus stock today, Cree Inc. specializes in LED technology, as well as SiC and GaN wafers used in RF and microwave devices. Despite the clear demand for its products, the company stock has been downtrending steadily this entire year.

Energy Mad mulls public share offer

Christchurch light bulb firm Energy Mad is understood to be mulling an initial public share offer to raise up to $10 million as part of a plan to list on the NZX this year. The company, known for its Ecobulb energy-saving light bulbs, was founded in 2004 by engineers Chris Mardon and Tom Mackenzie.

Acuity Brands' acculamp Honored

Acuity Brands's acculamp AR111 LED Lamp has received The LEDAward for Best Specialty Incandescent Replacement Lamp at the recently concluded "TheLEDShow" 2011 in Las Vegas. "TheLEDShow" has become an annual event showcasing the lighting industry's technology progress and expanding selection of products with LED light sources. TheLEDAward was established to recognize participating LED manufacturers that stand out among their peers, both at this event and throughout the past year. This year's award emphasized both product aesthetics and productivity.
The Company's acculamp LED S-Series of lamps, announced in May 2011, includes the energy-efficient PAR 38, PAR 30, PAR 20, PAR 16, MR 16 and AR 111 LED lamps. The acculamp AR 111 LED lamps are available in narrow to wide beam angles, which are ideal for a variety of uses including displays.

AVX Develops Ultra-Low Profile LED Lighting Connectors

AVX Corporation has developed two new series of connectors for LED lighting systems that maintain the same luminosity and light intensity as florescent strip lights. The standard length of most fluorescent lights is 1.2m, and currently it is impossible to reflow-mount LEDs on such a long printed circuit board placed in the fitting. As a result, the lighting strip is divided into shorter lengths joined by connectors. AVX's new 9608 Series LED lighting connector and 9609 Series LED backlight connectors feature the lowest profile in the industry at 1.4mm, which minimizes the spacing between PCBs and allows for even light distribution.
The low-profile lighting connectors utilize a common footprint that eliminates the need for different PCB combinations, while providing maximum luminosity. Additional design simplifications, including the fully customizable harness and the single-pole variation, allow for easy assembly and more LED fixtures at the center of PCB.
The 9608 Series LED lighting connectors are available in three styles: joint (relay) for connecting modularized boards; jumper (short-circuiting) to support a loop at the end of the electrical circuit; and wire-to-board for connection to the power supply unit. The PCB-mount plug connector's simplified design has the same footprint for all styles, which simultaneously saves space and eases the mounting process. The wire-to-board style connectors are mated horizontally and the joint and jumper style connectors are mated vertically, preventing interference between the metal fittings and molded parts.
The 9609 Series LED backlight connectors are single-pin, board-to-board style connectors that can be mounted on the outside of lighting strips to provide a higher density of LEDs on the PCB. The design and mounting process is aided by the availability of similarly shaped receptacle connectors in both joint and wire-to-board styles. The floating structure of the joint style connector absorbs misalignment of ±0.1 mm along the X-axis (±0.2mm between connected boards) and ±0.2mm along the Y-axis (±0.4mm between connected boards), improving contact reliability.
The advanced connector series are designed to withstand temperatures from a range of -40 deg C to +105 deg C, earning it an excellent temperature rating for automotive applications. The RoHS-compliant connector series are supplied and packaged on tape and reel (2,000 pieces per reel).

LED lighting provider Lumenpulse raises $16M

Lumenpulse, a developer of commercial-grade light sources that use light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has raised $16 million in its first round of funding. The company manufactures more than a dozen kinds of LED lights, some of which can generate up to 81 lumens — a measurement of visible light — per watt of electricity consumed for each foot of lighting the company installs. A typical incandescent bulb only generates around 14.6 lumens per watt. Philips’ LED light that won the U.S. Department of Energy’s $10 million L Prize generated around 90 lumens per watt of electricity consumed.

Side by side: LED, CFL, and incandescent bulbs

Many sites have been doing head-to-head tests of various LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs coming on the market. However, I'm often asked where someone can find just a "regular person review" on how LEDs stack up against CFLs (compact fluorescent lights) and the soon-to-be-phased-out incandescents without getting too buried in stats on lumens, kelvins, wattage, and the rest of the jargon that typically comes along with in-depth discussions of these different technologies. By pure luck I happened to have not only a Philips-brand CFL but also a Philips 75-watt Dura Max incandescent bulb on hand. So I was able to do a real-world, side-by-side comparison of each type of bulb from the same brand.

Lunera to offer a no-money down lease for LED lighting

Much of the energy consumption in commercial buildings is by lighting. But replacing row after row of fluorescent lights with energy-efficient LED lighting can be expensive: typically $4 to $5 a square foot for materials, labor and installation. In a 20,000-square-feet office space, that's $100,000. Now Lunera, a Silicon Valley startup that designs and manufactures next-generation LED lighting, is borrowing a page from California's fast-growing rooftop solar industry. On Thursday, it plans to unveil a lease-to-purchase program that lets commercial building owners retrofit their lighting for no money down. The lease is believed to be the first in the commercial lighting sector.

Glow of LEDs begins to lure investors

It may seem like one of the most boring investment pitches going. But Credit Suisse and Canaccord Genuity are both convinced that high tech lights made using LEDs are poised to become the next big thing, according to recent reports by the firms. “Our bullish stance on the market and our belief that the field is relatively open suggests there can be room for several companies to define their niches,” Credit Suisse said in a recent research report on the sector. It’s initiated coverage on LED maker Cree Inc.

Philips Wins L Prize

With a device that resembles a segmented lemon, but glows like an ordinary living room fixture, Philips Lighting North America captured a much-awaited $10 million U.S. government prize, a race to produce the first super high-efficiency replacement for the world's most popular lightbulb. The U.S. division of the giant Dutch electronics company, Philips, won the Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prize (L Prize) after months of testing certified that its light emitting diode (LED) bulb, the EnduraLED, measured up in output, quality of light, intensity, and color as a true replacement for the 60-watt incandescent bulb.

Bridgelux Receives $60 Million Funding

Bridgelux Inc., a maker of light-emitting diode, or LED, lighting technologies, received $60 million in financing led by Craton Equity Partners. Bridgelux will invest the funds in research and development, concentrating on products such as gallium nitride on silicon, or GaN-on-Si, and LED “chip-on-board” technology, Los Angeles-based Craton said today in a statement. The financing brings Bridgelux’s total funds raised to $180 million.

Electrical Contractors Boost LED Savvy

More electrical contractors are boosting their knowledge of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to develop a strategic, optimum lighting mix offering aesthetics with energy efficiency—according to a special supplement in the latest issue of Electrical Contractor magazine. With 60 to 80 percent of electrical contractors now directly influencing or specifying lighting brands, a creative blend of traditional lighting with fast-emerging LEDs solves lighting challenges and meets green requirements such as earning Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) credits and other emerging standards, energy codes and programs.

Cree’s new hyper-efficient light bulb too expensive

Cree unveiled a new light-emitting diode (LED) light bulb that boasts the same output as a 75-watt incandescent bulb while consuming about one tenth of the electricity. The bulb produces 152 lumens — a measure of the visible light emitted by a bulb — per watt of electricity consumed, while a typical incandescent bulb only generates around 14.6 lumens per watt. In general, LED lighting is still much too expensive for typical consumers based on cost-per-lumen production, Lux Research analyst Murray McCutcheon told VentureBeat.

UXEON Rebel LEDs Recognized With Electron D'Or 2011 Award

LUXEON Rebel LEDs were honored in Paris, France with the Electron D'Or award from ElectroniqueS. LUXEON Rebel was noted for meeting the stringent requirements of the lighting industry. Selected by the editors and evaluated by a jury of experts from the world of business and research, thirteen innovative products in different categories were recognized for excellence.
Over the last year, the LUXEON Rebel portfolio has continued to expand in order to meet the needs of the lighting community. With new combinations of correlated color temperature (CCT) and color rendering (CRI) for white LEDs as well as a broadening of the color portfolio, LUXEON Rebel LEDs are uniquely positioned to meet the needs of the lighting community. By ensuring that there's light by LUXEON in each selected solution, lighting designers, specifiers, architects and end-users can adopt LED based lighting solutions with confidence knowing that the quality of light, reliability of the LED, and efficacy provided by the LUXEON LEDs is unmatched.

LEDs to Burn Competition in $100 Billion Market

If you haven’t heard, there’s a controversy brewing over new lighting regulations that will ban "normal" bulbs in favor of the curly CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamp) type. Many Americans hate CFL bulbs, and resent the idea of government regulations dictating rules about the kinds of light bulbs they can use. But their rant is misguided. Both CFL and incandescent bulbs will be eclipsed as LED technology becomes dominant, offering a huge source of revenue to the semiconductor industry.

Upstream Sectors of China's LED Industry Speed up

China's LED industry has seen significant development after the initiation of the National Semiconductor Illuminating Project in 2003. In 2008, the industry's growth rate was affected by the sluggish downstream demand, which was a result of the global financial crisis. In 2009, with the state's various supporting policies, the industry's growth rate began to pick up. In 2010, driven by the rapid development of the downstream full color LED display, LED backlight, LED lighting and other applications, the size of China's LED industry covering substrate, epitaxial, chip and packaging surged to RMB 29.46 billion, up 33.8% from 2009. Meanwhile, the CAGR of China's LED industry stayed at 18.7% from 2006 to 2010.
recent years, the development of China's substrate sector has been relatively slow compared with epitaxial, chip, and packaging sectors due to its backward technology and the fierce market competition. In 2010, as various sapphire substrate projects were still under construction or in the process of equipment testing, which kept the production capacity from a significant expansion, the substrate sector still featured low-end products with a limited production capacity of sapphire substrate. In 2010, China's substrate sector had a capacity of 3.525 million square inches, up 34.4% from 2009, with an output value of RMB 140 million, up 50.8% from 2009. 
Supported by National Semiconductor Illuminating Project and State 863 Program, China's GaAs/InP/GaP substrate technologies used for red light and green light LED production have achieved great progress. Mass production of the materials has been realized in enterprises including Compound Crystal Technology Co., Ltd, Guorui Electronic Materials Co., Ltd, Shanghai Pujia Optoelectronic Materials Co., Ltd. and the 46th Research Institute of CETC. Their total LED substrate output account for around 30% of the country's total, which makes China self-sufficient on such types of substrate.
In 2010, driven by the rapid development of the downstream LED backlight and LED illumination sectors and the rapid expansion of GaN epitaxial and chip production capacity, supplies of the upstream sapphire, SiC, GaN substrates applied in blue light and white light LEDs went tight with prices continuing to rise. Despite the yet immature technologies for such materials and the lack of qualified talents, many domestic enterprises started to enter the field of sapphire substrate field in pursuit of the high profit in 2010 and continued to increase investment and introduce key technologies. Most of those enterprises were located in the eastern coastal area and the southwest, along with a few in the inland areas. Among them, Tianjin Sapphire, Qingdao iStarWafer and Peter Stone Love have begun to supply sapphire substrate products, while Silian Group, which entered the sapphire substrate sector in 2008 through the acquisition of the internationally renowned manufacturer Honeywell's sapphire substrate factory in Canada and its technologies, is constructing a sapphire substrate base in Chongqing Municipality. By the end of 2010, the first phase of Silian Group's sapphire substrate project had been commissioned, and production had begun at partial capacity. Meanwhile, Yunan Crystaland, Harbin Aurora Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd and other enterprises with independent crystal bar technology have been producing sapphire substrate at a small scale. Xiexin Optoelectronics, Eurasian Rainbow Optoelectronics Technology and TDG Holding began to enter the sapphire crystal bar and substrate sector in 2010, while Zhejiang Crystal-Optech and Xi'an Shenguang Anrui Optoelectronics Technology are preparing to enter in 2011 and the first phase of ZheJiang East Crystal Electronic Co., Ltd's 7.5-million sapphire wafer for LED technical upgrade project is planned to start mass production by the end of 2012. Generally speaking, the supply of sapphire substrate will remain tight in the coming three years at least judging by the capacity expansion rate. However, as the sector starts to absorb massive investment in 2011 to expand production capacity, the proportion of sapphire substrate output against the total LED substrate output is sure to surge and overtake the quaternary system products.

GE planning full line of LED lightbulbs

General Electric plans to double down on LED home lighting over the next 16 months. In November, GE plans to start selling a 13-watt LED lightbulb that matches the light emission of a 60-watt incandescent bulb. That option will be followed by 75- and 100-watt-equivalent LED bulbs by fall 2012, the company said. The bulbs can deliver light "for over two decades" if consumers use them for no more than three hours each day, GE claims.

Bridgelux gets $60 million in new VC funding

Bridgelux received $60 million in venture capital -- funding that will bolster the East Bay cleantech company's quest to develop cheaper light-emitting diodes. Livermore-based Bridgelux hopes to use the cash to accelerate research into an array of ventures, including production of LEDs on silicon surfaces, rather than on more expensive sapphire surfaces.

Lumex Unveils Three New UV LED Standard Wavelengths

Newark, a leading multi-channel, high-service electronics distributor in the Americas, is stocking the newest QuasarBrite UV LED technologies from Lumex, which include three new standard wavelengths. Lumex states that QuasarBrite UV LEDs provide up to 10 times longer lifespan, up to 50% cost savings, up to 70% energy consumption savings and superior light performance, as compared to alternative technologies like CCFLs.
"Previously, widespread use of UV LED technology, especially in the shorter UV wavelengths, was hindered because the materials used in the epoxy LED lens degraded the lifespan of UV LEDs to less than 5,000 hours," explained Kay Fernandez, Product Technology Manager, Lumex. "Recent technological developments have allowed the epoxy lenses to be replaced by a robust TO-46 package with a glass lens, making it possible for QuasarBrite UVs to last 10 times longer- with life spans of over 50,000 hours."