Signtronix Launches New LED Products

Signtronix, the largest sign company for small businesses across America, announced a new line of products at their annual Jamboree in Chicago during the first weekend of June. These new LED and indoor electric signs are made to increase customer traffic and increase revenue. The company also introduced a new line of outdoor tri-color LED signs that have 4 LEDs per pixel instead of the three in the older models. Signtronix offers many different sign products from outdoor electric signs, LED messages signs and indoor and window signs to help America’s small businesses get the exposure they need to their passing public and potential customers.

Energy saving LED lamp market forecasts & innovations

Large-scale adoption of retrofit LED lamps are forecasted to lead to $100 billion in global energy savings over the next five years, according to a recent report from IMS Research based on numerous interviews with leading industry suppliers. Rapid growth in the conversion toward LED lamps for general lighting is expected to generate a market of more than 4 billion units by 2016.

Hammacher Schlemmer Introduces The TriArch LED Watch

Hammacher Schlemmer introduces The TriArch LED Watch, a timepiece that displays the time by building three colorful arches of blue LEDs. Only available from Hammacher Schlemmer, The TriArch LED Watch has twelve LEDs that depict the hours, five that represent 10-, 20-, 30-, 40-, and 50-minute increments, and nine that display the single digit minutes. The TriArch LED Watch displays 1:11 AM by illuminating the 1-hour, the 10th-minute, and 1-minute LEDs and progresses to illuminate all 26 LEDs by the time the watch strikes 12:59 PM. The watch's LEDs also show the date with a touch of button while the stainless steel case and 3/4"-wide black electroplated band provide durability.

SemiLEDs and Cree End Patent Litigation ‎

SemiLEDs Corporation, a developer and manufacturer of LED chips and LED components, announces that SemiLEDs and Cree, Inc. have agreed to end their respective patent infringement litigation against each other. As part of the settlement, SemiLEDs agreed to make a one-time payment to Cree for past damages and to an injunction, effective October 1, 2012, to stop the importation and sale of SemiLEDs' accused products in the United States. The parties have agreed to withdraw the remaining claims without prejudice to the right to assert their respective claims in the future.
"The conclusion of the disputes between SemiLEDs and Cree will allow us to now focus our full resources on developing our business and serving our customers. We continue to innovate and are introducing to the market an exciting, new line of LED products," said Adam Lin, VP of Business Development and General Counsel of SemiLEDs Corporation

Seoul Semiconductor's LED-Lighted Path

Seoul Semiconductor Corp. had annual revenue of about $100 million when Shin Ce-gill, who spent a 36-year career with Samsung companies, came in as chairman 10 years ago. In the decade since, the company has grown nearly 10 times larger, almost entirely by selling components for light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, and is now aiming for its first $1 billion year.

Willmar to test LED streetlights

Willmar Municipal Utilities will be conducting a year-long test of energy efficient LED streetlights in three residential neighborhoods. Also, the utility recently refinished the 18 electrical junction boxes found at intersections around downtown and in Old Town. One LED streetlight will be installed at each of the three locations across the city. The locations represent different types of neighborhoods and are home to a utility employee, a City Council member and a Kandiyohi County employee. All have agreed to monitor the effectiveness of the lights for up to a year.

Future looks bright for Moville LED light maker

Newly installed LED lights illuminate an office high rise in Orlando, Fla. and a hospital in Johnston, Pa.
What do the two projects have in common? In both cases, the energy-efficient light fixtures were assembled in Moville, Iowa. A small two-story brick building on main street houses a manufacturing plant and warehouse for Energy Tech Solutions.Headquartered in the Madison, Wis. suburb of Monona, the small business was started seven years ago by Moville native Rob Everhart and his wife, Cynthia.

Bright future for LED industry

The move by the Malaysian Government to phase out the use of incandescent lights or “round bulbs” is seen as a positive move by many, not only for its environmental significance but also the business benefits for manufacturers of light emitting diodes (LEDs). In March 2010, Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui announced that the government would phase out the use of such lights in stages leading to a complete ban in 2014

Three MaxLite LED Lamps Qualify for the Lighting Design Lab’s LED Products List

MaxLite, a global manufacturer and marketer of the MaxLED line of innovative LED luminaires and lamps, announces that three LED lamps are now listed on the Lighting Design Lab’s (LDL) interim qualified products list. Being listed ensures that MaxLite’s 7.5-watt A19, 6-watt dimmable PAR20 and 12-watt dimmable PAR30 will qualify for rebates for one year by most utility companies in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, which includes Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Alaska. The LDL qualifies LED products while they are being reviewed by ENERGY STAR or DesignLights™ Consortium (DLC). Products on the LDL list meet ENERGY STAR or DLC specs, except lumen maintenance, and are listed for no longer than 12 months.

iPad-controlled LED wall

There's wall art, and then there's LED wall art — controlled by an iPad so it can morph into any psychedelic work of art that fits your ever-changing mood. We'll take one to go, please! Greg Friedland's Aurora LED wall came to be, not because of some competition that would net him first place, but because he just needed to "fill an empty 6' by 12' wall" in his living room. The best ideas always come from boredom, don't they?

New Light Bulbs Make LED Lighting More Affordable

Philips New Zealand announces the release of two new additions to its Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting range, myVision and myAmbiance bulbs. These are designed to give consumers that want to make the switch to next generation LED lighting even more choice and at a lower price point.
The new myVision LED bulbs consume 6W or 9.5W of power and emit light output similar to standard 40W or 60W incandescent bulbs, respectively. The myAmbiance LED Bulb is dimmable with compatible dimmers and uses only 12W of power to generate more light than a standard 60W bulb. Designed to resemble a traditional frosted light bulb, the LEDs fit into existing screw or bayonet cap sockets, enabling an easy transition to LED lighting. All Philips LEDs are mercury-free and produce high quality natural shades of white light.
Philips LED light bulbs use up to 80% less energy than incandescent bulbs and can last 15-25 times longer.

Small Brooklyn-based lighting company offers "Made in USA" LED bulbs

LED Waves is proud to roll out the Los Angeles 2.0 LED MR-16, engineered and built in the USA. This bulb is a 4.5 Watt replacement for 50 Watt halogen spot lights, setting a new high standard for lumens per Watt efficacy. A direct retrofit replacement in low volt lighting systems, the Los Angeles is available in neutral (4000K) or warm white (3000K) and beam spreads of 17 or 37 degrees. (Other color temperatures and beam angles may be special ordered.)
The custom engineered heat sink on the Los Angeles features curved aluminum fins. This innovative design maximizes the standard MR-16 diameter by creating more surface area for thermal distribution (prolonging the lifespan of the LEDs).
The Los Angeles 2.0 is LED Waves’ first MR-16 designed with the Cree XLamp XB-D LED. This chip performs similarly to the efficacy barrier-breaking XP-G, but comes with a 48% smaller footprint - enabling more compact, lightweight designs.
Advancements in silicon carbide technology make the XB-D more cost effective than previous chips with silicon and sapphire-based substrates. As a manufacturer and supplier, LED Waves is able to pass these savings onto their customers. An American-made LED MR-16 of this quality and at this price point is a game changer for the country’s lighting industry, which has been dominated by cut-rate offshore manufacturing.
The per unit price is $19.99, with further discounts by quantity. Free samples of the Los Angeles MR-16 are available to lighting specifiers across the USA. Call LED Waves at 1(800)986-0169 to find a regional sales representative.
The Los Angeles 2.0 is an exciting addition to LED Waves' expanding line of lamps made in the USA. This includes an LED recessed down light fixture, an LED fluorescent replacement T8 tube, and LED PAR-20, PAR-30, and PAR-38 light bulbs. The company strives to fulfill the lighting needs of every industry with LED solutions that are both economically and environmentally sustainable.

Luminus’ new LED packaging technology cuts thermal resistance

Luminus Devices Inc of Billerica, MA, USA, which makes PhlatLight (photonic lattice) LEDs for illumination applications, has launched its latest development in packaging technology, which uses proprietary processes and new specialty materials and equipment to achieve a 30% reduction in thermal resistance for its ‘Big Chip’ LED products. This, in turn, enables the LEDs to reach up to 20% higher brightness levels while maintaining reliability during operation, the firm says.

Controversial LED project hits legal snag

A controversial project aimed at replacing streetlights around the capital city Islamadad has hit a legal snag. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday restrained the Capital Development Authority from executing the Rs6.5 billion project under which 65,000 conventional streetlights in the city would be replaced with Light Emitting Diode (LED) ones. Justice Azim Khan Afridi admitted a petition filed by two lawyers challenging the project and fixed its hearing for next week. Advocates Muhammad Naseem and Shajjar Abbas had filed the petition on May 20 seeking cancellation of the costly project to prevent misappropriation of public funds. Government and independent watchdogs also raised questions over the project.

Edmundson stocks Marl LED industrial, security and architectural lighting

Marl International today announced that it has been appointed as a preferred supplier of energy efficient industrial LEDs, floodlights, architectural and security light ranges for Edmundson Electrical Limited, a leading UK electrical wholesaler. This now enables Edmundson to sell the recently launched Marl Bay Range of energy efficient industrial LEDs, 742 security floodlights and Lumoluce architectural lighting ranges from its 250 plus stock-holding branches throughout the UK.
Marl 742 series LED security floodlights stocked by Edmundson draw just 17W and can last for over ten years. They feature a ruggedized, vandal-resistant, IP65 rated enclosure to deliver a low energy, low maintenance solution for perimeter, path, driveway, industrial and other security lighting applications. Edmundson will also offer Lumotech Lumoluce LED architectural lighting products for commercial and domestic applications, manufactured in the Netherlands, and supplied by Marl. Lumoluce LED lighting solutions are attracting a fast-growing following due to their remarkable colour consistency and exceptional energy efficiency.

LED Street Lighting Trial in 12 of World’s largest cities

LED (light-emitting diodes) street lighting can generate energy savings as high as 85%, an independent, global trial of the technology has found. The program also indicates that citizens of pilot cities prefer LED lighting, citing the social and environmental benefits.
The findings of LightSavers, an independent, two-and-a-half-year global pilot of LED lamps in 15 separate trials across 12 cities including New York, London, Kolkata and Sydney, are presented for the first time in a new report entitled, Lighting the Clean Revolution: The Rise of LED Street Lighting and What it Means for Cities: www.TheCleanRevolution.org/lighting-the-clean-revolution.
The report explores the global market status and potential for LED technology and provides guidelines for policymakers and city light managers who want to scale-up and finance large LED retrofits. The report was launched as part of the Clean Revolution campaign at the Rio+20 UN Global Compact Corporate Sustainability Forum and produced by The Climate Group in partnership with Philips in support of the campaign’s argument that major energy savings can be achieved virtually overnight at relatively little cost .

Key findings from the report:
•    Surveys in Kolkata, London, Sydney and Toronto indicated that citizens prefer LED lighting, with 68% to 90% of respondents endorsing city-wide rollout of the technology. Amongst the benefits that were highlighted in these surveys were a greater sense of safety and improved visibility.

•    The lifespan of LED lighting trialed ranges from 50,000 to 100,000 hours indicating a high return on investment.

•    LED lighting was found to be a durable technology with the need for minimal repairs; the  failure rate of LED products over 6,000 hours is around 1%, compared, for example, to around 10% for conventional lighting over a similar time period.

•    The LED market is at a tipping point, with white light LEDs (used in outdoor lighting) at the early stage of the technology curve. Market penetration is accelerating as the market is expected to expand by 60% by 2020. A recent ILO report[1] concluded that the green economy could yield up to 60 million jobs; The Climate Group, Philips and partners are calling governments to catalyze the scale-up of LEDs in cities and invest now in order to  capitalise on this and create a significant amount of high-value jobs across the world.

•    The LightSaver trial concludes that LEDs are now mature enough for scale-up in most outdoor applications, bring the economical and social benefits to the masses.

•    The Climate Group and Philips are calling for an international low carbon lighting standard to be created and implemented ensuring that citizens worldwide have access to energy efficient outdoor lighting.

Lighting is responsible for 19% of global electricity use and around 6% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Doubling lighting efficiency globally would have a climate impact equivalent to eliminating half the emis¬sions of all electricity and heat production in the EU[3]. And like many other energy-efficient technologies, efficient lighting will boost global prosperity. In the United States alone, cutting the energy used by lighting by 40% would save US$53 billion in annual energy costs, and reduce energy demand equivalent to 198 mid-size power stations.

Independence LED Launches CASH for CLUNKERS Lighting

Independence LED Lighting, a leading U.S. Manufacturer of energy efficient LED Tubes, has launched a comprehensive $10 Million CASH for CLUNKERS Lighting program. The incentive covers the cost of banned T12 tubes, proper disposal of the toxic tubes and ballasts, and an LED Lighting Retrofit Return on Investment (ROI) Assessment. The incentive is for U.S. businesses that choose to retrofit with Independence LED Tubes, which are three times more energy efficient and last three times longer than the obsolete T12s. To further assist qualified business owners, Independence LED provides $0 down financing programs providing net savings from the flip of the switch. The program runs through 12/31/2012.
With almost 1 billion T12 tubes in U.S. properties, according to government data in the T12 White Paper, the ban covers more than 30% of American linear lighting. The cost burden of the ban could reach $18.75 billion, given needs for new 'legal' tubes, ballasts, and installation - a challenge for business and building owners.
"In just 30 days, this ban will have significant financial implications for American businesses. The 'CASH for CLUNKERS' Cars and Appliances programs made an impact, so we decided to roll out a program to our customers for LED lighting efficiency retrofits," states Charlie Szoradi, Chairman and CEO of Independence LED. "Now, our 'CASH for CLUNKERS Lighting' and cash flow positive financing works well with available utility company incentives and Federal tax benefits to make clear business sense for replacing T12s with LEDs today. Since the government has not offered cash for T12 clunker lighting, we took the private sector initiative to step up to meet this challenge."
You can learn more and register for the incentives by visiting CASH for CLUNKERS Lighting.

Affordable Cutting Edge LED Light Bulbs Brighten Puget Sound Marketplace

Puget Sound Energy announced the wide availability of light emitting diode (LED) bulbs and fixtures for the utility's residential electric customers at participating retail stores. As the country phases out incandescent bulb technology in favor of more efficient and longer lasting options, LED technology has been viewed as a long term solution -- though a costly solution. LED bulbs are now widely available and, with a variety of rebates and discounts, are becoming more affordable to everyday consumers for the first time.
LED bulbs use up to 80 percent less energy while producing the same quality and brightness of light that customers are used to getting from old incandescent bulbs. ENERGY STAR(R)-qualified LED bulbs also have an average life span of up to 25,000 hours or up to 25 years, compared to incandescent bulbs which can last up to 1,000 hours and ENERGY STAR-qualified compact florescent light (CFL) bulbs which can last up to 10,000 hours. While an LED bulb isn't significantly more energy efficient than a CFL bulb, its long life makes it more cost effective. Most LED bulbs are dimmable, making them a great solution for kitchen and dining room lights.
"For the last few years, the high price of LED bulbs has prevented many consumers from investing in the efficient and long lasting bulbs," said Cal Shirley, vice president of Customer Solutions at PSE. "LED bulbs are a great technology; they save energy and last an incredibly long time. Now that the price of LED bulbs has dropped and with available discounts, the era of the LED bulb has arrived. At PSE we're doing what we can to support consumer adoption of efficient technology that helps customers save energy and money."
For each incandescent bulb replaced with an LED bulb, customers save about $6 per year in energy costs. The average household can save $150 a year in energy costs by replacing the 25 most frequently used lights in the home with LED bulbs.

Noribachi Announces LED Standardization Alliance Program

Noribachi, a leading LED technology company, announces NORImark. A product line and LED alliance program, NORImark aims to standardize LED lighting while empowering the lighting industry with state-of-the-art, market-ready LED solutions.
Currently, many challenges exist within the developing LED lighting market, including lack of engineering resources, lengthy product testing and certification lead times, and prohibitive product development costs. In response, Noribachi has made its acclaimed LED products available to all mainstream lighting channels, allowing anyone to immediately go to market with a full LED product line.
The NORImark product line is a robust set of hundreds of light modules and complete light engines crafted in hundreds of different geometries able to upgrade any existing luminaire to LED. Noribachi uses LEDs from the leading suppliers including Cree, Nichia, Osram and Philips in NORImark products. All NORImark products have been comprehensively tested and certified, including UL and DLC.
Noribachi's extensive experience of selling to the end-user informs several support services for partner companies. These include supply chain support, product qualification support, engineering services, and access to sales collateral and marketing strategies. With over four thousand LED deals with numerous Fortune 500 companies, Noribachi has gleaned valuable knowledge of the market, allowing it to catalyze LED sales for NORImark partners.
NORImark has received an overwhelmingly positive response. Noribachi is pleased to announce that numerous lighting companies from leading components distributors to lighting manufacturers to independent sales reps have signed up to become NORImark product partners, creating a solid network across the entire value chain.
"LEDs are quickly becoming the dominant lighting source, yet accessing the technology is financially prohibitive and resource intensive, relegating most lighting stakeholders to the sidelines. NORImark's goal is to level the playing field and make LED technology and product available to everyone with very low risk and low investment. Now there's no reason not to do LED," says Celestyna Brozek, VP of Marketing at Noribachi.
Joining Norimark means joining a community of industry leaders intent on driving LED forward and minimizing the inherent challenges of mainstreaming a nascent technology. The ease of joining NORImark is intentional, meant to reflect the ease which NORImark brings to selling LED. For more details on joining NORImark, please contact Noribachi.

Silicon-based LEDs set to slash production costs

For the first time ever, researchers at Osram Opto Semiconductors – a Siemens subsidiary – have successfully produced gallium nitride LED chips on a silicon substrate instead of the much more expensive sapphire backing. Silicon is a standard material in the semiconductors industry and is, therefore, an inexpensive and easily obtainable alternative.  This development goes a long way to making it possible for Osram to produce LED components at a much lower cost, while maintaining the same level of quality and performance.

Volume Production of High-Powered Silicon Substrate-Based LEDs

Lattice Power Corporation, the world's premier company offering GaN-on-Silicon LED chips, today announced the start of volume production of its new generation GaN-based high powered LEDs on silicon substrate. This development sets the backdrop for a sharp reduction in the prices of energy-efficient LED light bulbs worldwide.
Lattice Power is the first and only company in volume production of GaN-on-Silicon LED chip, with products that are comparable to high-end chips that rely on conventional sapphire substrates. At operation current of 350mA, the 45-mil product is capable of producing 130 lumen cool white with an efficiency of 120 lumens for each watt consumed. Moreover, silicon substrates are readily available in larger diameters and at a fraction of the cost of sapphire substrates resulting in substantial cost reductions for downstream manufacturers.
Twenty strategic customers have received the LEDs and will incorporate them into indoor and outdoor lighting applications. Lattice Power's silicon substrate-based LED series encompasses four different chip sizes: 28mil x 28mil, 35mil x 35mil, 45mil x 45mil, and 55mil x 55mil. Chip power ranges from 0.5 watts to 2 watts.
Lattice Power has always invested heavily in research and development in silicon substrate-based LED technology. The commercialization of its silicon substrate-based-power chip series represents a second milestone for Lattice Power after the launch and volume production of its smaller size silicon substrate-based LED chips used in display and signage recently.
Using GaN-on-Silicon technology to make commercial grade LEDs in the United States and Europe has shown promising laboratory results -- but not at volume production levels like Lattice Power has in the past year. Lattice Power, realizing its potential early on, started to work on this technology before it became part of the mainstream industry perspective. Lattice Power has filed more than 200 innovative international and domestic patents in this field.

Backlit Light Box enables bright, creatively customized graphic displays

At a time when consumers demand unique experiences with brands, lighting remains one of the most critical elements of a brand’s visual presentation – and LEDs have become the desired source. To help companies harness this leading-edge technology to brilliantly convey their brands and attract and influence customers, Stylmark introduces the Optima 1000 LED Backlit Light Box, one of the brightest light box displays with versatility for custom applications.
Stylmark's Optima 1000 LED Backlit Light Box enables exceptionally bright, creatively customized graphic displays in retail and commercial environments (Photo: Stylmark, Inc.) A sophisticated alternative to backlit fluorescent and edgelit LED light boxes, the Optima 1000 LED combines the best aspects of each technology for a more vivid and consistent display of branded graphics. Its premium light source contains a panel of LEDs, ensuring all graphic sizes are evenly lit and illumination is uniformly diffuse without hot spots or visible emitters. Measuring more than 1,000 foot-candles, the Optima 1000 LED is brighter than many backlit fluorescent light boxes while providing the benefits of LED technology: lower power consumption, longer lifespan and fewer failure points.

High Intensity 300 Watt LED Mining Light

Magnalight.com announced today the release of the LEDP5W-60 high intensity LED mining light designed for heavy duty use in industrial and mining applications. Featuring waterproof construction and rugged aluminum housings with polycarbonate lenses, the LED mining lights are ideal for demanding conditions where durability is critical. Powerful enough to replace standard metal halide lamps, the LEDP5W-60 offers increased longevity and durability with multi-voltage capability.
The Magnalight LEDP5W-60 high intensity LED mining light provides operators powerful and durable LED illumination for applications where lighting is subjected to extreme environmental and working conditions. Featuring housings constructed of extruded aluminum and unbreakable polycarbonate lenses, these LED mining lights are rated IP68 waterproof to 3 meters and can withstand shocks, vibrations and impacts that would cause ordinary incandescent and glass bulb HID lamps to fail. The LEDP5W-60 is equipped with 60 five watt LEDs, helping it to produce 29,580 lumens of intense output that is ideal for illuminating large areas with crisp, bright, even white light. The CREE XLamp XPG LEDs used in these units provide the highest LED quality available and ensure maximum reliability and longevity with 15.6Grms rated resistance to vibrations and 70% lumen maintenance after 50,000 hours of use. These LED mining lights are sealed against dust, dirt and water, and with the ability to operate on 12 or 24 volt DC current are ideal for use on vehicles and heavy equipment typically used in industrial and mining operations. Heavy duty mounting hardware allows these lights to be mounted securely to any flat surface or bracket and provide 360 degrees of vertical adjustability. These industrial grade lights are equipped with built in electronic controllers which provide active heat management and voltage control for cool LED operation and long life, and allows them to be directly connected to any 12 or 24 VDC power source without the need for transformers or added hardware. These LED fixtures produce output on par with comparable metal halide lamps, providing high quality light output capable of covering the same amount of workspace while using less than half as much electrical power. This high efficiency is ideal for industrial applications where lighting often must run off of batteries and long run times are important. Magnalight offers many options for these lights including cords, mounting platforms and hardware, and offers a choice of ordering these lights in spot or floodlight configurations to allow tailoring to specific applications.
"This LEDP5W-60 LED light is designed for the most demanding environments. It is IP68 rated and can withstand dust, dirt, dampness and extreme vibration," said Rob Bresnahan with Larson Electronics' magnalight.com. "The LEDP5W-60 high intensity LED light is a highly durable alternative to 1000 watt metal halide lights."

Professional Display LEDs Reach $3.3 Billion in 2017, OLED Industry Grows Up

LEDs are used in thousands of applications across hundreds of industries. Global Information Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of three new excellent reports on the light emitting diode (LED) industry. The reports provide LED application consumption forecasts and will help executives understand the key issues and developments surrounding the LED market as well as gain insight into the infantile OLED industry.
Worldwide consumption of LEDs in signage and professional displays is forecast to reach $3.3 billion in 2017, a $1.67 billion increase from the global consumption value posted in 2011. According to Electronicasts' new LED market research, high brightness (HB) LEDs holds a relative market share of nearly 67 percent in 2012. This report indicates that market share in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region is expected to expand at a faster pace than the Americas region (South, Central and North America). While Europe, Middle East and Africa, or the EMEA region, will hold over 20% of the global consumption value this year in 2012, relatively flat growth is expected for the region over the next few years.
Electronicasts' 2011-2017 market review and forecast is presented for Standard-type versus High Brightness- (HB) type LEDs used in signage and professional displays. This application category includes covers LEDs that are used signs and displays. LEDs are used in building facades, large outdoor video screens, digital billboards, sport/stadium displays, small indoor retail displays, food displays (restaurants/ supermarkets), signs on taxis and destination signs on mass-transit vehicles, channel-lettering/light-boxes, LED/LCD TV screens (used exclusively for professional purposes), and the list continues.

Honeywell: 2015 date for LED lighting 'too late'

The US manufacturer Honeywell is calling for an immediate global switch to LED lighting, saying that the predicted date of 2015 for market domination by LEDs is too late. Lighting accounts for roughly 19% of global energy production, and a switch to LEDs would be cost effective for companies, says John Storey, global business director of LED Lighting for Honeywell.

Future looks bright for LED lights

Rob and Cynthia Everhart attend a major lighting products show every year, and they've seen LED lights soar in popularity. Last month in Las Vegas, energy efficient LEDs, also known as light-emitting diodes, accounted for 85% of what was displayed at the annual Lightfair confab, Rob Everhart said. LEDs have long been considered the next big thing when it comes to energy-saving lights, but the upfront cost has been far too high. That's changing as the technology improves and production costs fall. "I've been an energy consultant for 26 years now, and there's never been a technology that has changed the market the way this will change the market," said Rob Everhart.

Cheaper LED Lightbulbs Are on the Way

Cost has been a major barrier in keeping people from buying energy-efficient LED lightbulbs. While they last much longer than $1 incandescent bulbs or $4 compact fluorescents, their sticker-price is daunting: a 60-watt equivalent LED bulb costs $15 to $25. Now one of the world's largest LED makers, Osram Opto Semiconductors, says it has perfected a technique that could significantly cut the production cost of LEDs.

LEDs can return on their investment within two years

Concerns over the weak or cold quality of LED light have abated, say energy experts, whose verdict is backed up by shoppers posting positive online reviews on Amazon and energy-saving forums. Despite usually costing more than six times as much as halogens, the payback for LEDs now comes in 15 months or less – and for homeowners changing dozens of halogen bulbs, the savings can be in the hundreds of pounds every year afterwards.

NXP Announces GreenChip for Low-Cost LED Lamps up to 10W

NXP Semiconductors N.V. announced the SSL2115x series of high-efficiency GreenChip driver ICs for low-cost LED retrofit lamps. The new SSL21151 and SSL21153 are designed for non-dimmable 5W and 10W LED lamps respectively, providing good current control in flyback and buck-boost configurations. The SSL2115x enables small form-factor LED drivers, using primary-side sensing to regulate current, and offering integrated LED open/short protections, an internal 700V MOSFET, and a circuit enabling start-up directly from the rectified mains voltage. With the use of an additional valley fill circuit, the SSL2115x series can offer a power factor of approximately 0.9. NXP is showing the SSL21151/53 at Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition (Hall 13.2, Booth B43).
"To make LED lamps a viable replacement for incandescent light bulbs on a large scale, many manufacturers are exploring ways to bring the average selling price below the $10 mark. At the same time, the luminous efficacy of LEDs is improving steadily, requiring less power to emit more lumens," said Ryan Zahn, general manager, lighting solutions product line, NXP Semiconductors. "By offering a compact, low-cost solution for driving LED lamps up to 10W, we are broadening our portfolio of options for lighting manufacturers focused on delivering both energy savings and value to a broad customer base worldwide."

Cree Brings Revolutionary LED Luminaire Design and Evaluation Services to China

Cree, Inc. announces new technology centers in China, further expanding Cree TEMPO (Thermal, Electrical, Mechanical, Photometric, Optical) Services in these key markets. The groundbreaking technology centers support demand for Cree products and services throughout China and demonstrate Cree's commitment to accelerate broader market adoption of LED lighting. TEMPO Services provide LED lighting manufacturers a comprehensive suite of evaluation services for LED luminaires -- ensuring customers have information needed to design and market quality LED products.
The new technology centers will offer a range of TEMPO Services to meet the unique needs of lighting manufacturers in China, including the popular Cree TEMPO 21 and TEMPO Thermal Simulation Services. Cree's experience indicates that many of the common quality issues and failure modes seen in Solid State Lighting products are not detected by currently available standardized tests. TEMPO 21 examines critical aspects of quality that commonly go unchecked such as chemical compatibility, driver spikes, dimmer compatibility and electrolytic capacitor analysis.
Effective LED luminaire thermal design is essential to ensure reliability and optimum performance. TEMPO Thermal Simulation predicts the thermal behavior of LED-based fixtures, including junction temperature, heat sink temperature, temperature profile and airflow profile. TEMPO SPOT gives customers access to complex, costly equipment to measure the photometric performance of luminaires and replacement lamps. Every TEMPO Service delivers an accurate, easy-to-understand TEMPO report that includes all testing results and relevant performance data.

Risun offers active thermal solutions for LED lighting

Originally the world-leading micro-fan supplier for the cooling of pico projectors, mobile internet devices (MIDs), and ultra-thin computers, Risun Expanse Corp. has made strong moves into a new horizon, the active thermal solutions for LED lighting.

By adding two round-framed axial cooling fans, RRA3008 (Φ30×8mm) and RRA6016 (Φ60×16mm) to the product lineup, Risun is turning a new page on the cooling of high power LEDs.

In response to the eco-friendly appeal for energy-saving and low carbon emission, LED has long been regarded as the viable alternative to inefficient incandescent lamps and eco-unfriendly compact fluorescent lamps. However, on the way to become a truly general lighting solution, there are several issues left to be tackled for LED. One major issue of LED is the luminous decay caused by high power and temperature from the ever-increasing demand for high brightness output. The elevated temperature will pose a serious problem to the service life of LEDs.

For the capability of pure passive cooling means, such as heat sink, to keep up with the heat-generation rate of high power LEDs, the size and weight of heat sink will usually go up to an unreasonable level, making it impractical for the cooling of high brightness LEDs and setting the stage for the active cooling fans with much higher cooling efficiency.

Rated at 5V and about 0.35W, both RRA3008 and RRA6016 adopt a stator structure with an axial air-gap and without iron cores or silicon steel stacks, which is unprecedented among LED cooling fans usually consisting of a stator structure with a radial air-gap and silicon steel stacks, the causes of induced eddy current losses, higher fan power, and poor fan efficiency. Without silicon steels, the diameter of fan impeller can be smaller and the length of fan blades longer, meaning a cooling fan can achieve the same performance at a lower rotation speed and therefore lower noise level compared to its counterpart with silicon steels.

LEDs highlight of first meeting at Cayman Islands

The members of the nascent Cayman Islands Facilities Management Association stepped into the bright lights of Camana Bay to learn about new LED technology and its potential to slash electricity use. The gathering Wednesday, 30 May, was the inaugural membership meeting for the association. The group’s is new and its nonprofit application, being prepared by Maples and Calders pro bono, has yet to be considered by the Cayman Islands government. Also, its chapter application isn’t set to be considered by the US-based International Facilities Management Association until later this month.

Capstone Industries Launches New Power Failure Light

CHDT Corporation announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Capstone Industries will launch the new Eco-i-Lite 5 LED Power Failure Light at a warehouse club nationally in a two pack format. "This is just one of many new products that Capstone is bringing to consumers this year that will leverage our brand equity in safety and security solutions," commented Reid Goldstein, President of Capstone Industries.
Eco-i-Lite products include the recently released Eco-i-Lite 5 LED, the larger Eco-i-Lite 10 LED, the smaller Eco-i-Lite 3 LED, and the Eco-i-Lite Slimline 3 LED, as well as the full size Eco-i-Lite 6 LED, the more compact Midi Eco-i-Lite, with 4 LEDs; and Mini Eco-i-Lite, with 3 LEDs.

LED Wristbands Powered by Silicon Labs Microcontrollers

Nothing lights up a rock arena quite like a Coldplay audience with tens of thousands of flashing Xylobands LED wristbands powered by embedded technology from Silicon Laboratories Inc.. Created by UK-based RB Concepts Ltd., Xylobands use wireless ICs and ultra-low-power microcontrollers (MCUs) from Silicon Labs to receive and process wireless signals that trigger each wristband's LEDs to light up in sync with the music and stage lightshow.
The Xylobands are a patented creation of inventor and Coldplay fan Jason Regler, a co-owner of RB Concepts. Coldplay's high-energy music and lyrics inspired Regler's bright idea to create a wireless LED wristband that could be controlled remotely through proprietary software and a laptop connected to a radio transmitter to enable fans to be part of the lightshow. Recognizing the brilliance of Regler's invention, the Brit Awards- and Grammy-winning rock band has used Xylobands to light up arenas and stadiums all around the world.
Xylobands have a very broad appeal. In addition to lighting up rock concerts, Xylobands can generate interactive audience participation at a wide variety of sporting events, theme parks, festivals, parties and corporate activities.

Buckingham man LEDs the way on CO2 savings

A Buckingham (UK) man hopes to be a beacon for the future as he brings the latest energy saving light bulbs, which have a life span measured in decades, to the town. Mark Simmons of the Energy Association (EA) is receiving new editions of the LED solid state light bulbs on a weekly basis and says he is already saving Buckingham businesses thousands of pounds with the bulbs which last for 20 years and run at the 10th of the cost of energy efficient fluorescent bulbs.

New OLED lighting panel hopes to outshine fluorescent bulbs

With the arrival of its OLED lighting panel, the Lumiblade GL350, Philips Lighting is attempting to quietly usher in the era of practical OLED lighting. The diminutive squares, 3.3mm thick with edges not even five inches (they're precisely 124.5mm) in length, put out 120 lumens each. As organic light-emitting diodes go, that's really rather punchy. It's this higher output that has led the Dutch electronics giant to declare the GL350 "the first OLED that is suitable for general lighting purposes" in its product catalog.

NanoMarkets Projects Significant Opportunities for LED Phosphors

Industry analyst firm NanoMarkets announces the release of a new report, titled “Market Opportunities for LED Phosphors in Lighting Applications 2012,” that analyzes the moneymaking opportunities for LED phosphor suppliers in the lighting sector over the next eight years. NanoMarkets estimates that the total market value of LED phosphors used in lighting applications will grow from about $525 million in 2012 to a value of over $730 million by 2015 and to over $1.6 billion by the end of the forecast period in 2019. This growth represents a CAGR of over 17 percent over the eight-year forecast period.
A major shift toward more efficient, long-lifetime LED lighting is underway and is expected to continue over next decade, with many governments around the world using the regulatory process to mandate higher efficiency lighting products. During this period, LED phosphor suppliers will enjoy an expanding market for their products, especially in the general illumination sectors. At the same time, the market value for LED phosphors in display backlighting is expected to decline, as growth in the underlying display markets are not expected to keep up with advancements that are leading to fewer LEDs-per-device and, hence, reduced consumption of phosphor materials.
NanoMarkets believes that the moneymaking opportunities for LED phosphor suppliers are centered on the following interrelated key characteristics. First, LED phosphors that provide better luminous efficacy, such as through higher internal quantum efficiency or reduced down-conversion loss, will help LED lighting better compete with fluorescent lighting for market share. Second, phosphors that provide better color rendering are also still in demand, especially in the general illumination and display backlighting markets, where LEDs still perform poorly in comparison to the traditional incandescent lighting. Finally, phosphors and phosphor blends that enable LED lighting component manufacturers to better provide application-specific color temperatures are also needed.

LED manufacturer Lighting Science Group closes $140m funding placement

Lighting Science Group has completed the final round in a series of private placements totaling approximately $140 million in equity funding and commitments, of which approximately $88 million is new equity funding and commitments and approximately $52 million represents the conversion of certain bridge financings occurring since the fourth quarter of 2011.

Osram Ostar Projection Cube green LED doubles system brightness for embedded projection

Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH of Regensburg, Germany has launched the Ostar Projection Cube grren LED for embedded projection applications in smartphones and cameras.
Osram Opto says that the next development for smart phones and cameras is an integrated miniature projector that can display images on a much larger surface than existing displays (i.e. embedded projection, using LEDs as the light source). However, the greatest challenge so far for lighting technology has been the limited efficiency of the green light-emitting diodes, since high brightness is essential if the projected image is to be seen with ambient light.
Efficient LEDs for red and blue light have been available for some time, but LEDs that produce green light with acceptable luminance have not been available. Osram claims that the Ostar Projection Cube now fills this gap by offering luminous efficiency of 110 lumens per watt (lm/W). This is claimed to be much more than other previously available green LEDs in the embedded projection sector, enabling sufficient output to be achieved in embedded projectors for the first time.
“The new LED almost doubles the brightness in smart-phone applications, so embedded projectors with a system brightness of up to 25 lumens are possible,” says Wolfgang Schnabel, marketing manager, Projection, at Osram Opto. The image is hence clearly visible even without dimming and ambient lighting, says the firm. Also, due to the efficiency of LED technology, the projector can also be used in mobile applications with limited battery capacity.
The new green LED is available in two versions, with a 1mm or 0.75mm edge-length chip (providing a solution for all standard imager formats in mobile applications) producing 260 lumens at 700mA and 2.3W or 130 lumens at 350mA and 1.2W, respectively.

Breakthrough Outdoor SMD LED Panel

Global LED video display technology leader, Lighthouse Technologies, cemented its leading position at the forefront of the LED display industry with the launch of a revolutionary 19mm outdoor display panel using surface mounted (SMD) LEDs.
The new "Impact 19" panel extends the successful "Impact Series" enabling Lighthouse to become the first ever company to offer a full range of SMD LEDs outdoor display series specifically for the permanent installation market. With superior visual performance and a significant price advantage, "Impact 19" provides a radical new 19mm pixel pitch making it ideal for sports arenas, outdoor digital signage, advertising billboards, shopping malls and theme parks where long viewing distances are required.
Peter Chan the Managing Director of Lighthouse said, "We are extremely proud that Lighthouse has proven once again to be the leading LED video display technology pioneer by setting a new benchmark for the industry with the "Impact 19" using SMD LED technology. Lighthouse now leads the market with a full range of outdoor SMD LEDs products offering better viewing angles and higher pixel densities, which means a much better visual performance for our customers. We are the only company offering anything at this level."

Bulb-maker aglow over US deal

Christchurch (NZ) energy-efficient light-bulb maker Energy Mad has secured a deal to supply light bulbs to the world's largest drug store chain, Walgreens. Energy Mad will send an initial shipment of $1.7 million worth of bulbs – about 600,000 bulbs – to Walgreens in about three months' time. That will be followed by regular restocking orders. How fast those orders come through depends on consumer demand, but Energy Mad managing director Chris Mardon said he expected it would be several times a year. Revenue from the initial order would be paid in the 2013 financial year.

Falling prices to kill off half of Chinese LED chipmakers

In China, surplus capacity and sliding prices are sounding the death knell for half of the companies making light emitting diode (LED) chips used in Samsung television panels and Sharp computer monitors, with only the large, state-backed players likely to pull through. Sluggish global sales of TVs and computers may further cut LED chip prices by 20 percent this year, and consolidation or closure are the only options for China's smaller LED players, analysts say.