LED news

No color bins, no flux bins, no Vf bins

2012-02-01T06:00:00.001+01:00

Philips Lumileds introduced LUXEON K this week, its illumination grade array that charts a new direction for downlights and retrofit bulbs so that solutions can come to market more quickly and at a price that drives market adoption. LUXEON K arrays provide thousands of lumens of light output and will be available in three different CCTs with a typical CRI of 85, and with five configurations of 4-24 emitters per array, in early Q2 of this year.
"LUXEON K extends our portfolio of illumination grade LEDs engineered to optimize end-user satisfaction of specific applications," said Rahul Bammi, VP Marketing at Philips Lumileds. "For downlights and retrofit bulbs, LUXEON K provides a unique approach that delivers the highest, most consistent quality of light in an easy-to-implement array. Our hot testing and specification at 85 deg C, and freedom from color, flux, and Vf binning, makes LUXEON K the simplest of LEDs to specify and use."

LEDs America to Award Viper Networks Exclusivity in India and Saudi Arabia

2012-02-01T06:00:00.000+01:00

LEDs America has agreed to award the Company with complete sales and marketing export rights with 100% exclusivity for LEDs America's LED products for the entire country of India, as well as Saudi Arabia for the next 5 years.
To receive automatic exclusivity renewal for these two countries, final terms of the agreement will include modest annual sales and/or revenue growth benchmarks, since Viper Networks is currently in manufacturing supplier contract negotiations with LEDs America in North America.
The exclusivity agreement includes all products sold under the LED-O(R) registered brand name, along with complete rights for current products under development, and future products that may be developed and/or engineered during the Company's exclusivity period.

Light bulb jokes are forever

2012-01-31T06:00:00.001+01:00

We have a new endangered species in the United States. Don't get too concerned. It doesn't have babies and there still are billions around. It's the light bulb. That is to say, it's our old incandescent light bulb. It's the glass, round thingy with the filament inside. You know, the one you shake to see if it's broken. That's the one that's dying off. Technically, it's called a lamp, by the way. But you call it whatever you want because we won't really need a name for it pretty soon anyway!

New LED-O Product to Replace Standard 100W Incandescent Bulbs

2012-01-31T06:00:00.000+01:00

Viper Networks, Inc., in conjunction with LEDs America, Inc., announced the forthcoming market introduction of the 9W LED, their latest incandescent replacement lamp, which targets the replacement for 100W incandescent bulbs.
The 9W LED bulb from LEDs America (replaces 100W incandescent bulbs) will join the other two similar products, including the 5W LED (replaces 60W incandescent bulbs) and the 4W (to replace 40W incandescent bulbs).
The 9W LED lamp is just the newest product in a series of LED lights from LEDs America, to provide consumers a superior lighting option to any incandescent and fluorescent product available.
LEDs America’s superior ratio of lumens per watt reduces total cost of energy by approximately 90 percent compared to a standard 40W, 60W or 100W bulb. With an average life use of 50,000 hours, the company’s LED bulbs need far less replacing than traditional incandescents and CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps).
As of January 2012, U.S. law requires that light bulbs must be at least 25% more energy efficient, which means that traditional incandescent bulbs will be phased out, starting with the 100-watt bulb. Although some of the replacements have been with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), many consumers do not like these ‘swirl’ bulbs for giving off what many say is inferior light.
Additionally, LEDs America has developed a breakthrough in creating an LCC- LED Cluster Chip technology light source to replace incandescent bulbs with a much more naturally emitting light.
All LEDS America bulbs and lamps are sold under the brand name LED-O®, which with combined features will not only save 90% of the energy used in a standard bulb, but also save 50% compared to a CFL, while emitting no UV light and containing no mercury.
The LED-O® fits all standard fixtures and lamps, is 100% recyclable and can be used with any voltage 85-265 V.

LED sales of Philips grew 37 percent

2012-01-30T07:28:00.001+01:00

Lighting comparable sales of Philips increased 7% year-on-year, driven by double-digit sales growth at Lamps and Automotive, the company says. LED-based sales grew 37% compared to Q4 2010, now representing 18% of total Lighting sales. Sales in growth geographies increased by 21% in the quarter. Results were impacted by pricing, inventory reduction measures, and operational issues. As part of the turnaround plan, most brands for Consumer Luminaires products will be re-branded as Philips, which resulted in a value adjustment of commercial and brand-related assets leading to a charge of EUR 128 million. 'Our fourth quarter results were impacted by weak European sales, postponement in deliveries of existing orders in our Healthcare sector, and inventory correction actions and other operational issues in our Lighting business. These issues were partially offset by solid results in our Consumer Lifestyle growth businesses, which benefited from the early adoption of the Accelerate! change and performance improvement program.'

LED lights point shoppers in the right direction

2012-01-30T06:00:00.001+01:00

Looking for an item in a large department store or mall can be like searching for a needle in a haystack, but that could change thanks to a hybrid location-identification system that uses radio frequency transmitters and overhead LED lights, suggested by a team of researchers from Penn State and Hallym University in South Korea.
LED lights are becoming the norm, said Mohsen Kavehrad, W. L. Weiss Chair Professor of Electrical Engineering and director of the Center for Information and Communications Technology Research at Penn State. The same lights that brighten a room can also provide locational information.
To locate an item in a mall, the system would not need to transfer large amounts of data. Kavehrad and his team envision large stores or malls with overhead LED light fixtures, each assigned with a location code. At the entrance, a computer that is accessible via keyboard or even telephone would contain a database of all the items available. Shortly after a query, the location or locations of the desired item would appear.

LED Lighting Company Elemental LED Partners with United States Green Building Council

2012-01-30T06:00:00.000+01:00

A San Francisco Bay Area based LED lighting company, announced that it is now a partner in the United States Green Building Council’s Affinity Program. This program gives members of the USGBC Northern California chapter discounts at several green businesses throughout California.
Elemental LED launched the partnership with a special 1-month 25% discount to USGBC members. After the first month, Elemental LED will provide an ongoing discount of 20% off the company’s LED lighting products, as well as special deals to new members.
USGBC members include professionals from the fields of architecture, design, construction, engineering, government and real estate who are invested in building environmentally sustainable communities. Elemental LED will be gaining access to a large group of potential customers whose goals of decreasing energy use are similarly aligned. USGBC is in the process of improving benefits in an effort to attract new members.
LED light bulbs, lamps and fixtures typically use 90% less energy than incandescent equivalents, and 50% less than fluorescent replacements. LEDs are typically rated to last 50,000 hours, which is 35 times longer than an incandescent equivalent, and 3 to 4 times as long as a fluorescent. Elemental LED products all hold RoHS certification, which guarantees that no environmentally harmful components were used in manufacturing. Fluorescent bulbs and tubes contain mercury, a highly toxic material.

West Dundee to switch some traffic lights to LED bulbs

2012-01-27T06:00:00.001+01:00

In an effort to go more green, the village will partner with the Illinois Department of Transportation to replace the traffic signals on Routes 31 and 72 from incandescent bulbs to LEDs. IDOT officials said the LED lights will lower energy consumption, reduce maintenance and enhance visibility. West Dundee Village Manager Joe Cavallaro told village board members that battery backup also is included in the program, which will allow traffic signals to operate during temporary short-term power outages.

O2Micro's White LED Control Invention Issued Patent

2012-01-27T06:00:00.000+01:00

2Micro International Limited was issued 17 claims under United States patent number 7,948,455 for its White LED apparatus and methodology. This invention regulates white LEDs used in color displays and small handheld devices. It provides high efficiency and at the same time reduced die size. Laszlo Lipcsei, vice president at O2Micro said, "O2Micro continues to enhance white LED technology since it is the preferred light source due to its size, complexity, and cost advantages."
Founded in April 1995, O2Micro develops and markets innovative power management and e-commerce components for the Computer, Consumer, Industrial, and Communications markets. Products include Intelligent Lighting, Battery Management, and Power Management.

Philips develops efficient solar powered LED street lighting

2012-01-26T06:00:00.001+01:00

Philips’ latest Solar Gen2 innovation is developed together with NXP Semiconductors N.V. and presents a total solution for highly sustainable and efficient street lighting that is a serious alternative to grid connected systems, cutting back energy costs and CO2 emissions. Solar Gen2 offers a highly energy-efficient LED solution which is superior to any conventional lighting and allows for a lamp post spacing of up to 50 meters, much wider than with other solutions, while at the same time complying with stringent EU road lighting standards (ME3). By charging street lighting during the day, Solar Gen2 can supplement the capacity of the conventional electricity grid.

Magnalight Announces Release of 150 Watt Hazardous Location LED Tripod Light

2012-01-26T06:00:00.000+01:00

Larson Electronics' Magnalight.com announced today the release of a 150 watt LED light for hazardous locations that incorporates a single LED light fixture and versatile tripod mounting for convenient and powerful illumination of work areas. Designed to operate in wet areas and stand up to the rigors of the industrial workspace, the HAL-TP-1x150LED-100 tripod mounted LED light is approved Class 1 Division 2, and is an ideal alternative to hot running and less durable 400 watt metal halide tripod mounted lights.
The HAL-TP-1X150LED-100 Tripod Mounted LED Light from Magnalight.com is designed to provide a powerful alternative to hot running and less durable 400 watt metal halide lights and produces 14,790 lumens of clean white light while using only 400 watts of power. Approved for, Class 1 Division 2 hazardous locations this tripod mounted LED light is suitable for use in wet areas and resists the effects of rust and corrosion with an aluminum lamp housing finished in a bronze powder coat, stainless steel hardware, and a tripod constructed of copper free and corrosion resistant aluminum. This portable LED light tower is extremely versatile and offers a host of features including folding tripod legs and solid rubber wheels for easy tower deployment and placement, three foot to eight foot height adjustment, a fully adjustable light head, 100 feet of SOOW cord for long placement range, and easy tool free disassembly and reassembly for passing the unit through tight entryways. The LED design of the lamp assembly provides cool operation and much greater durability than glass incandescent or metal halide work lamps. As well as greater durability, the LED lamp in this unit offers high efficiency and a total lumen output capable of covering 18,000 square feet of work area with high quality illumination while using less energy than standard lighting. A 50,000 hour LED operational life and 120-277 VAC voltage capability round out this LED lamps' advantages over standard lamps. This LED light tower is constructed of quality materials and uses CREE XLamp XPG to ensure the best LED performance possible. The HAL-TP-1X150LED-100 is ideal for use in marine locations, industrial settings, and anywhere a highly versatile and powerful alternative to fragile and short lived glass lamp based lighting is desired.

Philips completes Indal acquisition

2012-01-25T06:00:00.001+01:00

Royal Philips Electronics and Indal have announced that the acquisition of Indal WRTL Exterior Lighting Ltd by Philips has been completed. With this acquisition, the Indal WRTL subsidiary becomes part of the Professional Luminaires business of Philips Lighting. Indal WRTL has been particularly active in LED-based outdoor lighting projects, such as LED street lights in the borough of Sandwell, and linear LED lighting to a road tunnel in London, which we reported on previously. To date, Indal WRTL has nearly 100,000 installations of Stela street lights, which were introduced approximately three years ago. According to the company, these installations have accumulated nearly 500 million operating hours, saving close to 15,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Asheville Boasts First Large-Scale LED Street Light Deployment in North Carolina

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000+01:00

Taking steps to improve energy efficiency and reduce its overall carbon footprint, the City of Asheville has initiated North Carolina's first large-scale deployment of LED street lights. There are 3,643 LEDway street lights from Durham-based manufacturer Cree, Inc. being installed, with projected savings of $260,000 annually.
In the initial phase of the project, completed in June 2011, 730 street lights in Asheville's River District and Kenilworth neighborhoods were replaced with 67-watt to 195-watt LEDway luminaires, estimated to save the City $45,000 in annual energy costs. An additional 2,913 LEDway street lights are currently being installed, and the City anticipates saving 50 percent of current energy use and maintenance costs due to the LED upgrade.
"Upgrading to LED street lights allows us to decrease energy consumption, increase energy efficiency and contribute to the sustainability of our community," said Maggie Ullman, energy coordinator for the Asheville Office of Sustainability. "This exciting initiative helps affirm Asheville's role as a leader in carbon footprint reduction."
Asheville's city-wide street light upgrade project complies with the City Council's 2008 lighting ordinance, designed to reduce glare and light pollution. In 2009, Asheville City Council unanimously approved using Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), to fund efficiency initiatives, including the first phase of the street light replacement. The revolving fund rolls energy savings back into the city's green and efficiency initiatives.
Progress Energy, which serves the City of Asheville, provides N.C. Utilities Commission-approved rate tables to its customers that choose LED street lights. In addition to helping its customers understand the energy cost savings of LED technology, Progress Energy provides the option of renting or owning LED lighting fixtures.

Valparaiso reaping big savings from eco-friendly LED bulbs

2012-01-24T06:00:00.001+01:00

Switching to LED lights for its streetlights and traffic signals has been a good investment for Valparaiso. The change in the US town is expected to pay for itself in about four years. After that, the city will continue to save — even after buying a bucket truck and hiring a technician at $50 an hour to maintain the lights, said Don McGinley, director of the city's Project and Facility Management Office. Over the past nine months, McGinley's office has monitored the savings realized by replacing the "cobra-head"-style streetlights with decorative light-emitting diode bulbs, and using LED bulbs in traffic signals.

GlacialLight Releases Brand New LED Flood Light Series

2012-01-24T06:00:00.000+01:00

GlacialLight, a sub-division of the experienced technology manufacturer GlacialTech Inc., is pleased to announce a new LED Flood Light Series using Philips Lumileds LED Chips - the GL-FL12, GL-FL30, and GL-FL120.
The GlacialLight Flood Light Series provides a direct indoor and outdoor replacement solution for outdated mercury lamps. With Philips Lumileds LED Chips efficiently converting electricity into light, GlacialLight's Flood Light Series produces natural-looking light for over 30,000 hours. When used for eight hours a day these LED floodlights last for over a decade, lowering maintenance cost.
Shining high quality cool white light while using less energy than traditional lighting, the GL-FL12 (13W), GL-FL30 (27W), and GL-FL120 (110W) are equivalent to 50W, 75W, and 300W mercury lamps, respectively. Not only does this GlacialLight series help to reduce energy consumption, but also with a color temperature of 6000K and a color rendering index of at least 70, people and objects will look more natural in the gentler LED light with no perceptible flickering.
With the environment in mind GlacialLight designed the Flood Light Series to contain no hazardous chemicals, such as mercury, or harmful radiation emissions such as UV or IR, making them more eco-friendly than traditional lighting. The Flood Light Series is also more economically friendly, consuming less power while providing more light, than traditional lighting products.

Sanger installing energy-saving LED streetlights

2012-01-23T06:00:00.001+01:00

Big changes are taking place in Sanger this week. The city is installing new city street lights. The project is expected to save the city thousands of dollars each year. The city is part way through the installation. Sanger's mayor said, in the long run, the lights should pay for themselves. The new lights are smaller, brighter, and more efficient. Soon all of Sanger's 475 street lights will be replaced with LEDs.

Ellumiglow Teams With Wire-Free LED

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000+01:00

A new partnership between Wire-Free LED and Ellumiglow.com brings to market the most exciting Club Lighting technology in 2012. This new product can save companies time, money and completely revolutionize the way most event companies do business. By breaking free of current wired technology, it frees up countless hours of tedious set-up and take-down time. With this new technology, now stage lighting can be installed in literally seconds. High quality, wireless, long-lasting, versatile lighting fixtures have finally arrived.
New Wire-Free LED Par Can technology uses high output LED RGB, RGBA, and RGBW, TruWhite lighting fixtures to provide exceptional lighting quality, combined with simplicity. Capable of producing nearly every color in the spectrum, these Club Lights come with over 100 beautiful preset colors, and even produce TRUE White. Wire-Free LED Par Cans can be controlled with a smart color remote, by DMX, manually, or even with an iPhone. High output Wire-Free LED Lights put out the same output as a typical par 56, but are rated for use for 80,000 to 100,000 hours. These high output bulbs last so long, if they were on for 24 hours a day, they wouldn't need replacing for over 11 years.
Versatility is another key element in the Wire-Free LED lineup, as all fixtures can be mounted on trussing, placed on the floor or table, and even mounted to the wall or ceiling in seconds.
Assembled in the USA, new high-quality DJ Lighting fixtures are starting to show up in elite nightclubs, and quickly becoming a necessity among event lighting companies. With high performance lead acid internal batteries, these fixtures stay lit for 6-12 hours without the need of any cables. When finished, the lights are placed neatly back into the charging flight case and can be charged together as a group. Charging Flight Case is durable for a life on the road and keeps the Wire-Free LEDs charged, safe and ready for their next event.

Delta Introduces the World's Lightest 1000lm LED Bulb

2012-01-20T06:00:00.001+01:00

Delta Electronics is introducing the world's lightest 1000lm light bulb at Lighting Japan 2012 -- the new omni-directional LED bulb weighs only 130g. Delta is also exhibiting LED lighting products with new high-lumen and dimming technologies, as well as the group's system integration capabilities in renewable energy, energy-saving and high-quality products. In addition, Delta is demonstrating new tube solutions for railway train stations and indoor applications for the Japanese market.
"We are putting Delta's mission "To provide innovative, clean and energy-efficient solutions for a better tomorrow" into practice with our advanced LED lighting collection. With the addition of the 1000lm-bulb, we have not only expanded our product range but have also upgraded its features and technology depth. LightingJapan also offers us a great chance to demonstrate the capabilities of Delta as a group to evolve from a product provider to a system integration provider. Combining our in-house energy-saving, safe and reliable products, we have different teams within the company cooperating comprehensively to offer a total solution package that includes a user-friendly interface that ensures products and expertise perform to their maximum," said Roland Chiang, Director of the Solid-state Lighting Business Unit, Delta Electronics.
With a beam angle of 120 deg and 240 deg the new bulb aims to replace 100W and 80W incandescent bulbs. Delta's renowned thermal expertise has succeeded in developing this remarkable product and technology. For the market, the new bulb's light weight accompanies improved product performance and longer product life which also means higher energy-savings and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Delta is also demonstrating its remarkable solar-LED streetlight and wind-powered LED streetlight solutions at the exhibition. The wind-powered LED streetlight solution includes a 400W-system with a safety breaker for wind speed exceeding an upper limit of 42.5m/s and a programmable controller. Delta has transformed from a component provider to a solutions provider to ease the problems customers have in parceling out requirements to different suppliers and solving compatibility issues. Solutions include products, customized design to meet the application environment, as well as service and maintenance. The wind turbine generates 400W at a wind speed of 11m/s and may power up to 1300W to light up an LED streetlight of 6000lm. The entire system conforms to IP65 standards and may be dual-powered by both wind and the city power grid. You can now see several projects applying Delta's solar-streetlight and wind-power streetlight in operation worldwide.
The solar-LED streetlight solution includes a solar panel to power a 5500lm LED streetlight that has an analog programmable dimming function. A 150W solar power input can support such a system of 90lm/W for three days autonomously. Similar to the wind-powered LED streetlight solution, this system may be dual-powered by both solar panel and the city power grid.

NXP Demonstrates Solar Street Lighting

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000+01:00

NXP Semiconductors N.V. recently announced that it has developed an innovative, sustainable and highly efficient solar-powered street lighting solution, together with Philips Lighting. The groundbreaking Solar Gen2 solution could have a major impact on energy consumption in urban areas at night. By charging street lamps during daylight hours, the new solar-powered solution from Philips Lighting and NXP can supplement the capacity of the conventional electricity grid, saving money and reducing CO2 emissions.
The key to the breakthrough lies in the combination of new High Brightness LEDs and unique patented optics from Philips Lighting, together with NXP's MPT61x range of configurable ICs for Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT), which can deliver 98% power conversion efficiency in solar photovoltaic (PV) cells.
Philips' High Brightness LEDs offer a highly energy-efficient solution, which is superior to any conventional lighting and allows street lamps to be spaced up to 50 meters apart -- much wider than is possible with other solutions. This makes Solar Gen2 the most cost-effective solution per km of road lighting and provides a serious alternative to grid-connected AC systems.
NXP's MPT61x intelligent charge controller family enables Solar Gen2 to transfer the maximum amount of power from the solar panels to the batteries. The MPT61x ICs also ensure that the charging and discharging of the battery happens in a smart way to maximize battery life. In addition, the controllers can dim light levels as needed based on a self-learning intelligence and history log.
Kees van der Klauw, SVP Technology & Development at Philips Lighting, says: "Solar Gen2 is a fantastic example of how several companies have worked together to create an innovative, best-in-class solution. It addresses a real need felt by 1.6 billion people in countries where the electricity grid cannot be relied upon to power street lighting at night. Solar Gen2 provides a cost-effective, reliable, off-grid outdoor lighting solution that can compete with existing on-grid lighting in performance, integral cost and energy consumption, improving the quality of people's lives around the world."

High Brightness Light Emitting Diodes Forecast to Reach $69.7 Billion in 2021

2012-01-19T06:00:00.001+01:00

According to ElectroniCast Consultants, the global consumption of packaged HB-LEDs in 2010 was $10.77 billion. In the year 2021, the worldwide consumption value is forecast to reach $69.7 billion.
Decreasing average selling prices (ASPs) is forecast to cause challenging growth patterns in consumption value in some application segments (categories). Because of this, some application categories are forecast for declining consumption values in the 2nd half of the forecast period (2016-2021); however, the volumes (quantity/number of units) in all categories are forecast for positive growth throughout the forecast period.
Use of HB-LEDs in Mobile/Portable Devices is forecast to remain a strong segment; however, OLEDs continue to take market share. The sector is relatively mature and it already has a substantial consumption value in 2012.
In terms of consumption value (quantity x prices = value), the use of HB-LEDs in the Automotive/Vehicle category is forecast to multiply by a factor of more than 2-times (2x) from 2011 to 2016.
The use of HB-LEDs in stationary (non-vehicle) Signals is forecast to increase at an average growth rate of (only) 5.5 percent from 2011 to 2016; consumption value of HB-LEDs in stationary signals is forecast to decline sharply due to offsetting price declines, as well as market saturation; however, in terms of volume (quantity/units), the segment is forecast for a slight increase during 2016-2021. Note: Signals used in vehicles are quantified in the vehicle application.

New LED Standard, Developed in Wake of Japan Tsunami, Cuts Energy Use By 75%

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000+01:00

Icon International, an Endo company is introducing Japanese developed, highly energy efficient new track LED lights to the U.S. grocery sector. Endo - Japan's leading LED light manufacturer, accelerated and fine-tuned development of LED lights following the Japan tsunami and nuclear plant failure. With a central focus on environmental conservation initiatives, Endo technologies cost less and use less energy while delivering higher value lighting. The eco-conscious technology sets a new standard for LED lights.
The series of RS track LED lights is the first of Endo's 2600 products that ICON will be bringing to the U.S. market.
"The RS light provides energy savings of 75% over conventional lighting and almost 30% over existing LED lights," said Michael Goeller, ICON president. "It has higher lighting output and sells for 10-20% less than existing LEDs."
"The combined innovation of our R&D teams is thrusting Icon and Endo to the forefront of changing the way the world thinks about LED lights and energy efficiency; we're re-setting the bar at a whole new level," said Goeller.
ICON International: ICON designs, manufactures, installs and maintains architectural lighting systems for educational, healthcare facilities, offices, and retail stores. Founded in 1947, ICON has operated as a subsidiary of Endo since September 2011.
Endo Lighting Corporation: Endo was founded in Osaka, Japan in 1967 as a manufacturer of original lighting fixtures. Japan's first publicly listed company specializing in manufacturing lighting fixtures, Endo is currently the leading company in the architectural and commercial segment of the lighting markets.

Osram to Cut Jobs in Germany

2012-01-18T06:00:00.003+01:00

Osram AG plans to cut jobs in Germany to account for the industry's move toward LED technology, Dow Jones reports. Declining volumes in the traditional lighting business due to rising LED demand and regulatory changes will lead to a reduction of about 850 domestic jobs in this field by 2014, Osram said in a statement, adding that as many as 200 Osram workers may be transferred to Siemens.

Getting Better May Not Be Enough

2012-01-18T06:00:00.002+01:00

It can't get much worse for the LED sector than it did in 2011, but does that imply it gets much better in 2012? Another quarterly earnings, another chance for the bulls, bears (and everybody in between) to stake out a position on LED sector bellwether Cree. The disaster was pretty simple to explain, if hard to predict in terms of the exact timing: Too much supply in the LED market led to inventory issues, an erosion of profitability and margins, and a bad year for Cree measured by a 63% stock decline.

Energy-saving lights tested in Culpeper

2012-01-17T06:00:00.001+01:00

First the town of Culpeper switched to LED (light-emitting diode) technology for traffic signals. Now the town is experimenting with LED streetlights, which last longer, burn brighter and are extremely energy efficient. Two LED streetlights have been erected at North Main and Piedmont streets, with a third to be installed later at South Main and Elm streets. “There are a lot of utilities and localities looking into the LEDs,” said Mike Stover, director of the Light and Power Department. “LEDs lower energy usage by as much as 50 percent.”

Silicon-based LEDs in two years?

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000+01:00

OSRAM Opto Semiconductors has succeeded in manufacturing high-performance silicon-based prototypes of blue and white LEDs. The light-emitting gallium nitride layers of these LED chips are grown on silicon wafers with a diameter of 150mm. Silicon is used to replace sapphire in the chips. According to OSRAM Opto Semiconductors, the pilot LED chips will be tested under practical conditions, with a chance that the first silicon-based LEDs will be on market in two years.

Anomax Invents a Super Energy Efficient 100-watt LED Light Bulb That Uses Only 12 Watts of Power

2012-01-16T06:00:00.001+01:00

Anomax says it invented a 100-watt LED bulb that uses only 12W of energy. Compared to today's most energy efficient 100-watt bulb (CFL Compact Florescent Light at 23 watts) Anomax's bulb is 48% more efficient.
Anomax's energy efficient lights pair their patent pending IPCHS substrate technology (a low cost metal-core board with circuits directly plated on alumina) with off-the-shelf LED diodes. Anomax names this break-through technology LMR for Light Made Right.
H.A. Chan, Director of Anomax, states, "Today's LED bulbs' bottleneck is their extremely low heat transfer (3W/mK) board that overheats the LED diodes and greatly lowers the light output. That's why brighter than 60-watt LED bulbs exist only in R&D labs and are very expensive to produce. The very high thermal transfer (30 W/mK) of IPCHS enables efficient power-to-light conversion, improving energy use by almost 50%."
In comparison, 90W of a 100-watt incandescent bulb is wasted producing heat. A 100-watt CFL uses 23W but contains harmful mercury in fragile glass-tubes that breaks and inevitably introduces mercury into our food chain. A 100-watt LMR bulb uses only 12W, HALF that of a CFL and as an LED based light, LMR is totally Green. At other light-output levels, LMR bulbs consistently use only half the energy of CFLs.

Netherlands grower tour aims to boost LED knowledge

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000+01:00

Horticultural energy consultancy GrowSave has organised a trip to the Netherlands this week to acquaint British growers with the use of LEDs in commercial growing, ranging from salad vegetables and herbs to flowers. Among the sites to be visited will be Vreugdenberg in the Westland region, which is developing multi-layer LED-lit systems for young plants, pea shoots and lettuce.

Congress bans 100-watt light bulbs

2012-01-13T06:00:00.001+01:00

Congress has turned the lights out on the 100-watt screw-in bulb, but so far, the news has barely caused a flicker of interest on the island, according to Jamestown Hardware’s owner, Scott Sherman.
In fact, the local store still has stock on the shelves and will be allowed to continue selling the 100-watt incandescent bulbs until supplies run out. “We still carry them,” he said. Manufacturers, however, have stopped producing the high-watt incandescent lights, said Lindsey Geisler, spokesperson for the Department of Energy. The government ban on 100-watt light bulbs went into effect Jan. 1, she said. The reason is that the incandescent light bulbs generate too much heat and waste energy. The incandescent bulbs are being phased out beginning with the 100-watt lights, but manufacturing will eventually also halt on the 75-, 60- and 40-watt bulbs.

Guangdong government pushing for LED industry growth

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000+01:00

Backed by government support, Guangdong province continues to strengthen its position as China’s major hub for LEDs. At the instigation of the provincial party committee and the provincial administration, the Science and Technology Department is coordinating efforts to promote the development of the entire segment. This is because the last is one of the three main strategic sectors of the area.
Based on 2011 estimates, the province has doubled its scale in terms of production value. In the first half alone, it breached the $12.6 billion mark. The previous year, the southern coastal hub achieved $13 billion, which is also two times higher than the 2009 level. To date, the number of related enterprises there is close to 3,000 with an aggregate workforce exceeding 550,000. Overall, the industry is responsible for the employment of 2.2 million people.

Sanserif Creatius creates new Lumbrera lamp

2012-01-12T06:00:00.001+01:00

Spanish design studio Sanserif Creatius has come up with the new Lumbrera lamp for Depas. The luminaire forms part of the Alphas range of furniture and products for home and office. The name of the lamp refers to the bodies which emit light. The item provides a green take with a 100% cardboard composition. A unique feature of the piece is its interplay with the classical forms of the letter 'a' which constitutes its auxiliary light point.

Luminus Demonstrates Latest Advances in LED Projector Technology

2012-01-12T06:00:00.000+01:00

Luminus Devices, Inc., developer and manufacturer of high light output Big Chip LEDs, will be demonstrating the latest projector products illuminated by the company's projection chipsets. Invited visitors will get a chance to see a side-by-side demonstration featuring an LED projector with brightness comparable to a traditional lamp-based projector rated at 2200 ANSI lumens. Confirming its focus on higher brightness mainstream projectors targeted to business and education markets, the company will also display a 4000 lm hybrid LED/Laser projector based on its latest Red and Blue LED technology solutions.
In the ultra-portable projectors category, Luminus will demonstrate several projectors rated at performance of up to 500 lm as well as a technology demonstration previewing the next generation of products.
Luminus will be demonstrating these latest technological advances at CES, January 10-13, in room C202, Central Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV.

Solar-powered LED lighting installed on bridge

2012-01-11T06:00:00.001+01:00

When the Astoria-Megler Bridge was built in 1966, the navigational lighting was tied into the electrical grid. After 45 years, it had begun to deteriorate. The Oregon Department of Transportation received a grant from the Federal Highway Administration to install a solar-powered navigational lighting system on the bridge in the summer of 2011 as part of a $355,000 pilot project. The new lights are bright, high-efficiency LEDs.

Viper Networks And LEDs America Formalizing Multiple Export Marketing Agreements

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000+01:00

Viper Networks, Inc and LEDs America are close to formalizing sales and marketing export rights for Viper Networks to retain exclusivity for a number of countries in several geographical regions worldwide.
Final terms of the agreement(s), which should be concluded in a matter of days, is expected to define each country and/or regional territory that Viper Networks will receive exclusivity for, the total number of years for 100% exclusivity, to be followed by annual sales and/or revenue benchmarks for the Company to receive automatic exclusivity renewal.
Additionally, the management at Viper Networks anticipates that any exclusivity agreement signed with LEDS America will include such rights for all current and future products developed, engineered and manufactured by LEDS and all products sold under their LED-O (R) registered brand name.
A 2007 U.S. law requires light bulbs have to be at least 25% more energy efficient starting in January 2012, meaning traditional incandescent bulbs will be phased out. Although some of the replacements have been with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), many consumers do not like these longer lasting 'swirl' bulbs for giving off what many say is inferior light.
LEDs America has developed a breakthrough in creating an LCC- LED Cluster Chip technology light source to replace incandescent bulbs. Current products also include replacements for the popular 60W and 40W light bulbs, which are sold under the LEDS America brand name LED-O(R), which with combined features will save over 90% of the energy used in a standard bulb, and 50% compared to a CFL (compact fluorescent lamp), while emitting no UV light and containing no mercury.

SWITCH's LED Bulb to Light Up CES Stage

2012-01-10T06:00:00.002+01:00

Switch Lighting will present its Switch 75 LED light bulb at the CES Innovations Stage Presentation on Tuesday, January 10 at 11am in the Venetian Ballroom A-D, Innovations Showcase Stage. The Switch 75 is the only LED light bulb that makes no compromise on light quality or in how the bulb can be used. Switch is the first manufacturer to announce a family of LED bulbs with 40, 60, 75 and 100 watt-equivalents. Switch bulbs last 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs while still providing that same warm glow. They also turn on instantly and can be used in any orientation -- just like the conventional incandescent light bulb. Switch was also recently featured as one of TIME's 50 Best Inventions of 2011, as well as on the cover of Wired Magazine's September issue.

Drop in MOCVD spending drags LED equipment buy

2012-01-10T06:00:00.000+01:00

Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) has forecasted an unfavorable year for the LED manufacturing equipment market. According to the global industry association, after posting a 36 percent increase in equipment spending last year, global spending on LED manufacturing equipment is seen to plunge 18 percent this year. However, LED manufacturing capacity is expected to improve by 27 percent from last year.

Everett elementary school leads LED revolution

2012-01-09T06:00:00.001+01:00

The Everett School District (Washington) flipped the switch on a technology this week that many believe will revolutionize the way we light our schools. James Monroe Elementary is believed to be the first public school to go almost entirely LED. Light emitting diode (LED) fixtures have been around for years. LEDs own the Christmas tree and home decoration markets, but were not considered suitable for reading or lighting large areas.

New Industry Standard for Undercabinet Lighting

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000+01:00

Tech Lighting announced a new industry standard in undercabinet lighting for residential and commercial use. The new 13-inch and 19-inch Unilume LED Undercabinet System fixtures will be unveiled at the Dallas International Lighting Market, January 19 - 23. Using an Intematix ChromaLit remote phosphor light source -- a separate linear phosphor element resembling a lens rather than phosphor applied directly to the LEDs -- the Unilume produces an even, glare-free wash of light along its entire length.
"Undercabinet lighting was one of the first applications to go LED," said Tech Lighting General Manager Josh Weiss. "Since then, with the majority of undercabinet fixtures designed around traditional undercabinet housings, there has been little in the way of innovation. We decided to enter the category only if we knew we could advance it, and with Intematix's ChromaLit technology, we are confident we can do just that."
Most LED undercabinet solutions utilize a few discrete LEDs placed several inches apart. When viewing the fixture from below, each LED appears extremely glary -- particularly in the sight-line of a young child. Further, unattractive dots of light appear on any reflective surface like a granite countertop, and the light from each LED hits objects below at different angles, creating separate and distracting shadows for every LED within the fixture.
In contrast, the Unilume uses 30 LEDs per foot, a 98% reflective mixing chamber and a remote phosphor element, which illuminates as a single crisp bar of light. This is both attractive as well as easier on the eyes when seen from beneath, and eliminates the "multi-shadow" effect making it more desirable in a task application such as working on a cutting board or when displaying merchandise. The Unilume is thinner and narrower than other undercabinet fixtures, as well.
"Unilume has several other benefits over traditional LED undercabinet solutions," continued Weiss. "Because it eliminates the need for a diffusing lens, it's extremely energy efficient, and we're able to achieve 50 to 60 lumens per watt depending on the length. Further, the entire lens is illuminated and sits at the surface of the housing creating a much wider beam distribution. This makes it possible to use fewer undercabinet units spread at greater distances. Finally, because the phosphor sits away from the LED, it remains cooler, which ensures greater color consistency over time."
Unilume is being offered in 13-inch and 19-inch lengths. Jumper connectors make it easy to link one unit to another. An integrated LED driver eliminates the need for an external power supply and allows for smooth dimming down to 15% using either a TRIAC incandescent dimmer or a low-voltage electronic dimmer. It is available in 2700K or 3000K as well as 80+ CRI or 90+ CRI for the most discerning applications. The Unilume system offers minimalist yet rugged design, with heavy-gauge aluminum housing and die-cast steel end-caps, all sitting less than 3/4" deep.
Tech Lighting is previewing all of its 2012 offerings in advance of their launch at the show in an online version of the new Tech Lighting Supplement, the link to which is on the company's home page, at http://www.techlighting.com . The section on the Unilume LED Undercabinet System begins on page 14 online.

ZigBee Light Link: LED Lighting Control Standardized

2012-01-06T06:00:00.001+01:00

The ZigBee Alliance, a global ecosystem of companies creating wireless solutions for use in energy management, commercial and consumer applications, announced it is developing a new open standard designed for LED lighting control – ZigBee Light Link. This forthcoming standard will help manufacturers develop a variety of lighting and control products, giving resellers and consumers a wide selection of interoperable wirelessly controlled lighting products for the home.
The Alliance is creating a standard that will be as easy to use as a common dimmer switch. Light bulbs, LED fixtures, sensors, timers, remotes and switches built using ZigBee Light Link will not require special devices to coordinate in a home's network. Consumers will be able to easily install and add extra devices to their home lighting network. Like all devices in the ZigBee portfolio, ZigBee Light Link devices can be controlled over the Internet through connected computers, tablets and smart phones. Development of this standard is being steered by industry-leading lighting experts such as GE, Greenwave Reality, OSRAM Sylvania and Philips. "ZigBee Light Link will be the industry-wide solution for the home market," said Jos Bruins, ZigBee Light Link working group chair from Philips. "ZigBee Light Link is being vigorously tested and will provide the simplicity consumers need and the helpful features they've been hoping the industry would develop."Products built using ZigBee Light Link can earn the ZigBee Certified product seal. When completed, this open standard will be one of the industry's first standardized wireless networking solution for interoperable lighting applications between different manufacturers."Having so many lighting industry heavyweights working together to leverage the benefits of ZigBee for ZigBee Light Link will help consumers realize the convenience of standards-based wireless lighting control," said Bob Heile, chairman of the ZigBee Alliance. "ZigBee Light Link will give consumers a simple way to control lighting from anywhere in their home, or even if they're at work or on vacation."

LED-O first to offer 100% ECO-friendly LED lighting

2012-01-06T06:00:00.000+01:00

LEDs America is expected to expand their LEDs production capabilities and broaden their marketing reach for launching their newest LED-O tube products to replace fluorescent T8 and T12 tubes worldwide. LEDs America broke through the 100Lm/watt barrier by establishing a new standard of energy use of T8 light tubes down to a remarkable 14.6. Indeed, the new standard for 4 foot T8 light tubes is now 14.6 W, 1400 directional lumens according to LM-79 and LM-80 tests.
The standard fluorescent tube can now be replaced by a 14.6W LED-O in existing fixtures. The downward directed lumens output is equivalent to the fluorescent tubes as half of its lumens output is lost in the fixture. This will save over 65% of energy used for lights and 80% of heat that needs to be cooled down by air conditioning. The LED-O(R) T8 tube emits no UV light, contains no mercury or any hazardous vapors, is 100% recyclable, and is warranted for 5 years (when lifetime can well exceed 10 years).

Wearable LED TV vest

2012-01-05T06:34:00.003+01:00

An engineer from Arizona has created wearable television using a bunch of LEDs, an iPod Touch and some ingenuity. David Forbes, an electrical engineer from Tucson, Arizona, has found a way to mix fashion with one of America’s favorite pastimes. The engineer has created a vest packed with LEDs that turns him into a walking TV. Forbes’ TV vest began as a coat in 2009, which he populated with some surplus LED displays. He says the 50 pound all-red screen was “the world worst television.” Later he upgraded to a lighter version using an old overcoat to create a 160 x 120 pixel display with LEDs.

Office LED system simulates clouds passing overhead

2012-01-05T06:00:00.000+01:00

Office employees could soon be working under open skies thanks to a ceiling lighting system that imitates clouds passing overhead. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering (IAO) have developed an LED-based tile system that could improve working conditions by simulating outdoor lighting conditions.

Lighting with Luminaries

2012-01-04T06:00:00.000+01:00

Saving energy has become one of the prime concerns of residential and commercial building owners. Apart from reducing the electricity bills, various practices to save energy contribute in maintaining environmental balance. Various energy efficient equipments play a significant role in this direction.
The fact that lighting accounts for 25-30% of the residential and up to 50% of commercial electricity consumptions encourages people to use CFL lamps, luminaries and other energy efficient equipments. If you have a store selling such devices, you must know that the following lighting equipments are getting popular among the building owners.
Lighting equipments that are fast replacing the traditional incandescent lamps are the compact fluorescent lamps or CFL lamps. These are highly energy efficient and serve for longer, thereby adding to the cost benefits for the users. Apart from homes and offices, these lights have also become popular for driveway and garden area lighting.
Used for lighting up wider areas, the high intensity discharge (HID) lamps are highly efficient. This is because these lamps utilize maximum amount of electrical energy to produce more light and less heat. This fact makes them much more preferable to the traditional halogen based lamps. Apart from HID lamps, HID burners and ballasts are also popular among the buyers.
Just like CFL lamps and HID lighting equipments, LED lights have also gained popularity as equipments that contribute towards energy saving. About 80% of the electrical energy used by these equipments is converted to light which is indeed a commendable advantage over traditional lighting equipments. Moreover, these equipments have long life; available in variety of colors and designs and contribute towards overall cost saving. According to a 2010 survey, luminaries claimed more than 70% of the total lighting equipment share in the European markets. Apart from being energy efficient, these equipments are admired for being manufactured from recyclable materials. Various types of luminaries popular among the buyers include task luminaries, decorative luminaries, recessed wall luminaries and linear luminaries.
Apart from CFL lamps and luminaries, there are lighting controls that have emerged as wonderful energy saving equipments for various applications. Lighting control systems have embedded processors that allow the control of various lights in a building from one source. These systems are widely used in theaters, interiors and exterior security purposes and landscape lighting as well. Dimming and turning off the light equipments according to the need is easy and rewarding with these systems. Apart from contributing towards energy efficiency, these systems also help in reducing carbon emission and promoting longer bulb life.
Varieties of other fluorescent lamps, apart from CFL lamps, are used for achieving energy efficiency. These include inductive fluorescent lamps and low mercury fluorescent lamps. Energy efficient blasts, including dimming electronic blasts, instant start ballasts and rapid start blasts are other useful energy efficient equipments used for lighting purposes.

Global LED Displays, Lighting and Fixtures Market worth $31,561.55 Million by 2016

2012-01-03T06:21:00.001+01:00

High quality picture image and power efficiency are the major driving factors for LED display market whereas LED lighting market will be driven by general lighting segment in next 3 to 5 years due to the increasing awareness about high efficiency of LED lighting fixtures, dimablity, longer lifespan and increase in green building construction.The revenue for the overall LED displays, lighting and fixture market is expected to grow from $10,530.00 million in 2011 to $31,561.55 million in 2016 at an estimated CAGR of 24.8%. As of 2010, the LED display market has generated $5,400.00 million and is expected to reach $12,490.53 at an estimated CAGR of 15.0% from 2011 to 2016.
As of 2011, the LED lighting and Fixture market is estimated to be $4,320.00 million and is expected to grow with a healthy CAGR of 35.0% to reach $19,371.02 million by the end of 2016.Currently North America is leading the market but it would hold the second-largest share of the global LED displays, lighting and fixtures market in 2016 at $10,256.63 million with CAGR of 23.2% from 2011 to 2016 preceded by APAC region with $11,242.85 million market revenue.
The US, Japan, Germany, Taiwan and Korea make up the top locations geographically leading the evolution of LED lighting and displays putting most of the industrially developed nations at the spearhead.Typical indicator LEDs are designed to operate with no more than 30-60 milliwatts (mW) of electrical power. Around 1999, Philips Lumileds introduced power LEDs capable of continuous use at one watt. These LEDs used much larger semiconductor die sizes to handle the large power inputs. Also, the semiconductor dies were mounted onto metal slugs to allow for heat removal from the LED die.

LED Light and Power Celebrates the Launch of New Website

2012-01-03T06:00:00.000+01:00

LED light distributor, LED Light and Power, have launched their new website, Ledlightandpower.com. The site is designed to introduce consumers to the benefits of changing to LEDs as a source of light in their homes, offices, cars, and other places where light is needed. The website was designed and created by San Diego Webworks to help make this company the premier LED light supplier in the word.
A company spokesman introduces the company in this fashion, "Thanks for visiting our company, a global supplier of top quality light emitting diodes (LED) technology.
"LED Light and Power provides an extensive inventory of products which can be customized for any site or use. Our knowledgeable LED experts will create the ideal lighting plan for your preferred ambiance and optimal cost savings for your business. Each element is tested for flawless performance and for reliability prior to delivery to our clients.
"The luminaires can be utilized in a variety of settings, whether outdoors in arenas and playing fields, parking structures and lots, roadways and service stations. Indoors, there are setups for retail, healthcare, educational institutions, corporate, hospitality and industrial applications. Our LED's emit less heat without compromising on clarity, brightness, or color. The wide range of temperatures, colors and styles available ensure that LED Light and Power can create an enhanced presence while reducing overhead costs.

Kaveh Azar to Speak on LED Cooling at Smart Lighting Conference

2012-01-02T06:00:00.000+01:00

Dr. Kaveh Azar, president and CEO of Advanced Thermal Solutions, Inc. will be among the industry leaders presenting at the 2012 Smart Lighting conference in Dusseldorf, Germany on January 31 and February 1. Under the subject of Smart Control, Dr. Azar will discuss the impact of excess temperature on the performance, reliability and lifespan of LEDs, and review the many cooling options available.
The heat generated by an LED, and how heat affects the control of an LED’s response time, makes cooling a primary concern. Because LEDs are semiconductor devices, their light output is directly impacted by temperature. If the thermal situation is not managed, it will cause the LED to perform improperly, stop functioning or shorten its expected lifespan.
The immediate issue is managing LED heat to preserve its performance. How LEDs display colors and how long they can be expected to function puts proper thermal management at the center of their deployment. Across the full temperature range that most lighting is designed for, there is a swing in the relative light output. Each color is affected differently by temperature and the swing in light output is distinctly measurable and visible. This includes the low temperature ranges that are most common to today’s lighting applications.
The challenge facing LED lighting designers is the alignment of the cooling system/solution with the deployment-site requirements and its market acceptance. LED lighting, or correctly stated, solid-state lighting, is identical to other electronic devices whose longevity and proper operation directly depend on their junction temperature and how it’s thermally managed. Several cooling technologies for effective LED thermal management are now available and are being deployed across the electronics industry.

Incandescent light bulb phaseout begins

2011-12-30T06:00:00.000+01:00

The nation's light bulbs begin facing new efficiency and labeling standards starting Jan. 1, but don't expect old-fashioned incandescents to suddenly disappear from store shelves. The congressionally mandated efficiency standards gradually phase out Thomas Edison's 131-year-old creation in favor of other light bulbs that use at least 25% less energy. The first to go, beginning Sunday, is the traditional 100-watt, followed in January 2013 with the 75-watt version and in January 2014 with the 40-watt and 60-watt bulbs.

LEDs to replace Kanpur streetlights by 2020

2011-12-29T06:00:00.000+01:00

By 2020, conventional streetlights in Kanpur (India) would be replaced by LEDs. The LEDs consume one-third of the power consumed by the conventional streetlights and also illuminate a larger area. The LED bulbs and tubelights would become a part of every household due to less power consumption, said Amrit Manwani, an alumnus of IIT-Kanpur. Manwani, a co-ordinator of 1972 batch, said LED tubelights and bulbs consume only 1/10 of the power consumed by tubelights and bulbs. He said that by 2020 only tubelight made of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) would be used in the country.

Epistar to introduce retrofit 60W-100W LED light bulbs

2011-12-28T06:00:00.000+01:00

Taiwan-based LED chipmaker Epistar announced the development for high-pressure warm white LEDs with efficiency of 150lm/W. This means the warm white LED lighting products that can replace the traditional 60W, 70W, even 100W can be introduced to the market in 2012. In parrticular the Europe and US markets tend to favor warm color lighting designs.

LEDs light up Leica microscopes

2011-12-27T06:00:00.000+01:00

The LED illumination series LED5000 and LED3000 have been designed for high-end stereo microscopes and routine stereo microscope systems, respectively. Both series have spotlight, ringlight, and multicontrast illumination modules available. Lifetimes up to 50,000 hours nearly eliminate downtime. The LEDs save up to 90% of the power required by a 150-W halogen lamp. The LED5000 series can communicate with Leica Application Suite (LAS) software to save illumination settings with captured images and performing recall when needed.

Christmas house with 32,000 LEDs

2011-12-26T06:00:00.000+01:00

I've seen people go over the top decorating their houses with Christmas lights and ornaments, but having 32,000 LED lights synchronized to dubstep is just too much. Santa and Rudolph would have a seizure from a mile away figuring out how to land on this tricked out roof. Compared to the playable Angry Birds light show we saw yesterday, this house uses 12,000 more LED lights and 54 more Light-O-Rama 16 channel controllers. I think we have our champion!

2012 Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball Dazzles with Philips LED Lights

2011-12-23T06:00:00.001+01:00

The annual New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square will once again showcase the dropping of a dazzling green ball, as the iconic sphere will be illuminated by energy efficient Philips LEDs! The LED ball will also welcome the new U.S. energy and lighting standards that go into effect on January 1st, under the Energy Independence and Security Act. In addition, Philips’ new LED light bulbs will be available for home use. For years, Philips Lighting has been providing the bright lights that entice thousands to Times Square each year to watch the ball drop and bring in the new year. This year, 32,256 LUXEON LEDs will glitter in a range of colors as the Times Square Ball descends to partiers’ delight. The LEDs stay lit year round, with low energy usage.

The Stage expects savings after replacing 300 light bulbs

2011-12-23T06:00:00.000+01:00

Warsaw venue The Stage has replaced nearly 300 incandescent bulbs on its marquee with more efficient LED bulbs using a grant worth about $2,200 from NYSEG. The project, completed last week, is expected to see significant savings in utility costs for the non-profit performing arts center, according to Paul Penner, the center's director. The LEDs are expected to use about one-tenth of the power that the incandescent bulbs used. "This will save us a huge amount on our electric bill," Penner said, noting the cost of lighting the marquee used to account for half of the total electric bill for the 23 South Main Street venue

Just think of the electric bill!

2011-12-22T06:00:00.001+01:00

If you’re the sort of homeowner who needs to have the best Christmas lights in the neighbourhood, don’t move to Riverside, California. Because it won’t be easy to outdo Kevin Judd, who has created a dazzling display – timed perfectly to LMFAO’s hit song Sexy and I Know it. The father-of-two used thousands of LEDs to create a multicoloured sequence that flashes in time with the American hip hop band's track.

Bridgelux Poised for Rapid Growth

2011-12-22T06:00:00.000+01:00

Bridgelux, a leading developer and manufacturer of LED lighting technologies and solutions, reported today that market conditions and its recent achievements ideally position it for additional growth and leadership in 2012. The company's revenue grew an extraordinary 792% from FY 2006 to 2010, and Bridgelux expects to see an additional 100% year over year growth by the end of 2011. During the past year, the company raised $76M in additional funding, added several noteworthy customers, introduced innovative products and technology and received numerous industry awards.
The LED luminaire market is poised for dramatic expansion, with analysts predicting growth of 40% (CAGR) through 2015.(1) Recognizing its potential, prominent financial and strategic investors cast their vote of confidence in the market overall, and Bridgelux in particular by investing a total of $76M in the company this past year.
"We're seeing significant increases in adoption and demand for LED lighting in many sectors and regions. In fact, we've experienced a 300% unit volume growth in LED array sales in the past year alone, dramatically increasing our market share while also delivering well over 100M high power LED chips to enable new and innovative product designs," said Bill Watkins, Bridgelux's Chief Executive Officer. "Going forward, Bridgelux is extremely well positioned to meet rising demand: we're well funded, have some of the industry's most innovative technologies and product designs, and have established strong strategic partnerships."

LED Luminaires promote safety in parking garages.

2011-12-21T06:00:00.001+01:00

Operating with self-contained 120-277 V LED driver, LED Parking Garage Luminaires include 40 W model that replaces 175 W metal halide fixtures while delivering 2,640 lumens at 5,000 K color temperature. Series' 70 W model replaces 250 W metal halide fixtures while producing 4,200 lumens at 5,000 K. Maintenance-free units, available with occupancy sensors, have polyester-coated, cast aluminum one-piece housing with shatter- and UV-resistant polycarbonate lens

Cree Licenses Pioneering Remote Phosphor Patents

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000+01:00

Cree, Inc has granted five LED lighting manufacturers licenses to select Cree patents through its recently launched remote phosphor licensing program. By making fundamental remote phosphor patents available through license, Cree is further enabling LED lighting adoption, as Cree innovations facilitate the development of LED lights combining remote phosphor optical elements with blue LEDs.
"Cree is committed to the development of innovative, energy-efficient LED lighting technology and this program provides access to important technology developed by Cree," said George Brandes, Cree director of intellectual property licensing. "The remote phosphor licensing program is designed to provide rights under the relevant Cree patents that our LED customers need to develop and commercialize leading-edge LED luminaires and bulbs, accelerating the LED lighting revolution."
Initial licensees to Cree's remote phosphor patents include lighting innovators Aurora Energie Corp., Horner APG, Ledzworld Technology, Vexica Technology, and Wyndsor Lighting, LLC. Cree is currently in discussions with other companies to license the remote phosphor patents and aims to sign additional licensing agreements in the coming months. Details of the royalty-bearing licenses were not disclosed

Sharp expands its portfolio with even brighter LED arrays

2011-12-20T06:00:00.001+01:00

The new LED modules from the new Mega Zeni series from Sharp radiate with an efficiency of up to 100 lm/W, a luminous flux of up to 4770 lm and are available with a (typical) CRI value of up to 93. They are thus one of the first industrial LED solutions to replace traditional 50W HID lamps.
The 50W Mega Zeni models from Sharp maintain the same compact dimensions and high CRI values, yet with considerably greater luminous fluxes. These have a luminous efficiency of between 3590 and 4770 lm, a light output of up to 100 lm/W in standard operating mode and a long service life of 40,000 hours at an operating temperature of up to 90°C. The new Mega Zeni modules are designed for a forward voltage of 50V and a forward current of 950 mA, but can also be operated with a standard power source of 1050mA. Other important features include: R9 values of over 85 with CRI values of over 90, MacAdam 3-step Ellipse binning, as well as good colour consistency and colour stability values over time under realistic operating conditions (hot lumen).

New Surface Mount LED Luminaire for Ambient Illumination

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000+01:00

Acuity Brands has expanded its LED indoor ambient lighting portfolio with the launch of the Lithonia Lighting STLED luminaire. The STLED product features improved efficacy over previous generation surface mounted products. It joins the RTLED, ACLED, VTLED and TLED series as a part of the versatile Lithonia Lighting LED indoor ambient lighting product family.
The STLED luminaire delivers a high level of performance, design and user simplicity. The innovative design of the luminaire complements other LED volumetric architectural lighting products from Acuity Brands to achieve a coordinated visual appearance. The availability of Acuity Brands nLight® embedded controls in the luminaire allows for continuous system performance monitoring for purposes of providing constant lumen maintenance and facilitating simple "plug-and-play" network and control upgrading via Cat-5 cabling. Full-range (0-10V) dimming is also standard.
The STLED Series is available nationally through Acuity Brands' Lithonia Lighting sales representatives and authorized distributors. For more information about the Company's high-quality LED lighting and controls, please visit Acuity Brands and Lithonia Lighting online at www.acuitybrands.com and www.lithonia.com.

LEDs offer a brighter future

2011-12-19T06:00:00.001+01:00

A field trial of LED light fittings in social housing says the new technology can deliver huge energy savings, reduce costs and makes residents feel safer. The study, carried out by the Energy Saving Trust (EST), measured the performance of more than 4,250 LED light fittings installed at 35 sites. The EST said it carried out the trial because an increasing number of LED lights were now commercially available.

Amerlux Launches Hornet LED Low Voltage Track Luminaires

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000+01:00

Engineered to replace Halogen MR16 track heads with high performance levels, Amerlux launches the Hornet LED family of low voltage high performance track luminaires. The new 15-watt LED Hornet is a true replacement for a 50-watt MR16 halogen fixture in lumen output and center beam candlepower (CBCP), with the capability to replace track heads currently being used on existing low voltage track systems. Amerlux, a leader of task-specific, energy-efficient lighting solutions, is raising the bar again as an innovator of low-wattage LED solutions for retail, supermarket, commercial and hospitality markets.Designed with an inconspicuous, miniature size that fits into the palm of your hand, the Hornet LED luminaires are precision engineered for optimal thermal and optical performance. A state-of-the-art 15-watt LED (developed after one year of research by Philips Lumileds) provides light output equivalent to 50-watt halogen lamp while using one-third the power. Life at 70% of initial lumen output is rated at 50,000 hours, which is more than 10-15 times longer than halogen providing for lower operating and maintenance costs with a great energy savings.

"Hornet represents a significant step forward in energy efficient lighting solutions for the industry," explained Frank P. Diassi, Chairman and Founder of Amerlux. "Our latest LED offerings represent groundbreaking developments in engineering, design and technology that provide significant energy savings and a multitude of benefits."
With full range dimmability and specialized optics, Hornet was designed in a variety of beam-spread distributions that provide controlled accent lighting with excellent visual comfort. Designed with field replaceable, tool-free optics, the Hornet can be adapted to a 15-degree Spot, that delivers 800 lumens a 28-degree Flood with 785 lumens, or a 45-degree Wide Flood that delivers 775 lumens.
Amerlux uses microbinned LEDs to maintain color quality and consistency from fixture to fixture. Hornet deploys a crisp white light at a 3000K constant color temperature and a CRI of 82 that delivers clean consistent beams free of projected heat and UV/IR radiation, making it optimal for lighting color or heat sensitive merchandise.
Accessories include a Double Bezel, which accommodates up to two forms of media, and a one-inch Frontal Snoot with Cross Blade that receives up to two additional forms of media. Media cartridges include the Hexcel Louver, Spread Glass Lenses, Color Filters and Cross Blade for better glare control and cut-off for special effects.

Vision Engineering Delivers Unparalleled Uniformity for LED Solutions

2011-12-16T06:00:00.001+01:00

Vision Engineering announced that its patented Coining technology is available to lighting OEMs that endeavor to bring the most uniform lighting solutions to market at costs that make rapid adoption possible. Vision Engineering's technology can be implemented in lighting solutions for the commercial, industrial, residential, and entertainment segments.
Coining, or cold forming, is a well known process in the forging industry where 3 dimensional shapes can be formed to exacting tolerances. Vision Engineering has developed this technology and applied it to lighting. Using their technology, multiple geometric surfaces can be created to control the distribution of the light resulting in extremely uniform solutions.
"We're making is easier and more affordable for LED solution developers to get the light where they want it, need it, without trying to staff with optical engineers and designers," said Henry Avila, CEO of Vision Engineering. "We match our unique optical design capabilities with LUXEON LEDs to deliver the highest quality results."
Vision Engineering has implemented its technology in a line of Troffers for office lighting and its customers are delivering solutions for refrigeration, transparent LCD's displays, High bay lighting, and currently has a development agreement in aircraft interior lighting.
More information about Vision Engineering and its unique Coining technology can be found at www.visionengineering.com .

SavWatt to Launch P2i Treated LED Lights

2011-12-16T06:00:00.000+01:00

SavWatt USA will soon launch a product line of LED Lights treated with the P2i process in which a patented Nano coating application is applied to the LED Light making them water, dirt, salt and fog resistant. Martin Gerber, SavWatt's CMO, commented, "Last week Motorola launched the new Verizon Droid Razr; this phone was treated with a Nano application and is fully water resistant. 1,000,000 phones were processed in a 2 week time period using the same technology which we have licensed. This commercial Nano application is proof of the value of our exclusive worldwide LED Light license. LEDs have a general life expectancy of 50,000 hrs. If you use your lights for 10 hours a day, this should be 13.7 yrs. If this is correct, then LEDs are definitely an investment, add that to the saving you would make on energy and you've got a very cost effective bulb! However, there are times when, even a high quality, LED Light life can be shortened by the Environment -- salt, fog, and humidity can cause corrosion and early failure, shortening their life time. P2i Nano application would protect our LED Lights from the environment and will definitely differentiate us from our competitors, Phillips, GE, and Sylvania, enabling us to offer a far superior product and warranty.

Larson Electronics Announces Release of High Intensity Colored LED Light Emitter

2011-12-15T06:00:00.001+01:00

The Magnalight LEDP3W-12X2C High Intensity Colored LED Light Emitter from Larson Electronics’ is a powerful LED fixture that produces an intense colored light beam while offering rugged durability, versatile operation, and extreme efficiency. This LED light emitter produces 2,736 lumens in a choice of light colors including red, blue, green, and amber. As well as producing a powerful colored light beam, this LED emitter is designed with durability and versatile operation mind with an IP68 rated housing and Pulse Width Modulation technology that allows precise control of operating modes.

A LED that can match a 60W incandescent?

2011-12-15T06:00:00.000+01:00

With incandescent bulbs disappearing entirely from shops from September next year, the race is on to find suitable replacements. Energy-saving bulbs – or compact fluorescents (CFLs) – already do that job, but remain unpopular in some quarters and are not the most efficient alternative technology. The real hopes lie with light-emitting diodes (LEDs), according to industry, environmentalists, and politicians. With the global lighting market predicted to be worth €110bn by 2020, companies such as Phillips, GE, and Osram are fighting to be first with the breakthrough in the LED field.

LEDs throw new light on energy saving at Air NZ

2011-12-14T06:00:00.001+01:00

Air New Zealand has halved the amount of energy required to light key areas of its Auckland engineering base following installation of a new LED lighting product, Ecofluro. Ecofluro T8 LED tubes have been used to replace more than 2,100 fluorescent bulbs at the site, a move that has not only reduced Air New Zealand's energy usage, but also lowered its running costs. "Fluorescent bulbs, which are used by most New Zealand businesses, contribute to around 40% of the average office power bill so by replacing them with LED a business can literally halve this cost," says Paul Stoddart of Business Lighting Solutions, which manufactures Ecofluro.

Industry's First Integrated Solution for Component-to-System Thermal Characterization and Analysis

2011-12-14T06:00:00.000+01:00

Mentor Graphics Corporation announced the electronic industry's first combined technology for thermal characterization and simulation with T3Ster hardware test products and its FloTHERM(R) software. The Mentor Graphics T3Ster product is the world's leading advanced thermal transient tester for semiconductor device packages and LEDs. Mentor's FloTHERM product is the de-facto standard for electronics thermal simulation and analysis to predict airflow, temperature and heat transfer throughout electronics equipment including components, boards, and entire systems. The unique interface between T3Ster and FloTHERM seamlessly creates accurate thermal simulation models. The thermal characterization offering is unique because it is the only JESD51-14 compliant solution available on the market today.
Increased design complexity and smaller form factors create heat management problems which represent one of the biggest challenges in electronics today. Temperature is understood to be the key accelerator in the majority of reliability failures and IEEE Standard 1413 recognizes the need for accurate thermal data at all levels of a system's implementation.
Designers working on subsystems and systems using information for LED, semiconductor, and package components use complex thermal analysis software to help accelerate the design of their products but the analysis, typically based on vendor datasheets, often provides insufficient results. Clear, accessible, and reliable data relating to thermal characteristics upstream and downstream is critical. Methods to achieve this have traditionally been awkward, manual and therefore error-prone -- until now with Mentor Graphics T3Ster thermal characterization and interface to the FloTHERM thermal simulation software product.
Now the integration of Mentor's T3Ster hardware measurement and FloTHERM software simulation provides a combined methodology of optimizing heat management in devices, sub-systems and full systems. Manufacturers are able to optimize their LED and IC package designs for effective heat dissipation. Once the device prototype is built, they can then characterize the device from a thermal perspective and build accurate models for use in FloTHERM thermal software simulations at both the sub-system and full system levels. Finally, systems integrators can further verify their heat management solutions with physical measurements using the T3Ster hardware.
"As LEDs become more powerful, more attention should be paid to thermal management, which is essential to ensure stable LED performance and long lifetime. This is why OSRAM is devoting considerable attention to thermal design. T3Ster's accuracy and repeatability enable us to verify our thermal designs and confirm the stability and reliability of our products," stated Dr. Thomas Zahner, quality manager, Osram Opto Semiconductors. "By testing in bulk we get increased statistical confidence in the measurement results. The structure functions built into the T3Ster software are extremely powerful for identifying different thermal attach issues during our extensive reliability testing." (from "When Designing with Power LEDs, Consider Their Real Time Thermal Resistance," by Andras Poppas, Mentor Graphics, Nov/Dec 2009 LED Professional Review.)
"To design our lighting systems, we needed reliable data regarding LED characteristics and simulation tools which deliver results quickly. We found that Mentor's T3Ster and FloTHERM products were the best such tools available to us and we could use them in our project to verify our PearLight street lighting luminaires for proper heat management. Accuracy and speed in achieving the results was critical for our business," said Andras Szalai, CFO, HungaroLux.

Woodburn celebrates with new LED lights

2011-12-13T06:00:00.001+01:00

West Virginia University students and members of the Morgantown community came together Friday evening for a timeless Mountaineer tradition: the lighting of Woodburn Hall. But, this year was a little different from the rest – the iconic, 135-year-old building was adorned with LED lights as part of a new green initiative. A $3.9 million renovation project to the historic building began in 2010 and included a new roof, stonework, copper-lined gutters and safety features for employees working on the rooftop.

Bozeman to test out LED streetlights

2011-12-13T06:00:00.000+01:00

The (US) city of Bozeman plans to make some streetlights brighter and greener by switching to LEDs. Light-emitting diodes are expected to be installed this winter. City staff members are still finalizing the specifics, but city engineer Dustin Johnson said LEDs could be installed in streetlights along Durston Road, from Seventh to 11th avenues, and/or along West Babcock Street, from Main to Ferguson streets.

LEDnovation Releases Efficient 60W Equivalent Omnidirectional Lamp

2011-12-12T06:00:00.001+01:00

LEDnovation released the world's most efficient 60 watt-equivalent omnidirectional A19 lamp. This new lamp addresses a need in the marketplace for high-quality solid-state light bulbs with beam distribution comparable to traditional incandescent A-lamps. The first in the series of EnhanceLite Omnidirectional lamps, the LEDH-A19-60-1-27D-IO offers 810-lumen output at a warm 2700K color temperature, delivering energy-saving LED light ideally suited for applications such as table lamps, wall sconces, hanging pendants, ceiling lamps and other luminaires and fixtures.
Describing the new lamp, Israel J. Morejon, CEO of LEDnovation, stated, "From the company's inception, our mission has been to deliver the highest quality light possible over a full spectrum of products. Our new omnidirectional A19 lamp truly embodies that mission by bringing crisp design and brilliant performance to traditional lighting applications. The LEDnovation team has done a remarkable job of developing a product that we are confident will exceed expectations. These light bulbs deliver high-performance in a number of critical areas: total lumen output, lumen per watt efficacy, color rendering, high power factor, stable color temperature and a long operational life."
The EnhanceLite Omnidirectional A19 lamp greatly expands the potential for businesses and property operators to save on energy costs while serving as environmental stewards. Exacting care was given to keeping the design not only in the ANSI form factor, but as close as possible to a 60 watt incandescent lamp to ensure proper fit in any standard fixture. This lamp complements our directional EnhanceLite® A19 products currently available and shipping from the Tampa, Florida based company.

DIY Lamps Made From Glass Bottles

2011-12-12T06:00:00.000+01:00

Instructables user bkhurt created his LED gel-filled bottle lamp out of an empty wine bottle, a cork, some wire, blue and red LEDs, 220 Ohm and 100 Ohm resistors, a small toggle switch, and gel candle wax. You can pick up the gel wax at most craft stores, and the rest from your preferred electronic supplier. The bottle, of course, can just be any glass bottle you have lying around.

Altatech Semiconductor Enters LED Inspection Market with AltaSight LEDMax

2011-12-09T06:00:00.001+01:00

Altatech Semiconductor S.A. has entered the light-emitting diode (LED) inspection market by introducing its new AltaSight LEDMax system, the company's first product designed specifically for detecting, classifying and characterizing defects on wafers used in manufacturing LEDs.
AltaSight LEDMax improves production yields for LED devices by accurately detecting process-induced defects, including those that can result during metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) of epitaxial layers, subsequent patterning processes and final inspection. Using Altatech's patented sensor technology that filters out all background noise, the non-contact system generates images of surface imperfections with resolution down to 1 micron and a unique depth-of-focus capability approaching 500 microns.
An integrated review station performs real-time analysis of the gathered inspection data. It can stitch together images from different perspectives, generate 3D renderings and measure defect sizes. All defect-detection results are stored within the system, and can be output to an operator in standard file formats.
"With its multi-class defect reporting and high accuracy, our newest inspection system meets the unique needs of LED manufacturers," said Jean-Luc Delcarri, president of Altatech Semiconductor. "Altatech is entering this market by providing a defect-detection solution that traditional semiconductor-inspection tools cannot match in terms of reliability and cost-efficiency."
In addition to handling the full range of compound semiconductor wafers on which LEDs are produced today, AltaSight LEDMax has the versatility to meet other III-V inspection requirements. It can accommodate sapphire, silicon, silicon carbide and other transparent surface substrates. The system's high flexibility and reliability extends to its ability to inspect thin and thick wafers as well as significantly bowed substrates. AltaSight LEDMax can handle four- to eight-inch wafers without any hardware changes, and a field-upgradeable option for handling two-inch substrates will be available in the coming months.

Why LED does not mean a better picture

2011-12-09T06:00:00.000+01:00

Don't listen to the hype. Ignore the commercials. Leer skeptically at the salesman. There is no such thing as anLED TV, and "LED" doesn't mean it's any better than other TVs. LED is just a type of LCD, with strengths and weaknesses that make it better in some ways, worse in others, and rarely worth its price premium over other technologies.

Rubicon Technology Marks First Anniversary of Batavia Sapphire Growth Facility

2011-12-08T06:00:00.001+01:00

Rubicon Technology marks the first anniversary of the company's next-generation sapphire crystal growth facility, located in Batavia, IL. The 135,000 sq. ft. facility is used for the production of sapphire crystals which are further processed into sapphire ingots and large diameter sapphire wafers used in products such as LED-based lighting, HDTVs, laptops, netbooks, smart phones and tablets, and automotive lighting.
As a vertically integrated supplier, Rubicon grows large sapphire crystals at the Batavia facility from raw materials in custom-built, proprietary furnaces replicating the organic sapphire creation process found in nature. The company completes the process to make large diameter wafers in their Penang, Malaysia cutting and polishing facility.
"Rubicon's proprietary crystal growth technology, as exemplified by our Batavia plant, has been refined over the past 11 years to provide consistently high yield and the highest quality sapphire for our customers," said Raja Parvez, Rubicon President and CEO. "Rubicon's Batavia plant is the cornerstone of our market leadership in providing large-diameter sapphire wafers to the LED industry. Rubicon offers LED manufacturers the most reliable supply of high quality, high yield, large diameter sapphire wafers which is important to supporting the adoption of LED-based general lighting worldwide."
To date, Rubicon has shipped more than 200,000 six-inch sapphire wafers to the LED manufacturing and RFIC industries. The transition to larger diameter wafers in LED production has started at the LED manufacturing level. Several key LED chip manufacturers have announced plans to migrate to and/or test large diameter wafers in 2011/2012. The process and cost efficiencies brought by large diameter sapphire wafers are instrumental to driving prices down in the LED industry.
Bringing down the overall price of LEDs is a key element in supporting the worldwide commercial adoption of solid state lighting based on LEDs as a light source. According to market research firm DisplaySearch, the total average LED penetration in lighting was 1.4% in 2010 and is forecast to reach 9.3% in 2014. Government entities around the world including China, European Union, Australia, Canada and the United States have introduced legislation to require energy efficient lighting.

Toshiba LED to light up the Louvre

2011-12-08T06:00:00.000+01:00

The Louvre Museum in Paris is now lit by Toshiba’s LED products, following a lighting ceremony on 6 December. Louvre Director Henri Loyrette and Toshiba's President Norio Sasaki illuminated the Pyramid, the Pyramidion and Pavilion Colbert during the ceremony after a count-down

Korean LED lamps to be installed in Vancouver

2011-12-07T06:00:00.001+01:00

Korean-made light-emitting diode lamps will illuminate Vancouver next year, as the Canadian city seeks street lights that are brighter and more durable, as well as energy-efficient, officials said Monday. Yuyang DNU, a Korean LED producer, will supply 20 units of 50-watt and 80-watt lights without charge to Vancouver and nearby Langley in southwestern Canada for a test operation, according to the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency. The deal is to be signed Wednesday.

Xicato Introduces 3000lm and 4000lm XLM LED Modules

2011-12-07T06:00:00.000+01:00

Recognized by the IESNA's recent 2011 Progress Report, Xicato's new 3000lm and 4000lm XLM LED modules provide light levels that replace inefficient high wattage halogen and metal halide lamps which have color stability and controllability issues.
At up to 80 lumens per watt, the XLM family provides a completely controllable source which can easily integrate into daylight harvesting, dimming and demand response building automation schemes. Offered in 3000K, 3500K and 4000K, the Xicato XLM is a high light quality, energy efficient and low maintenance solution for wall washing, high ceiling accents, indirect up lighting and architectural flood lighting. As with all Xicato LED modules, the XLM range has a rugged glass and aluminum architecture, 1x2 SDCM color consistency and industry leading lumen and color maintenance.

Good Return on Investment: LED Holiday Lights

2011-12-06T06:00:00.001+01:00

Conventional holiday lights have become disposable goods. They're so cheap that we expect to get about two seasons out of a string before cursing it and replacing it with another $3 set. And if you pay that little, you know you're getting the kind that are wired to go out entirely if just one tiny bulb has a problem. LED lighting should change all that. A good set of LED lights features "stay-on" wiring, plastic (not glass) bulbs, a three-year warrantee (see Don't Cheap Out, below) and an estimated 20,000 hours of bulb life. Compare that last number to Consumer Reports' finding incandescent holiday lights that started burning out before 2,000 hours. LEDs also use 70% to 90% less energy to run, and therein lies your best bet for a favorable ROI (that's short for return on investment, for any financial Luddites out there).

The nature of fluorescence

2011-12-06T06:00:00.000+01:00

Many seemingly mundane objects can emit visible light if exposed to the right conditions. Tonic water, $20 bills, jellyfish, teeth whiteners, laundry detergents — all of these items can manifest the power of fluorescence. All light consists of photons, which are constantly moving and thus have varying amounts of energy. The undergraduate introductory physics textbook used by Carnegie Mellon, Matter & Interactions, states that only photons within a certain range of energy can be seen by the human eye and are therefore called visible light. Photons with energy levels outside of this range, such as infrared or ultraviolet light, are invisible to the human eye.

Larson Introduces New LED

2011-12-05T06:00:00.001+01:00

Larson Electronics’ Magnalight.com has announced the addition of the EXP-LED-RL-FX5R explosion proof rechargeable LED handheld light to its extensive line of portable explosion proof lighting solutions.
This explosion proof LED lantern produces 135 lumens of bright light and offers 5 different operating modes as well as U.L. and ATEX explosion proof compliance for hazardous locations. The EXP-LED-RL-FX5R is Class 1 Division 1 certified and an ideal portable work or inspection light for operators in hazardous locations where flammable gases, vapors and chemicals are present.
The EXP-LED-RL-FX5R explosion proof LED lantern is a durable and powerful rechargeable lighting solution for operators in hazardous locations who require a Class1 Division 1 compliant lighting solution. Constructed of a lightweight and impact resistant ABS plastic housing with shatterproof Lexan lens, this rechargeable LED handheld light incorporates a set of forward facing LEDs for powerful illumination and a set of three rear mounted LEDs for signal capable operation. The main light head on this explosion proof lantern is adjustable, allowing the operator to set the light down and adjust the head as needed for close work or inspection activities. All functions are controlled by a single trigger style switch, allowing the operator to cycle through 5 different operating modes simply by repeatedly activating the trigger. This rechargeable explosion proof handheld light has a12 hour runtime on a single charge of its integral 6 VDC Nickel Metal Hydride batteries and will accept up to 500 charge cycles before battery performance degrades. The entire unit is impact and vibration resistant, water resistant and has no exposed metal or contacts, making it ideal for heavy duty use in industrial work environments. In addition to its UL Class 1 Division 1 rating, this LED lantern is also intrinsically safe certified and MSHA, CE, and ATEX compliant as well.

Austin City decreases environmental impact by reducing energy consumption

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000+01:00

The parking garage at the City Hall in Austin, Texas, houses 750 parking spaces and must leave its lights on 24 hours a day, making for high energy usage and big electrical bills. After evaluating several manufacturers' LED products, city officials chose LED luminaires from Cooper Lighting, an industry leader committed to delivering innovative products and driving transformational technology in the lighting industry. By replacing approximately 425 175-watt metal halide fixtures with McGraw-Edison Concise™ LED Luminaires, the city will reduce the wattage in the parking garage by 74 percent and save $46,000 annually in electricity costs.

Philips announces the largest energy saving LED lighting deal in Africa to date

2011-12-02T06:00:00.001+01:00

Philips and Eskom (The South African state-owned utility company) announced the largest energy saving LED lighting deal in Africa to date. Under the agreement, 200,000 Philips MasterLED lamps are being distributed through Karebo Systems at discounted prices throughout South Africa to professional users of lighting such as hotels, banks, offices and retail outlets. These businesses and their staff will benefit from maintenance savings, great quality light and an enhanced sense of well-being.
The deal is aimed at replacing 50W Halogen bulbs with 7W & 10W LED lamps, which provide the same amount of light, and last significantly longer. The collective electricity savings potential of this deal is estimated to be 58GWh per year equal to ZAR 41 million and would save up to 60,000 tons of CO2. Based on calculations of 40-43W less power consumption, each lamp has the potential to annually save 280KWh of electricity equal to ZAR 200. In fact every four lamps installed will save the equivalent of three trees in terms of CO2 absorption. And the changeover just involves a simple switch of a bulb.
The distribution of the LED lamps is being handled by Karebo Systems whose task is to organize distribution throughout South Africa and ensure that the envisaged savings are achieved. “The key is to ensure that these energy saving lamps end up in the intended sockets” says Ravi Govender, Director, Karebo Systems. “LED technology is a relatively new technology and Eskom must be applauded for supporting this initiative. The rollout of these lamps is a wonderful job creation opportunity in South Africa. It is a definite win-win for all parties involved – especially the end user.”

Smart LED streetlights dim on command

2011-12-02T06:00:00.000+01:00

New Jersey lighting technology company Amerlux is shining the light on its SmartSite intelligent LED street-lighting system. The lights are targeted at municipalities or commercial sites that are seeking to improve their energy-efficiency. What makes them worth attention are a number of factors, including the fact that they can be remote-controlled via a systems management console and that they can be programmed to dim over the course of an evening. The luminaires used in the system are LEDS, which means they can last a long time while using less energy than traditional metal halide or high-pressure sodium fixtures.

LEDs Produced on Patterned Sapphire Substrates

2011-12-01T06:00:00.001+01:00

MicroTech has developed a wet process station for the etching of PSS (Patterned Sapphire Substrate) wafers used to increase light extraction and efficiency in high brightness LEDs. The wet station can improve manufacturing throughput, a major stumbling block to making LEDs price competitive with fluorescent lighting.
As LED manufacturers look to decrease costs, the use of PSS becomes more important. The average light output power is reported to be up to 37% larger on a PSS than a standard sapphire wafer. The use of patterned sapphire substrates reduces the dislocation density in the GaN (gallium nitride) layer and enhances the LEE (light extraction efficiency) from the LED chip.
Traditional dry etching on PSS produces highly efficient, very bright light but throughput is slow and scalability is impacted as wafer sizes increase. Typically, more dry etch tools are needed to keep throughput up as wafer size increases.
In the wet etch process in the MicroTech system, GaN or InGaN (indium gallium nitride) coated wafers are submerged in the etch tank with a mixture of etching and buffering agents. Prior to submersion, a silicon dioxide mask is patterned using PECVD (plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition). A lithography step exposes the desired pattern to etch. The sapphire etch process takes place between 260 degreesC and 300 degreesC. This ultra high temperature etches the wafers exponentially more quickly than the standard 150-180 degreesC process and therefore, speeds throughput.
Independent customer evaluations show a significant improvement in light extraction and efficiency in the substrates and a considerable cost savings, even if polishing work is performed on the wafers after etch to increase efficiencies. Development work is also being done to improve the dome shapes created on the wafers with a CMP (chemical mechanical polishing) process. New non-cone shapes are also under development.
Recently MicroTech announced the delivery of a similar concept process station to the solar industry that delivers high throughput and lower cost-of-ownership benefits by moving from a dry CVD process to an efficient, production-proven, environmentally friendly wet process.
About MicroTech Systems With over 25 years' experience in high technology equipment manufacturing, MicroTech Systems provides engineering, manufacturing and applications support for wet process and chemical distribution tools. Their innovative "intelligent process station" to monitor, measure and control the process makes their tools more efficient with a lower cost-of-ownership. They supply the semiconductor, solar, MEMS, LED, Biotech and FPD industries from their Silicon Valley headquarters, which includes a state-of-the-art cleanroom and process development lab. See www.microtechprocess.com .

New LED Driver Design from Power Integrations

2011-12-01T06:00:00.000+01:00

Power Integrations, maker of the world's most efficient, longest-lasting off-line LED driver ICs, published a reference design (DER-297) describing a high-efficiency, ultra-compact driver for a B10-style LED light bulb. Based on Power Integrations' LinkSwitch-PL non-isolated, single-stage LED driver IC, the power supply is specifically tailored for use with high-voltage LEDs such as the recently announced XLamp XM-L and XLamp XT-E ranges from Cree. DER-297 provides the high-voltage output required by the LEDs, optimizing overall system efficiency by reducing power lost due to current flow in the driver inductor and output diode.
The DER-297 power supply design is very small and cost-effective with a BOM of only 20 components. The high level of integration in the LinkSwitch-PL device combines PFC and constant-current functions into a single buck-boost stage requiring only a tiny inductor. The design reaches 87% efficiency at 115 VAC for a 4.3 W LED driver (86% for 2.9 W output) while achieving a power factor greater than 0.9, easily meeting EN61000-3-2 Class C limits, and creating less than 20% Total Harmonic Distortion (THD).
Commented Andrew Smith, product marketing manager for LED applications at Power Integrations: "The tiny B10 and similarly compact form factors are very challenging for LED lamps. The LinkSwitch-PL device used in DER-297 permits the driver to be both small and highly efficient, which allows us to pack the design into a B10 base without using potting compound or compromising performance. The simple BOM also means that the converter has a very low cost, making DER-297 ideal for this increasingly price-competitive market."

Philips Bio-light creates mood lighting with bacteria

2011-11-30T06:00:00.001+01:00

As part of its Microbial Home project, which also birthed the urban beehive, Philips set about designing a natural lighting system based on biological processes. The result? The Bio-light concept. The system uses bioluminescent bacteria that feeds on methane and composted material to produce a soft green light, not all that different from the light emitted by fireflies and red tide

High Intensity LED Light Bar

2011-11-30T06:00:00.000+01:00

The Magnalight LEDP10W-50E LED Light Bar draws only 4.17 amps at 50 watts from a 12 volt electrical system and is well suited to applications such as onboard marine lighting where managing power consumption is critical to maintaining safe power reserves yet effective lighting is required. The entire fixture measures only 4.68 inches long by 4.30 inches high, making this LED light bar compact enough to fit almost anywhere a light source is desired.
Producing 4,300 lumens while using only 50 watts at 4.17 amps, this LED emitter is far more efficient than comparable halogen lamps yet produces a clean and bright light output without any of the yellowish tinting associated halogen lighting. Constructed of thick extruded aluminum with an unbreakable polycarbonate lens, this light bar is IP68 rated waterproof to 3 meters and sealed against internal contamination from dirt and dust. This heavy duty construction combined with a lamp assembly containing 5 CREE XLamp MC-E® LEDs results in a powerful unit that is highly resistant to damage from shocks, vibrations, and impacts as well as being weatherproof.
This latest addition to Magnalight’s Extreme series of LED light bars shares all the same traits of its larger extreme duty counterparts including Pulse Width Modulation technology for precise heat management and operational control, the ability to handle -40 degrees Celsius to 85 degrees Celsius temperatures, and the ability to run directly from any voltage ranging from 9 to 46VDC. The PWM technology used in the LED drivers of this unit also allow it to be connected to external dimmers and pulse controllers, giving operators the ability to operate these lights at varying brightness levels as well as operating them as flashing beacons or warning lights.
This LED light emitter is available in spotlight or floodlight configurations and produces a light beam 525 feet long when in spot configuration. The heavy duty design and high power of the LEDP10W-50E LED light bar makes it ideal for boating, military, and law enforcement use as well as commercial applications where lighting equipment is often exposed to abusive conditions.

Time To Change Your Light Bulbs

2011-11-29T06:00:00.001+01:00

Many US consumers are still in the dark about the upcoming light bulb switch. Incandescent bulbs are being phased out, starting in a little over a month. When it's as easy as flipping a switch, most people don't give their light bulbs a second thought. But they'll have to come January first when 100 watt incandescent bulbs will be phased out. "No, I didn't know that. Uh-oh, I have to stock up then," consumer David Judd said.

Mouser takes Taiwan LED optics firm to global market

2011-11-29T06:00:00.000+01:00

Mouser Electronics has signed a global distribution agreement with LedLink Optics, the Taiwan-based manufacturer of secondary optics for high-power LEDs. LedLink Optics has partnerships with LED manufacturers including: Cree, Osram Opto Semiconductors and Seoul Semiconductor. The manufacturer's LED lenses offer beam-pattern options ranging from 8° up to 140°. It has products for applications ranging from residential to architectural and street lighting.

20% off Cyber Monday Super Sale

2011-11-28T06:00:00.001+01:00

North Seattle LED Company SolidApollo.com announces their 20% off Cyber Monday Super LED Lighting Sale. As a way of thanking their customers Solid Apollo is offering 20% off all their LED lighting products. Sale begins Monday 28th 1am Pacific Standard Time and will run through the same day Monday 28th until 11.59 PM Pacific Standard Time.
"We're excited to announce our first ever 20% off Cyber Monday Super Sale as a way thanking all our great customers" states Solid Apollo's President Manuel Barquin. "In addition to 20% off Solid Apollo is also offering free shipping on orders of $150.00 or more and This is really a great chance if you haven't ever seen LED lighting products and what they can do for you."
One of their best sellers is a 16 foot LED strip Lighting kit, that can be used almost anywhere from under cabinet lighting to accent lighting. It include a UL listed power supply, a dimmer and a spool of premium 16 feet LED strip light. With this new offer the price is dropped from $99 to just $79.
Solid Apollo also offer many other interesting products like their Moon LEDs, which are

Philips Shows Los Angeles What LED Lighting Can Do for the Home

2011-11-28T06:00:00.000+01:00

First Philips Lighting brought LED light bulbs to your home, and now they are bringing it to Los Angeles with the Philips LED Light Experience, a fun, educational and free interactive mobile exhibit. The Philips LED Light Experience will provide hands-on exhibits for visitors to explore what LED light can do for their homes and see firsthand where science meets style – with light bulbs.

Norwalk-based Trans-Lux Partners with University of Rochester

2011-11-25T06:00:00.000+01:00

Most people in the Norwalk area associate the name Trans-Lux with the successful chain of movie theaters that were prominent in Fairfield County and the New York metro region through the 1980s. What you may not know is that the Norwalk-based innovator in screen projection systems, which sold-off its movie theater business (now Storyteller Theaters) years ago, has since reinvented itself to become a leader in video displays and LED lighting systems.
Recently Trans-Lux announced that has forged a partnership with Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) to develop new applications for LEDs in the lighting and video display categories. As part of this, the university has committed to replacing about 20 percent of the lighting throughout the campus with Trans-Lux developed LED lighting systems, in keeping with the university’s commitment to eco-sustainability practices. In addition the university will be installing various Trans-Lux-made LED displays throughout campus that will be used for both educational and administrative purposes.

LED art as Toshiba lights up the Louvre

2011-11-24T06:00:00.000+01:00

Leonardo da Vinci, Antoine Watteau, Johannes Vermeer, Michelangelo and Toshiba - just some of the notable names whose work lights up the Louvre in Paris. Yes, Toshiba - you read that correctly. The Japanese company has just announced that it is literally lighting up the famous Musée du Louvre, after completing the first stage of its it renewal of the external lighting at the site. The renovation has meant an end to the energy sapping, xenon lighting that was in place, and an introduction of energy-efficient, environmentally friendly LEDs.

Nanoscale LEDs make optical data transfers 2,000 times more efficient

2011-11-23T06:00:00.000+01:00

Researchers from Stanford University have taken a big step forward in the development of light-based communications in computer chips. Laser optical interconnect systems already exist, but their new nanoscale LED setup improves the energy efficiency 2,000 times, sipping just 0.25 femto-joules per bit sent as compared to a laser's 500 femto-joules. In spite of this low power consumption, chips using the LEDs will reportedly be capable of transfer speeds of 10Gbps.

Which Christmas lights are better?

2011-11-22T06:30:00.000+01:00

Tis (almost) the season for decking the halls. There are plenty of choices when it comes to decorating your home, but when it comes down to lights, which is better: LED or incandescent? Not everyone prefers the LEDs. Jacob Strack, an installer for Lit by Swamptec, said, "Me personally, I like the look of the incandescent versus the LED, but it's all about preference."

Dark red phosphor for LEDs

2011-11-21T06:22:00.001+01:00

Researchers from Siemens Corporate Technology and Osram have unveiled a new dark red luminescent material suited for light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The material came about as a result of a material development method known as High Throughput Experimentation (THE), which allows the screening of large composition areas of complex material systems. The new luminescent material can be used for warm-toned white LEDs for general lighting, LCD backlights, and automotive LEDs.

LED streetlights switched in historic Leipzig

2011-11-21T06:00:00.000+01:00

Braun Lighting Solutions of Berlin has worked with Future Lighting Solutions to install LED lighting in the historic Schinkel street lights in the city of Leipzig. The Schinkel lamps have been a fixture in the city since the industrial revolution in the mid-19th century, and the gas light with its warm atmosphere was characteristic of the city at night.
The conversion to LED technology will increase energy efficiency, durability and lower maintenance costs.
The LED lamps consume only 22W, compared with the 85W power consumption of the lamps they replace. The switch to energy-efficient LEDs is expected to reduce the street lights’ CO2 emissions by 60.8 tonnes per year.
Distributor Future Lighting Solutions helped in the design phase by providing a simulation of the first prototype, implemented at its Lighting Resource Center in Montreal, Canada. Future Lighting Solutions also helped with the selection of electronic lighting components and connectors.

LED lighting test centre opens

2011-11-18T06:00:00.001+01:00

Photometric Testing has opened its laboratory which will provide specialist optical test and measurement services for LEDs, lamps and luminaires. The Gloucestershire-based laboratory will provide test services to small and medium businesses in the lighting industry, and it has adopted specialist approach to LED testing. For measuring luminous flux, chromaticity, colour temperature and colour rendering the company employs a 1m diameter integrating sphere with high resolution spectroradiometer detector.

Mighty Bright Debuts Line of LUX LED Task Lights for Hospitality

2011-11-18T06:00:00.000+01:00

Mighty Bright, designer and manufacturer of innovative LED lighting products, introduces LUX LED Task Lights for Hospitality at Boutique Design New York (BDNY), the premier hospitality tradeshow, taking place in New York City at Javits Center North, November 13-14, 2011. Streamlined and sophisticated, LUX LED Task Lights for Hospitality exemplify Mighty Bright’s commitment to provide lighting solutions that are functional, eco-friendly, and embody a simple aesthetic elegance.
The LUX line features two styles of LED task lights—LUX Bar and LUX Dome—that provide accent and essential lighting in guest rooms, lobbies, suites, and back-of-house offices. Both styles complement all décor and offer guests a warm, energy-efficient light for work and reading. These new designs compromise neither form nor function and fit beautifully in luxury hotels, boutique hotels, modern chain lodging, and corporate offices.

Three myths about energy consumption

2011-11-17T06:00:00.001+01:00

Three myths to disel. Myth No. 1: The US government is banning the incandescent light bulb you love, and it’s mandating CFLs [compact fluorescent light bulbs]. That is simply not true. What the government has done is set standards to make lighting more efficient. You’re still going to be able to buy incandescent along with CFLs, along with light-emitting diodes (LEDs). You’re just going to be able to buy only more efficient ones.

The New UV LED Curing Association

2011-11-17T06:00:00.000+01:00

Phoseon Technology, Integration Technology Limited and Lumen Dynamics join together to form the UV LED Curing Association. The new association has been established to address a growing need within the market for current and potential researchers, suppliers, integrators and end users to gain a better understanding about UV LED technology and the significant benefits it brings to numerous applications.
The UV LED Curing Association is focused on providing greater insight into the various UV LED solutions currently in the marketplace, as well as into developing applications which are well suited to the technology. One of the goals of the association is to demonstrate how system developers around the world can effectively integrate UV LED technology into applications and, where possible, achieve better efficiencies while saving costs.
The founders of the association will work together to help define and establish UV LED-based guidelines for UV LED curing applications. This goal will become increasingly important as the adoption rate of UV LED technology continues to rise and the need for industry collaboration becomes critical. The association will also serve as a forum for fostering communication within the UV industry in order to facilitate the exchange of information and enable the entire industry to better address market needs. While complimentary to other existing and well established associations, the UV LED Curing Association focuses only on UV LED curing technology and its applications.
"Phoseon Technology is a proud founder of the UV LED Curing Association," stated Bill Cortelyou, President and CEO of, Phoseon Technology. "Along with our fellow founders, Phoseon anticipates rapid growth and acceptance of UV LED curing technologies across a wide range of system manufacturers. The Association will bring together industry players to set guidelines and ensure compatibility across the industry."
"UV LED curing technology has been steadily evolving in the market for almost a decade," said Adrian Lockwood, Managing Director of Integration Technology Limited. "Its application successes continue to generate increased interest; however, industry inconsistencies in language and measurement practices as well as a general misunderstanding of the technology continue to breed confusion and delay implementation. It is the hope of the UV LED Curing Association's founders that our collaboration will promote the successful and more rapid adoption of UV LED technology across many different markets."
"UV LED technology has witnessed a dramatic rise in interest and experienced a corresponding rapid adoption in a variety of markets over the past five years. We are quite pleased to be collaborating with other major industry influencers to provide a forum for sharing knowledge and developing common meaningful language and guidelines about UV LED technology," stated Allan Firhoj, President and CEO of Lumen Dynamics. "In our 15 years of experience in LED curing technology, the industry has realized significant breakthroughs that have proven LEDs as a viable alternative providing substantial benefits. The UV LED Curing Association will be instrumental in helping the market gain knowledge and insight about UV LED technology and its numerous commercial benefits."