How much cheaper will LED light bulbs get by 2020?

Despite the lifetime energy and maintenance savings potential of LED lightbulbs, mainstream adoption for the technology has been slow to develop - mainly because many bulbs still cost at least $20 each and often double that, considerably more expensive than the alternative. Pricetags for 60-watt equivalent LED bulbs should be cut almost in half to $11.06 by 2020, suggests a new report by Lux Research.

Add LEDs to Your Bicycle Handlebars for Safe Night Riding

Riding your bike at night requires some special equipment to stay safe: reflectors, lights, and ideally bright clothing, but if you really want to make sure you can see what's around you and be seen by others on the road, these LED bicycle handlebars are a worthwhile project for you. It's a good, solid DIY project, and once it's finished, you're rewarded with some seriously bright handlebars that are cool to the touch and will light up the night.

LED Flashlight features intrinsically safe design

Division 1 compliant, explosion proof Model EXP-LED-FX2 is suitable for use as inspection or work light in locations where flammable gases, vapors, and chemicals present explosion or fire hazard. Waterproof flashlight is constructed with ABS plastic housing, shatterproof LEXAN lens, and non-slip grip. LEDs produce 160 lumens with up to 14 hrs of runtime on single set of AAA alkaline batteries. Dual mode operation includes 80 lumen spotlight and 80 lumen floodlight.

Seiko Instruments Launches World's First Zero-power Photo Detect IC

Seiko Instruments (SII) announced on July 23 the new S-5470 series of photo detect ICs that enable design of light/dark detection switch circuits with zero power consumption (nW class) when combined with a photo diode, LED, or other photovoltaic devices.
Due to the photo voltaic effect, photodiodes and LEDs generate tiny electrical current when exposed to light. Conventional ICs require amplifiers to sense the minute current, and consume significant power to operate. In contrast, SII's new S-5470 series ICs detect the same minute current without the need for amplifiers using SII's unique low-power CMOS technology. This approach has achieved zero-power consumption (nW class) circuit designs. It also enables the design of shading detection switches based on illumination differences between two photo voltaic devices.
Typical applications include auto power-off functionality detecting light/dark conditions, automatic lighting during darkness, and non-contact switching when the device is covered by a hand. Some examples would be a wireless mouse that turns itself on when the user grasps it for use; smartphones that activate when their covers are opened; clocks that inactivate chimes during periods of darkness; equipment that operates when its box is opened, and the like.
The S-5470 series ICs feature super-low power consumption: 0.1 nA (typ.) at a 5.5V supply voltage; can be used with a number of different photovoltaic devices including photo diodes, LEDs, solar batteries, etc.; wide operating voltage range: 0.9V-5.5V; and small SOT-23-5 package (2.9x2.8x1.3 mm.)

Some Tips of How to Buy LED Bay Lights

As LED lights play an increasing role in the daily life these years and it will have a big influence in future.LED lights include LED tube lights, LED bulbs, LED spot lights, LED flood lights, LED bay lights, and LED panel lights and so on, which is widely use in workshops, factories, stories, toll stations, service stations supermarkets and other places. Therefore, more and more people build the awareness of using LED lamps, but the most significant thing is how to buy a LED bay lights?
Zhongtian Lighting gives some suggestions to help customers know more details about how to choose a LED bay light. At first, people usually should buy LED bay lights in bulk so that it enables the manufacturers to give the lowest price. If someone thinks that it is not necessary to buy so much bay lights for one time, he can share the products with others or make it as the spare parts in future. In addition, if the customers buy it in bulk, the most important thing is to check the quality of the merchandise carefully first, so as to avoid the defective products. It is not only a great loss of money but also a waste of time and efforts. What’s more, compare the performance and other factors of LED bay lights between different companies so as to ensure the products which customers buy are the best ones. Finally, there is no doubt that the cost is a crucial factor for customers buying merchandise and it is the most difficult factor to judge. Customers can deal with it by make a balance of the cost and quality. Customers should seek for the LED bay lights with high cost performance but not the cheapest products.
When buying LED bay lights, customers can pay more attention to these parameters—-physical parameters, optical parameters, electrical parameters, which can demonstrate the details of a bay lights. Such as the rated power, service lifespan, output lumens, light source, color rendering index etc. The people who want to buy a LED bay light will benefit a lot from this.

LED bulbs to be sold in the city at half the market price

People in New Delhi can now buy energy-efficient LED bulbs at almost half the market rate with power distribution company BRPL today launching a scheme to promote the environment-friendly lighting. Inaugurating the scheme, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit announced that Delhi government would grant some concession in VAT to cut down price of LED bulbs to encourage people to switch over to the new generation lighting. Power distribution company BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd launched the scheme under which LED bulbs will be sold at Rs 399 each against the market price of Rs 700 to 800.

Philips Profits Beat Forecasts

Lighting comparable sales at Philips increased by 6%, led by double-digit sales growth at Light Sources & Electronics, as well as high-single-digit sales growth at Automotive. LED-based sales grew by 37% year-on-year and now account for 20% of total Lighting sales. Reported EBITA margin for the quarter was 4.6%. 'At Lightning, LED-based sales showed strong growth momentum,' CEO Frans van Houten said. Philips reports second-quarter comparable sales growth of 5% to EUR 5.9 billion; EBITA of EUR 450 million.

Larson Electronics Magnalight Releases Explosion Proof LED Light for Corrosive Environments

Larson Electronics' Magnalight.com has announced the release of an affordable LED explosion proof LED light fixture designed specifically for use in wet and corrosive locations. Able to withstand the damaging effects of wet and corrosive environments, the HALP- 48-2L-LED explosion proof LED light provides high light output combined easy upgrading capability. Costing less than comparable LED lights with permanently integrated LEDs, these fixtures are ideal for cost conscious operators in the petrochemical and industrial marine industries who require durable and effective lighting solutions that can be easily serviced
The HALP- 48-2L-LED Class 1 Division 2 LED Light from Magnalight.com is an ideal lighting solution for those in the marine and petrochemical industries who need a Class 1 Division 2 lighting solution that can stand up to the corrosive effects of marine and wet environments. Featuring non-corrosive materials including a glass fiber reinforced polyester housing, poured in cover gasket, stainless steel cover latches, and impact resistant acrylic diffuser, this light is specifically designed for areas where wetness and corrosive marine conditions are problems. These fixtures are equipped with Magnalight's high output LED tube lamps, giving them excellent lumen output and contrasting capability as well as a long 50,000+ hour operating life and high resistance to damage from vibrations and impacts. Since these units are equipped with LEDs, the fixtures contain no ballasts, which helps to make these units light in weight and easier to install and service than integral LED fixtures or old style fluorescent units. Unlike many comparable fixtures which rely on integrated LEDs for their high output, HALP- 48-2L-LED provides a lower cost alternative that can be upgraded and re-lamped as easily as a traditional fixture. Fixtures with integrated LED require the operator to replace the whole unit once the fixture reaches the end of its operational life, while the HALP- 48-2L-LED on the other hand allows operators to simply open the unit and replace the lamps. This easy serviceability also means that operators can upgrade to higher output LED lamps as the technology advances, allowing them to save money while improving lighting effectiveness in the future. These explosion proof light fixtures hold added benefits over integrated fixtures as they are much lighter in weight, and with integrated fixtures costing in excess of $1,000 on average, are considerably more cost effective at less than $700.00 in price. The HALP- 48-2L-LED carries UL Class 1 Division 2, Groups A, B, C, D and UL 1598A Marine Type approvals and is compatible variety of voltages including 120V-60hz 220V-50hz 240V-60hz and 277V-60hz. Magnalight maintains a full inventory of explosion proof lighting solutions, which allows them to provide immediate delivery of these lights, oftentimes with same day shipping if an order is received before 4:00pm CT. HALP- 48-2L-LED is a cost effective lighting solution for operators in hazardous locations with corrosive environments that provides long life and reduced operating costs as well as easy upgrade capability.
"The HALP- 48-2L-LED Class 1 Division 2 LED light is ideal for hazardous location areas, including rigs." said Rob Bresnahan with Larson Electronics' Magnalight.com. "This hazardous location LED light can be upgraded to higher output LED modules for less than $100 as more powerful LEDs become available."

OZ3 LED 3w ceramic spotlights

The 3w ceramic spotlights from OZ3 LED feature energy efficient Epistar LED lights, and they are designed specifically to replace old halogen spotlights. The spotlights have an attractive ceramic finish, making them perfect for installation in areas where they will be seen. Furthermore, the spotlights are ideal for display cases where a smooth, stylish finish is needed.
 

Indak Manufacturing Promotes Green Technology

The Indak Group, an international company with headquarters in Northbrook, Ill., has domestic manufacturing facilities in Northbrook, IL, Wisconsin and Georgia, as well a sales and distribution facility in Germany.
One of Indak's most recent breakthroughs is in the area of LED technology, an increasingly popular (and cost-effective) LED Lighting solution. The Indak Group places more than 50 million LEDs per year. The company prides itself on providing consistent intensity and color. The Indak Group's lighting products and services are utilized across a broad spectrum of industries and applications, including architectural (indoor/outdoor), automotive (interior/exterior) and furniture task lighting, to name a few.
Dan Dungan, VP of Indak, stated, "The future of the LED Lighting Technology is here. Our customers are looking to reduce their power consumption, by removing their Fluorescent lighting fixtures, and replacing them with LED Troffers manufactured by Indak. Our U.L. LED products are simple designs built for low maintenance and longevity while using high quality LEDs to provide superior lighting."
Bob Lube, Nat'l Sales Manager, says, "The high performance LED panels are designed for ceilings, typically used to replace the 1' x 4', 2'x 2' and 2'x 4' fluorescent fixtures. Suitable for offices, schools, hospitals, and medical facility applications. Indak is now receiving calls from Contractors, Architects and Construction Co. Indak sells its products through Manufactured Lighting Reps and a Master Distributor to be named soon."

High Volume Production Design Options

Molex Incorporated has ramped up engineering and production to bring custom LED circuit assemblies into a broader range of electronic products – from appliances and computers to automotive and consumer electronics. Molex LED solutions on printed circuit board (PCB) substrates are designed to meet high volume manufacturing requirements in automotive, consumer, medical, military/aerospace, telecommunications, transportation and industrial equipment applications. “For over two decades Molex has specialized in designing and manufacturing complex PCB assemblies to solve LED design, lighting, assembly and manufacturing challenges”
Molex LED assemblies feature rigid circuit boards as well as polyester and polyimide flexible circuit substrates to provide 3D lighting effects in cutting-edge designs and to reduce weight and thickness. Molex uses proprietary bonding techniques to attach LEDs to flexible polyester circuitry, providing a cost-effective, durable, lightweight, low profile option for adding simple electronic components. Integrating LED circuitry with a graphic overlay or a Molex membrane switch can provide a total user interface with numerous options to enhance application features. Molex polyimide LED circuits circuit assemblies offer the robustness of a PCB assembly, with reduced weight and reduced thickness for tight spaces and harsh environments, while enabling customers to incorporate the flexibility and artistic benefits of 3D effects into LED designs.
“Molex can cater to short design cycles and quickly move into volume production,” adds O’Sullivan. “Our team brings a proven record and unparalleled design experience in electrical, mechanical, thermal, optical, overmolding and reliability – to deliver a fully qualified LED package.”
Prior to shipment, each LED circuit assembly is tested for intensity and color to ensure quality and consistency. A bin control system regulates consistent lot-by-lot luminosity output ranges. LED package solutions are manufactured in Molex ISO-certified facilities.

Light Lab for LED Measurement and Testing

Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas, a business region of Avnet, Inc. announced the opening of its Chandler, Ariz. lighting lab, enabling customers the ability to test and measure a wide range of LED (light emitting diode) applications. Watch a video showing the features of the newly opened Avnet LightLab.
"The demand for LEDs has reached an explosive growth phase," said George Kelly, technical specialist and LightLab manager, Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas. "Avnet LightLab's capabilities coupled with Avnet's national team of LED-focused illumination engineers ("illumineers"), substantially reduces our customers' design time and provides a means to weigh various design options; ultimately optimizing their end-products' performance and extending their competitive edge."
The Avnet LightLab is a state-of-the-art, 900 square foot facility, equipped with the latest LED metrology suite from Instrument Systems. Designed to measure the key optical, electrical and thermal characteristics of high power LEDs, modules and luminaires, the Avnet LightLab services are offered to qualified Avnet customers. All photometric, radiometric and colormetric testing is conducted in accordance with specifications from the Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE(TM)), the international commission on light.
Avnet's LightLab supports a broad range of LED applications including general illumination, medical, industrial, transportation, military, signage and security applications. Typical tests include:

Luminus' LEDs Displace Lasers in Machine Vision Application

Devices, Inc. Big Chip LED technology has been selected by Smart Vision Lights for their new product line of illumination sources. Luminus' SST-90 LED is at the heart of Smart Vision Lights' SP30 Series LED structured light pattern projector for the machine vision industry.
When compared to laser based pattern projectors, Luminus' LEDs enable higher resolution lines with sharper edges and more uniform illumination -- and without laser speckle artifacts.
"Luminus has an established track record of displacing traditional high power illumination sources with its Big Chip LED technology," said Chuck DeMilo, Global Director of Product Marketing at Luminus. "In general lighting and entertainment lighting we are enabling the conversion from metal halide to LED. In projection display we are displacing UHP mercury sources. Now in machine vision we are seeing success in converting laser based systems to LED."

WAC Lighting Introduces Milford Schoolhouse Pendant

A timeless classic featuring clean lines and authentic period perfection, good lighting design is always a welcomed constant.  Introduced in the new Early Electric Collection, WAC Lighting’s new Milford pendant brings the softer side of schoolhouse to a variety of spaces with a milk white glass shade that creates a warm glow, radiating charm and nostalgia for discriminating designers and homeowners.
Milford was designed with an energy efficient LED (light emitting diode) light source. The low voltage pendant operates on 12-volt low voltage systems and uses just 5.6 watts while delivering 370 lumens, a CRI (color rendering index) of 85 and a color temperature of 3000K. Using Quick Connect adapters, Milford operates with WAC’s line of low and line voltage track and rail systems and includes the shade, socket set and lamp.  Milford can also be used as a canopy mount using the Quick Adjust Canopy that allows suspension cable to accommodate a variety of ceiling heights and applications.

Higher brightness LEDs for energy-efficient general lighting

A company called Advanced Renewable Energy Corporation (ARC Energy), based in Nashua, NH, published results this week of a study showing that sapphire wafers grown using its proprietary controlled heat extraction system (CHES) technology yield 5 percent higher LED brightness over the industry standard. The report focused on sapphire substrates, which are commonly used in LED production for energy-efficient, general solid state lighting as well as electronic displays, possessing a wide variety of surface etch pit densities to determine whether or not they affected LED performance.

LED Bulb Cost Will Drop by Half to $11 in 2020

Cost has long been the name of the game with LEDs, but focus is now shifting from the package to the surrounding balance of system, with innovation in areas such as thermal management, drivers, and optics helping to halve prices of LED bulbs to $11.06 in 2020, according to Lux Research.
Costs of the central LED package will fall by more than 70% to $2.14 in the next decade, constituting 19% of the bulb costs in 2020. However, to drive overall costs lower - and ensure adoption in a market still dominated by incandescent and CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps) - other system costs need to keep pace.
"We find that today's balance of system technology solutions fall short of the dramatic cost reductions needed to mirror the LED package and existing alternate solutions are ineffective and uneconomical, presenting opportunities for technology innovation," said Pallavi Madakasira, Lux Research Analyst and the lead author of the report titled, "Cheaper, Brighter, Cooler: The Need for Cost Reduction Past the Package." "LED lighting is by no means standardized, and potential disruptions to the component stack abound," she added.
Lux Research analysts studied the key LED cost stack components of a 60 W incandescent equivalent LED bulb as well as the technologies available to accelerate cost cuts in order to understand the true pathways to LED bulbs' potential. Among their findings:
- Thermal management will yield modest cost gains. Thermal management is the biggest target for cost reduction past the package. Active thermal management technologies such Nuventix's SynJet will lead to cost savings over aluminum-based solutions, but only from 2017.
- Dimmable drivers lead to energy savings. Dimmable drivers are priced at a premium to non-dimmable ones because they enable precise control of the light output and lead to energy savings. Innovation in this area will bring about a 1% cost saving in 2020, boosting the performance of the LEDs overall.
- Secondary optics in focus. Secondary optics account for about 5% of the total cost of a 60 W equivalent LED bulb. The field is dominated by specialists such as Ledil, Khatod, and Fraen, and innovation lies in improving the shape of the beam and the ability to collect more light from primary optics.
The report, titled "Cheaper, Brighter, Cooler: The Need for Cost Reduction Past the Package," is part of the Lux Research Energy Electronics Intelligence service.

LEDs will save the planet 80 per cent in energy savings

The Clean Revolution is pushing the take-up of LEDs and reveals that lighting accounts for 20 per cent of the world’s energy consumption. It says that the 6 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions attributed to lighting is equivalent to 70 per cent of the emissions from the world’s passenger vehicles. Furthermore, LED penetration into the general lighting market is expected to rise from 7 per cent today to 64 per cent by the year 2020.

Affordable LED Light Bulb with a Lifespan of Over 25,000 Hours

Brooklyn based LED lighting company BulbAmerica.com launched the most cost-effective alternative to a Standard 50 Watt Incandescent light bulb. This fully dimmable 8w Warm White LED Bulb has been designed and engineered by them as a part of their endeavor to offer their customers with the latest,most affordable, and energy efficient lighting solutions in the industry. Approved for use in Damp locations and Enclosed Fixtures, this Fully Dimmable LED light bulb reduces manufacturing costs and also extends the life of the LED's exponentially.
BulbAmerica’s 8W Dimmable LED Bulbs contain no mercury and emit no UV/IR light. The bulb has a lifespan that lasts over 25,000 hours which would equal 32 regular bulbs. This LED light bulb is also RoHS compliant, UL Listed, and LM79-08 and cUL certified. A lighting expert at BulbAmerica.com says, “Designed and built in the USA, the streamlined design of this 8 Watt dimmable bulb saves customers as much as $486 in energy costs over its lifespan” adding that “It is an amazing new addition to the growing line of efficient LED light bulbs created in the US.” This unique bulb design that provides 450 Lumens of omni-directional light output with only 8 watts of power uses the best technology to provide smooth constant dimming. Currently, BulbAmerica is offering a 3 year Warranty on this $12.49 bulb (list price $24.99).

ARC Energy's CHES Sapphire Produces 5% Brighter LEDs

In a white paper entitled "LED Manufacturing Study on CHES Sapphire," ARC Energy published results of a study showing that sapphire grown from its proprietary CHES technology yield 5% greater LED brightness than the industry standard. The study purposefully included sapphire material exhibiting a wide range of etch pit distortion (EPD) levels to determine whether or not EPD affects LED manufacturing. The study took sapphire through the complete LED chip manufacturing process and concluded that all material passed LED standards and that no correlation was found between LED performance and EPD level of CHES wafers.
"We are pleased to see CHES achieving significantly higher LED brightness which translates to higher profits for our customers," said Dr. Rick Schwerdtfeger, co-founder and chief technology officer for ARC Energy. "CHES is rapidly establishing itself as the technology of choice for the future of HB-LED production."
ARC's study is the first subject in a new series called "CHES Foundations", which explains how CHES technology and CHES furnaces are enabling sapphire growth companies to meet increasing demand. Several ARC customers have already announced that their CHES sapphire has been qualified by multiple LED manufacturers.
ARC Energy's CHES furnaces are unique in several ways. One key advantage is dramatically higher material utilization due to sapphire growth on the c-plane. This approach produces large diameter substrates at a significantly lower cost. Greater than 75% material utilization can be achieved using c-plane ARC Energy CHES furnaces while other methods are limited to less than 35%. CHES furnaces are also highly automated--a key feature which brings operator costs down and provides consistent output.
CHES furnaces are designed to produce higher performance sapphire at larger wafer sizes compared to older technologies. A CHES furnace produces high-yield sapphire up to 10" diameter, providing higher efficiency downstream in the LED manufacturing process and upstream as c-plane growth significantly reduces waste.
The study results show CHES-grown sapphire is capable of production-level performance. As the HB-LED market expands, CHES gives sapphire growers significant advantages, including higher yield, a scalable technology, and better LED chip performance. ARC Energy offers CHES furnaces and a variety of support services for crystal growth companies seeking to lead in the HB-LED industry.

INSTEON launches iPhone-controlled LED light bulb

Purveyors of fine home automation technology INSTEON claim to be first to market with a "networked remote control dimmable LED light bulb". Compatible with any INSTEON remote control, the bulb can also be paired with INSTEON's free iOS and Android app so that it can be turned on, off, or dimmed, using most contemporary smartphones. The new bulb fits neatly into an INSTEON home automation network, and like other INSTEON devices can be preconfigured along with other devices into "scenes" that can be selected by the user with either the app or a remote control with a single finger-poke.

High-Efficiency Boost LED Driver for High-Brightness LEDs

ZMD AG (ZMDI), a Dresden-based semiconductor company that specializes in enabling energy-efficient solutions, announces a new addition to its LED driver family, the ZSLS7025. As a global supplier of analog and mixed-signal solutions for automotive, industrial, medical, information technology and consumer applications, ZMDI introduces the ZSLS7025, a step-up (boost) converter, for high-brightness LED lighting. It is well suited for many consumer, industrial and after-market automotive applications. The ZSLS7025 is optimal for driving multiple white LEDs connected in series from a low voltage supply.
The ZSLS7025 has an application input voltage range of 6V to 100V, which supports lighting products using multi-cell batteries or regulated 12V, 24V and 48V power rails. A low-voltage feedback mechanism helps maximize the operating efficiency, and the open-circuit detection protects the application circuit. The output current is programmable via external components, and the ZSLS7025 features pulse-width modulation (PWM), linear and DC voltage dimming. With an adjustable over-voltage protection, the chip and the system operate safely even if the load is not connected. Other features include under-voltage protection and over-temperature protection.
The low supply voltage and constant output current operation make the ZSLS7025 an ideal choice for safety extra-low voltage (SELV) applications or multifaceted reflector (MR16) lamps, frequently found in residential and retail lighting applications. Other key application areas include low-voltage retrofit lighting, replacement tubes, LED backlighting, after-market automotive lighting products, low-voltage general-purpose industrial and consumer applications, as well as signage, outdoor, architectural and building lighting.

Access Fixtures Announced as North American Distributor of Toshiba LED Lamps

As North American Distributor of Toshiba lamps, Access Fixtures will be distributing the complete lineup of Toshiba high performance LED lamps including PAR20, PAR30, PAR38, MR16, GU10, A19, BR30, and Candelabra lamps. Toshiba LED technology satisfies the growing need for dimmable, energy saving, long life LED lamps in a selection of beam angles, multiple Kelvins and with high quality color rendering. Now with Access Fixtures and Toshiba, customers can find the right replacement lamps for commercial, industrial, residential museum applications, while reducing energy use by up to 80% as compared to halogen lamps.
"Energy efficiency and lower maintenance expenses are on the minds of our clients, but they refuse to give up high quality illumination," said Steve Rothschild, CEO of Access Fixtures. 
Toshiba PAR38 lamps are an example of superior design and performance. With equivalency based on the Energy Star® Integral LED Lamp Program, depending on Kelvin, Toshiba 20.3w PAR38 LED lamps are the equivalent of 90 to 110 watt halogen lamps. The lamps are available in 2700K, 3000K, and 4000K color temperatures, 25 and 35 degree beam spreads, are rated for 40,000 hours and have a five year warranty based on even 24/7 usage.

SemiLEDs Announces New EV LED Product

SemiLEDs Corporation has launched its new 'Enhanced Vertical' (EV) LED product series. The EV LED has been designed to have higher thermal endurance, ensuring better reliability at higher temperatures. The EV LEDs feature SemiLEDs' vertical chip structure on a patented metal alloy substrate, offering advantages in excellent optical output and high thermal conductivity. SemiLEDs' EV LEDs are available for global sales and immediate sampling in blue, green and UV and chip sizes of 0.4mm x 0.4mm through 1.5mm x 1.5mm.