LED Drivers: Big Market With a Twist

Let's back up for a moment and look at the driver opportunity for IC vendors. It's not news that LEDs are seeing tremendous growth in all sorts of applications, ranging from targeted uses such as cars and street lamps, to display signage and large-scale displays, and even wide-area interior area illumination. But providing power to every LED array is the less glamorous -- but equally vital -- LED driver, which takes the DC power (usually from a rectified AC line).

MaxLite completes outdoor LED projects in Mexico and Allentown, PA

MaxLite has supplied LED canopy fixtures and wall packs to light two Allentown Parking Authority multi-deck garages, while also supplying SSL floodlights for a petrol station retrofit in Nuevo Leon, Mexico.  The Allentown Parking Authority in Allentown, Pennsylvania has completed a retrofit of the Government Deck and Transportation Center multi-level parking garages in downtown with a variety of MaxLite LED canopy, wall-pack, and area-lighting luminaires. In Cienega de Flores, located in the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon, a Servicio Express station projects $42,762 in annual energy savings after a retrofit with MaxLite canopy and area solid-state lighting (SSL).

New Versatile High Power LED Boat Light Proves to be an Energy Efficient Alternative to Halogen Lights

The LEDPB10W-120X2E LED Boat Light from Magnalight.com provides boaters with a high output lighting option that uses less power than halogen lamps while providing more light. Built to withstand the corrosive and abusive effects of the marine environment, this LED light bar produces over 10,000 lumens of clean white light while using only 120 watts of power.
The LEDPB10W-120X2E LED boat light is an ideal alternative for boaters looking to improve the efficiency as well as performance of their onboard lighting systems. Producing 10,320 lumens while using only 120 watts at 10 amps, this LED light bar produces more light output than three 50 watt halogen spreader lights combined, yet uses less power. This high output and efficient operation allows boaters to replace their existing lights with fewer LED units using less power, thus greatly reducing the drain on their power reserves that lighting represents. Designed for extreme conditions, the LEDPB10W-120X2E is built with a heavy duty extruded aluminum housing and sealed polycarbonate lens for excellent resistance to the effects of impacts, vibrations, and damaging environmental conditions. These high power marine lights are IP68 rated waterproof to 3 meters of submersion, making them impervious to the constant water spray and heavy rains associated with marine applications. This light bar is also compact in size, with two rows of LEDs in a stacked configuration to allow easier mounting in locations where space is limited such as on canopies or along the rooflines of bridges. Despite its small size, this LED light produces an impressive 10,320 lumens of light while consuming only 120 watts and 10 amps of current. For comparison, three 50 watt halogen spreader lights would only produce approximately 2,550 lumens, yet would use 150 watts and 12-14 amps of current. This boat light is also versatile and is fitted with advanced LED drivers which allow users to connect dimmers or pulse controllers to provide dimming or flashing operation if desired. These LED boat lights include adjustable aluminum mounting blocks with rubber isolators and stainless steel hardware for improved stability, vibration protection, and resistance to the corrosive effects of salt water. These lights can be operated from any voltage ranging from 9 to 48 VDC, making them ideal for boats as well as vehicles, heavy equipment, ATVs, and anywhere a rugged and powerful lighting solution that won’t cause excessive power consumption is desired.

New Process for Low Cost Polymer LEDs and Solar Cells

Considerable improvement in device performance of polymer-based optoelectronic devices is reported in Nature Photonics by researchers from Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), South Korea. The new plasmonic material, can be applied to both polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs) and polymer solar cells (PSCs), with world-record high performance, through a simple and cheap process.

Metro switching to LEDs in parking structures

The Wayne County Airport Authority approved a project that will replace more than 6,000 lighting fixtures and add even more while converting to light-emitting diode bulbs. Workers will replace 1,200 210-watt metal halide fixtures in the Blue Deck structure with 2,400 80-watt LED fixtures. All 4,8000 210-watt fixtures in the McNamara Terminal parking structure also will be replaced. The $6.2 million project is expected to reduce energy use by more than 7.3 million kilowatt hours and save the authority about $1.2 million annually.

Klus Design Releases New LED Products

The popularity of LED lighting technology has steadily increased as prices have become more affordable, and products more available. In addition to being more durable, reliable, energy efficient, and safe, LED lighting systems are famous for their flexibility to be used in almost any application.
Indoors, LED lights can accent stairs, cabinets, ceilings, closets, floors, and even showers or baths. They also excel when used as the main lighting source for kitchens, living rooms, and more. The light is focused, bright, clear, and compact.
LED lighting systems also excel when used in outdoor applications. LEDs provide a jaw-dropping brilliance to driveways, swimming pools, landscaping, and on the home exterior.
LED’s can also be used with all types of furniture. They can emit both decorative and fully functional light. The small size of the LEDs allow them to be used in spaces that would be impossible with any other lighting system.
Advantages of LED lighting make profiles with the inserted LEDs highly popular. The demand for them constantly increases because they can be applied to wide range of applications.
LED lightbulbs may not yet be mainstream in every home or office, but with the help of LED technology companies like KLUS, they soon will be.
In addition to their already impressive inventory of LED products, KLUS announced

Illuminate Your Portfolio With LEDs

Let’s face facts- we’re energy hogs. Energy usage continues to rise at a rapid pace as people across the world live more modern and connected lives. And while new sources of supply- from shale gas to solar power- have taken some of the pressures off of that high demand, the truth is we’re still using electricity at an alarming rate.
To that end, a variety of governments have been seeking solutions to the potential energy crisis and energy efficiency measures have become the topic du jour. A consumer’s look to do more with less, one of the biggest opportunities could lie within in commercial and residential lighting space. New technologies are the main culprit of energy use across the world, but they are also helping to reduce the amount of energy needed to light-up our planet.

LED lights seeing their time in the sun

In 2007, federal authorities called time on incandescent bulbs with passage of the Energy Independence and Security Act. Thomas Edison’s notion of a wire glowing in a vacuum — which produces more heat than light — was superseded by compact fluorescent bulbs. But consumers were unhappy that CFLs give a cold light and can't easily be dimmed. Commercial building managers' heads were turned by the prospect of LEDs that last tens of thousands of hours. Changing light bulbs is a major headache in lobbies and offices, and closing off public spaces to send someone around on a cherry picker can get expensive.

Connected Lighting Alliance taps ZigBee Light Link for residential controls

The alliance comprising top brands in lighting has endorsed the use of the ZigBee Light Link standard to ensure interoperability between connected lighting fixtures and controls in residential applications. The Connected Lighting Alliance has formally selected ZigBee Light Link as the network and protocol of choice for connecting lighting products and controls in homes. The ZigBee standard isn’t specific to LED-based solid-state lighting (SSL) but such products are especially amenable to controls, and the endorsement by the alliance should help broaden deployment of connected SSL in residential applications.

Party over for the incandescent lamp?

For thousands of years people relied on flames to provide light at night. Even today people without access to electricity use candles, lamps and lanterns as light sources. The arrival of practical sources of electricity during the latter half of the nineteenth century led to lights that did not require an open flame. By far the most successful of these light sources was the incandescent lamp developed by Thomas Edison in 1879. The previous year Edison was so confident that he could develop a practical electric light that he formed the Edison Electric Light Company at his Menlo Park, NJ, laboratory.

Acuity hits 2000-lm output in LED-based PAR38 retrofit lamp

Acuity Brands has expanded its Acculamp family of LED replacement lamps with 25W 2000-lm PAR38 lamps that are capable of replacing 150W halogen lamps. The company also added 400-lm MR16 lamps to the specification-grade solid-state lighting (SSL) line that is intended for the professional market. The new PAR38 lamps fill out a PAR38 offering that also includes 20W 900-lm and 20W 1200-lm LED bulbs. Acuity offers all of the lamps in a choice of 2700K or 4000K CCTs, and 25° or 45° beam patterns. For now the 2000-lm lamps come in a CRI of 80, although the company has added higher CRI versions of the prior lamps, so the same progression could happen in the 2000-lm grouping.

Firefly guitar pick lights up in tempo

The Firefly is an LED guitar pick with a sensor system that helps it flash in sync with your music, putting a light show quite literally at your fingertips. The battery-powered gadget can be recharged via Micro-USB. The addition of the lighting technology, sensors, and algorithms means this isn't going to be a four-for-a-dollar pick. The pledge price is $49. This does give you several options. The Firefly Original responds to playing motions. The Firefly Duo flashes one color on the way up and another on the way down. The Firefly Insanity adds an element of randomness by choosing its own color for down-strokes.

Larson Electronics Releases High Output Three Lamp Hazardous Location Lighting Fluorescent Fixture

Magnalight has announced the release of a corrosion resistant three lamp fluorescent fixture designed to provide high output and explosion proof approved safety in locations where flammable gases and vapors are encountered during operations. The HALP-48-3L Hazardous Area Fluorescent Light Fixture is multi-voltage capable, provides more light than standard two lamp fixtures, and is specifically designed to withstand wet and corrosive conditions within environments deemed as hazardous locations.
The Magnalight HALP-48-3L hazardous area fluorescent light provides operators in hazardous locations with a powerful and corrosion resistant lighting solution producing more output than standard two lamp fixtures for applications where strong illumination is critical to safe and productive operations. This three lamp fixture features a glass fiber reinforced polyester housing that is both lightweight and highly durable as well as impervious to the effects of corrosion, making it well suited to wet marine conditions where salt water can wreak havoc on fixtures constructed of metal. The lens cover is an acrylic diffuser type that seals to the housing with a poured in silicone gasket and stainless steel latches, adding further durability and protection against wet conditions. The lamp assembly consists of three, 4 foot long, T5HO fluorescent tubes for high output and efficiency. Most traditional explosion proof fluorescent fixtures offer either two or four fluorescent tubes; this fixture on the other hand offers an excellent compromise between fixture size and increased output by providing three tubes, yet far more output than a standard two lamp fixture. The fixture easily mounts with included flat surface mounting flanges with a simple through hole mounting flange design that allows operators to simply screw or bolt the fixture to any flat surface. This explosion proof light fixture is also multi-voltage capable for added versatility and can be run with voltages of 120V-60hz, 220V-50hz, 240V-60hz,and 277V-60hz. Output for this fixture totals out at 15,000 lumens, with a color temperature of 5,000k for excellent color rendering and contrasting that is ideal for close work and detail oriented tasks. HAZLOC approvals include a T4A temp rating, Class 1 Division 2 approval, UL 1598A Marine Type compliance, and California Title 24 compliance. The HALP-48-3L explosion proof fixture is ideally suited to wet locations and offshore operations such as drilling platforms where protection against the corrosive effects of salt water and the threat of fire and explosions from exposure to flammable gases and vapors is required.
"The HALP-48-3L was designed to handle marine environments with their wet and corrosive conditions," said Rob Bresnahan with Larson Electronics’ Magnalight.com. "Producing up to 15,000 lumen, operators requiring fixtures for damp locations will find the HALP-48-3L a good match for petrochemical facilities, processing plants and marine loading docks."
Larson Electronics produces a full range of industrial and commercial lighting equipment, fluorescent work lights, industrial grade explosion proof lighting, and intrinsically safe LED work lights. To view the entire Larson Electronics line of industrial grade lighting solutions, visit them on the web at Magnalight.com. You can also call  1-800-369-6671  to learn more about all of Larson Electronics’ lighting products or call  1-214-616-6180  for international inquires.

GE lights Stater Bros cold cases with linear LED fixtures

Southern California grocery chain Stater Bros has undertaken a major LED retrofit of the lighting in its frozen food cases and projects annual energy and maintenance savings of $570,000. GE Lighting supplied the Immersion solid-state lighting (SSL) products that the grocer installed in 166 stores encompassing 15,000 freezer doors retrofitted in ten weeks. Strategic consultant TopSource LLC worked with Stater Bros to contemplate potential lighting products that could deliver the most significant energy savings for the stores. The pair chose to focus on the freezer cases as an area that could provide the most significant return on investment.

LED Light Panel Announces Fast Lead Times

LED Light Panel, one of world’s largest producers of custom sized quality LED light panels and light boxes, has announced their fast lead time for producing their high quality custom lighting products. They boast a turn around time of as little as 7 to 10 days, which places them far ahead of the competition, which often relies on cheap overseas components. This comes as good news to companies around the world seeking the highest quality light panels and LED light boxes for commercial lighting solutions.
In most cases, customers can expect to receive their custom light panel or light box orders usually in less than seven days. LED Light Panel is dedicated to leading the industry in production-to-delivery time to maximize convenience and better meet the needs of their clientele. The fast lead time is part of the company’s goal of providing every customer unparalleled support and service.
Over the last several years, LED Light Panel has gained notoriety in the commercial lighting industry through their commitment to innovation and superior craftsmanship. They have been well sought after by multiple industries for their product’s seamless and uniform backlighting capabilities. Their patented technology has allowed them to custom build extremely large panels (up to 60” x 118”) with even illumination. Cheaply designed and manufactured large panels are infamously plagued by unsightly hot spots.
Industry experts attribute LED Light Panel’s success in part to the high quality of their components. They utilize superior LM80 SMD LEDs and 2oz copper PCB for improved heat dissipation from the LEDs. They use 6mm Light Guides to allow their panels to produce significantly more light than their competitors. And they take their tech a step further, by implementing an anodized aluminum heat sink to further dissipate heat from the SMD LEDs.
In addition to large panels, they can custom make light panels as small as 3” x 3”, to fit customer’s unique specifications. Their panels are available in 12V and 24V. Dimming works with 1~10V, PWM, DALI and DMX and covers an enormous range of color temperatures from 2700k to 6500K. Their panels and light boxes are designed to be energy efficient and reduce green house emissions.
As a dominant force in the commercial lighting industry, LED Light Panel is devoted to offering the highest quality light panel and LED light box solutions to companies everywhere. Their light panels and boxes can be seen at Chase Banks, Nikon Camera displays, and at various airports around the world. LED Light Panel is proud of their fast lead time, and they look forward to continuing to best serve their customers and surpass industry standards.

Ikea's LED Strips Automatically Illuminate the Deepest Darkest Drawers

Whether you get ready for work at some impossibly early hour before the sun rises, or you live in a cheap windowless basement apartment, Ikea's new Dioder strip lights will bring some much needed illumination to drawers, cupboards, and closets. To maximize the battery life of the $15 Dioder's six AAAs, the LEDs automatically illuminate for 15 seconds when a door or drawer is opened and an IR sensor is activated, and automatically turn off after five seconds in the dark. Mounting is as simple as attaching a couple of screws, or just relying on a set of adhesive pads, and once in place you'll never accidentally grab your dark blue socks instead of the black pair again.

Philips and CEC team up in intelligent road lighting joint venture in China

Royal Philips and China Electronics Corporation (CEC) announced the signing of a joint venture agreement to become a leading player in the intelligent road lighting market in China. After the necessary regulatory approvals have been obtained, the new company will be 70% owned by SED, part of the CEC group of companies, and 30% by Philips.
The joint venture will focus on intelligent controls, software and LED fixtures for road lighting. The cooperation combines Philips’ strong innovation capabilities in road lighting with SED’s knowledge of local market requirements. The Chinese government is promoting the development of more energy-efficient cities, including the upgrade to LED technology and intelligent lighting management systems.
“The agreement between SED, one of the Chinese pioneers in the LED industry, and Philips, a worldwide leader in innovative lighting solutions, is a milestone for both parties to accelerate growth in the area of intelligent lighting for cities in China,” said Liu Liehong, President of CEC. “The joint venture combines the strengths of the two companies, allowing us to shape the LED transformation to energy-efficient and intelligent public lighting in China.”
“Philips is responding to the call of the Chinese government to develop more environmentally-friendly and intelligent cities with our LED lighting solutions,” said Patrick Kung, CEO of Philips Greater China. “The partnership with  SED will allow Philips to serve local customers even better with meaningful innovations and further build on our success in China.”
The joint venture’s offering will include Philips CityTouch, an innovative web-based intelligent management system for street and road lighting in a city. It enables online, dynamic and flexible control of lighting on a city-wide scale, allowing cities to use light only when and where it is needed, maximising efficiency while ensuring visibility and road safety. Combined with LED lighting, it delivers energy and maintenance savings of up to 70%.

Streamlight Introduces The Siege LED Lantern

Streamlight Inc., a leading provider of high-performance lighting and weapon light/laser sighting devices, announced The Siege, a rugged, cordless, alkaline battery-powered LED lantern designed for a wide variety of outdoor, safety and scene lighting uses. The versatile, easy-to-carry lantern provides 360 degrees of soft, even light, and also, after removing the cover, can be used to illuminate large areas.
Featuring four white C4 LEDs and one red C4 LED to preserve night vision, The Siege offers users five different output modes, including a red emergency SOS signal. With its polycarbonate, glare-reducing cover, the lantern is comfortable to use in close quarters without impacting vision. With the cover removed, the lantern can provide powerful scene lighting, either by standing it upright or hanging it upside down using the light’s bottom D-ring for easy attachment. The lantern will float when its globe cover is in place.

Cree expands COB LED family, adds residential SSL module

Cree has added new products in the CXA family of COB LEDs including a small array for small-form-factor SSL products, and also announced the option of specifying 95 CRI across the product family.  Cree has announced two new members of its CXA family of chip-on-board (COB) LED arrays including the CXA1304 with a 6-mm light emitting surface (LES) and the 12-mm CXA1816. Moreover, the entire CXA family is now available in a 95 CRI option. The company also added to its module family with a new version of the LMR2 that specifically targets residential solid-state lighting (SSL) downlights.

Sets the Standard for Breadth of Offerings in UV LEDs for Industrial and Specialty Applications

SemiLEDs Corporation announced the release of two new product families, the 10-watt high-power N9 series, and the 0.17 to 0.50-watt mid-power P50N series. Both product families take advantage of SemiLEDs unique patented vertical LED structure that delivers superior performance in directional industrial applications, such as printing, coating and curing, and specialty applications including signage and medical or cosmetic uses.
The N9 series, housed on a 9 x 9mm ceramic package, is offered in wavelengths from 385 to 420nm in 5nm bins. Drive currents up to 1,000mA delivers typical output of 5,000mW of optical power at the nominal 350mA drive rate at 30V. The lambertian output distribution is highly compatible with secondary optics to allow precise control of the high-intensity UV light. Compared to the standard 1000-4000 hour life of the incumbent UV lamp technologies, vertical UV-LED systems support lifetimes of up to 50,000 hours under optimal thermal management conditions, thereby decreasing system maintenance requirements in applications where even planned downtime carries substantial monetary costs. In addition, with instant on/off capabilities and a compact point-source that is compatible with a wide variety of optics, the SemiLEDs N9 UV-LED allows solution integrators to eliminate maintenance-intensive components such as mechanical shutters or focusing windows. High-output UV sources are commonly used in semiconductor and electronic photo-resistive etching or processing, as well as high-throughput printing systems, and larger scale industrial bonding or curing applications, often eliminating the need for toxic solvents.
The mid-power P50N UV-LED series consists of a complete product family available for 0.17, 0.34 and 0.50-watt drive options, delivering up to 140mW of output, for wavelengths from 385 to 420nm in 5nm bins. The 5 x 5mm package is ideally suited for integration into compact arrays or for high-reliability backlight elements in UV-driven signage. The wide selection of output combinations simplifies the system integrator's task by allowing a common design platform for portable device applications, such as cosmetics or health care, where differing performance profiles are needed to address separate curing or treatment functions.

GE supplies Albeo high-bay LEDs for Weber State Dee Events Center

GE Lighting announced that its Albeo business unit, acquired in November 2012, has supplied 80 ABHX-Series solid-state lighting (SSL) luminaires to Weber State University in Odgen, UT to light the campus Dee Events Center. The LED-based high-bay fixtures will save the university $40,000 each year in energy costs, and reduce maintenance cost as well especially given that the lights are very difficult to reach. Lighting sports venues is one of the last applications where LED lighting has made headway. There are many instances of major sports venues using SSL for decorative or entertainment purposes, or to light areas such as concessions or concourses. The Weber State projects, however, may be the most significant use of SSL products in lighting a playing surface

LEDs Light Up Wall Street

CREE LED lighting is everywhere (except in your oven). Whether you're at the Staples Center watching the Lakers, or in Times Square surrounded by billboards, or even in space, chances are that CREE's LEDs are lighting your way. The company's goal is 100 percent LED adoption worldwide in the trillion dollar lighting marketplace. It is an ambitious goal made by a very credible company. Los Angeles evaluated 240 companies before selecting CREE's street lights. The massive retrofit project dramatically reduces Los Angeles' energy use by more than two-thirds, saves millions of taxpayer dollars and reduces Los Angeles' carbon emission by more than 47,000 metric tons every year.

MaineDOT installs high-mast LEDs

The Maine Department of Transportation selected Acuity Brands' Holophane HMAO luminaires to improve the lighting for driver safety and to reduce energy costs at light towers along Interstate 295. Back in the summer of 2012, we covered the trial of LED-based high-mast lighting by the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) at a freeway interchange, and now the state has moved forward with a project retrofitting 105 light towers along Interstate 295. MaineDOT ultimately selected Holophane HMAO luminaires from Acuity Brands for the project.

A Flexible Desk Lamp Made From A Ribbon Of LEDs

While floor lamps and overhead lights are mostly stationary affairs, it’s not uncommon to find desk lamps that can be repositioned as needed. The classic drafting light, with its articulating arm and expressive face, is a perfect example. Fluida, a desk lamp by the Italian-based outfit Studio Natural, gives that concept of directed, task-based light an entirely new form. Designed for the Italian company Martinelli Luce, Fluida comprises an LED-encrusted ribbon anchored by two magnetic blocks.

Cree Releases Highest Efficacy Color LEDs

Cree, a leader in LEDs, recently announced the commercial availability of XLamp XP-E2 color LEDs. According to the company, XP-E2 color LEDs produce up to 88% higher maximum light output than competing high-power color LEDs. Built on Cree’s revolutionary SC³ Technology next-generation LED platform, the new XP-E2 color LEDs deliver higher lumens-per-watt and lumens-per-dollar compared to the original XP-E color LEDs to lower system costs for existing XP-E color designs. The new XP-E2 color LEDs leverage the same XP footprint (3.45mm x 3.45mm) and are optically compatible with the original XP-E LED – providing drop-in-ready performance enhancements to shorten design cycle and improve customer time to market…. XLamp XP-E2 color LEDs deliver up to 1409 mW for royal blue, 109 lumens for blue, 253 lumens for green, 203 lumens for amber, 193 lumens for red-orange and 155 lumens for red, all at maximum drive currents in the 3.45mm x 3.45mm footprint.