eNewsletter

November 2009

Outdoor Lighting Use of LEDs Limited by Thermal Management: How to Overcome
By Mick Wilcox, Director of Marketing • Nuventix

While the compact florescent light bulb has been an energy efficient option for more than 20 years, consumers were actively encouraged to replace incandescent bulbs with CFLs,  with the idea that the simplest change could have a lasting effect on energy consumption just in the last 10 years. Used both internally and externally, CFLs did change the lighting industry, but on its heels and destined to make an even larger impact in energy consumption, was the introduction of the LED for lighting. In 2006, LEDs were introduced as a safer and more energy efficient option for Christmas tree lights, but the energy savings do not, and will not, stop there. LED lighting has advanced leaps and bounds over the past three years, with real reliable solutions available to replace the common 75 to 100 watt incandescent bulb, and high brightness LED lights are now looking to save the environment by addressing outdoor lighting solutions.

Read full article here.

Reading Between the Lines: How to Make Accurate Performance Assessments from a Power LED Datasheet
By Rudi Hechfellner, Level 1 Applications Manager and Steve Landau, Director of Marketing Communications • Philips Lumileds

Understanding and comparing LED performance appears straightforward.  Get the datasheets, compare numbers for light output, efficacy and lumen maintenance and make a decision. Unfortunately, any purchase and design decision based simply on the top line numbers, the specs on the early pages, without analysis of how the LEDs will perform in the desired application under operating conditions can lead to unsatisfactory results, expensive redesigns and significant business risks.

Read full article here.

Lighting Partnership Highlights Architectural Achievement
It’s brand new. It can be seen from miles around. It’s an architectural landmark that embodies key influences and inspirations from ancient Islamic art and traditions, melded with the artistry and geometries associated with speed, movement and spectacle. Its visual impact is all made possible by leading-edge LED technology.

It’s the Yas Hotel, a 500-room, 85,000-square-meter complex recently completed by Aldar Properties PJSC, Abu Dhabi's leading property development, management and investment company. It’s a study in how the marriage of ancient customs and a cutting-edge technical partnership can create surprising and unique results. The Hotel is unique as the only hotel in the world with a race track running through its center.  The start of the inaugural F1 race on 1 November was re-scheduled to commence at dusk and finish in the dark in order to show the viewers of the Grand Prix the building’s full potential.

The project represents collaboration between many disciplines, among them two primary entities: UK based Cooper Lighting, a lighting solutions design and engineering firm and Swansea-based Enfis Group Plc, a developer and manufacturer of SMART high-power solid state LED lighting systems. 

The hotel’s design was the brainchild of Asymptote Architecture, the New York-based architectural firm known for creating visionary building designs, master plans, and spatial experiments that challenge the traditional boundaries of architecture and integrate the potential of new technologies. The Yas Hotel truly embodies everything that is exciting about advanced contemporary design.

Of architectural and engineering significance is the main feature of the project’s design, a 217-meter expanse of sweeping, curvilinear forms constructed of steel and over 5,300 pivoting diamond-shaped glass panels which are illuminated via a sophisticated LED lighting system from Enfis Group Plc, providing limitless shades and colors. This grid-shell component gives the building an atmospheric-like veil that contains two hotel towers and a link bridge constructed as a monocoque sculpted steel object passing above the Formula 1 track that makes its way through the building complex.

From the outside, the Enfis LED color changing shroud can be seen for miles around. It visually connects and fuses the entire hotel, racetrack and marina complex, while producing optical effects and spectral reflections that play against the surrounding sky, sea and desert landscape. The architecture as a whole “performs” as both an environmentally responsive solution as well as an architecture of spectacle and event. The entire jewel-like composition of the project responds visually and tectonically to its environment to create a distinct and powerful sense of place as well as a breathtaking backdrop to the Formula 1 and other events that the building will celebrate in years to come. The Yas Hotel is designed to be a significant landmark destination on Yas Island for Abu Dhabi and the UAE at large.

The desert climate of Abu Dhabi can reach 60°C in the summertime making havoc out of just about every form of light source – incandescent or LED.  But as managing director of Cooper Lighting, Gavin Smith, said, “Right from the beginning we knew that ambient would be a major challenge considering the inherent performance limitations for LEDs components and driver technology. We carried out numerous studies testing products from some of the world’s major LED manufacturers. Our collaboration with Enfis solved this problem almost immediately. The Enfis array/driver solutions were the only systems that passed our rigorous environmental chamber trials.”

Extensive testing carried out by Cooper confirmed that the Enfis array/driver solutions actually exceeded the light output specification necessary to operate at these extreme ambient temperatures. Furthermore, Enfis SMART driver and LED array technology also offered Cooper:

• the ability to control each LED array, setting them to any desired color within a 4.2 billion color palette;
• two-way communication with each driver/array combination via Enfis software providing real-time monitoring of fixture temperature, CCT and energy consumption; and 
• Remote Desk Management (RDM) DMX capabilities.

A total of 208,800 LEDs were used on the project making it one of the largest LED projects in the world.
The collaborative team saw off competition from some of the world’s largest lighting enterprises by handling the technical demands of the project.

Enfis specializes in super-bright solid-state LED lighting arrays that allow for optimum light output and extraordinary heat management. Their products, which also allow for color variability and sleek, compact designs, have introduced LEDs to applications that were until recently only possible with traditional lighting sources.

The ongoing ability of Cooper and Enfis to work as a team in response to the highly complex and challenging environmental needs of the Yas Hotel project is a source of pride at both organizations.

“I believe the designers are able to create the lighting effects they originally envisioned for this project due in large part to the ability of Cooper to come through with solutions,” said Smith. “And I also believe Cooper was able to come through with those solutions in large part because of Enfis.” 

“The team at Cooper Lighting was great to work with, they have a unique technical acumen for how to drive LEDs, and how to package them in a fixture, and more importantly, how to integrate it all into a unique environment such as this massive structure,” said Shaun Oxenham, Chairman of Enfis. “The result is a truly iconic structure that will be admired and enjoyed for generations to come. It really captures the whole essence of how to use solid-state LED lighting for achieving architectural excellence.”

In the end, Cooper used more than 5,850 Enfis LED arrays in its lighting design for the exterior environs of the Yas Hotel complex. The products consisted primarily of Enfis 4-channel UNO Plus arrays and control drivers integrated into custom designed IP65 rated stainless steel stanchions. The result is a testament to the “above and beyond” effort of the two companies working together.

LiteLED Illuminate Leeds City Gateway
After hours of hard work, bespoke design and technical challenges on the Neville Street site, it is with a great sense of pride to now stand back and view this project as a completed application.

As a key part of the Holbeck urban village development, the Light Neville Street project has been designed to provide a new, exciting, welcoming gateway to the city of Leeds.

Having teamed up with artist Hans Peter Kuhn, Bauman Lyons Architects, ARUP Consultants, Saferoad BLG and Leeds City Council nearly four years ago, it is testament to the hard work and dedication of all parties that this project known as 'A Sound and Light Transit' is now complete and fully operational for the public view.

Previous projects such as Doha’s Aspire Tower and Leeds’ Bridgewater Place owe their exterior lighting schemes to LiteLED. The vision for Neville Street was the same.

The lighting scheme on the East Wall features custom built pixels which disperse light, cold white in color from Luxeon Rebel LEDs via an injection molded light pipe. The pixels have been housed in bespoke anodized aluminum wall panels in a matrix format. Through DMX control, the lighting scheme will change every 24 hours, to achieve an artistic lighting effect.

The West Wall employs the power and durability of a custom L-series luminaire. The L-series luminaires are IP67 rated and use narrow beam optics and a dimming system to achieve moiré effect.

New 3-Watt Titanbrite RGB LED Features Square Package Design for Enhanced Efficiency and Performance
Lumex has introduced the 3-watt TitanBrite RGB, a square-shaped SMT LED technology that combines improved color performance with cost and real estate savings.

The square shape of the 10 mm by 10 mmTitanBrite RGB LED allows increased design efficiency with easier assembly and array formation opportunities. This feature is useful for applications that require increased resolution for up-close viewing and for integration of dynamic, smaller images.

The new technology is well suited for a wide variety of applications including electronic signage, industrial controls, safety/security lighting, general illumination, graphic backlighting, accent lighting and other applications that require bright, intense light and low power consumption.

“The TitanBrite RGB LED was developed in response to growing marketing demand for high- brightness LED RGB technology,” said Kay Fernandez, manager of High Power Technology. “Design engineers have become familiar with the superior color rendering of RGB LED technology, now they are looking for options that allow them to more efficiently take advantage of this superior performance.”

In addition to the design benefits made possible by the TitanBrite´s square shape, RGB technologies provide several opportunities for enhanced efficiency. The use of a single TitanBrite RGB LED can result in up to a 30 percent cost savings as well as a 70 percent real estate savings compared to the use of individual red, green and blue packages. Replacing three parts with a single part number also simplifies ordering and maintenance processes.

RGB LEDs provide color rendering performance that is improved to traditional phosphor converted high-brightness white LED technologies. This enhanced color consistency is beneficial for lighting applications that require warm white light that closely matches incandescent lighting.  RGB light allows for adjustable color tuning that not only can create shades of white, but almost every other color in the visible spectrum as well.

The combination of the three colors in the same package with an flat epoxy lens creates a product for sign makers that strive to match the view angle of every LED and color to give their products an even view angle throughout the entire sign.

The RoHS compliant TitanBrite RGBs contain three individual 1-watt dies in red (636 nm), green (525 nm) and blue (470 nm). Samples of these devices are available from stock, with production quantities in 8 to 10 weeks.  Pricing is dependent on quantity ordered, and is approximately $4.00 to $7.00 per unit in production quantities.

Osram Delivers Highly Bright Focused Beam in 0.5W SMT Package
Mouser Electronics, Inc. is the first distributor to stock OSRAM Opto Semiconductors’ Oslon SX LED series. Mounted on a new SMD ceramic LED package engineered to enable slim and compact lighting solutions, Osram’s Oslon SX LEDs are available in five colors from Mouser. The Oslon SX LED is highly bright and provides a 60° focused beam. This lighting solution lasts at least 50,000 hours, is housed in a 3 by 3 mm package, allowing cost-efficient, resource-saving designs with fewer LEDs and fewer and smaller peripheral components. Applications for the Oslon SX LEDs are widely varied and include LCD backlighting, camera flash, strobe light, interior and exterior automotive lighting, reading lamps and display backlights.

Sol Unveils New aiSUN, Next Generation in Solar Light Intelligence
Sol, Inc., a producer of solar powered LED outdoor lighting, has introduced its next generation solar light intelligence. aiSUN operates as the brain, heart and nervous system of a solar light, making them brighter, more efficient and less complex.

“Developing aiSUN for both existing and new customers further fortifies Sol, Inc. as the go-to company for solar lighting,” said Rick Schuett, CEO. “With our efficiency and patent-pending dimming and control technology, aiSUN allows Sol to efficiently configure solar light systems for nearly any location around the globe; allowing many more customers to experience the benefits of off-grid solar lighting.”

Developed by its internal engineering team, Sol’s new aiSUN is the company’s combination of a solar energy controller and LED driver into one unit. Critical to the operation of any solar light, the electronic intelligence ensures reliable operation every night, and allows for integration of control inputs so that customers have light when required. Furthermore, aiSUN has many solar light enhancing features and patent-pending technology enhancements.

aiSUN uses a proprietary electronic and software developed by Sol, Inc making it both the power-processing and lighting control intelligence within Sol’s light systems. With adaptive dimming and energy-management control, aiSUN efficiently converts and stores solar light energy from the sun during the day. At night, aiSUN powers high-flux LED lighting from the reserve energy in any one or combination of five operating modes including dimming, split-night, motion detector, wireless and network integration. Sol’s aiSUN provides the A.L.L.Night algorithm, which allows customers to define a near-infinite combination of lighting levels and operating times to illuminate their facilities when desired and at what brightness level.

“I am very pleased that our engineering team has successfully integrated aiSUN into our solar light systems. This feature-rich controller platform exceeds the requirements of the today’s industry and sets the standard for the marketplace. aiSUN provides new benefits to our customers: reduces lead times for advanced features, simplifies installation, and reduces the costs of our light systems as well,” said Audwin Cash, V.P. of Engineering.

aiSUN is available in a wide-range of Sol, Inc. solar light systems including GreenWay, Top of Pole Mounted (TPM), Side of Pole Mounted (SPM), Tropical Street Light (TSL), and Oasys.

Orb Optronix Releases New Family of Advanced LED Measurement Systems
Orb Optronix has released its new family of advanced LED characterization systems. The ETΦ family of LED Characterization Systems, also known as ETO, is capable of measuring the complete electrical, thermal and optical characteristics of LEDs.

ETO LED Characterization Systems assist product development engineers by solving the problem of efficiently measuring the quantity and color of light from LEDs over a range of temperatures and electrical input power variables. ETO LED characterization systems have both automated data acquisition and mature data analysis features. ETO systems allow engineers to automatically sequence measurements of light output and spectrum over a wide range of temperatures and currents, and comprehensive data analysis features allow users to quickly and easily view different groupings of data in over 300 graphs.

Information about LED manufacturer’s statistical variability of color, wavelength, voltage, flux and other variables is not readily available, especially as a function of temperature and under a full range of drive conditions. Information of how LED performance varies from LED to LED is pivotal to designing robust LED illumination systems. Therefore, testing of multiple LED samples is critical to understanding and characterizing performance variability as a function of thermal conditions and electrical power inputs. ETO systems solve these problems by enabling the measurement of necessary parametric performance metrics on statistically relevant LED sample sizes easily and automatically.

Imagine attempting to control the color of light using LEDs when their light output, wavelength, chromaticity, CCT, forward voltage, efficacy and other performance metrics all change with respect to temperature, current, duty cycle and frequency. There is a tremendous amount of data required just to control color and light output. The Solid State Lighting industry along with others may now benefit from the pioneering work and development that Orb has done to support these engineering customers. It is critical to understand these performance metrics in order for LED manufacturers to improve the design of LED packages as well as for LED users to design thermal and color management systems in SSL products.

“If one cares about SSL products having the same lit appearance between units, then from an engineering standpoint, one must understand variability. The largest culprit in introducing variability in LED llumination systems is often the LED package itself,” said Dave Jenkins, President of Orb Optronix. “ETO systems are a crucial part of determining LED performance for engineers developing LED illumination systems,” he continued.

The ETO system, manufactured at Labsphere’s facility in North Sutton, NH, is available with options for integrating sphere sizes from 6” to 76”, a range of source meters and thermal platforms built for the measurement of discreet LED packages or high-power LED arrays and SSL subassemblies.

Dole Saves 95 Percent with Albeo’s C-Series LED High Bay
Albeo Technologies Inc., a LED lighting manufacturer, has announced the retrofit of a Dole cold storage warehouse with Albeo's C-Series solid-state high bay. Dole, a producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit and fresh vegetables, replaced 400 W metal halide fixtures with Albeo C-Series High Bay fixtures. Light levels nearly doubled in the cold storage warehouse with the fixtures mounted at 28 feet and temperatures below zero degrees Fahrenheit. Albeo's high bays with integrated motion sensors delivered 95 percent energy savings.

 “Cold storage with sub-zero temperatures is a demanding environment for lighting,” said David Shankel, Engineering director at Dole.  “There is continuous activity inside the warehouse moving and staging product.  To maximize worker productivity, safety, and energy efficiency we require high light levels with no start delay, and motion sensors.  We selected Albeo’s High-Bay because it was the only solution that met our needs.”

“Independently certified by LM-79 testing, Albeo’s C-Series High Bay surpasses any fluorescent, HID, or other LED solution available for efficacy, light output, and low temperature performance,” said Paul Winker, Product Manager, Albeo Technologies, Inc.   “The lifetime of our LEDs in a motion sensed cold storage environment can be measured in decades, making our product the obvious choice for any value-minded customer, especially progressive industry leaders like Dole.”

Since the Dole installation in January of 2009, Albeo has upgraded the C-Series High Bay to deliver more than 13,000 lumens at 175 watts.  Optics for racked isle warehouse applications provide optimized horizontal and vertical light distribution.

LED Linear GmbH Announces the Creation of LED Linear North America
LED-Linear GmbH has announced the creation of LED Linear North America. The move is a result of a new partnership with Andrew Pott, based in Toronto, Ontario and establishes LED Linear’s entry into the North American LED market.

“Creating this partnership with LED Linear North America is a very important move for us,” said LED-Linear GmbH Managing Director, Dr. Michael Kramer. “It signifies a major milestone in the plan to expand our global presence and provides us the opportunity to offer our extraordinary range of products to markets across the US and Canada.”

With more than 30 years of experience in the lighting business, Mr. Pott felt that the time was ripe to seize upon the growing hunger for high-quality LED lighting solutions. “The market is changing,”said Mr. Pott. “With the growing desire for energy efficiency and lower power consumption this was an opportunity to introduce the North American marketplace to a series of LED products that I believe are unmatched in their quality, lifespan and flexibility of use. By allying ourselves with LED-Linear GmbH resources in designing new industry-leading products, we will have an excellent advantage in targeting the US and Canadian markets.”

After the start up of his first lighting distribution company in 1987, Mr. Pott successfully launched a high-end specification agency, TPL Lighting, in 1992 and has overseen its growth into one of the most respected agencies in the marketplace. This was followed in January 2008 by the creation of VBO Nordamerica that has witnessed the introduction of one of Europe’s fastest growing lighting organisations into the North American market. Throughout his career Mr. Pott has received numerous accolades for his integration of lighting within design architecture.

LED-Linear North America will operate as an independent entity with representatives available in every major market in both the US and Canada. Upon launch, more than 20 major Canadian and American territories have been introduced to LED Linear lighting solutions through exclusive local representative agreements with more to quickly follow.

NEMO Project: 11 Partners Conduct Research on New OLED Materials
Merck KGaA and DELO Industrial Adhesives have launched a project called “New materials for OLEDs from solutions” (NEMO) together with renowned partners from industry and science. The objective of this project, which is being co-funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, is to develop innovative, soluble materials for use in large-area OLED components for devices such as televisions, electronic traffic signs or lighting systems. The total budget amounts to around $47 million.

“OLEDs have tremendous future potential as a cost- and energy-efficient lighting technology,” said Dr. Udo Heider, vice president responsible for the OLED unit at Merck. “We want to provide industry with customized OLED materials, thus enabling cost-effective manufacturing processes from the liquid phase.”

The NEMO project, which is being funded until the end of July 2012, involves four industrial companies and seven academic partners. Merck, with its wealth of experience in the field of OLEDs and in other display technologies, is leading the consortium. The three other participating companies are DELO Industrie Klebstoffe GmbH & Co. KGaA, H.C. Starck Clevios GmbH and Ormecon GmbH. The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research is taking part in NEMO as an independent research organization. The University of Tuebingen and the University of Regensburg are both represented with two chairs each. Further university partners are Humboldt University of Berlin and the University of Potsdam.

The costs of the NEMO project are expected to total $47 million. Within the scope of the promotion program called “Material Innovations for Industry and Society,” the BMBF is providing funding of $24 million. The industrial companies will finance the remaining expenses on their own. The project is thus one of the flagship projects of the BMBF promotional initiative “Organic Light-Emitting Diodes – Phase II.”

US Department of Energy Awards Momentive $4.5 Million Grant
Momentive to Develop Innovative Crystal Growth Technology Aimed at Accelerating Mass Market Production of LED-based Solid State Lighting, Reducing US Lighting Energy Usage
Momentive Performance Materials will receive $4.5 million in funding from the US Department of Energy (DOE) to continue the development of breakthrough technology for the low cost production of LEDs used in solid state lighting (SSL) and for increased LED light source performance. 

“We are honored to be among the first recipients of this innovative funding program and its inspiring mission of working toward a low cost, secure and low carbon energy future for the US,” said Eric Thaler, chief technology officer, Momentive Performance Materials.  “The grant will allow us to help develop the commercial-scale technology, processes and equipment needed for the cost-effective, mass production of energy efficient LEDs.  This, in turn, should help facilitate a game-changing transition from current lighting technology to solid-state lighting in this country and the rest of the world. The transition to LED-based SSL would have enormous impact on everyday life, from substantial energy savings to revolutionary design and applications in general illumination.” 

DOE has estimated that by 2025, with appropriate R&D funding, the displacement of incandescent and fluorescent lighting sources with SSL could result in a 29 percent decrease in national energy consumption for lighting.  In addition to being more energy efficient, LED-based lighting is also more versatile than conventional lighting, as it can be integrated into a variety of structures, components and design elements for innovative and widespread use.   

Based on Momentive’s platform technology and initiated by Momentive, the two-year energy research project brings together a team of companies that are expert in ammonothermal bulk gallium-nitride (GaN) crystal growth technology, high pressure/high temperature reactor development and LED device testing and development. Collaborating with Momentive on the award-winning project are Soraa, Inc. and Advanced Photonic Crystals, LLC.  Soraa was co-founded by world-leading experts in GaN materials and devices.  Advanced Photonic Crystals, LLC is an on-shore manufacturer of innovative laser and optical crystals, with expertise in high-pressure autoclave engineering and crystal growth that is being brought to bear on this project.

Momentive’s winning proposal is among the 1 percent of ambitious research projects selected to receive funding after a rigorous review by the DOE of approximately 3,700 submissions.  This is another example of Momentive's heritage: almost 70 years of being first to market with technology-based solutions that positively impact and improve everyday life.

To learn more about the US Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) funding program, please visit www.arpa-e.energy.gov.

LEDs for the Automotive Industry Spur New Designs and Energy Savings
Philips Lumileds has released its white automotive rated Luxeon Rebel LEDs. Intended for use in automotive applications such as daytime running lamps, position lamps, backup lamps and interior lighting, these Luxeon Rebel parts provide improved design flexibility and are engineered and tested to exceed automotive requirements for reliability, performance and lifetime. Each part conforms to both the SAE and ECE color specifications and has complete PPAP documentation.  
 
“The auto industry is under continuous pressure to innovate, inspire and develop more sustainable solutions, and vehicle lighting is one of those applications where the latest Luxeon LEDs can positively contribute to how people feel about their cars and how they see others on the road,” said Steve Barlow, Executive VP of Sales and Marketing at Philips Lumileds. “Luxeon Rebel enables new, unique design possibilities because of its small size and high output. The low power consumption contributes to saving millions of liters of fuel. And the rugged package is designed to function for the life of the vehicle eliminating the need to change bulbs.”
 
For automotive lighting engineers benefits include:
·     Simplified secondary optic design and integration
·     Reduced thermal management engineering
·     Easier assembly and integration for reduced manufacturing cost

Cree Demonstrates Record-Breaking LED Light Bulb
At the annual Cree shareholder meeting, Cree Chairman and CEO Chuck Swoboda demonstrated an A-lamp LED light bulb with the highest lumen output and efficacy reported in the industry. The bulb produces 969 lumens at 102 lumens per watt, which is the light output equivalent to a 65-watt incandescent bulb, yet it uses only 9.5 watts.

The demonstration A-19-style bulb features the latest Cree production XLamp XP-G LEDs and TrueWhite Technology, a method of delivering warm-white light with superior color rendering and efficiency. It delivers a 2,800 K warm-white light with a 91 CRI. All data was verified by third-party testing under steady-state operating conditions.

“We are pushing the industry by demonstrating what’s possible,” said Swoboda. “With every improvement in LED components, new applications become achievable. We are excited to show the world not only what can be done, but what they should expect in an LED light bulb.”

11/11 - 11/12
LEDs in Lighting Technologies: 3rd International LED Forum Moscow
Moscow, Russia

NOVEMBER 2009

11/3 - 11/4
SSLdesign Summit 2009
New York / New Jersey

11/11 - 11/12
LEDs in Lighting Technologies: 3rd International LED Forum Moscow
Moscow, Russia

DECEMBER 2009

12/1 - 12/2
SSLdesign Summit 2009
Los Angeles, CA