eNewsletter

December 2009

Constant Current Supply Options for LED Applications

By Ali Salih, Design Engineering Director for the Standard Products Group • ON Semiconductor

LEDs have emerged as the technology of choice for many lighting applications due to the energy saving, high brightness, wide color range, design flexibility and longevity they offer. However, to help designers implement effective and reliable LED lighting designs, cost-effective current regulators are required.

Read full article here.

Guest Column: LED Lighting Standardization Update

November's Topic: LED Lighting Life Prediction (2)
By Jianzhong Jiao, Ph.D., Director of Regulations & Emerging Technologies • Osram Opto Semiconductors, Inc.

The manufacturers of LED lighting products often claim the long life of LEDs as one of the major benefits. Besides energy savings, long life of LED lighting products can also result in noticeable maintenance cost reductions. The term “long life” for general lighting applications refers to 25,000, 50,000 hours and sometimes longer, operation time. As a result, products properly installed in a given application may last as long as five to 10 years without needing replacement. How can the LED lighting manufactures claim such long life product without conducting years of reliability and durability tests? Very often they rely on the LED manufacturers’ claims for the life of the LED package.

Read full article here.

Philips Extends Play with Solar-Powered LED Football Floodlighting Solution
Philips is to enable people with little or no access to electricity to enjoy playing or watching sport long into the night with the world’s first dedicated solar-powered LED floodlighting (intense beams of light) solution.

Some 1.6 billion people in the world today are unable to connect to a regular electricity supply. The new Philips system will enable communities in developing and developed markets alike to participate in social, educational, cultural and commercial activities after sunset - including the world’s most popular sport, football.

Launched at simultaneous press events in the Netherlands and South Africa, the system is available as a fully portable solution. Using the very latest energy-efficient LED lighting technology, the system can illuminate areas up to 40 m by 20 m with bright white light. Advanced battery cells provide up to eight hours of floodlighting on a single solar charge – the equivalent of two or three full evening football matches or training sessions. The system is also sustainable, with a rugged design able to withstand the extreme rigors of life in some of the more challenging and remote terrains in the world.

“This is a fantastic initiative,” said Kanu, the Nigerian international footballer, who is working with Philips to help promote the floodlighting system around the world. “Football is a universal language, especially in Africa. Enabling children and adults to be active in playing football and other sports, even once the sun goes down, will enrich their lives, their health and their well-being considerably.”

“Our new solar-powered LED floodlighting solution is a wonderful example of Philips’ application of meaningful innovation based on our insight and understanding of people’s needs,” said Marc de Jong, CEO of the Professional Luminaires business of Philips Lighting. “I am extremely proud by this application of our expertise in LED lighting and sports lighting in particular, helping to bring the fun and enjoyment of sports to communities where a lack of electricity limits participation.”

The new solar LED floodlighting system is available to order now from Philips on a project basis. Philips can provide a total solution including the LED floodlights, portable poles, solar panels and batteries, or just a set of floodlights. The system can also be used for non-sporting applications in locations without access to an electricity grid, such as evening classes in remote villages, safety and security, shops or outdoor markets, or emergency lighting for disaster situations. More information can be found here.

 Grow Herbs with Plant Growing LED lights
GlacialTech Inc. has launched a series of grow light products. Namely the GL-SP15 LED Grow Light, the GL-SP27 LED Grow Light and the GL-BR8W LED Grow light series. Each uses 15 W, 27 W and 8 W of power respectively, and can be used to supplement plant growth in hydroponic agriculture, Green-house lighting, Herb gardens, home gardens and any situation where plants don’t get enough light in which to thrive. The low power LED solution brings the perfect balance of light to supplement and enhance the plants photosynthesis.

Why use special LED lights for Plants?
Plants need a certain spectrum of light to enable them to do photosynthesis and grow correctly, and while natural light provides this, not every plant has the right dose for the right amount of time to ensure it grows optimally. That is where GlacialLight have taken the role of the sun and provide the red and blues required for optimal growth in plants in their latest batch of lights, spotlights and globes. The LED lamps combine two wavelengths which are eight parts red: 650 to 670 nm and one part Blue: 450 to 460 nm, or in some models; six parts red and three parts blue, depending on the requirements. While many scientists agree that this combination keeps plants healthy, one also has to question if there is an infra-red or ultra violet by-product or residual danger, and because of the very distinctive range of light that LED’s are able to emit, there are no instances of either IR or UV and as such it is extremely safe and environmentally friendly for all types of plant growing conditions.

The BR8W has two LED models, GL-BR8W8R1B GL-BR8W6R3B, both of which have a lifespan of in excess of 20,000 hrs. The bulbs fit in standard E26/E27 light sockets and work between 100 V to 240 VAC. The bulbs can be used for spotlighting, accent lighting and local lighting in greenhouses, horticultural concerns and hydroponic systems. Care should be taken in very moist conditions.  More specifications can be seen here.

The SP15 spotlight uses 15 W of power and has a lifespan in excess of 20,000 hrs. There is only one model (GL-SP15 8R1B) in this series with an 8:1 red/blue light ratio. The device input voltage is 100 to 240 VAC and has a beam angle of 30°. The warranty is 1 year on this product. The SP15W is IP65 dust and water proof certified, although care should be taken in extremely humid environments. More specifications can be seen here.

The SP27 spotlight (model: GL-SP27 8R1B) is the brightest LED Grow spotlight in the GlacialLight series, using an 8:1 Red/blue ratio. There are 27 HB LEDs used in the spotlight, and each is energy efficient. The entire unit is IP66 dust proof and water proof certified however care should be taken when used in extremely humid conditions. The 30° beam angel and typical power consumption of 20 W ensures your plants have enough light to enable them to grow optimally while giving you power savings you come to expect from LED lights. See more details here.

AnalogicTech Launches Family of Direct and Edge LED Backlighting Drivers
As part of its market expansion and diversification strategy, Advanced Analogic Technologies, Inc., an analog semiconductor company focused on powering innovative solutions in consumer, industrial and communications markets, today made its official move into the LED backlit LCD television market with the first chip set families in a series of innovative power management semiconductor systems designed to significantly enhance energy efficiency and user-experience for LED backlit LCD televisions.

“The launch of these new products for the LED backlit television market represents our continued drive to offer innovative solutions that conserve power and deliver a better end-user experience,” said Richard Williams, CEO of AnalogicTech. “We have a wealth of experience seamlessly integrating our ModularBCD-based LED drivers into tier one handset manufacturers’ high-end handset designs. This technology allows us to deliver the same high-performance and energy efficiency to innovative solutions in the LED backlit LCD television space.”

The intelligent control of LED current sinks in direct/matrix backlight applications can provide precise brightness of individual segments based on image content and can give the consumer truer blacks and improved contrast for a significantly better, more natural viewing experience. Dynamic LED backlighting also makes it possible to meet the increasingly stringent energy consumption specifications for large panel TVs such as the state of California is considering.

“The unique design and process advantages of our proprietary ModularBCD process allow the effective integration of low voltage digital circuitry with high-voltage analog circuitry. This combination enables the dynamic management of high current, high voltage LED current sinks and results in significant power savings,” said Williams.

As its initial entry point into the LED television market, AnalogicTech announced 7 new products:

LED Driver Chipset with Integrated Boost converter for Direct/Matrix Backlighting

• AAT2400 (8ch Master) & AAT2401 Unlatched (8ch Slave) Chipset
• AAT2402M (8ch Master) & AAT2402S Latched (8ch Slave) Chipset

Dedicated LED Driver for Direct/Matrix Backlighting

• AAT2403 (16ch) Latched LED Driver

Dedicated LED Driver for Edge Backlighting

• AAT2405 PWM with phase shift (6ch) LED Driver
• AHK2417E Latched (8ch) LED Driver
• AHK2418E Latched (16ch) LED Driver
• DC/DC Boost Controller
• AAT2404 High Voltage Boost Controller

These devices utilize AnalogicTech’s patent pending Multiple Chip Voltage Feedback technique that ensures the proper LED supply voltage is simultaneously regulated across up to 16 chipsets (or 256 channels) allowing precise control of up to 2560 LEDs for direct or dynamic backlighting solutions or up to 16 channels for Edge.

The AAT2400/01 and AAT2402M/S direct/matrix driver chipsets, the AAT2403 dedicated direct/matrix driver and AAT2405 and AHK2417/18 edge drivers as well as the AAT2404 DC/DC boost controller are all available for design-in. 

Power Partners Introduces LED Lighting Power Modules
In response to increased demand for higher power, high efficiency lighting solutions, Power Partners introduces the PIL100 series of 100W LED lighting power modules with a choice of constant current or constant voltage models.

All models feature a wide input voltage range which accepts up to 305VAC. The output on the constant current models ranges from 350 mA to 4,200 mA and constant voltage models offer 12 VDC to 105 VDC outputs. Efficiency is up to 93 percent and the specified operating temperature range is –35°C to 70°C with no derating.

The PIL100U series is housed in a rugged aluminum enclosure, which meets IP67 waterproof standards, making them suitable for harsh indoor or outdoor applications.

Comprehensive overvoltage, overcurrent, over temperature and short circuit protection is inherent in the design. Lightning protection is also a feature of the PIL100U Series. All of Power Partners LED power supplies are safety approved to UL1310 and EN61347 standards, bear the CE Mark and are RoHS compliant. Pricing starts at $56.75 in OEM quantities, with delivery from stock to 8 weeks ARO.

Osram Develops LED Fog Light Sources
Osram’s LED modules are now being used in fog lights on BMW motorcycles. The modules are resistant to shocks and vibrations with a lifespan that usually exceeds that of the motorcycle itself. Therefore, headlamps with LEDs need to be maintained far less often than conventional halogen-based lamps. With 14 watts of power input per fog light, the LED module is considerably more efficient than the halogen version’s 55 watts.

The design of the JFLCF2 modules with integrated lenses offers improved fog-light distribution, which guarantees relatively good vision even in thick fog and therefore greater safety for motorcyclists. The area in front of the bike and the edge of the road are illuminated far better. Plus, other road users can see motorcyclists better.

Even motorcycles that were unsuitable for conventional halogen fog lamps due to their battery or wiring can be fitted with the Joule JFLCF2 LED module.

The JFLCF2 modules, a version of the JFL2, are available in series production since November 2009. As they already include lenses, which meet the requirements of the new EU directive ECE R19 F3, they can be integrated into fog lights easily and inexpensively.

The fog lamps can be customized with heat sinks or assembly fixtures and offer customers the possibility of adjusting the design to their needs.

“By using LEDs, customers can develop new and innovative fog lamps within a very short time, which definitely enhance rider safety and are environmentally friendly, as they reduce energy consumption by more than 80 watts per bike compared with the current halogen technology,” said Christian Meier, product manager of Joule LED systems.

Osram’s Automotive Lighting division and the LED specialist Osram Opto Semiconductors have jointly developed the Joule JFL2 LED module. Lighting solutions of both companies for the car and motorcycle industry range from individual LEDs to standardized systems such as Joule. The motorcycle fog lights were developed as part of a BMW and OSRAM joint project.

Osram’s Joule LED modules can also be used in other lighting functions such as dipped and main beams, braking, indicator and reverse lights. The high-performance diodes consume far less energy than conventional car and motorcycle lamps and can be included in new, platform-independent vehicle models.
Caption: OSRAM’s Joule JFLCF2 LED module for BMW motorcycle fog headlamps is highly efficient, resistant to shocks and vibrations and has a long lifespan.

austriamicrosystems’ New LED Driver Adds Fun, Functionality to Portable Applications
austriamicrosystems, a designer and manufacturer of high performance analog ICs for communications, industrial, medical and automotive applications has introduced the AS3665 enabling improved lighting effects in mobile phones and a variety of other consumer applications. The AS3665 delivers sharper color, smoother color effects and improved brightness with a minimum amount of design effort.

The AS3665 offers nine LED channels with up to 25 mA per channel. A dedicated 12 bit PWM for each of the nine channels delivers unchallenged smooth color effects allowing linear, logarithmic and ratiometric fading effects. The PWM generators have three sequencers and a 1.5 kbit memory. This allows storing and processing astonishing and complex light patterns without the need for external processors or interaction. The AS3665 allows easy command based programming of all light patterns. To ensure true colors during operation the AS3665 implements several color correction features like automatic RGB color correction by temperature.

AS3665 audio synchronization feature enables colorful programmable light patterns. With this feature, the color LEDs blink, fade and change color smoothly in time with the device’s audio input like music or ring tones. The AS3665 synchronizes the LEDs based on the music input. The audio synchronization of the light patterns can be freely adjusted giving a freedom to differentiate and define unique color response fitting to any type of music from heavy beats of hard rock to soft lyrics.

To optimize battery lifetime the AS3665 design includes various power save features. Each channel operates with less the 50 mV dropout voltage at 10 mA powered by a high efficiency 150 mA charge pump with automatic switching between 1:1, 1:1.5 and 1:2 mode. To optimize power consumption driving RGB LEDs, three of the nine channels offer programmable rail switching to choose between battery and CP voltage for higher efficiency allowing independent supply of red and blue/green LEDs.

To accelerate system implementation, the AS3665 offers easy design-in capability with minimal software programming. Additionally a software tool allows fast command based development of light patterns, which is as easy as drawing lines on paper. The software output is a compiled file which can be used immediately with the AS3665.

“austriamicrosystems has always been a leap ahead in bringing exciting new functionality to market for mobile phone manufacturers and other consumer electronics. Our AS3665 funlight driver enables systems designers to offer users more fun and functionality than ever before. This new product truly brings light into the sound of portable devices,” said Bruce Ulrich, marketing director of Consumer and Communication BU. “The AS3665 joins austriamicrosystems’ broad portfolio of lighting products of flashlight, backlight, funlight, and dot matrix drivers, as well as powerful Lighting Management Units.”

STMicroelectronics Releases New LED Drivers for Electronic Signage
STMicroelectronics, a developer of semiconductors for LED lighting, has released a new series of LED drivers with automatic power saving, enabling electronic signage such as road signs, advertising, stadium displays, battery or solar-powered signs and similar equipment to deliver better, high-resolution viewing by ensuring consistent brightness across the viewing area.

The brightness of an LED is closely related to the drive current, usually supplied by a separate driver chip. As each new generation of LEDs produces greater brightness at lower drive current, overall efficiency is increasing but so, too, is the need for more accurate current control. This control is essential to prevent excessively bright or dark areas from damaging the visual effectiveness of signs and screens, which can employ tens of thousands of individual LEDs.

To provide the enhanced current control designers need, ST has introduced a family of driver chips capable of supplying 16 LED channels with driving capabilities of 3 mA to 40 mA and bit-to-bit accuracy within ±1 percent. This accuracy is improved in tolerance to alternative drivers providing comparable drive current. In addition, as a large display may require several thousand drivers, ST’s new devices also provides excellent current matching from chip to chip (±2 percent) to further enhance visual performance.

The new LED drivers are the STP16CPP05, STP16CPPS05, STP16DPP05 and STP16DPPS05. In addition to their enhanced current accuracy, they also provide optional features including ST-patented automatic power saving, as well as built-in LED error detection. Available variants allow designers to specify either or both of these value-added features, in a choice of four industry-standard package options.

The patented automatic power saving allows the drivers to turn off independently when no LED drive data is provided. This function delivers two benefits: software design is simplified as no power-save algorithm is required; and power savings are increased as the drivers turn off more quickly than is generally possible under software control.

Error detection helps to improve maintenance and boost productivity for signage operators. If an LED in the display fails, ST’s LED drivers can detect either of the two possible failure modes (short circuit or open circuit) and communicate the failure to a central point. With this information, the system could be programmed to inform field maintenance crews of the necessary replacement parts in advance. In applications such as road signage, where reliability is critical, this feature can enable faults to be repaired quickly and efficiently.

The STP16CPP05, STP16CPPS05, STP16DPP05 and STP16DPPS05 are in mass production now, available at prices from $0.70 in quantities of 1,000 devices.

Go Green and Get More Power with the New DYMAX BlueWave LED Prime UVA Spot-Curing System
The BlueWave LED Prime UVA high-intensity spot-curing system offers many advantages over conventional spot-curing systems including no consumable bulbs to change, no warm-up, cool cures and constant intensity for thousands of hours.

The BlueWave LED Prime UVA generates curing energy using high-intensity LEDs and produces nearly double the intensity of any LED spot-curing lamp on the market today.  This system delivers maximum curing energy through a 5 mm diameter lightguide, with an output up to 15 W/cm². While providing more power, the design also eliminates the safety concerns from the high heat generated by units with the LED array at the end of the wand.  In addition, the relatively narrow frequency band produced by LEDs generates cooler curing temperatures at the substrate level.  The unit is CE certified, RoHS compliant, offers user-friendly operation and boasts a useful LED life of over 50,000 hours.  All of these features make the BlueWave LED Prime UVA a well suited curing system for manufacturers looking to complement their “green” initiatives.

The BlueWave LED Prime UVA also includes an intensity adjustment feature, which allows users to adjust and control intensity output from 0 percent to 100 percent to assist with process validation and control.  Intensity level measurement is easily accomplished with a radiometer.  The DYMAX ACCU-CAL 50-LED radiometer is used to take readings through the lightguide in process development and actual production settings, providing the most accurate and consistent method of light-intensity measurement.  DYMAX offers single and multi-legged lightguides that are compatible with the BlueWave LED Prime UVA.  This spot-curing system is excellent for spot curing of various coatings as well as adhesive bonding of polycarbonate, PVC, PET, metal, glass and many other substrates.

New Material Improves Performance of LED Lighting for Displays and Other Applications
Honeywell has developed a new thermal management material that improves energy efficiency of LEDs, which are increasingly being used in applications such as street lamps, automotive lighting, flat panel TV displays and computer monitors.

The new product from Honeywell, the LTM6300-SP, is a thermal interface material that effectively transfers heat generated by LED lamps. As LEDs become smaller, faster and more powerful, more heat is being generated in a confined space, which can threaten to damage the LEDs’ performance. If LEDs overheat, they become dim, their color is muted and their lifespans are shortened.

Because LEDs are semiconductor devices, they require more precise heat management than traditional light sources. Honeywell’s thermal management materials are designed to meet this specific challenge, helping to effectively transfer heat in semiconductor applications.

“Honeywell is committed to energy efficiency technology, and this newly developed thermal management material, which enhances the performance of energy efficient LEDs, is another example of our commitment,” said Brian Daniels, chief technology officer for Honeywell Electronic Materials. “LTM6300-SP is the first in a series of HEM phase change materials being developed for the growing LED segment.”

LTM6300-SP was designed for LED backlights for flat panel displays, but the packaging technology can be also implemented in LEDs used in a wide range of industries, from automobiles to computers. Honeywell LTM6300-SP is a high-thermal-performance phase change material that has improved performance to silicone-based products, which typically pump out and degrade at high temperatures.

The lighting industry has evolved from incandescent bulbs toward more energy-efficient options such as fluorescent bulbs and LEDs. Demand for LEDs is growing because they have several benefits over traditional light sources, such as lower energy consumption, longer lifespan and smaller size. They also produce more light per watt than incandescent bulbs, are more durable and faster and are mercury-free. When used instead of traditional light sources, LEDs also reduce pollution and carbon footprint because they demand less power, which translates into energy savings that result in lower carbon dioxide and mercury emissions.

The phase change material is based on Honeywell’s packaging expertise in thermal management. Honeywell LTM6300-SP is designed to be used mainly as a screen printable paste and complements Honeywell’s other thermal interface products.

Magnalight.com Adds High Powered LED light with Red, Blue, Green or Amber LEDs
Larson Electronics’ magnalight.com offers a high powered LED light with a choice of red, blue, green or amber LED lights for low voltage use for the sporting, industrial, commercial and military markets.

Larson Electronics’ magnalight.com announced the addition of a 4320 lumen LED light available with a choice of colors, including red, blue, green and amber. Producing a spot beam reaching 900 feet, the LEDLB-24C LED light with colored LEDs offers operators in outdoors, industrial and military applications alternatives to traditional white light LED output. The LEDLB-24C operates on 9 to 32 volts DC for vehicles, boats and equipment and is available with surface or magnetic mounting. Measuring 8 inches long, by 5 inches tall and 3 inches deep, the LEDLB-24C LED light is a powerful, compact LED light, drawing only 2 amps on 12 volts DC.

"The LEDLB-24C offers the same powerful LED light output in a compact frame as the white LED light version, but now we give operators the choice of amber, red, blue or green," said Rob Bresnahan with Larson Electronics’ magnalight.com. Red LED light is popular with hunters and military alike, since it is less apparent to targets at distance. Green LED light tends to draw fewer bugs and more fish, so fisherman have requested green. Amber LED light is well suited for smoke, fog and other airborne impediments. Blue LED light tends to perform well on waterways and has some specific industrial applications as well.

Larson Electronics offers a wide variety of LED lighting, ranging from high powered surface mount LED lighting to explosion proof LED lighting. Other recent additions include the Magnalight RL-85-10W rechargeable handheld LED light for hunting, utility companies, soldiers and construction crews looking for long battery life.

Design Lights Consortium Launches Listing of Qualified Lighting Products
Lighting Manufacturers now have a vital link for promoting their energy efficient technologies to utilities and other efficiency program administrators across the nation because of the launch of a new independent listing of qualified solid state lighting (SSL) products.

The DesignLights Consortium (DLC) Qualified Products List (www.designlights.org) provides a central place for manufacturers to submit product specifications for energy efficiency program administrators to determine whether an LED fixture qualifies for their incentive programs.

"The new DLC Qualified Products List benefits everyone interested in advancing solid state lighting technologies," said Jon Linn, commercial programs manager at NEEP. "Manufacturers need only to submit product data once to be considered for more than 20 utility and state efficiency programs throughout the Northeast, Midwest, Northwest, California and Canada. Utility program administrators save time not having to review individual manufacturers' specifications and can be assured that qualified LED fixtures meet energy efficiency, color quality and projected lifetime requirements."

Most energy efficiency program administrators use the Energy Star listing as an indication of a product's quality and performance. If a product is listed under Energy Star, it indicates that it is an energy efficient product suitable for promoting through incentives. All energy efficiency programs participating in the DLC qualified products program reference the Energy Star for SSL Luminaires. However Energy Star for SSL does not currently cover all lighting applications. Energy efficiency programs are interested in promoting a wider range of LED lighting products, provided they can meet minimum energy efficiency requirements. The DLC effort complements and expands upon the Energy Star for SSL.

"Energy efficiency programs throughout the region, like Efficiency Vermont, are increasingly asked by customers and suppliers for incentives for SSL projects," said Gabe Arnold, planning and development manager. "However, for products not currently addressed by the Energy Star program, we have had to conduct our own examinations to assure product quality. This has been a tough and time-consuming effort and has raised the need for a central list of qualified products for all program administrators to use."

Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) (http://www.neep.org) and the DLC, along with assistance from their project team at the Lighting Research Center (LRC) (http://www.lrc.rpi.edu), has developed the DLC Qualified Products List as a stepping stone to promote the latest quality energy efficient technologies. The DLC team keeps in close contact with the Energy Star program to communicate on-going experience and product performance data in support of future Energy Star expansion.

"This process brings industry closer to their eventual Energy Star listing," said Linn. "Everyone, from program administrators to manufacturers, has voiced their support for this project."

The DesignLights Consortium Qualified Products List application requirements are nearly identical to those of Energy Star. The DLC requires manufacturers to submit demanding industry standard test data on their products as part of their application, which can be found at http://www.designlights.org/solidstate.manufacturer.overview.php. These include submission of IES LM-79 test reports, LM-80 reports, UL 1598 reports, full IES files and product lifetime claim evidence.

DLC analysts examine manufacturer's test reports, passing or failing applications based on performance criteria. Products that meet the minimum DLC performance criteria are then added to the DLC Qualified Products List. The list is available to all DLC Sponsors and Participants (utilities and state and regional organizations who operate or support energy efficiency programs) to use in their programs for promoting SSL projects.

Shipments of Lighting Equipment Rise During Third Quarter of 2009
NEMA’s Lighting Systems Index increased 3.3 percent on a quarter-to-quarter basis during the third quarter of 2009. This marks the LSI’s first increase in 9 quarters. Nonetheless, the index is only one quarter removed from its lowest reading on record and declined 19.3 percent on a year-over-year basis. After adjusting for seasonal influences and inflation, emergency lighting equipment was the only index component to see shipments weaken compared to the second quarter of 2009; however, every category experienced a decline in shipments on a year-over-year basis, with luminaire suffering the largest drop-off versus the third quarter of 2008.

With vacancy rates high and construction activity declining, replacement demand for lighting is expected to take a hit. Retrofitting existing lighting equipment to more energy-efficient systems will be hurt over the near term as businesses try to bolster profits by cutting any costs that are perceived as unnecessary in the near term. Even though the economy is expected to recover further for at least the next few quarters, the commercial real estate market’s troubles are only in the early stages and this will likely weigh heavily on lighting equipment used in office, industrial, retail or other commercial applications for the next several quarters. Indeed, declines in shipments of commercial lighting equipment will likely offset the modest uptrend expected in residential demand, keeping any gains in the LSI to a minimum as late as 2011.

US DOE to Fund Innovative OLED Lighting Developed by DuPont
DuPont has been awarded a $2.25 million grant from the US Department of Energy (DOE) for a two-year project to develop a solid-state lighting source using low-cost OLED solution-processing manufacturing techniques. 

The project will leverage DuPont’s experience in OLED development for displays, while tailoring the technology to the unique requirements for solid-state lighting, an advanced technology that can significantly reduce energy consumption compared with incandescent and fluorescent lamps. Solution-processing is a cost-effective technique for the manufacture of OLEDs due to its lower capital investment, reduced fixed costs and efficient use of materials. The benefits are seen through manufacturing large areas at low cost while delivering completely new, highly efficient lighting concepts.

“The DOE is pleased to support DuPont in its work to further advance the science in OLED solid-state lighting, and play an important role in eventually commercializing the technology,” said James Brodrick, lighting program manager, US Department of Energy. “We have made a long-term commitment to advance the development and introduction of energy-efficient white lighting sources for general illumination.”

 “We appreciate the DOE’s support for our research program to develop low-cost, energy-efficient OLED lighting solutions that have the potential to transform the lighting market,” said William F. Feehery, global business director, DuPont OLEDs. “DuPont has extensive experience in development of cost-effective solution processing for OLEDs used in displays. Through our collaboration with DOE, we will leverage our resources and minimize the need to develop new processing techniques to speed the development of solid-state OLED lighting.”

According to the Next Generation Lighting Industry Alliance, more than 20 percent of US electrical energy in 2009 is used for lighting. The US domestic market for lamps, ballasts, lighting fixtures and lighting controls is $15 billion and $75 billion, globally. Solid-state lighting technologies, which include OLEDs, have the potential to save 348 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity by 2030 compared with traditional light sources.

Compared to LEDs, which are small point sources manufactured on relatively small semiconductor wafers, OLEDs have a surface area light source which can be made on large sheets of glass or in a roll-to-roll process, allowing significant economies in manufacturing.  Also, OLED lighting can use less energy and provide the same quality of light or better.

As the lead federal agency for solid-state lighting activities, DOE has made a long-term commitment to accelerate the research, development and market introduction of solid-state lighting.  DOE-funded R&D projects drive breakthroughs in solid-state lighting efficiency and performance.  DOE’s market introduction strategies are closely aligned with research progress to help buyers differentiate good products in good applications, and avoid early buyer dissatisfaction and delay of market development.  To learn more about DOE’s solid-state lighting program, visit www.ssl.energy.gov.

1/23 – 1/28
SPIE Photonics West 2010
San Francisco, CA

Download the August/September 2009 Issue

Issue Features:

• 2009 Annual Resource Guide
• Case Study: A Spectacular Display of Light, Sound and Movement
• Standardization for LEDs and Solid State Lighting
• Innovative Power Reduction Techniques Enable Handset Manufacturers to Provide Media Rich Devices
• OLED Display Technology
• Integrating Power, Control Offers Flexibility and Simplicity for Lighting Applications

Toyota Tsusho America, Inc. is currently seeking an Electrical Application Engineer for their growing team of LED specialists. This person should be a self-starting, motivated Application Engineer with experience in LEDs at the component level, with device application knowledge and willingness to grow into a management level position.

This key person will assist in the development of a packaged LED component product line; supervise materials sourcing; develop product specifications and applications engineering information; support sales channels and business development with your engineering and people skills.

Your key functional roles by utilization of engineering skills and knowledge are:

• Be instrumental in development and maintenance of leading-edge world-class product lines from name-brand manufacturers to provide superior lighting solutions in a wide variety of electrical LED and lighting application to each customer.
• Leverage your technical understanding of the LED and Lighting product market to develop products/applications/sales
• Identify, participate, help resolve, develop product solutions on-time and to schedule and work to create and promote these products into successful commercial market strategies.
• Work to develop a strong business team development, participate in and share skills, and assist with product applications, quoting

Requirements:

• Bachelors Degree in Electrical, Chemical, Optical Engineering
• Minimum of 1-3 years of engineering, program management or technical sales applications
• LED Lighting experience
• Semiconductor Background
• Commercial electrical markets
• Leadership and Team building attributes
• Excellent verbal, written and presentation skills

Company Information
Leading LED manufacturer offering stability, growth, and a team environment with excellent compensation, benefits package, 401K. Contact Esther Kim at esther_kim@taiamerica.com for more information.

DECEMBER 2009

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

JANUARY 2010

1/23 – 1/28
SPIE Photonics West 2010
San Francisco, CA

FEBRUARY 2010

2/10 - 2/12
Strategies in Light
Santa Clara, CA

ISA 2010
4/7 - 4/10, 2010
Orlando, Fla.

See What One Show Can Do! The International Sign Association’s International Sign Expo returns to Orlando, Florida, April 7–10, 2010, with the latest sign trends and technologies driving the growth of the visual communications industry.
 
There’s plenty to boost your bottom line at the largest sign show in the world:

• Eye-catching Exhibits ­ including the New Product Showcase and ISA’s Green Product Showcase
• Expert Education ­ presenting 60 new ISA Sign Academy sessions
• Exciting Special Events ­ featuring a keynote from Roger Shultz of NBC’s The Biggest Loser

Education and networking events start April 7. Trade show floor open April 8–10.
 
Register and book housing today!
 
For more information, contact ISA at (703) 836-4012 or expo@signs.org.

5/12 - 5/14
Lightfair International 2010
Las Vegas, NV

As the world’s largest annual architectural and commercial lighting trade show and conference, LIGHTFAIR® INTERNATIONAL blends continuing education courses with innovative products ranging from high-end design to cutting-edge technology.