january 2012

Application Profile

New York City Salon Cuts Energy Costs By 74 Percent with LED Lighting Technology
The interior of New York’s Salon Ziba has been reborn with the addition of new LED lighting, bringing soft and precise light to the posh Midtown locale. Phoster Industries’ LED lighting solutions, powered by the Osram Opto Semiconductors Golden Dragon LEDs, not only provide the salon with high quality light, but also deliver significant cost savings – up to 74 percent annually.

Equipped with Osram Opto Semiconductors’ Golden Dragon Plus LEDs, Phoster Industries, an LED lighting manufacturer based in New York City and Mont-Royal, Quebec, integrated LED Par20 and Par30 lamps, as well as LED recessed down lights, at Salon Ziba to replace existing halogen lamps and dramatically reduce energy costs. Part of OSRAM Opto Semiconductors’ Dragon family of LEDs, Golden Dragon Plus LEDs are a robust, long-life LED that can be used in a wide array of applications and have a lifetime of more than 50,000 hours (depending on application conditions), allowing for significantly reduced maintenance and replacement costs. The Par20 and Par30 lamps provide uniform brightness and color to the salon, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere for customers.

Eighty-five LED Par30 lamps were integrated on the first floor of the salon and deliver an energy savings of more than 3.1 kilowatts (kW), or 68 cents, per hour. On the first floor alone the salon will save up to 74 percent of its energy costs based on the average cost of electricity kW per hour in New York City. On the second floor, 20 recessed cans were replaced with Phoster 9-watt recessed LED down lights. The Phoster down lights offer directional light, dynamic color tuning and an “instant on” solution, making them an ideal application for hospitality and retail environments.

“Golden Dragon Plus LEDs deliver high quality, consistent light that powers our solutions,” said Douglas Mendelman, Director of Business Development, Phoster Industries. “At Salon Ziba, stylists will benefit from LED technology in many ways; one of which is the fact that hair color now appears the same inside the salon as is does in regular daylight, giving stylists confidence in their work and keeping clients happy.”

In addition to work stations within Salon Ziba, Phoster Industries also outfitted retail and reception areas within the space with new LED fixtures, helping deliver further savings. Thanks to their minimal size, Golden Dragon Plus LEDs can be seamlessly incorporated into display spaces, and their easily-selected color temperature settings allow any space to be seen in just the right light.

“LEDs are the perfect solution for spaces that require high performance, full-spectrum natural light while simultaneously achieving cost and energy savings,” said Brian Terao, SSL Business Unit Director, OSRAM Opto Semiconductors. “A salon is an ideal space to showcase both the light quality of LEDs and also the cost and energy savings they provide.”

Webcom Communications, in cooperation with the ZigBee Alliance, is proud to announce the Summer 2012 publication of the ZigBee Resource Guide. The guide is a magazine-style solutions guide, focusing solely on products, applications and solutions for end-users and integrators of ZigBee. The objective is to introduce potential customers to the benefits of ZigBee, and to guide them to leading suppliers of ZigBee products and the deadline to participate in this issue is April 12th, 2012.

Click here to see the 2011 ZigBee Resource Guide!

Contact Laura Mayo to place your ad! 

Osram Reaches New Milestone with First Gallium-Nitride LED Chips on Silicon in Pilot Stage
Researchers at Osram Opto Semiconductors have succeeded in manufacturing high-performance blue and white LED prototypes in which the light-emitting gallium-nitride layers are grown on silicon wafers with a diameter of 150 millimeters (approx. 6 inches). The silicon wafers replace the sapphire substrates commonly used in the industry up to now, with no loss of quality. Already in the pilot stage, the new LED chips are being tested under practical conditions, meaning that the first LEDs on silicon from Osram Opto Semiconductors could hit the market in as little as two years.

Advantages of silicon: This is a pioneering development for several reasons. Silicon is an attractive and low-cost option for the lighting markets of the future. Due to its already widespread use in the semiconductor industry, the availability of large wafer diameters and its very good thermal properties, silicon is an attractive and low cost option for large-volume fabrication. Quality and performance data on the fabricated LED silicon chips match those of sapphire-based chips: the blue UX: 3 chips in Osram’s standard Golden Dragon Plus package achieve a brightness of 634 mW at 3.15 volts, equivalent to 58 percent efficiency.  These are improved values for state-of-the-art 1 mm² chips driven at 350 mA.  In combination with a conventional phosphor converter in a standard housing, in other words as white LEDs,  these prototypes correspond to 140 lm at 350 mA with an efficiency of 127 lm/W at 4,500 K.

“For these LEDs to become widely established in lighting, the component cost must come down significantly while maintaining the same level of quality and performance,” said Dr. Peter Stauss, project manager at Osram Opto Semiconductors. “We are developing new methods along the entire technology chain for this purpose, from chip technology to production processes and housing technology.” Mathematically speaking, it is already possible today to fabricate over 17,000 LED chips of one square millimeter in size on a 150 millimeter (6 inch) wafer. Larger silicon wafers could increase productivity even more; researchers have already demonstrated the first structures on 200 millimeter substrates (approx. 8 inches).

Sharp Presents the New Generation of 10 W LED Arrays
The 2nd generation of the 10 W Mini Zeni variant from Sharp now radiates with an improved efficacy of up to 106 lm/W, a greater luminous flux of up to 900 lm and is available with a (typical) CRI value of 82.

The new product generation is based on the technical advances made in LED production, improving the efficiency by up to 47 percent. The 2nd generation of the 10W arrays has four distinguishing features in this regard: they are compact, lightweight, economical and significantly brighter than before.

Sharp has retained the dimensions of 15 mm by 12 mm by 1.6 mm unchanged, along with an aluminium ceramic plate as carrier material. The flat surface of the ceramic plate and the soldering points already in place make it possible to attach the modules to a suitable heat sink, without too much effort or additional connecting material, thereby achieving efficient heat dissipation.

Depending on the module, the new types offer a light output of up to 900 lumens, a luminous efficacy of up to 106 lm/W in standard operation, high CRI values of 82 and a long service life of 40,000 operating hours at an operating temperature of up to 90°C. The new generation is specified for use with a forward voltage of 17.7 V and a forward current of 480 mA. But the arrays can also be operated using a current of up to 800 mA, whereby values of up to 1300 lm can be reached. With the shades Natural White, Warm White, and Pure White, the color temperatures of the new white light LED arrays are in the range of 3,000 to 5,000 Kelvin.

The extensive range of LED lighting arrays allows Sharp to provide numerous marketable solutions for the use of LEDs as light sources for lamps and lighting fixtures. The luminous Mini Zeni LED modules from Sharp are suitable for numerous applications, e.g. spot lighting and for use in LED retrofit lamps, etc.

Initial samples are available in the colour temperatures of 3,000 and 4,000 K. These can now be ordered from Sharp sales offices and distribution partners across Europe.

Cree Introduces the Next Generation of Lighting-Class LEDs
Driving the next generation of mainstream LED lighting adoption, Cree, Inc. has introduced the breakthrough XLamp XB-D LED. The first LED based on an innovative new Cree technology platform, the XLamp XB-D LED ushers in a new era of price-performance for lighting-class LEDs. This LED can further simplify designs, ultimately removing a key barrier to widespread LED implementation—up-front system cost.

The XB-D LED delivers twice the lumens-per-dollar of other LEDs, in the industry’s smallest lighting-class footprint of 2.45 mm by 2.45 mm. The XB-D LED is 48 percent smaller than the XLamp XP package and well suited for lighting applications where high lumen density and compact light sources are required. The innovations behind this next generation of lighting-class LEDs can enable significantly lower prices for LED lighting products by using up to three times fewer LEDs, three times fewer optics and substantially smaller circuit boards than current designs.

“Being a leader means delivering revolutionary, not evolutionary, innovation to drive the LED lighting revolution,” said Mike Watson, Cree senior director of marketing, LED components. “With this new platform Cree has fundamentally redefined the price-performance paradigm for our components customers. It’s not enough to just make LEDs brighter—it’s also about improving product payback and market acceptance of LED lighting.”

Leveraging Cree’s proven silicon carbide technology and expertise, the XB-D LED delivers up to 139 lumens and 136 lumens per watt in cool white (6,000 K) or up to 107 lumens and 105 lumens per watt in warm white (3,000 K), both at 350 mA and 85°C.

XB-D LEDs are also compatible with most existing XP family secondary optics, which can speed the optical design process and create direct cost savings for existing XP family-based designs.

100 Watt Constant Current AC/DC LED Power Supply  
Green Watt Power, a Division of Calex Mfg., has released the GLC-100 series of constant current AC/DC LED power supplies. The GLC-100 series with universal / full range AC input voltage of 100 to 277 VAC, offers stable and reliable 100 W output power and is available in six different models of constant current output at 1.75 A, 2.1 A, 2.45 A, 2.8 A, 3.2 A or 4.2 A with self-adjusting output voltage from 15 VDC to 54 VDC range in the various models. All models are enclosed to IP67 standards in extruded aluminium metal case design and well-suited for virtually all LED lighting applications for indoor, outdoor, signage, refrigeration, thermally harsh and damp environments.

The GLC-100 has efficiencies in the 90 percent range in the series with active power factor correction greater than 0.90 on every model. All units in the series have over voltage, over current, over temperature protection and are RoHS Compliant. Safety Agency approval is pending to UL/CSA 8750 and 1310 class 2 or 1 depending upon the model. Products in the series are CE approved. The product case dimension is 6.61” (L) by 3.15” (W) by 1.65” (H) with customer mounting provisions designed in the case design. All products in the series are designed and built for consistent performance and high reliability and come with a 5 year warranty.

Please contact the factory for pricing and delivery. Units are available from stock to less than 6 weeks.

Lighting Research Center Kicks Off 2012 Seminar Series for Manufacturers and Entrepreneurs
With so many new technologies and practices flooding the lighting industry, economic opportunities abound. But how can a business best take advantage of all this information?

Capturing the Lighting Edge, a series of seminars beginning February of 2012, was designed to provide manufacturers and entrepreneurs with the knowledge and tools to help them develop products, expand markets, and improve current product offerings within the lighting industry.  Currently six sessions on varying lighting topics are planned and will be conducted throughout New York State.

The seminars will be conducted by the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in collaboration with Rensselaer’s Engineering Research Center for Smart Lighting and Linc-The Lighting Cultivator.  The series is funded through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

“Modern lighting provides tremendous opportunity for energy savings. A solid-state (light emitting diode; LED) light uses one-tenth the amount of power needed for an incandescent light, and half the energy of a compact fluorescent bulb,” said Francis J. Murray Jr., president and CEO of NYSERDA. “NYSERDA is pleased to support this seminar series that explores the business opportunities inherent in promoting these new technologies.”

The first seminar in the Capturing the Lighting Edge series is scheduled for February 29th in New York City. This session will host a panel of experts tackling the question:  What do Designers Look for in Fixtures? Despite infinite choices in technologies and controls, designers still encounter applications – from simple to exotic – that require that “elusive” feature. This seminar will provide participants with the ability to hear from major specifiers from diverse backgrounds and specialties and learn what, exactly, they are looking for in fixtures.

“This new education offering is designed to give participants in the lighting business an inside advantage through knowledge, new ideas, and networking,” said Lighting Research Center Education Manager Dan Frering.  “I would encourage anyone interested in the lighting business, including engineers, lighting designers, and entrepreneurs, to attend as many of these sessions as possible.” 

For more information and future seminar dates, please visit http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/education/outreachEducation/CapturingtheLightingEdge.asp.

DOE Releases Consortium Report on Ornamental Post-Top LED Street Lights
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has published the final report from a demonstration of LED technology in ornamental post-top street lights, conducted in Sacramento, CA. This report provides an overview of the evaluation of four different LED replacement products using computer simulations, field measurements, and laboratory testing. The evaluation was conducted by DOE's Municipal Solid-State Street Lighting Consortium in collaboration with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District and the City of Sacramento, with additional support from City consultant Mary Matteson Bryan.

In this pilot project, the study was restricted to lamp-ballast retrofit kits and complete luminaire replacements that would preserve the daytime appearance of the existing acorn-style luminaires. This challenge proved formidable, as the results indicate that none of the LED products evaluated could match the performance of the existing 100 W HPS luminaires. To allow for apples-to-apples economic comparison, the pricing and input power of the LED products were scaled proportionately to represent hypothetical products which would match the HPS light levels.

Energy used by three of the “scaled-up” LED systems ranged from 63 to 90 percent of the baseline HPS, the fourth product would actually increase energy use by 15 percent, and none of the products would represent cost-effective alternatives to HPS. In response to recent industry developments, the study also investigated the relative significance of mesopic multipliers offered in the new IES Lighting Handbook and the lumen maintenance extrapolation methodology offered in the new IES TM-21.

This pilot project is the first in a series conducted by the DOE Municipal Solid-State Street Lighting Consortium, which serves as an objective resource for LED product evaluation and a repository for valuable field experience and data. The data generated from this project may be useful to standards groups, manufacturers, and those considering retrofits to LED. The report highlights some of the critical nuances involved in LED product selection, and is now available for download (PDF 14 MB).

Verbatim LED Retrofit Lamps Awarded the ENERGY STAR
Verbatim Americas, LLC, a member of Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corp. (MCHC) group, announces the official ENERGY STAR qualification of its new line of PAR-type retrofit LED lamps, all with the quality and energy efficiency requirement set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE).

Certified based on strict criteria, Verbatim ENERGY STAR LED lamps assure users high efficiency and long lifetime with consistent color output, translating into considerable reductions in energy consumption and maintenance costs. Verbatim ENERGY STAR LED lamps qualify for utility rebates and are backed by a 5 year warranty.

Verbatim’s ENERGY STAR qualified LED retrofit lamp product line includes:

PAR20  – 3000K, 500 lumen output and 9 watts
PAR30  – 2700K, 740 lumen output and 14 watts
PAR30 – 3000K, 800 lumen output and 14 watts
PAR38 – 2700K, 920 lumen output and 17 watts
PAR38 – 3000K , 1000 lumen output and 17 watts

“As a member of Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation (MCHC) group, the largest chemical company in Japan, Verbatim has the benefit of MCHC’s technology and expertise in the lighting industry,” said Ronan Ryan, Vice President of Lighting for Verbatim. “Receiving the ENERGY STAR qualification for these LED lamps is not only a seal of approval, but also an important step for Verbatim and our dedication to providing high performance, cost effective lighting solutions.”

ENERGY STAR qualified Verbatim PAR LED lamps provide high quality warm white light with uniform beam distributions, making them well suited for commercial environments such as hotels, restaurants, retail shops, corporate buildings, hospitals and more. When replacing traditional halogen PAR lamps, Verbatim ENERGY STAR LED lamps provide up to 80 percent reduction in energy consumption. Verbatim ENERGY STAR lamps are also fully dimmable and compatible with most commercial dimming systems.

OLED Display Technology Moving to Compete in the TV Market
According to the recently-released NPD DisplaySearch OLED Technology Report, OLED technology advanced rapidly in 2011, a trend that NPD DisplaySearch forecasts will continue through this decade. OLED technology has progressed in areas including organic materials, color patterning, electronic driving methods, and encapsulation. However, the ability to scale OLED display manufacturing to fabs larger than the current Gen 5.5 has yet to be demonstrated, and the cost of larger panels is not yet clear.

OLED display revenues are estimated to exceed $4 billion in 2011 (approximately 4 percent of flat panel display revenues), and are forecast to reach more than $20 billion (approximately 16 percent of the total display industry by 2018. In addition, OLED lighting gained momentum in 2011, and is forecast to reach revenues of approximately $6 billion by 2018.

“OLED displays operate through direct emission, as opposed to transmissive LCD or reflective displays, which enables area lighting,” said Jennifer Colegrove, PhD, Vice President of Emerging Display Technologies for NPD DisplaySearch. “The technology has made good progress and is ready to enter large-size applications, but low cost manufacturing for large sizes is still a challenge.”

OLED is now a mass-market technology in small/medium displays, particularly in smart phone applications. Investments in Gen 8 (2200 by 2500 mm) fabs indicate that AMOLED will compete in larger size applications, such as in TV and mobile PCs, within two years. Samsung released a 7.7 inches AMOLED tablet PC in December 2011, and more tablet and other mobile PCs are expected in 2012. LG is expected to enter the market in 2012 with a 55 inches AMOLED TV. With technology improvements, NPD DisplaySearch forecasts AMOLED will enter other applications as well.

While nearly all AMOLEDs on the market are currently based on LTPS, several companies are developing AMOLEDs using oxide or a-Si TFT backplanes, and are likely to start production in 2012.

Event Listings

ISA International Sign Expo 2012
Education & Networking Events: March 21 – 24, 2012
Trade Show: March 22 – 24, 2012
Orlando, Florida - Orange County Convention Center | North Building

Everything You Need for Your Sign Business! Find it at ISA’s International Sign Expo.

The expo hall is packed with hundreds of suppliers offering efficient solutions for the LED marketplace and beyond. ISA’s Sign Expo offers you a cost-effective way to compare products and meet face-to-face with the vendors you’re looking for. Take advantage of the education sessions offered by ISA’s International Sign Academy, where you will hear about what’s new in the industry, learn from the experts and discover your next big idea. Plan now to attend and make a smart investment in your business and your bottom line.

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