Archive for May, 2010
Lightfair announces Innovation Award winners
Posted by LED Larry in Uncategorized on May 24th, 2010
Bridgelux and Molex won the Most Innovative Product of the Year award, while Traxon and NXP also won prestigious awards for their LED-related products.
The opening of the Lightfair International (LFI) tradeshow in Las Vegas on May 12 was marked by the LFI Innovation Awards to recognize innovative product design and technology. The awards program encompassed nearly 200 products debuting on the 2010 LFI trade show floor.
The LFI Innovation Awards covers lighting-related products and designs introduced over the last 12 months or launched at LFI 2010. This year, LFI received nearly 200 submissions for the 14 designated categories, and each individual product was judged by an independent panel of renowned lighting professionals. The winners were awarded for product entries that exemplify the best in innovative design and thinking. The 2010 key award winners are:
- Most Innovative Product of the Year
Helieon Sustainable Light Module System by Bridgelux and Molex
The program’s highest award, recognizing the best, most innovative new product - Design Excellence Award
Light-Drive Elite by Traxon USA
Recognizing outstanding achievement in design and application - Technical Innovation Award
SSL2102 by NXP Semiconductors
Recognizing the most forward-thinking advancement in lighting technology - Judges’ Citation Award
LightLouver Daylighting System by LightLouver
Special recognition of an innovative product at the judges’ discretion
Best of Category winners:
- Research, Publications, Software, Unique Applications
Lighting and the Visual Environment for Senior Living: Recommended Practices by the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) - Conventional Lamps
Professional LED Bulb CTA by Ledzworld Technology SDN BHD - Ballasts, Transformers, Drivers
Quicktronic QHE T5HO/SS System by Osram Sylvania - Chandeliers, Pendants, Sconces, Task Lights & Decorative Luminaires
Locking Ring and Decorative Lights by Recesso Lighting - Downlights, Wallwashers, Accent Lights
Element 3 LED Downlight by Generation Brands Tech Lighting - Track, Low-Voltage, Cable & Rail Systems
Paloma by W2 Architectural Lighting/WAC Lighting - Fluorescent Based Troffers, Suspended, Surface Luminaires
DSBL Bi-Level Stairwell Luminaire with Deco-SMART system by DECO Lighting - Industrial, Vandal, Exit & Emergency Lighting
SAFR Series LED Luminaires by AZZ/RAL Rig A Lite - Roadway, Sports, Outdoor Architectural, Site Lighting
Sentinel Plasma Luminaire by PEMCO Lighting Products - Landscape, Pool & Fountain Lighting
Luca by Structura - Theatrical, Floodlights, Specialty Luminaires
Series 6000 HP LED Cove Light featuring CANDLELED LEDs by TEMPO Industries
View USLP’s new LED lights and products.
Sharp to expand production of blue LED chips
Posted by LED Larry in Other Technology on May 24th, 2010
Sharp will start production of blue LED chips at a second facility in Japan during 2010, boosting its production capacity to five billion units a year.
LED maker Sharp Corporation will start mass production of blue LED chips at its Fukuyama Plant in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan within 2010. The company started blue LED chip production at its Mihara Plant in Mihara City, Hiroshima Prefecture in January 2010.
The new production capabilities will boost Sharp’s production capacity of blue LED chips to approximately five billion units a year in fiscal 2011, the company says.
In the last two years, Sharp has signed two patent cross-license agreements with major Japan-based LED chip makers. These deals were with Nichia in November 2008 and with Toyoda Gosei in December 2009.
The move is driven by the growth in demand for LED backlights for LCD TVs and LED lighting fixtures, which has led to a rapid increase in the demand for blue LED chips. Sharp has invested around Yen15 billion (around ($164 million).
Sharp’s blue LED chip production business at the Fukuyama Plant has been adopted as a project under the “Fiscal 2009 subsidy scheme for promoting the location of low-carbon industry and creating employment” run by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Sharp says that it “will strive to further enhance the development of eco-friendly products through its cutting-edge technologies and will continue to expand the market for LED business.”
Traxon and AGC Glass Europe agree to develop LEDs in glass
Posted by LED Larry in New LED Technology on May 24th, 2010
AGC’s Glassiled safety glass with embedded LEDs will be combined with LED color-mixing and control systems from Traxon.
Lighting manufacturer Traxon Technologies has signed an agreement with glass manufacturer AGC Glass Europe to develop a range of products and capabilities combining LEDs and glass for the illumination of buildings and interiors.
AGC manufactures Glassiled, a patented safety glass with embedded LEDs. The companies plan to combine this with Traxon’s technology for sustainable LED lighting systems, to provide illumination and animate facades, atriums and conservatories as well as interiors. The solutions can be used for buildings, shopping malls, hotels and other large building in any environment, as well as wall cladding, partitions or showcases in shops, restaurants, bathrooms, boats and trains.
In addition to the advantages of LED technologies such as low energy consumption, long lifetime and space-saving, as well as monochrome or sophisticated RGB color mixing options, the innovative Glassiled can bring out all the benefits of glass in any environment. Designers can create new applications with an unlimited range of effects thanks to LEDs embedded in the transparent or mirror glass structure. Almost any design or logo can be reproduced in Glassiled.
Furthermore, coupled with advanced control solutions, customers can enjoy the “dynamic world of colors at their fingertips, with the individual lighting memory settings and remote control features,” says Traxon.
“Architects and designers all over the world will be able to give their creativity free rein in mastering light with Glassiled. Thanks to the high-performance lighting software and control system from Traxon we can propose exclusive, environment-friendly solutions” says Jean-Luc Batkin, Vice-President, Solar & Processed Glass of AGC Glass Europe.
“Our partnership with AGC will enhance our portfolio of LED systems and in combination with our control systems we will be able to offer superb, integrated and innovative LED-glass based solutions to the market,” says Mike Mastroyiannis, Managing Director of Traxon Technologies. “In addition, our agreement will lead to further synergies based on the global presence of both companies, to support local projects and customer needs.”
Cleantech reports lighting controls energy savings
Research reveals that lighting control schemes can reduce commercial building energy consumption 35% – 55 %, and technologies such as LED lighting could add to the savings.
Lighting comprises as much as 38% of the electricity expense in a commercial building according to a new Cleantech Approach (CTA) research report, but lighting control technology can greatly reduce that energy usage. The “Lighting Controls: Savings, Solutions, Payback, and Vendor Profiles” report projects 35% – 55% energy savings that delivers a payback on the investment in new lighting in 2.7 to 10.7 years.
CTA recommends that companies first adopt a lighting control system when trying to cut energy usage. The company points out that control systems carry little of the technology risk associated with new lighting technologies such as LED-based solid-state lighting (SSL). Moreover CTA expects a control system installed today to be compatible with new SSL technology in the future.
The projected energy savings in the report are due purely to the ability to dim or extinguish lights automatically when they aren’t needed. The adoption of a technology such as SSL could further reduce consumption.
The CTA report calculates the investment payback periods based on a range of costs for a lighting upgrade combined their estimates for the energy savings potential. In the worst case scenario, a project would cost $2.50 per square foot and only save 35% in energy expenses resulting in a 10.7-year payback. In a best case scenario, a project would cost $1.00 per square foot and save 55% in energy expenses resulting in a 2.7-year payback.
The potential flaw in the recommendation that companies install lighting controls separately from SSL is that many of the most advanced control schemes are SSL centric (see related stories at right). Moreover, many legacy lights can’t be dimmed or turned off-and-on instantaneously.
LIGHT BULBO is a Lamp Made From a Gourd!
Your parents may have told you to eat your veggies, but we bet they never reminded you to turn them off when you leave the room. But they may have if you’d had ‘LIGHT BULBO’, an ingenious lamp made of a meter-length vegetal sponge which comes from a gourd in the pumpkin family. Conceived by clever Brazilian designer Duda Carvalho, the hanging lamp is illuminated by white LEDs inside. Now you can eat your veggies and illuminate your room with them too!
‘LIGHT BULBO’ is a play on words for the English term ‘light bulb’ and the Portuguese word ‘bulbo’ which refers to a particular characteristic of bulbous plants like aubergines, squashes, and other long, fat and round veggies. Carvalho found inspiration in the way the vegetable hangs in nature – which is very much the way that it hangs as a light.
The bulb has innate chambers inside which enabled the setting of an LED circuit, and its peeled netted body works as a diffuser through which light responds in organic patterns. When the vegetable bulb is dried, nothing can deform it, but when discarded in the environment, it decays completely, making it both an eco-friendly and versatile medium to work with.
Solar-Powered Speakers Sing for Renewable Energy
Posted by LED Larry in Uncategorized on May 11th, 2010
Making a statement through music is far from unfamiliar – some of the most powerful messages of our time have been embodied in the most fetching melodies. Taking the wide human reach held within this medium, designer Craig Colorusso has created “Sun Boxes,” an alien field of independently operating, solar-powered speakers, each remitting its own distinct guitar sample. A true marriage of sound and (natural) light, this array of speakers is able to create a glorious composition that attests to the value of solar power in today’s world.
Solely reliant on the sun for its power, the piece changes in synch with nature, offering visitors clear auditory cues into the cycles that occur over a normal day. Each individual is strongly encouraged to wander the field and experience the evolution of music in relation to their position within the space, as well as the intensity of the sunlight – the Sun Boxes will adjust to the light accordingly, and stop playing music when the sun sets. Given the variation in volume and sound, each person is able to create their own experience specific to the path they take within the space.
If you happen to be in Rhyolite, Nevada on May 8th (today!) don’t miss out on the special concert hosted by Important Records, otherwise you can view a windy video of the boxes singing here.
Check out our line of solar products here.
Louisiana Governor Wants to Build New Islands to Ward Off Oil Slick
Posted by LED Larry in New LED Technology, Uncategorized on May 11th, 2010
Photo by Brian Merchant
After the press jumped on the fact that the first attempt to seal the gushing oil leak with an underwater oil containment dome had failed, other noteworthy news receded into the background: Namely, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal’s new plan to fight the giant incoming oil slick by dumping dredged materials across the barrier islands off the coast. He says this would strengthen existing islands, and even create brand new ones–but at what cost?
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Build Islands, at a Time Like This?
Well, the monetary cost is one thing–the governor said that it would cost “hundreds of millions of dollars” if the plan was given the go ahead. Twelve sites have already been selected for the dredging, and the plans have been sent to the federal government for “quick approval.”
Jindal was optimistic that it would have both short and long term benefits–keeping large swaths of oil from entering Louisiana’s fragile marshlands, and strengthening the barrier islands’ ability to shield the coast from storms. Those islands have been eroding away at an alarming rate–up to 100 feet vanish a year, according to one US Geological Survey report.
NOAA map showing projected oil impacts on islands for Tuesday. New islands are proposed in Chandeleur Sound, around red oil impact marks.
He took pains to note that a similar plan has actually been on the drawing board for three years now, and that the oil spill makes the need to approve them even more acute. However, such an operation shouldn’t be taken lightly, as it’s the cost to the environment that should be more carefully considered–it’s got some potentially devastating side effects. And yet, after Jindal announced the plan at a press conference I attended in Venice, LA, attention shifted immediately to the failed containment box, and the plan wasn’t even questioned.
Could be Dredging for Trouble
What Jindal is talking about is essentially a form of what’s commonly referred to as beach nourishment. Which is shiny terminology for shipping in sand or sediment from other locations to drop on threatened or eroding beaches. It’s already a fairly common practice–the federal government already spends some $50-100 million a year “nourishing” beaches in places like California and Virginia. Although in this case, nourishment seems like an understatement–”beach creation” is more apt.
Louisiana’s coastal barrier islands. Image via IAE
So what’s the problem? Well, just picture what needs to be done to make this happen: First, material needs to be dredged from the selected locations. Which means, tons of mud needs to be dug up form another ecosystem, and this can can be disruptive, even toxic to local wildlife. It can cause a number of problems to the local food chain as well. And then, all that material needs to be dumped on the new location–again disrupting the already existing habitats.
And these barrier islands that Jindal proposes strengthening are indeed home to fragile ecosystems and threatened species like the brown pelican, Louisiana’s state bird. In other words, there could be a bevy of side effects that nobody’s hearing about in this island-creation scheme. Which isn’t to say the plan should be ruled out–just that a careful cost-benefit analysis regarding the effected environment should be carried out before the governor builds a chain of brand new islands.
I’m traveling around the Gulf of Mexico reporting on the continuing oil crisis. Stay tuned for the latest developments and reports from the scene.
Giant SolPix LED Wall is an Energy Generating Solar Shield
SolPix combines two of the biggest trends in facade architecture: Solar shielding and media walls. It functions first as a set of heavy-duty blinds that can shift according to the strength of the sun.
But the blinds themselves have photovoltaics in them, as well as LEDs. The PV array uses the energy it gathers to create the media facade pictured below:
In addition, the system monitors its own performance, and visualizes it in motion graphics that play across the facade:
This is among the biggest and most advanced installations being unveiled this Friday at the opening of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum’s Design Triennial. This year’s theme is design that tackles the world’s most pressing problems. SolPix is also largest working prototype produced by Simone Giostra & Partners Architects, so far. They hope that eventually, the system will be deployed by others looking to make their buildings both glitzy and green.
Strategically Speaking: LCD backlights and lighting drive largest growth yet seen in HB-LED market
A period of very rapid LED market growth will see unit volume demand increase to more than 200 billion units by 2014, says BOB STEELE.
Coming out of a year of relatively low growth for the HB-LED market (up 5% to $5.3 billion in 2009), largely due to the worldwide economic recession, the industry is now faced with an abundance of riches. It will come as no surprise to the readers of LEDs Magazine that unprecedented growth opportunities for HB LEDs will be provided over the next five years by lighting applications and backlights for LCD displays (including notebook computers, TVs and monitors).
In 2009, these applications helped to raise the overall HB-LED market from what would otherwise have been a dismal (i.e. negative growth) year, with a combined contribution to the market total of 29%. In 2010 and beyond, these two applications will be thedominant market growth drivers.
LED lighting community benefits from ongoing standardization efforts
Posted by LED Larry in Uncategorized on May 6th, 2010
Industry input is providing valuable feedback on the LED lighting standards that have already been put in place in the USA, while further standardization efforts are continuing, writes JIANZHONG JIAO.
With the beginning of a new year and many signs of economic recovery, the LED lighting industry is gaining ground, expanding revenues and working to broaden LED product knowledge and acceptance. The continued market penetration of LED lighting is also providing the industry’s standardization community with valuable, first-hand feedback from users of the technology. This is enabling various organizations to revise existing standards and to continue to develop new standards and to prescribe best practices for developing and using LED lighting products. This article updates progress on standards in the USA since our two-part series published last year (see Links p. 60).
In October 2008, IESNA (the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America) published LM-80, the LED lumen-maintenance testing standard. The purpose of LM-80 is to establish uniform test methods for lumen maintenance of LED light sources including LED packages, arrays and modules. In turn, this allows a comparison of test results from various laboratories. LM-80 lists what data needs to be reported, but it does not specify how the data should be presented, nor does it address the uncertainty of testing equipment and repeatability of testing operations.
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