Posts Tagged led technology
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.”
Everlight LED fixtures illuminate Boston parking lot
Posted by LED Larry in New LED Technology on March 8th, 2010
Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood experiments with energy-saving LED street-light technology and realizes better light coverage.
The City of Boston, MA just installed 20 Everlight SL-Dolphin LED street-light fixtures in the city’s first cobra-head replacement project. The 128W fixtures replaced 250W high-pressure-sodium lights.
Boston installed the LED lights in a parking lot in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood. The cobra-head deployment comes on the heels of a trial of acorn-style LED lights on Boston Common. As chronicled in our story on the Common trial, the city indicated it was in the process of identifying potential sites for cobra-head lights.
In the Jamaica Plain deployment, Boston projects greater than 60% energy savings based on the efficiency of the LED lights. The 50,000-hr projected life of the LEDs will also cut maintenance costs.
It turns out that the LEDs have also improved the coverage of the light in the parking lot. Bryan Glascock, Environment Commissioner for the City of Boston, said, “The high pressure sodium lighting we had in our municipal lot here in Jamaica Plain looked pretty dated and didn’t cover the lot well. The shadowed areas along with the strong orange hue made for a surreal scene at night. But these new LED cobra heads are sleek looking and provide even light levels across the parking lot without shadows, colors aren’t washed out, you’d think the lot was brand new.”
 |
| Everlight SL-Dolphin street lights |
According to Everlight, LEDs provide several other advantages relative to legacy street-lighting technologies. There is no mercury or other hazardous substance in LEDs. Issues with shock, vibration, and impact are diminished since there is no arc, tube, or glass that can break. The LEDs are instant-on and –off devices and offer better color rendering.
For the city, LEDs cut greenhouse gas emissions through the energy savings. The city’s Glascock said, “LED lighting is emerging as an important component of Boston’s efforts to reduce energy costs, shrink our carbon footprint and help meet Mayor Menino’s energy goals.”