Led-World Exclusive - All-LED-lights Mercedes-Benz CL on 2011 Shanghai Auto Show

"Innovation for Tomorrow" is the slogan of the fourteenth session of the Shanghai auto show. Based on this concept, the auto show brings many new technologies to the first facing the public. Mercedes-Benz CLS enjoys its debut on the auto show. Its 71 LED lights design makes it the focus. 2011 Shanghai Auto Show

LED has been used in automotive lighting for some time, but now there are only two kinds of vehicles applying the all-LED headlights: Mercedes-Benz CLS and Audi A8. According to manufacturers, those Audi A8 sales domestically use Xenon headlights and all LED lights are only options. Then here are the questions: What about all LED headlights? Will them become the future mainstream?

Currently, a single LED light source intensity is still less than xenon lamps. Among the majority of the car lights, LED lamp only plays a supporting role for Xenon Headlights. To reach the same brightness, even high-brightness LED requires an additional group LED lights comparing with the xenon lamps. And this group of high-brightness LED costs much and release much more heat than xenon lights.

However, the manufacturers tell us that, through some special power conversion device, LED light can issue different color temperature. The car headlights of Mercedes-Benz CLS can transform the color temperature under certain conditions and can be used as fog lights. Audi A8's daytime running lights can be converted into turn signals.

At present, LED lights have been widely used as auxiliary lights for vehicles. In turn lights, fog lights, and many other places LED Lights have replaced other sources. However, the high cost of LED brightness and thermal are the problems that R & D personnel facing. LED lighting as the main front Car Headlights is still immature. If this bottleneck breaks, LED will be the future of the automotive field.

Now, if you want to replace your car headlights, HID Xenon Car Headlight Kits are still your best option. They are providing driver better visibility and nigh vision for safety concern. NearbyExpress.com is a professional wholesaler and dropship supplier of Car Eletronics. The products are now at low China wholesale price for all its clients.

Philips introduces 75W equivalent LED light

Philips claims that the new lamp will create light that will be indistinguishable from a standard incandescent light bulb.

LED lamps are expected to revolutionize the lighting industry because of their sharply reduced power consumption and their long life compared with standard incandescents. But to date, market acceptance has been slow given the high initial cost and limited brightness. LED lamps have only been able to emit light equivalent to a 60-watt standard bulb.

On Friday, Philips will look to change that game by announcing that it will market an LED lamp later this year whose light output equals that of a 75-watt incandescent.
The bulb, the EnduraLED A21, will retail for about $40, last 25,000 hours and produce 1100 lumens of light by consuming just 17 watts of electricity. (A standard 75-watt lampfrom GE produces 1170 lumens.)
Over the life of the lamp, Massachusetts consumers will save $300 in electricity costs alone and will break even in 1.6 years.
"The trick with an A lamp is how to project 1100 lumens in 360 degrees," said Ed Crawford, general manager of lamps for Philips Lighting, North America. "It's absolutely more difficult to do 1100 lumens in an omni-directional lamp."
To accomplish that, the new lamp, available around September or October, contains 18 LED modules fixed in multiple directions. Various metal fins surrounding the lamp are used to dissipate heat.

Salute to Father of LED

Nick Holonyak
Zeigler, Illinois; 1928
NICK HOLONYAK, JR. was born in Zeigler, Illinois on November 3, 1928. he attended the University of Illinois and received a B.S. (1950), M.S. (1951), and Ph.D. (1954) in Electrical Engineering. A Texas Instruments Fellow, he was John Bardeen’s first student. He later was employed as a member of technical staff at Bell Telephone Laboratories (1954-55) and helped demonstrate feasibility of diffused-impurity silicon devices, including transistors, oxide-masked transistors, p-n-p-n switches and SCR’S. He served with the U.S. Army Signal Corps (1955-57) at Ft. Monmouth, New Jersey, and at Isogo-ku, Yokohama, Japan. In 1957 he joined the Advanced Semiconductor Laboratory of the General Electric Company (Syracuse) and made contributions in the areas of power and signal p-n-p-n devices (including invention of the shorted-emitter and symmetrical SCR and thyristor switches—TRIAC’s, etc.), tunnel diodes, phonon-assisted tunneling (the initial observation of inelastic tunneling and the beginning of tunneling spectroscopy), halide transport and first epitaxial growth of III-V compounds and compound mixtures (including heterojunctions, 1960-63), double injection and deep-impurity-level effects, junction luminescence (GaAsP LED’s), and III-V alloy semiconductor lasers (visible spectrum, GaAsP, 1962). His work from 1960 to 1962 on GaAsP and the initial construction in 1960 of a p-n junction in the crystal system, and a visible-spectrum (red) laser in 1962, led to the commercial introduction of red GaAsP LED’s (and eventually to the concept of an “ultimate lamp”). He is the inventor of the first practical light emitting diode (the GaAsP LED), which also marks the beginning in the use of III-V alloys in semiconductor devices (including heterojunctions.)

Since 1963 he has been a professor at the University of Illinois in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and is a member of the University of Illinois Center for Advanced Study. He and his students have worked primarily on III-V semiconductors, III-V alloy crystal growth and the demonstration of red-orange-yellow-green stimulated emission in In1-xGaxP, In1-xGaxP1-zAsz and A1xGa1-xAs1-yPy, stimulated emission on nitrogen trap transitions in the alloys GaAs1-xPx and In1-xGaxP, and heterojunctions in various ternary III-V’s and in the quaternaries A1xGa1-xAs1-yPy and In1-xGaxP1-zAsz. He and his students were the first to make quaternary III-V semiconductor devices (LEDs and lasers.) Since 1976 he has been concerned with quantum-well (QW) light emitters and lasers, and with impurity-induced layer disordering, which shifts lower gap quantum well layers to higher gap bulk crystal and serves as a basis for integrated optoelectronic devices. In 1990 he and his students introduced (~400˚C) stable native oxides on, and buried in, Al-bearing III-V compounds and demonstrated their use in optoelectronic devices (LEDs and lasers). He and his students were the first (1977) to construct p-n diode quantum well lasers (InP-InGaAsp, LPE) and were the first to achieve (1978) continuous (cw) room temperature (300 K) laser operation of quantum well heterostructures and superlattices, and later (1982) strained layer quantum well heterostructures. They are the source of the name “quantum well laser.” Most recently (with Dupuis, 2001) he introduced tunneling-coupled quantum-well-assisted quantum-dot lasers, and (with Feng, 2004) the light-emitting three-port operation of heterojunction bipolar transistors, including QW-based HBTs and, after 57 years, a transistor laser.

He is co-author of the book SEMICONDUCTOR CONTROLLED RECTIFIERS (Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1964) and PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SEMICONDUCTORS (Prentice-Hall, 1989), editor of the Prentice-Hall series “Solid State Physical Electronics,” and has served on the Editorial Board of the PROCEEDINGS OF THE IEEE (1966-1974), SOLID-STATE ELECTRONICS (1970-1991), and JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS and APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS (1978-1980). He received a General Electric Cordiner Award (1962), and for his contributions to the field of visible-spectrum light emitting diodes and diode lasers, he is the recipient of the IEEE Morris N. Liebmann Award (1973), the John Scott Medal (1975, City of Philadelphia), the first GaAs Symposium Award with Welker Medal (1976), the IEEE Jack A. Morton Award (1981), the Electrochemical Society Solid State Science and Technology Award (1983), the Sigma Xi Monie A. Ferst Award (1988), the IEEE Edison Medal (1989), the Charles Hard Townes Award of the Optical Society of America (1992), the National Academy of Sciences Award for the Industrial Application of Science (1993), American Electronics Association 50th Anniversary Award (1993, “Inventing America’s Future”), American Society for Engineering Education Centennial Medallion (1993), Vladimir Karapetoff Eminent Members’ Award of Eta Kappa Nu (1994), TMS John Bardeen Award (1995, The Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society), 2000 IEEE Third Millennium Medal, Frederic Ives Medal of the Optical Society of America (2001), the IEEE Medal of Honor (2003), the Washington Award (Western Society Engineers, 2004), the Lemelson-MIT Prize (2004), and the MRS Von Hippel Award (2004). In 1990 he received the U.S. National Medal of Science and in 2003 the 2002 U.S. National Medal of Technology. In 1992 he received from Northwestern University an honorary doctor of science degree and was elected an honorary member of the Ioffe Physical-Technical Institute (St. Petersburg, Russia). In 1994 he received an honorary doctor of engineering degree from Notre Dame University, in 1995 the Japan Prize, and in 2003 the Global Energy International Prize (Russia). In 1993 he was appointed (University of Illinois) the John Bardeen Chair Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and of Physics, a chair sponsored by the Sony Corporation. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering (1973), a member of the National Academy of Sciences (1984), foreign member of the Russian Academy of Sciences (1999), eminent member of Eta Kappa Nu (1998), fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1984), fellow of the IEEE (life fellow, 1994), fellow of the American Physical Society, fellow of the Optical Society of America, fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2003), and laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois (2005). In 2008 he was inducted into the U.S. National Inventors Hall of Fame.


Semiconductors, quantum well and dot lasers, LEDs, transistor lasers, optoelectronics

Professor Holonyak has made fundamental contributions to the science and technology of elemental and compound semiconductors, including major achievements in solid-state lasers and incoherent light emitters. He invented the first practical light-emitting diode and is the first to make III-V alloy devices (III-V alloys now part of all high performance lasers and LEDs, U.S. Patent #3,249,473). He and his students built the first p-n diode quantum well lasers and introduced the name quantum well lasers (also vital now in all lasers and LEDs). He is known also for his work on early diffused silicon devices, tunnel diodes, and silicon-controlled rectifiers, including invention of the symmetrical switch. (TRIAC) used in wall light dimmers. He was the first to observe inelastic tunneling, which is the beginning of tunneling spectroscopy. Among the 39 patents he holds on semiconductor materials and devices are the fundamental patents on quantum-well layer disordering and on the aluminum-based III-V oxide, now being exploited in optoelectronics (and a licensed U of I technology).

For his contributions to the field of semiconductor materials and devices, visible light-emitting diodes, diode lasers, and quantum-well heterostructure lasers, he received the IEEE’s Morris N. Liebmann Award, Jack A. Morton Award, Edison Medal, and Third Millennium Medal; John Scott Medal of the City of Philadelphia; Solid State Science and Technology Award of the Electrochemical Society; GaAs Symposium Award with Welker Medal; Monie A. Ferst Award of Sigma Xi; Charles H. Townes Award and Frederick Ives Medal (2001) of the Optical Society of America; National Academy of Sciences Award for the Industrial Application of Science; American Electronics Association 50th Anniversary Award; American Society for Engineering Education Centennial Medallion; Vladimir Karapetoff Eminent Member’s Award of Eta Kappa Nu; and John Bardeen Award of the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society.

He received the 1990 National Medal of Science, an honorary doctorate of science from Northwester University (1992), and an honorary doctor of engineering degree from Notre Dame University (1994). He is an honorary member of the Ioffe Physical Technical Institute (St. Petersburg, Russia). In 1995 he received the Japan Prize. In 1997 the Optical Society of America established the Nick Holonyak, Jr. Award; in 1998 he was elected an Eminent member of Eta Kappa Nu; and in 1999 he was elected a foreign member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Sciences, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Eight former graduate students are elected members of the National Academy of Engineering. In 2003 he received the Medal of Honor of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE); Global Energy International Prize, Russia; U.S. Medal of Technology; and was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 2004 he received the Washington Award, of the Western Society of Engineers, the Lemelson-MIT Prize of invention, the MRS Von Hipple Award; and in 2005 was named a Laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. In 2006 he became a Member of the Consumer Electronics Assn Hall of Fame, and in 2008 was inducted into the U.S. National Inventors Hall of Fame.

His research now is concerned with coupled quantum-dot/quantum-well lasers, light-emitting transistors (LETs), and transistor lasers (LTs), which has resulted in fundamental changes in transistors and in lasers.

Future development trend of LED in car light

After the developing stage that LED car head-light is shown in technology proving, concept car that is gone through in recent years,etc., welcomed the expected prospect of entering the market of producing car of applying to amount at last, there are three its significant incident: Will Ling of Toyota LS600h in the world first to adopt, shine the listing bus of the light source in front of the LED, but it has employed LED only on the low beam light, the long-range light source is still a halogenic light. The Audi R8 regards the whole LED head-light as its main characteristic, LED adopted in and the car illumination is offering by Lumileds and Osram Company. Cadillac EscaladePlatinum platinum edition multi-functional sport car, it is first multi-functional sport cars which adopt LED head-light.

Hinder LED light source from opening up the unfavourable factor of the automobile-used market rapidly

Does the above-mentioned milestone incident mean LED head-light will set up horses and become innovative technology which will decide the automobile-used light source field? According to the estimation by experts: Perhaps can not. The cost that it is LED can drop continuously according to the prediction speed of one Mole of laws, it is low to can reach with HID for it to want ‘ The high strength discharges The equal price that the xenon lamp is equal to has been still needed for many years too; And it can be comparable to halogenic light if the cost of LED family should be dropped to, need to pass a period of longer time course.

Draw according to Hella sea Fischer, president of company, claim automobile-used scale of LED account for their light source the intersection of market and a few percent little share only at present, so to the type in enormous quantities correctly ‘ Style such as GM / Chevrolet Malibu fund of one Complete network supply utmost point interested in. But LED wants to reach to the stock level of Malibu style so in enormous quantities, still needs to overcome a series of technology and cost difficult problem, have course in ten years that will go at least.

Big the open paces that point out, LED enters the market are really a little slower than the ones that originally expected generation, we had predicted in 2004: LED the intersection of car and lantern fair blowout enters the market, and eliminate HID soon. Obviously, present situation to so, can expect the intersection of LED and technology fast a bit than reality gradual progress. It seems it is not the only factor of hindering LED from appearing on the market that the cost is high, still a challenge difficult problem of technical feature needs solving.

For example, in terms of single light source, the illumination intensity of LED still shows insufficiently. And can not reach followingly and satisfactorily and calculate only: It contributes to narrowing taking up the space and easy to be flexible to fix up of the car lamps and lanterns to cut down and form number of LED light source which makes the lamps and lanterns up, and can simplify and light systematic wiring and install and reduce the production cost.

The major state that LED supplies the chain is at present: It is bright Osram to draw LED light source component which supplies the common Cadillac Escalade style in the sea to the department of Europe Purchase; And small Zhyuan’s car light Koito LED last light source of the Companies products, be lasted LS600h style in Toyota and then; The intersection of Philip and Lumileds give AL the intersection of LED and the intersection of light source and supply ‘ The car lights The company, is and then disposed the car light system for the Audi R8 by the latter.

According to American-European manager of business department of Koito, they will not limit the kind of the light source and purchase the manufacturer for being firm and oneself rowing, no matter at whom does it produce in ‘ Philip, Ou department are bright, or Toyota Gosei Can all buy. Obviously, the flexibility that the first class suppliers who light the systematic part attempt to keep oneself purchasing the light source components and parts, want to observe it: Which device products technology of the manufacturer can progress fastest, the cost performance is highest.

LED criticize for the photoelectricity of the goods to change nowadays ‘ The light energy density The index reaches 80 lumen per watt ‘ 80lm/W The above, but HID light is 90lm/W, the halogenic light is 201m/W. According to another draw in the sea and notify: The latest LED researches and develops this index already up to 161lm/W of the prototype. Draw in the sea and also predict: During 3-5 years in the future, LED luminous intensity of releasing from the same consumption chip will be promoted by 50%. This not only means LED lamps and lanterns will be more bright but also reflect the cutting down of its energy consumption, thus improve the fuel economy of the completed car.

It is estimated, mileage that the ones that replace mpg per gallon of fuel that the halogenic lamps and lanterns can promote the completed car with LED go About 0.25 indexes. And when going to Europe to turn on the regulation of going of the light in the daytime, expand promoting value of this mpg to 0.5. Ling Zhi’s style manager points out, there will be very great contribution to employ LED lamps and lanterns economic improvement to fuel of completed car.

But strong the intersection of density and high LED want, give out more heat too only, and compactness of lamps and lanterns fix up, make the area suitable for dispelling the heat trend towards lightly again. It is much fewer than halogenic light or HID lamps and lanterns that the ones that belong to low energy consumption LED device of the semi-conductive classification truly generate heat, but the majority of the latter’s heat is turned into not including the lamps and lanterns device, and LED although low power dissipation grow hot to want, seal, come on, conduct inside small silicon chip heat while being little.

The hot management of LED is a great difficult problem

Even smaller heat will concentrate to go up to the chip size device conducted and dispersed, because the heat capacity of the device is small will cause the rising suddenly of LED temperature. The working temperature of LED must keep in 150 ranges of under ℃. A kind of solution to this heat-dissipating problem is: Use the intersection of number and more LED give out light component in one lamps and lanterns, let the single caloric value of one be relatively little, it makes it apt to dispel the heat to and then fix up them in the larger space. Tactics adopted at being small the intersection of Zhyuan and car light for will LS600h related head-light Ling of Toyota this.

Cadillac EscaladePlatinum each head-light is formed by 7 LED fluorescent lamps, 5 among them are used in light beam of short range, another 2 are regarded as the long-range light source. They all have their own active heat-dissipating devices –Cool the fan ‘ Similar to disposing the small fan in the desk-top computer .

Draw and claim, it is a design field especially bothered about and troubled by them that heat is managed according to the sea, lay particular emphasis on relying on the fictitious artificial means to assess optimizing in the scheme is chosen, and is imitating tools ‘ Artificial software package If you can’t select to use, pass by textual criticism of experimental datas enough. Point out he,for heat last heat-conduction challenge of problem of management not merely,can with the aid of ” The hot pool ” The device gets the heat that LED component produces out, and will solve and ventilate the problem, let heat distribute out of lamps and lanterns device. If it is not obviously enough to only depend on natural ventilation, so draw the decision and add the built-in fan for the lamps and lanterns in the sea

LED-Next-generation bulbs to capture nearly 50% of lighting market by 2020

A new report finds that the market for light-emitting diodes (LEDs) is set to explode in the next ten years, surpassing even compact fluorescent lightbulbs as the ultimate energy-efficient lighting option.

By 2020, LEDs will cover 46 percent of the $4.4 billion U.S. market for lamps in the commercial, industrial and outdoor stationary sectors, driven by the overall push toward energy efficiency, according to a study released this week by Pike Research, a Boulder, Colo. cleantech market-research firm. That's a big jump, considering that LEDs now capture only two percent of the lighting market, according to estimates.

"As energy efficiency becomes increasingly important for controlling costs, improving energy independence, and reducing environmental impacts, governments and organizations have looked to lighting as the 'low hanging fruit' of energy efficiency," the study states.

Currently, lighting accounts for 17.5 percent of the world's electricity consumption, and $40 billion of the electricity bill in the United States, which makes it full of potential for energy and cost savings. While fluorescents have been justly praised for offering greater efficiency than incandescent bulbs, LEDs have been shown to be more efficient and to last longer than any other lighting source on the market, making them the logical next step.

LED lightbulbs typically last 50,000 hours — twice as long as fluorescents — and are up to twice as efficient as fluorescents, which are four to six times more efficient than incandescents. Further, unlike fluorescent or incandescent bulbs, LED tubes do not get especially hot.

According to a 2009 report released by market research group GigaOmPro, incandescent bulbs only convert about 4 to 6 percent of the energy they receive into light; the rest is wasted as heat. While fluorescent bulbs can raise the temperature in a room by up to two degrees, resulting in increased cooling load for buildings, LEDs don't raise the temperature at all.

"Growth rates [for LEDs] have been in the double digits and we don't anticipate growth to slow,," writes analyst Katherine Austin in the GigaOm report.

"With a new administration in the U.S. White House, a new energy secretary, and a new focus on energy efficiency, market conditions for are very likely to remain positive. Other countries, especially China, Korea and Japan, share this focus. By 2012, the market for LEDs in general lighting applications could climb as high as $10 billion, although in light of the recent economic downturn, we expect that $4-5 billion may be more realistic."

In addition to their high efficiency and long lifespan, LEDs also do not require ballast and do not contain toxic mercury, which means disposing of them when they die poses fewer health and environmental hazards.

LEDs are also favored by the Department of Energy, which has been investing heavily in advancing the technology over the last ten years. The European Union is currently phasing out the use of incandescent bulbs, which the U.S. will do in 2012, leaving only fluorescents and LEDs left as the lighting options.

Cost is Chief Barrier

Despite the positive forecast, there remain short-term financial and technological obstacles to market success for LEDs, with the biggest problem being price.

LED tubes cost anywhere from $50 to $100, compared to $2 to $10 for fluorescents. The other roadblock frequently cited by electrical engineers and facilities managers is brightness; they are concerned occupants will complain that the lights are not bright enough. Both problems are being addressed by LED manufacturers, which are researching ways to increase the luminance of LEDs and cut costs.

In 2008, for instance, researchers at Purdue University found a way to replace the expensive standard substrate used in LED production — sapphire — with low-cost, metal-coated silicon wafers. The switch would greatly reduce the cost of LED manufacturing, assuming another silicon shortage does not come along.

Even without a cost breakthrough, though, reports suggest that paying more for LEDs would be worth it. In a recent LED-to-fluorescent comparison, Greentech Media found that while LEDs are clearly more expensive at first, they are far more cost-effective in the long run.

Comparing an installation of 40 LEDs and 40 fluorescent tubes, the report found that in the first year it would cost $3,069 for the energy and initial purchase of LEDs, while the fluorescent tubes would cost $1,071. Given that every year thereafter the energy costs of the LED tubes would be lower than fluorescents — $269 versus $431 — the analysis found that after 16 years the LEDs offered a six percent cost savings.

Still, as with most green building products, the long-term cost savings of LEDs won't necessarily convince building owners right away. It's likely to take awhile for them to warm up to the idea that they should increase their lighting budget by a few thousand dollars, even if it means reducing their energy bills.

In the meantime, during the ten years the study predicts it will take for LEDs to overcome obstacles to their adoption, fluorescents will continue to replace incandescents, the authors say. To fill that future market demand, companies are emerging with controllers and sensors to help boost the efficiency of flourescent bulbs.

Cavet: 'Save Energy and Money Now'

One such firm is the venture-backed Toronto company Cavet Technologies, which recently launched its LumiSmart Intelligent Controller, a device that connects directly to lighting circuits and automatically adjusts voltages to improve efficiency.

With its 'save energy and money now' approach, Cavet is likely to be appealing to building owners.

"A 100,000 square foot property can be outfitted with LumiSmart in one afternoon and benefit from an immediate savings of 30 percent with an ROI payback period of between 12 to 24 months," Albert Behr, president and CEO of Cavet Technologies, told SolveClimate.

According to the company, a single LumiSmart ILC can manage lighting loads of up to 6.9 kilowatts, or around 130 fluorescent lights. The product provides power savings by altering the power waveform and then applying what Cavet calls an "adaptive power factor correction." By inserting on-off pulses into the sine wave, LumiSmart is able to dramatically reduce electrical consumption with minimal impact on lighting levels.

So far, Cavet has caught the eye of venture capitalists and as-yet-unnamed utilities in Canada, Europe and the U.S., all eager to test the company’s controller. It also won praise from cleantech analyst Dallas Kachan, former managing director of The Cleantech Group, who released a positive assessment of the company via his market research firm, Kachan & Co, last week.

The key benefit of Cavet's controller, analysts say, is that it is relatively inexpensive at $2,000 per controller and is quick and easy to install. While it still needs to be installed by an electrician, it's about as plug-and-play as such a device gets, the company says.

"There are other lighting controllers, but they generally take a lot of time and money to install, so the more lights an organization has, the more expensive these other solutions are," Kachan says in the company’s launch video.

The LumiSmart product has been in trials throughout Canada and Europe during the last year, including at the Canadian headquarters of electronics manufacturer Celestica, which is both making and testing the product.

At the LumiSmart product launch earlier this month, Cavet executives showed on stage how their product had delivered a 40 percent energy savings at the manufacturing facility.

Later this year, the firm plans to release a related demand-and-response product, which will allow property managers and utilities to set building lighting systems to automatically power on and off, and dim, according to the availability and price of electricity.

Others Hedging Their Bets Elsewhere

While Cavet is focused for the time being on making fluorescents more efficient, another smart lighting company, Siemens spin-off EnOcean, is hedging its bets by focusing on controlling and automating lighting—no matter the light source.

EnOcean's sensors, transmitters and controllers have ultra-low energy requirements, allowing them to run off of so-called "harvested energy" from ambient light, sunlight and electrical cables.

For its part, U.S. industrial giant General Electric has decided that it's going to be ready and waiting when the residential LED market blows up. The company recently announced the late 2010 or early 2011 release of its LED bulb shaped like an old-fashioned incandescent bulb. Although GE is not the first company to figure out how to make LEDs more "bulb-like." the fact that the inventor of the bulb is making an LED version is big news.

GE's bulb is guaranteed to last 17 years and consume only nine watts of power, delivering a 77 percent energy savings over incandescent bulbs.

Early adopters will likely rush out to buy the bulb, but with a price tag of $40 to $50 each, the costs could remain a barrier to widespread market penetration.

LED Lighting industry experts on an analysis of the future

LED lighting, with its obvious advantages, as highlighted by the new energy industries. In Taiwan, Huang Chao-crystal electric Vice Chairman pointed out that the LED will lead to more future new applications, and the use of new packaging technologies and chip to lower production costs and improve luminous efficiency.

Cree Asia-Pacific vice president Li Shiyi said LED lighting industry in the future growth rate depends on the market for LED luminous efficiency of the acceptance, product quality and innovation may be another, but also with policy factors, such as the International Solid State Lighting LED on the brightness, and security norms.

LED general lighting market is customer demand has been low the past the requirements of the brightness and gradually turned to quality, environmental protection, and comfort requirements, the estimated future green LED will be more demand, prices will drop to 1.3 times the traditional lamp about standards.

Everlight vice president of global business StephanGreiner said that at present the world’s leading LED lighting market concentrated in the Asia Pacific region, accounting for 33.7% of the global market, North America, second place, accounting for 30.1%, followed by 22.3% in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, accounting for 5.1% , Africa and the Middle East about 4.5%, estimated global market size of about 85 billion U.S. dollars, in the applications of other areas, mainly family-oriented, accounting for about 39%, followed by office and medical-European 18%, the third largest outdoor market lighting, about 12%.

StephanGreiner that outdoor LED lighting market has considerable room for growth, especially in fast-growing Chinese market, now accounting for outdoor LED lighting market in the world 38%, exceeding the 33.3% in North America.

According to market research firm iSuppli’s latest report and StrategicsUnlimited, 2011, total global LED lighting market will reach 90 billion U.S. dollars, 2011, the global high-brightness LED driver IC market is expected to more than 1.9 billion U.S. dollars, in 2010 LED lighting market in China is expected to reach 30 billion yuan, nearly 16 billion yuan in 2006 doubled. LED is the current recession in which electronic components industry as a whole bunch of valuable light of hope, LED is expected to achieve about 3% this year, sales growth, while the overall global semiconductor market this year, down 9.4%.

French market research company Yole predicts that by 2012, the overall LED market will reach 10.3 billion U.S. dollars. Among them, high brightness and high brightness LED total will reach 4.45 billion U.S. dollars, almost 783 million U.S. dollars in 2007 forecast to 5.5 times.

According to ABIResearch’s research branch NextGenResearch, global LED lighting market in 2013, annual output value is expected to break through 33 billion U.S. dollars. LED lighting market in the period 2009-2013, the average compound annual growth rate (CAGR) will be close to 22%.

The largest LED lighting market is the LED backlight (laptop, PC, LCD-TV and mobile phone), LED general lighting market has entered a fast development track, especially in the lights, car tail lights, automotive interior and small Biaoshi lights, construction external decorative lighting materials, government agencies (as well as jewelry stores and airports, and other special public place) the internal general lighting, outdoor and indoor LED displays, such as household lighting, household lamp, LED fluorescent lamp LED market has started.

For example, Chongqing, Wuhan and Suzhou, and other small cities and the high-tech industrial parks have been built all use LED lights in the park road, in some cities (such as Suzhou) is the direct deployment of solar powered LED lights. U.S. LosAngles will all use LED lights, Minneapolis intercontinental highway will also use LED lights.

Osram Asia Pacific Regional Director Zhongjie Cong said, OLED is an important development of LED lighting direction, however, OLED performance increase will take some time, estimated by the high-end market, OLED will gradually go mass market. Veeco Instruments MichaelLamarra product manager, said a growing number of LED backlight to replace CCFL, lighting applications are growing, estimated to LED packaging costs in the next six years, down 85%, LED plant needs to reduce operating costs and increase productivity while out. LED’s strengths and its competitiveness significantly to our confidence in its future.

LED Stuff - Rocking The World !!!

LED Stuff - Rocking The World !!!

The innovation in electronic devices has always driven a good market all over the world. When incandescent bulbs were being replaced by CFLs, another technology was pushing its head to replace the newest one–LED. Light Emitting Diode technology has now emerged as a major replacement in many products and has changed the perspective of electronics consumer market. In this article, we provide comprehensive knowledge about LED, its applications, products, market scenario, industry overview and what’s there for new players who want to enter into the business of LED products.

What is LED
LED or Light Emitting Diode can be understood as an electronic device that gets lighted up while passing electricity through it. LED is a semiconductor light source used as indicator lamp in a number of devices. Today, LEDs are increasingly used for general lighting purpose. In the year 1962, LED found its place into the electronic industry as a practical electronic component. During its early stages, LEDs emitted low-intensity red light. With the advancements in technology, today we find a number of versions of LEDs including visible, ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths offering very bright light. Also, the fact that LEDs are small in size makes them a good choice to display images. LEDs do not burn out like other lights, while they burn on significantly lower power compared to conventional light sources.
There are a number of advantages in LED when compared to incandescent light sources. Some of them are longer lifetime, enhanced robustness, quicker switching, lower energy utilization, smaller size, more durability and reliability. On the other hand, LEDs need an accurate heat and current management as against conventional light sources. Also, the market price of current LED products is expensive when compared to the fluorescent lamp sources of equivalent output.

Basics and History of LED
LEDs are based on the principle that a semiconductor chip emits light while conducting current through it. LEDs are deemed highly versatile with regard to their capacity to emit almost all spectrums of light. As a diode is switched on, electrons are made to recombine with holes in a given device resulting in the release of energy that is available in the form of photons. Called as electroluminescence effect, the process emits light in different colors depending on the gap of the semi conductor. Usually, the diodes of LED are spaced less than 1mm or 2mm. There are a number of integrated optical components used to shape the resulting radiation pattern and to help in reflection.
Though LEDs that emit a practical spectrum of visible light are being developed since 1960s, it is only recently that LED technology is able to produce lighting sources that are able to emit acceptable levels of illumination which can effectively replace the conventional primary lighting sources in homes and businesses. Today, LEDs are increasingly finding their applications across a diverse range of lighting requirements to replace the conventional light sources. Especially, the prominent applications of LEDs include indicators and traffic signals. Since 2007, Airbus has been using LED lightning in its A320 aircrafts, while Boeing has plans to use the same in the 787.
Over and above, the smaller size of LEDs has enabled the development of innovative text and video displays and sensors, while the high switching rates of LED comes as a welcome factor in using LED in the arena of advanced communications technology. Called as Solid State Lighting (SSL), a new phase of innovative technology in the arena of LED illumination is seen developing at an amazingly fast pace. For instance, the latest bulbs that we can see in the market from EarthLED did not exist a year ago.
How it works
LEDs are commonly seen around us in a number of gadgets. LED is a semiconductor diode that emits light under the process of electroluminescence while passing current through it. In this process, the semiconductor works as the medium for the electrons to move and fall into other energy levels during their transit across the p-n junction. As the electrons jump to a lower energy level, they emit a photon of light. This photon or pack of light might either be in the infrared or ultraviolet or anywhere within the visible spectrum of light. Therefore, we need to pick up a color when we manufacture them to meet our varied requirements. Usually, LEDs are manufactured to emit one color of light, though manufacturing bicolor ones and others can easily be done. In addition, there are ways to increase the intensity of light as well. Therefore, the possibilities of broadening their application in the lighting arena are enormous.
LEDs found in normal applications are not at all voltage dependent. LEDs are manufactured according to the buyer’s color needs. Red, green and blue are the most popular colors in LED, while there are also other colors possible. Big LED color displays make use of a three-LED pixel. With this system, a number of colors can be obtained by driving them in the 3-LED assembly.
Classification of LED
One can classify LED products according to light emitting colors, diode structures, outer surface features, luminous intensity, chip material, function, and operating current, etc.
Colors of the diode:
LEDs are available in red, orange, green and blue in addition to several others. Under green colors, there are three types including pure green, standard green and yellow-green. There are also a few light emitting diodes or chips that can emit two or three colors. Also, the plastic body can be designed in many ways with or without a scattering agent, colored or colorless and so on. Therefore, the resulting classification of LEDs based on the color can be understood under four heads namely colored transparent, colorless transparent, colored scattering and colorless scattering.
Outer Surface features:
According to the features of the outer surface, LEDs can be classified into round, square, rectangular, surface LED, side LED and surface mount subminiature LED besides a number of others. Round LEDs come in different diameters ranging from φ2mm、φ4.4mm、φ5mm、φ8mm、φ10mm and φ20mm. Round LED manufactured with a diameter of φ3mm is usually referred as T-1, while φ5mm is noted as T-1(3/4) and φ4.4mm is noted as T-1(1/4).
Types according to the angle distribution of the luminous intensity:
There are three types of LEDs based on the angle distribution of their luminous intensity. A) High directivity LEDs are packed either in sharp head epoxy packaging or metal reflection cavity packaging. Usually, they are available without light scattering agent. The viewing angle of this kind of LED ranges from 5° or 20° or even smaller. These types can find their use as local illumination source or to construct an automated detecting system combined with a light detecting device. B) Standard type LEDs are usually found in indicator lamps with the viewing angle varying between 20° and 45°. C) Scattering type is generally used as indicator lamps that require comparatively larger viewing angle ranging from 45° to 90° or even larger. This type makes use of more light scattering agents than the other two types.
Based on their structure, LEDs can be classified as full epoxy resin packaging, ceramic base epoxy resin packaging, metal base and glass packaging.
According to the luminous intensity, there are three types of LEDs namely standard brightness LED (where luminous intensity is less than 10mcd), high brightness LED (where luminous intensity is between 10mcd and 100mcd) and ultrahigh brightness LED (where luminous intensity is more than 100mcd).
Based on the power that operate LEDs, they can be classified into two types namely the standard type that works on an operating current ranging from more than ten mA to tens mA; low current LED which is operated at an operating current below 2mA (In this case, the brightness is almost same as the standard LED type).


Types of LED products
1. LED Lighting Applications
Manufactured using an appropriate technology, LED can be used as a better alternative to replace a number of conventional lighting gadgets. Though the concept started its voyage primarily as indicator lights, today LEDs have found versatile application across a wide range of lighting requirements. The three main areas where LED has come as a one stop solution to the lighting requirements are traffic control devices covering barricade lights, stop lights, pedestrian signals and road hazard signs; variable message signs that display information regarding commodities and news and in automotive applications.
LED Cove Lighting is one of the fast growing applications where LED is used for hard to reach lighting applications, which would bring down maintenance costs and hassles. In several regards, LEDs are more advantageous than fluorescents and cold cathode lighting. To mention one of the most suitable examples of this application, one can mention the Atmosphere product of Albeo Technologies. This is deemed as the best example for SSL cove light that is highly preferred in terms of price, performance, installation methods, uniformity and durability.
SIGN and Display Applications:
LEDs enjoy a number of incredible advantages over traditional fluorescent sign lighting. Some of the unique features of LEDs that are useful to this arena include their Visibility, durability, enhanced efficiency, and unbelievably less maintenance. Most interestingly, LED Initiative in this field has offered the best back and internal signage lighting solution for real time applications.
2. LED applications for Museums:
LEDs do not have the hazards of forward heat and UV radiation, which renders it the best alternative for sensitive artworks meant for museums. Tested replacement SSL lamps are deemed the best for retrofit applications at museums.
LEDs for Office Lighting:
Using LED lighting fixtures at offices remove tough maintenance requirements and the concerns regarding tiring fluorescent lighting. While there is no need to store lamps and ballasts at offices, LED lighting also helps keep the workforce feel pleasant and more productive. Greenlight Initiative in the LED arena have significantly brought down the power consumption of lighting gadgets used in the office spaces by as much as 40% over the conventional incumbent fluorescent systems.
Hotels and Restaurants:
While the lighting requirements are always lit type, LED lighting products come to the rescue by enormously bringing down operating costs. LED lighting solutions have the advantages of being highly versatile besides meeting the requirements of bright or warm, colorful or crisp. The longevity and bright appearance of LEDs can add elegance to the establishments besides reducing the operating expenses to the bottom line.
Stairwell Lighting:
Stairwell Lighting is often required to be kept on round the clock though used infrequently. LEDs have come as a solace for the building operators and management companies who rely on the products to save up to 60% of energy while ensuring continuous safe lighting levels. Over and above, LEDs are useful in applications including elevators, corridors and other similar infrastructure where the lighting adds up to the terra Watts of disused energy waste.
Over and above, applications including outdoor, pathway, security and cold weather render fluorescent lighting useless. LED lighting solutions can effectively replace the high maintenance options like HID or halogen lighting thereby ensuring unparalleled maintenance savings. LEDs have also started meeting the typical lighting requirements of parking lots and garages, hospitals and healthcare facilities, factories and large facilities, roadway lighting and bridges and tunnels.
With the evolution of solid state lighting, LED technology can effectively replace most of the conventional lighting on the planet. This can help in making enormous energy and maintenance savings in addition to bringing down carbon emissions to unprecedented low levels.


1. Long Life
Industry estimates say that all LEDs can enjoy a 50,000+ hour lifespan, when you will have to buy more than 50 regular incandescent bulbs or 5 compact florescent bulbs. LEDs do not have ignition hassles while it can work under a harsh condition of -40oC to +45oC. Since LEDs do not have filaments or tubes that might break, they are more durable. LEDs are encased in unbreakable high strength optical grade resin. Since there is no glass or filament that will break, LED light sources come as perfect solutions for lighting environments that are rugged or installations that are difficult to access.
2. Energy Efficiency
LEDs are burn on far less energy when compared to standard light bulbs, thereby bringing down energy costs. Also, LEDs need far less energy to manufacture at the industries when compared to other light sources, thereby once again bringing down the environmental impact of artificial lighting. The most powerful of LED replacement bulb consumes only 10 watts of electricity while performing equal to that of a 100 watt incandescent bulb. Moreover, conventional incandescent bulbs waste 98% of their energy by generating wasted heat, whereas LEDs generate very little heat. Also, the low power requirements of LED lighting gadgets make them ideal options for solar or wind powered installations.
3. Environmentally Friendly by Design
LEDs are considered the most environmentally friendly light source next to pure sunlight. Since LEDs do not use any hazardous substances in manufacturing, they are always RoHS compliant (a strict new standard meant to reduce hazardous substances).
4. Pure Light
LEDs come in white and warm light color temperatures. Irrespective of the temperature that we choose, we are assured of getting pure and clear light that renders reading or viewing objects easier to our the eyes.
5. Better Safety and Security
LEDs produce low levels of heat and burn on low voltages. Therefore, they are deemed perfect and safer sources of light. With LEDs, we do not have any glass to break. There are no concerns regarding hot filament, gas or candle flames and noxious fumes.
Industry Overview of LED
For quite some time since 2004, the high-brightness LED market witnessed a slow-growth phase as a result of the dominant position enjoyed by the mobile appliance market. However, the latter has come to a saturation point now. LED market experienced an overall uptick in growth from the year 2007. Still it continues to perform well and a range of its emerging applications promised the resumption of higher growth in the immediate future.
The global LED industry is seen to be clustered in Japan, EU and Taiwan. While Japan ranks first in the segment, Taiwan follows it. Philips and OSRAM are the backbones of LED sector in the EU. Top players in the LED industry in Japan include Nichia, Toshiba, Showa Denko KK, Sharp, CITIZEN and Toyoda Gosei. CREE is notable in the U.S.A.
LED industry is found highly dispersed in the mainland of China while we find thousands of LED manufacturers are found engaged in in LAMP packaging. Some of the dominant companies in this segment include Xiamen Hualian, COTCO Luminant Device (Huizhou), Jiangxi Lianchuang Optoelectronic, Ledman Optoelectronic, Golden Valley Optoelectronics, Foshan NationStar, Wenrun Optoelectronic, Ningbo Hepu Optoelectronic, Tianjin Tianxing Electronic, Refond Optoelectronics, and Leadfull Optoelectronic, besides a number of others. There are also the key manufacturers of LED including San’an Photoelectric, Dalian Lumei, Silan Azure, Epiligh Technology and Rainbow.

LED lights for numbers and alphabets
What is the market potential of LED products?
Over its development as a visible lighting source over the past three years, there is never a sign of slowing down in the LED segment. Though the Blue LED is available in production quantities only recently, they are expected to bring about an entire generation of innovative applications. Blue LEDs are known for their high photon energies (>2.5eV). They are also reported to have low eye sensitivity. The technology required to make these LEDs is very different and less advanced when compared to other LED materials. The blue LEDs available in the market today come with GaN (gallium nitride) and SiC (silicon carbide) construction with the brightness levels exceeding 1000mcd at 20mA. Blue is one of the primary colors apart from red and green. Therefore, blue LEDs will find their commercially viable applications in full color solid state LED signs and TVs in addition to medical diagnostic equipments and photolithography.
There are also enormous possibilities to manufacture other colors with the help of the same basic GaN technology and development processes. For instance, a high brightness green LED of about 500nm has been evolved, which is at present being evaluated for replacing the green bulb used in traffic signals. Other colors of LEDs that are possible include purple and white. Since blue LEDs have been introduced only recently, now the industry has the possibility to manufacture white by selectively combining red, green and blue light sources. This process might however need sophisticated software and hardware design to be commercially viable. One challenge in this segment is that the overall light output of each RGB might degrade at a different rate resulting in color unbalance over a period of time. There is yet another approach being implemented to achieve white light namely using a phosphor layer (Yttrium Aluminum Garnet) on top of a blue LED.
Today’s LED market can be identified under three segments namely general lighting, TFT-LCD backlight, and signal or data display, while TFT-LCD backlight is the most potential and rapidly evolving sector. The year 2009 saw a significant enhancement in LED luminescence efficiency and cost reduction, LED has started growing up strongly in the large-size sector. In the LED laptop field, the innovative designing of Dot typed light guide plate has effectively replaced V-cut design, thereby significantly bringing down the cost.
LEDs have already developed from infancy to adolescence and are witnessing the fastest market growth. By employing InGaAlP material along with MOCVD during the process of development and by combining it with efficient delivery of generated light and effective management of supplied power, the industry has today achieved some of the brightest, most efficient and highly reliable LEDs. In combination with other novel LED structures, this technology will ensure a wider application of LEDs across a variety of platforms. In addition, recent developments in the LED blue spectrum and white light will also ensure the continued growth in applications of LED light sources.
International scenario of LED Industry
In the year 2005, the LED industry was valued only at $205 million. Industry experts estimate that by 2011, this could be valued as high as $1 billion demonstrating 388% growth in a matter of just six years.
Most significantly, Walt Disney World has now resorted to LED lighting thereby wiring Cinderella’s Castle with more than 20,000 LEDs, which the firm says has helped in saving thousands of dollars.
The Times Square ball is today seen completely lit only with LED lighting, while it appears twice as bright using only half the energy.
The city of Boulder, Colorado is now seen switching over to LEDs for lighting its Downtown Pearl Street Mall.
It was indeed a welcome initiative to see China’s first high-definition system being installed in the Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium, for displaying scores and other information at the venue during the Olympic Games. It is said that this system can easily meet the complete requirements of the National Basketball Association (NBA). LED system can also be used for theatrical performances, background imagery and real-time broadcasts.
Challenges faced by new players while entering LED industry
Today, more and more firms are rapidly changing over from different industries including traditional lighting fixtures and consumer electronics to SSL (Solid State Lighting) industry. Due to the sudden outburst of competition in the arena, the new and the present SSL players are undergoing tremendous pressure due to factors including price reduction, shorter life span of products, more need for new product innovation and Market Strengthening.

Mini Strobe Goes LED!

Mini Strobe Goes LED!

LOS ANGELES - American DJ has put new flash into strobe lights by adding the power of LEDs, while scaling down the size, to create the S-81 LED Mini Strobe. A modern-day version of this all-time popular effect, the compact S-81 LED measures just 3.5″ x 5.5″ x 3.5″, yet contains 21 bright white LEDs, which give it an impressive punch that belies its petite size.
This highly portable LED mini strobe is small enough to fit anywhere and it’s super easy to operate, making it an ideal choice for creating cool visual effects at school dances, dorm parties, discos, bars, band performances — anywhere a strobe light can be used. And, with the fall-winter season just around the corner, it’s perfect for adding freakish fun to Halloween parties and a splash of flash to holiday festivities.
Best of all, the S-81 LED has a mini price tag too. At just $25.95 MSRP, everyone from professional DJs, to students, to home party hosts can enjoy the fun, exciting effects of a strobe, along with the user benefits of advanced LED technology.
“American DJ is committed to bringing the value, performance and energy-saving advantages of LEDs to everyday lighting users such as working DJs and bands,” said Scott Davies, General Manager of the American DJ Group of Companies. “The S-81 LED is the latest example of how LEDs are evolving to become a practical lamp source for even the smallest, most commonly used effects like strobe lights. This powerful mini-sized unit definitely takes strobes into the next generation, with its LED power, performance benefits, compact size and surprisingly affordable price.”
One big benefit of the S-81 LED is that its LED lamps produce such a powerful clear bright beam, no fog is necessary to enhance the effect. This enables it to be used at locations and venues where fog is not allowed or desired, such as many schools and wedding halls. Another safety and comfort feature of the S-81 LED is its cooler operating temperature. Since LEDs produce less heat than traditional fixtures, it is less likely to overheat, and the temperature on the dance floor or stage remains cooler and more comfortable.
With LEDs’ long lamp life, the S-81 Mini offers tremendous dollar value as well. Its LEDs are rated for 50,000 hours of use, meaning it could run continuously for over 2,000 days before the bulb would burn out. Divide this into its retail price of $24.95, and the S-81 costs you just over one cent a day!
Energy savings is another advantage of LED fixtures. Despite its brilliant output, the S-81 LED draws only 3W of power, compared to a halogen strobe light of approximately the same size, which can consume 20W or more.
The S-81 LED Mini Strobe has a beam angle of 130° and includes a flash rate control knob on the rear of the unit. Designed for ultimate compactness and portability, it measures 3.5″L x 5.5″W x 3.5″H and weighs just 1 pound.
The MSRP of the S-81 LED Mini Strobe is $25.95.

LED Headlamps - Which Industries Benefit Most?

LED Headlamps - Which Industries Benefit Most?
Headlamp technology has a long way since it was first introduced, with LED lights sources now replacing the candles and lamps of the past decades. LED headlamps are used in a number of different industries, but there are three specific industries which have received the most benefit from them (and as such they have helped in the lightweight and durable versions that are used today to develop .) These key industries are mining, search and rescue and Industry --Production, and each of them makes use of headlamps in a slightly different way.
Coal Mining A reliable source is essential for the coal mining industry, miners, since much of their time deep under the earth, where no daylight to spend to achieve. Early mining headlamp use is made small oil lamps, candles, helmet mounted, such as work, but that posed a dangerous situation if encountered pockets of gas or had large amounts of coal dust present. For securityin the mines is a major concern, an alternative had to be found to allow miners to do their work without the risk of fire or an explosion.
Battery-powered lanterns were used for years when the batteries mining helmets even harder than it already. The development of LED lights was the answer to the Bergleute''Gebete, so that a stable and reliable light source that no heavy battery packs do not have to move them. LED lights, provided a better qualityLight as the beginning of the alternatives and, thus pressure on the Bergleute''Augen.
Search and Rescue Unlike miners who spend most of the search and rescue forces of the majority of their time outdoors. This does not mean that isn''t their work more dangerous, the lives of adults and children often hang in the balance sheet and rescue teams must be able to respond a wide variety of terrain and weather conditions, situations quickly and efficiently. This efficiency can be significantly reduced through have to have a flashlight or battery-powered lantern. The ability to make an LED headlamp don this important work much easier. The lightweight LED lights tend to be so closed to be watertight, so search and rescue forces have not only the hands are free, but they are also able to do their job effectively, regardless of the weather outside.
Industrial Manufacturing Industrial production is definitely not an easy job, and in most cases, what a job> Industrial workers does will require them to have both hands free to do it. That's good for the line workers who do their jobs in well-lit areas, but it can be a great inconvenience for warehouse workers and those who carry out maintenance, because they often venture into the corners and darker areas of the plant. LED lights have a lot of light where they need it while your hands free, and the LED lights tend to be stable enough thatthey can in a few cases something goes off and take care of impact without breaking a light bulb.

Heated LED Bathroom Mirrors: The Ultimate Bathroom Accessory?

Heated LED Bathroom Mirrors: The Ultimate Bathroom Accessory?

Introduction
Central to the mythology of mirrors is Narcissus a Boeotian hero, who disliked those who loved him for his own natural beauty. He famously gazed into a pool of water and was so fascinated with the reflection, that he was unable to bring himself to leave the image. Not realising that the image he could see was of his own natural beauty, he couldn’t bring himself to leave the image, and he perished.
The concept of how the mirror works is quite simple. It stems simply from the reflective surface of still water and therefore nature plays its part. When you look down into a puddle or a dark pool of water, the smooth water reflects the light straight back into your eyes. Mirrors work in a similar way, in that a mirror is made up of a coated glass surface which when a polished metal surface or metal film is applied behind the glass, light cannot shine through and so reflects the image back. Young children particularly, are always fascinated when they look into a mirror for the first time and see their own reflection staring back at them. Anyone who has young children will remember the vision of their young child daughter kissing their image on a mirror. My eight year old daughter loves sitting in front of her mirror applying her make up nearly as much as my fifteen year old daughter!
Where would we be today without mirrors? Mirrors are generally used for personal grooming or interior decoration and have evolved from a luxury item into a necessity. There is an enormous variety of mirror shapes and sizes and over the years, mirrors have gradually evolved to meet many different requirements. Today there is a large selection of mirrors , ranging from small mirrors to large mirrors, framed, unframed and includes bathroom mirrors, decorative mirrors, illuminated mirrors, LED mirrors, shaving mirrors, make up mirrors and demister mirrors. Away from personal use, mirrors are also used as part of scientific apparatus such as cameras, lasers, telescopes and periscopes, to reflect light and used as tools in dentistry and medical care.Not to mention the beauty and hair salon industries.
History of Mirrors
The history of mirrors as far as we can see dates back over 8,000 years. The earliest known mirrors were made from pieces of polished stone such as obsidian, a naturally occurring glass from cooled volcanic lava flows. In Anatolia in Turkey, examples of obsidian mirrors dated at around 6000 BC have been found. In south and central America, polished stone mirrors from around 2000 BC on wards have also been found. From around 3000 BC mirrors of polished copper are known to have been crafted in ancient Egypt. In China bronze mirrors were manufactured from around 2000 BC.
The first metal coated glass mirrors are thought to have been made in the first century AD, in Sidon, known today as Lebanon. The Roman author Pliny makes reference to glass mirrors backed with gold leaf in his Naturalis Historia, one of the largest reference books to have survived from the Roman Empire, which focused on natural and man-made objects and was written in around 77 AD. The Romans also created a technique for making crude mirrors by using molten lead to coat blown glass.
In the 10th Century Arabian Physicists, considered different types of mirrors, reflecting mirrors and parabolic mirrors and another discussed concave and convex mirrors in both cylindrical and spherical geometries. In undertaking various experiments with mirrors, finding the point on a convex mirror at which a ray of light coming from one point is reflected to another point was solved.
During the period of the 14th to 17th Centuries, across Europe a method of coating glass with a tin-mercury amalgam was perfected by manufacturers. Venice was recognised for its glass making expertise and soon became a centre of mirror production using this new technique. Glass mirrors from this period were extremely expensive luxuries.
The particular process of silvering to produce the first silvered-glass mirror is credited to German chemist Justus von Liebig in 1835. He developed a process to apply a thin layer of metallic silver onto glass through the chemical reduction of silver nitrate. The process was adapted for mass production and led to the greater availability of affordable mirrors and formed the basis of what we now consider the normal way to produce a mirror today.
The evolution of the mirror over the years is quite interesting, if like me you love mirrors! It has evolved from a luxury item to an item which is now taken for granted in daily use. Today, walk into any DIY store to look at mirrors and the selection is vast, with many technology features now finding there way into mirrors, to give added simplicity, luxury and decoration.
Accessories available on backlit mirrors feature back lighting, LED lighting and demister pads.
How are Mirrors Made?
The manufacture of mirrors includes the application to a suitable material of a reflective coating. Glass is the most commonly used material, due to its ability to take a smooth finish and its rigidity. Glass is also more scratch resistant than many other materials.
Early mirrors were made of solid metal, bronze or silver and they were far too expensive for many. Metal is also prone to corrosion and because of polished metal’s low emissivity, antique mirrors were less suitable for indoor use. With indoor lighting at the time supplied by candles or lanterns, the metal mirrors reflected a much darker picture.
In modern times ‘float glass’ is used in the manufacture of mirrors, which is a flat ribbon of glass which is run out of a furnace and along the surface of a bath of molten tin. The temperature of both the glass and molten tin is controlled to enable both surfaces to be made perfectly flat. There are now three common types of mirrors: plain - which has a flat surface, and the two spherical types of mirrors: the convex and the concave. The concave and convex mirrors can be used in an entertaining way, when used at fairgrounds or amusement parks to distort peoples figures reflected in them through bloating, stretching and shrinking, the person or object in front of them.
In some applications, a mirror isn’t a mirror at all. For example, when used in public conveniences, especially in public or factory toilets, where for reasons of cost and the need for greater durability, a single polished metal sheet is often installed as a form of mirror.
Different Types of Mirror
Throughout the ages, mirrors have been employed as symbols of truth, deception and vanity. Mention a mirror and you instantly know that if you look into one, you will see your own reflection staring back at you. The image you see will resemble your own appearance. In optical principles, the reflections in mirrors do not totally match the objects in front of them. When looking into the mirror, trace the contour of the reflection of your head in a mirror. The reflection may correspond in proportion, but will generally be half in actual size. With such a variety and huge range of mirrors now available, much has been made of the amount of money spent in purchasing mirrors particularly by women, although in this day and age with an increase in men purchasing cosmetics, some men will also be vain enough to carry a mirror.
The vain Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs famously asked her special mirror, “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” Mirrors are synonymous with truth.Mirrors are frequently used in interior decoration to create an illusion of space, and to decorate and amplify the apparent size of a room. They will be used around the home, the office, a pub, club or restaurant to good effect. They work particularly well in night clubs, reflecting the many images of light in the club or room to create a feeling of a much bigger space.
Infinity Mirrors provide an effect of never reaching an end, known as ‘symmetry breaking’ and are particularly effective when used in a dark environment. I remember experiencing this phenomenon for the first time as a child in a large department store lift, where mirrors where on all sides of the elevator car. For those who are not good in lifts I should think this effect probably does nothing to calm them, perhaps that’s why you don’t see lifts like this anymore Or is it just because I’m getting old and that was a particular style popular in the 70’s!
My next favourite kind of mirror after the infinity mirror is the heated mirror, these mirrors have a heating element or what is called a demister pad mounted on the back. The reason a mirror steams up when you have a shower is because the surface temperature of the mirror is colder than the air temperature and causes the water vapour in the air to condense on the mirror. Some bright spark realised long ago that it if you heated the mirror this would avoid it steaming up, brilliant!
For many years heated mirrors have only featured in very expensive bathrooms usually costing thousands, and quality hotels have used heated mirrors as a neat differentiator from the increasingly popular budget hotels and motels. Of course it is not until you step out of the hotel shower and see yourself in the mirror that you realise it is there! Whilst at the back of your mind you realise this is one of the reasons why this room is more expensive than the other hotel across the street.
Last week I heard the BBC Radio 2 DJ Ken Bruce state that the best shave you ever had will have been in a hotel, to which he attributed the benefit of the heated bathroom mirror as the main reason. I have to agree, and every time I stay in (nice) hotel I always have a really good look at the bathroom with a view to reproducing the best of its features in my own home.
Any bathroom can benefit from a demister mirror creating the feeling of that luxury bathroom. All you need is a power supply routing to the mirror which your local electrician can install for you relatively cheaply, once installed it can also be used for powering a shaver point, or better still buy a heated mirror with a shaver socket built in.
In 1980, ska group The Beat had a UK top ten hit with ‘Mirror in the Bathroom’ and the bathroom is probably the location where we are most intimate with our mirrors. Many will say that it is not wise to look at yourself in the mirror first thing in the morning, but the bathroom is often the first port of call in the morning. Many bathrooms feature a main bathroom mirror positioned on a wall and a bathroom cabinet with mirror doors. Other than the “oh my god” do I really look like that expression, the uses of a mirror or mirrors in a bathroom will generally be to aid the application of make up, hair styling or shaving. One of the major problems with bathroom mirrors is that after showering or bathing, the mirror is misted over.
A recent addition in the manufacture of heated mirrors is the inclusion of a demister pad which clears the mirror for use in just seconds. Just think never having to again wait for the steam of the bathroom to disappear from the mirror, or having to open the window, before using the mirror to shave or apply make up. The bathroom mirror demister or steam free bathroom mirror is a great invention. Some manufacturers refer to these products as fog free bathroom mirrors and there is now a huge range available, again some with back lights, LED lighting and built in shaver points.
Demister mirrors and steam free bathroom mirrors are not the only recent developments on mirrors. As suggested above another reasonably new product is the illuminated bathroom mirror. Illuminated mirrors maintain the features of a simple mirror, but will enhance any environment in which they are used with the addition of lighting. As with all mirrors, the range of illuminated mirrors is extensive, with a variety of sizes and shapes available. An Illuminated mirror with shaving point can also be purchased. Illuminated bathroom cabinets with or without shaver sockets are also available.
Mirrors with illuminated LED lights will enhance any bathroom or environment in which they are installed. Being of low energy consumption LED, or light emitting diode, are more environmentally friendly than traditional bulbs. They are designed to withstand the moisture of the bathroom environment. So water vapour mist will not cause a problem. As a real luxury mirror, illuminated bathroom mirrors and bathroom mirrors with LED lighting can also include a demister pad, to demist the mirror in just a few seconds and an on/off sensor to activate the lights as soon as motion is detected in front of the mirror. Now bathroom cabinets are also available with inbuilt back lights, and LED lighting for that special something different in your bathroom.As a bathroom accessory the mirror should come high on the list, in fact can you really have a finished bathroom without a mirror? The enormous selection of styles, types, shapes and sizes means that there must be a mirror to match anyone’s budget. Although some of the latest technological versions such as illuminated, backlit and LED mirrors could be considered to be luxury items, some are not as expensive as you may think.
A convenient feature for any man who likes to shave before they go in the shower is a heated bathroom light mirrors because, if like me, your significant other has had a shower before you get in the bathroom the mirror is all steamed up when you get to it.
Mirrors, Superstition and Auspicious Energy Flow
I have always loved mirrors, probably why I have ended up in the mirrors business! When I was at school I did a project on them, this was before the internet was invented mind so I trawled through piles and piles of reference books in both the school and local library for months. These days of course it would only take a couple of hours on Google, kids these days don’t know how easy they’ve got it!
Once you get immersed in mirrors as I did all those years ago, or ‘mirros’ as I frequently misspelled it, and start researching them, you find that they play a major part in all aspects of life. Mirrors also feature in superstitions. One of the most commonly known superstitions is that someone who breaks a mirror will receive seven years bad luck. A popular belief for this superstition is that mirrors are a reflection of the soul and if a mirror is broken, then part of the soul is broken. Added to this, some believe that the soul regenerates every seven years in an unbroken condition, hence the seven years of bad luck. I bet you’ve always wondered why that was so I’m glad to share that with you!
It is also said that the mirror does not lie. A mirror can show only the truth. It is a very bad omen indeed to see something in a mirror which should not be there, a technique regularly used in scary movies! Some cultures also have a custom that a newborn child should not look into a mirror until its first birthday because its soul is still forming.
In the southern United States, it used to be customary to cover the mirrors in a house where the wake of a deceased person was being held. If a mirror was left uncovered or exposed, people believed that the deceased person’s soul would become trapped in any uncovered mirror.
In the ancient art of Feng Shui mirror placement is considered very important. There is a lot of information available about this, and it is a subject that can’t be covered in a mere paragraph or two here. But Chi energy flow can be influenced by mirrors so where the energy needs to be diverted, mirrors can be used for this to great effect. Personally I don’t really conform to these rules, although my mum has mirrors strategically placed all over her house to redirect in-auspicious energy! One of the principles I do follow though is to make sure I don’t have any mirrors pointing at my bed, or the kids beds, as this is said to reflect your dreams back onto you whilst you are sleeping!
Conclusion
A mirror is defined as a coated glass surface for reflecting images. There is a huge range of mirrors for scientific use, and available in many shapes and sizes. The most commonly seen uses of mirrors are for personal grooming and interior decoration. As a race we are thoroughly addicted to mirrors.
Over time, mirrors have evolved from a luxury item to an item of necessity and many particularly women will always carry a mirror in their hand bags. However, today with technological advancements, some mirrors will be seen as a luxury, particularly those which include illumination, LED or demisting devices. As individuals we spend many hours of our life in a bathroom, so why not treat yourself to one of life’s little luxuries and indulge in a stylish bathroom mirror? After all, let’s be honest, who can really live without looking in a mirror at least once a day?

Led-World Exclusive - LED Lamps with Remote Control

LED Lamps with Remote Control :

When it comes to choosing light globes these days, energy-conscious consumers have a multitude of choice. Both CFL bulbs and LED bulbs offer energy-efficient lighting and whilst they seem expensive at first, you realize they will save you money in the long term. However, a less appealing feature of LED globes is the bright, white light they emit, not particularly compatible with creating a warm, romantic feel in your home. That may be about to change. Sharp Corporation has just announced it has created a series of LED globes that includes a bulb with a remote-controlled, adjustable-color function and a dimmer.
The series of nine globes will be released in Japan in July. Model DL-L60 features an adjustable color function which allows users to change the light through a series of seven shades from warm white to daylight light. This model also includes a dimmer function, allowing the user to enjoy a range of color and brightness. Three other bulbs in the series are dimmer compatible, but the dimmer will need to be purchased separately.
The LED bulbs have a standard E26 screw base so will be compatible with all your existing lights and lamps. All models have a service life of approximately 40,000 hours and will not lose intensity or longevity even if continually turned on or off. With the exception of the DL-L60, users can choose bulbs with warm light or daylight white.
Warm white is described as being equal to the light from an incandescent lamp and daylight light is equivalent to bright daylight. Like other LED bulbs, they provide bright, even light and as they emit very little light in the ultraviolet range are less likely to attract insects and bugs. Prices are expected to range from ¥3880 (USD$40) to ¥7980 (USD$82).

LED Lighting Could Help Reduce CO2 Emissions 50 Percent Over 20 Years

LED Lighting Could Help Reduce CO2 Emissions 50 Percent Over 20 Years

Just by switching to LED lights, we could decrease carbon dioxide emissions from electric power use by up to 50 percent in just over 20 years. A recent report by McKinsey & Company states that making this switch is possibly the most cost-effective way to tackle global warming using existing technology.

LEDs are more than twice as efficient as compact fluorescent bulbs, currently the standard for greener lighting. Unlike compact fluorescents, LEDs turn on quickly and are compatible with dimmer switches. And while fluorescent bulbs contain mercury, which requires special disposal, LED bulbs contain no toxic elements, and last so long that disposal is not much of an issue.
“It is fit-and-forget-lighting that is essentially there for as long as you live,” said Colin Humphreys, a researcher at Cambridge University who works on gallium nitride LED lights, which now adorn structures in Britain.
The switch to LEDs is proceeding far more rapidly than experts had predicted just two years ago. President Obama’s stimulus package, which offers money for “green” infrastructure investment, will accelerate that pace, experts say. San Jose, Calif., plans to use $2 million in energy-efficiency grants to install 1,500 LED streetlights.
LEDs have a high initial cost, no doubt – an outdoor spotlight can cost up to $100, compared to $7 for an incandescent bulb. But, imagine not having to change that light bulb again for 20 years or more, and paying pennies on the dollar for power consumption compared to ‘regular’ light bulbs.
They’re still not perfect, being better suited for directional lighting than general lighting needs, but scientists are already finding new ways to address these problems. It’s a start!

Led-World Exclusive - 2010 Ford Mustang Lights Cut Fuel Costs

2010 Ford Mustang Lights Cut Fuel Costs

When it comes to getting the most possible efficiency out of a vehicle, the battle is often one of small steps, not giant leaps. Completely redesigning a vehicle from the bottom up to be the most efficient vehicle on the road is a big challenge. First there’s the extra research and development costs, then, once the vehicle is designed, you’ll likely have to retool your factories in order to produce the thing. So how does one increase efficiency without having to change the industry’s ways? One way that Ford adopted in the Ford Mustang is the use of LED lights.Using a gasoline engine to produce electricity isn’t too hard. Using it to drive a car and produce electricity at the same time results in a lot of lost power, hence lowering efficiency. So, any measure that could decrease the need for electricity has an impact. The LED taillights found on the Ford Mustang, which uses Osram Sylvania’s Joule system use 87% less electricity than a traditional incandescent bulb, and, because they have no fragile monofilament, they are far more durable.

The Osram Sylvania system also realizes the needs of the auto industry by constructing their LED fixtures in shapes and sizes that make them easily interchangable with previous incandescent features. As a parting word, here’s a few figures from Osram Sylvania: LED lights on the 2010 Ford Mustang make for an annual fuel savings of 10.5 gallons and a decrease in cabron emissions of 205 pounds.
This may not seem like a huge amount, but if you were to implement that system on the roughly 250 million light-duty vehicles (cars, pickup trucks, commercial vehicles, etc., according to a recent Osram press release) in America, that would mean a yearly reduction of 51.25 billion pounds of CO2 emissions and the use of 2.625 billion gallons of gasoline. That’s pretty impressive for a small light fixture.

LED GROW LIGHT - Future Trend of LED Light

The Power of LED Grow Lights

With the release of hard-hitting documentaries such as Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth and Leonardo DiCaprio’s The 11th Hour energy consumption and its relationship to global climate change has become a prominent issue. What people often fail to understand is that the best solutions are not great actions on the part of a few, but rather small actions taken by the many. For example, if everyone in the U.S. were to replace incandescent lights with fluorescent ones, it could eliminate the need for Middle East oil.
LED Grow lights are another example of a small thing that can make a great difference. If you are growing your own food in a hydroponics garden, you’re already taking a step toward saving the planet. The use of LED Grow Lights allows you to take the next step in reducing your footprint on the planet. Not only to they operate at a fraction of the voltage of conventional bulbs (less than 20 VAC as opposed to 120), but they are free of mercury – a highly toxic metal used in metallic vapor and fluorescent lights.
LED Grow Lights are efficient and economical in other ways as well. Unlike the more general purpose fluorescent bulbs, LED Grow Lights require no electric or digital ballast,that can eventually burn out. They also emit “targeted light;” whereas most standard grow lights emit a broad spectrum of light that includes light wavelength that is useless to plant life, LED Grow Lights emit only that part of the spectrum actually used for photosynthesis. This also means far less waste heat, which requires extra ventilation to carry away. It also means less glare; while this useful light is very bright to plants, humans perceive such light as relatively dim. This also eliminates the need for troublesome shades and reflectors.
Although they can represent a greater upfront investment, LED Grow Lights cost substantially less in the long run. In the first place, they are not nearly as fragile as conventional bulbs and fluorescents. Best of all, they are extremely durable – the average lifespan of an LED Grow Light is 100,000 hours – which is as much as fifty times as long as that of conventional bulbs. This adds up to nearly twelve years under normal conditions.
Because LED Grow Lights are environmentally friendly, they will result in healthier, more productive plants. Because they emit very little in the way of heat, LED Grow Lights allow your plants to keep cooler. Plants thrive at room temperature, receiving all the light they require without growth-stunting excess heat. In addition, your plants will suffer less from heat-related root damage that can occur when hot conventional grow lights heat the soil.
With LED Grow Lights, your plants will also require less watering.
Across the board, LED Grow Lights allow you to grow more economically and in a more environmentally-friendly way.
Susan Slobac operates a hydroponics garden store. She has detailed knowledge of what grow lights are best for hydroponics gardens. Susan is also concerned with the environment and sees LED grow lights as one alternative solution to the traditional energy consuming grow lights most often used. Susan promotes LED grow lights based on efficiency and performance.

LED Grow Lights Can Save Time And Money

When a person decides to begin growing their own plants, they have made a decision which will help them enjoy some of the best variety of plants in their own home. There is a strong sense of accomplishment and fulfillment achieved from growing your own garden, whether the product is vegetables for your table or flowers to brighten your home. You can grow these plants, though, in many ways. Among the best entails the use of LED grow lights.
The traditional method of plant growing is HID lighting. This high-intensity discharge lighting can be seen all over society, for this is the type of lighting used to light parking lots, stadiums, and other large areas. For some time it has been utilized for indoor gardens since it provides a great light source for growing plants.
This is not the best way to proceed, however. There are a great many wavelengths displayed over the range of light and not all of these wavelengths are useful to plants. Of the light produced by HID lighting, only 35% can be used by the plant. Why would someone pay to run the other 65% of energy coming off of these lights which is utterly wasted?
LED grow lights, however, are manufactured to use a great deal less energy when they are run. LEDs will last seven years if used an average of eighteen hours each day. HID light bulbs must be changed much more often. In addition, LEDs only emit light the plant can use, thus reducing the electrical costs of conventional lights.
Other areas will be saved when LED lighting is used over another source. In indoor growing environments, alternative light forms will generate high levels of heat, and a cooling system of some sort will be needed to prevent the light from overheating and presenting a possible fire hazard. This heat is not produced, however, by LED lighting, which means there is no need to spend a lot of money for a cooling system.
Owing to the fact that they can be positioned in nearly any required direction, these lights enjoy a very broad range of accessibility. You can easily arrange plants so that they get enough light. Not only will LED grow panels help grow some of the best plants possible in indoor gardening, they are also a great way to save a lot of money over time.