NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

+
LEDsmagazine.com

SIL Europe
Market transformation
and technology P.25

China
Upstart LED
manufacturing
strategy P.49

TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATIONS OF LIGHT EMITTING DIODES Optical Modeling

Optimizing SSL
product design P.63
Dynamic
Lighting Santa Clara, CA
Brussels Grand Feb 12-14, 2013 P.21

Place architecture
highlighted
by LEDs P.9
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________________________________
 ISSUE 56

nov/dec Cover Story

2012 A networked control system and 1600

BaroLED fixtures from Schrder highlight the
renowned architecture of the Grand Place in
Brussels, Belgium while also delivering the
savings in energy and maintenance costs
desired by the city (see page 9).

features
21 CONFERENCE PREVIEW
SIL 2013 will celebrate 50 years of LEDs and chronicle columns/departments
SSL proliferation Ella Shum, Strategies Unlimited
4 COMMENTARY Maury Wright
25 Strategies in Light Europe focuses on growth opportunities
CONFERENCE REPORT SSL 2012: The year in review

in the changing LED lighting market Tim Whitaker 9 NEWS+VIEWS

Schrder RGB LED floodlights
34 Lighting controls dominated discussion at Street and
OUTDOOR highlight Grand Place architecture
Osram Sylvania wins race to offer
Area Lighting Conference Maury Wright 100W-equivalent LED A-lamp
Sharp debuts tunable COB array

43 LIGHTING
LED market spurs transformation in Europe's professional
Philips HUE lamp offers tunable color

lighting industry Annetta Kelso, Philips Lighting

17 FUNDING+PROGRAMS
49 MANUFACTURING
China will develop a global leader in the LED
DOE Gateway report indicates
LED post-top lighting performed
manufacturing space Ella Shum, Strategies Unlimited efficiently in New Yorks Central Park
Zhaga publishes specification
for LED spotlight modules
55 Improved-clarity polycarbonate resins perform in LED
MATERIALS
Chinese LED maker plans
major investment in
lighting applications Bala Ambravan, SABIC Taiwanese chip company
DOE awards SBIR grants to
59 Examine
DRIVERS
all options for driving LED-based retrofit tubes
Applied Nanotech and Universal
Display for SSL research
James Chorlton, Honeywell Electrical Devices and Systems Taiwan government plans
LED lamp subsidy

63 DESIGN FORUM
Accurately model LED sources for optimal SSL product
designs Mark Nicholson, Radiant Zemax

___________
LEDsmagazine.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 3
commentary
SSL 2012:
The year in review
A s we head toward the end of 2012, I
thought Id take this opportunity to
look back at some of the highlights of the
past year and share some observations on the
emergence of LEDs in mainstream lighting. It
seems that solid-state lighting (SSL) is soaring,
and sometimes its difficult to remember how
early we are in the revolution. A review of 2012
can provide insight into where we are headed.
The retrofit lamp market is a good place to
start, because logistically its easy to install
an LED lamp in an existing socket albeit
hard to justify the purchase in many cases.
As we went to press, the race to deliver a
100W-equivalent LED A-lamp ended with
Osram Sylvania nosing out Philips Lighting
(page 10). By the time you read this you will
be able to buy products from either supplier.
Practically speaking you can now buy
an LED retrofit lamp for most any legacy
socket. The MR16 socket has been tough to
fi ll with LEDs, especially due to electronic
__________________
transformers (www.ledsmagazine.com/fea-
tures/9/6/8).
_______ But there are good products on
the market. And even though LED lamps for
T8 linear fluorescent sockets arent perfect
replacements, we have published a number
of case studies that indicate the SSL option
is a valid choice in many applications.
But just how viable is the lamp market in
the long term? Some SSL proponents see ret-
rofit lamps as a transitory segment that we use
to move toward lighting products with built-
in non-replaceable sources. At The LED Show,
Tempo Industries president Terry Walsh said
the socket market would saturate in five years
(www.ledsmagazine.com/features/9/10/8).
Still, many people like the concept of
replaceable sources. Indeed, the Zhaga
Consortium has made significant progress
this year publishing multiple Books with a
number of companies now offering interop-
erable light engines, optics, luminaires, and
4 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012
other elements. And Zhaga has now released
Book 3 to the public domain (page 17). My
guess is that some customers such as insti-
tutions will demand interoperable, service-
able assemblies, while the highest-volume
lowest-cost products will not be serviceable.
The issue of service and maintenance begs
a discussion of product lifetime. Weve seen
much better SSL product designs that should
last longer combined with industry standards
such as LM-80 and TM-21 that yield realistic
expectations of life. Cree Lighting now offers
a ten year warranty on its commercial prod-
ucts (www.ledsmagazine.com/news/9/9/17).
______________________
RAB Lighting rates its products for 100,000
hrs equal to 27 years based on 10-hr usage
days (www.ledsmagazine.com/news/9/10/5).
But how long is too long? In an insightful
presentation at the Street and Area Light-
ing Conference (SALC), Mark Hand, direc-
tor of new products and technology at Acuity
Brands, said that 10,000-20,000-hr lifetimes
are more appropriate in many applications,
and can result in lower cost (page 34).
Speaking of street lightingthats an
application where LEDs have succeeded
wildly. SSL is delivering energy savings that
make relatively expensive luminaires a
good investment, while also delivering bet-
ter light quality. The city of Los Angeles has
installed more than 100,000 lights. A study
by the Northeast Group said that 95% of
the buyers are pleased with the purchase
_______________________ But
(www.ledsmagazine.com/news/9/10/26).
the report reminds that in this segment where
LEDs are succeeding wildly, that less that 1%
of the street lights in the US are LED based.
Heres to SSL 2013. Hope you all have a
wonderful Holiday season.
Maury Wright, EDITOR
mauryw@pennwell.com
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Christine Shaw
& PUBLISHING DIRECTOR cshaw@pennwell.com
EDITOR Maury Wright
mauryw@pennwell.com
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Nicole Pelletier
nicolep@pennwell.com
ASSISTANT EDITOR Skyler Frink
skylerf@pennwell.com
CONTRIBUTING Tim Whitaker
EDITOR twhitaker@pennwell.com
MARKETING MANAGER Jennifer Landry
PRESENTATION MANAGER Kelli Mylchreest
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Mari Rodriguez
SENIOR ILLUSTRATOR Christopher Hipp
AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Debbie Bouley
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___________________________
 FEATURED events
| web exclusives SPIE Photonics West
February 2-7, 2013
San Francisco, CA

Webcast Strategies in Light

February 12-14, 2013
Flicker and dimming in solid-state lighting systems Santa Clara, CA
www.ledsmagazine.com/features/9/10/5 LED China
March 1-4, 2013
Guangzhou, China

Lightfair International
April 23-25, 2013
Philadelphia, PA
Editorial Digests
China Lighting Expo
Lighting networks and controls, April 25-27, 2013
and intelligent LED drivers Beijing, China
www.ledsmagazine.com/digests/6 Singapore International LED/
OLED Technology Show
May 7-9, 2013
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LED Expo Thailand

Whitepaper May 23-25, 2013
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In the long run, it pays to design
your fixtures around the LEDs The LED Show
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For more information, go to: www.ledsmagazine.com/features/5/5/1
MORE: www.ledsmagazine.com/events

ADVERTISERS index
Beautiful Light Tech ............................ 13
Carclo Technical Plastics ..................... 41
Cree Inc. .......................................... CV4
CSA International ................................62
Eptronics ............................................ 52
Evergreen International Corp. ..............33
Lumens Co. Ltd. ................................. 51
Lutron Electrics Co. Inc. ......................48
Matrix Lighting Limited, Hong Kong ... CV2
MBN GmbH ........................................ 19
Mean Well USA Inc. ............................ 23
Nusil .................................................. 31
Shenzhen Baikang Optical Co. Ltd. ....... 5
Shenzhen Bang-Bell ............................ 22
Electronics Co. Ltd.
Shenzhen Refond ...............................12
Optoelectronics Co. Ltd.
Sichuan Jiuzhou Electric ......................45
Group Co. Ltd.

G-S Plastic Optics ..............................18 Optronics Laboratories ....................... 10 Signcomplex Limited ........................... 14

GE Lightech ........................................ 42 Osram Opto-Semiconductors GmbH .... 27 TE Connectivity ...................................39

HighVac Corporation ...........................53 Para Light Corp. ................................. 47 The Korean Consulate General ............ 16

Indium Corp. ...................................... 61 Philips Lighting BV .............................. 15 The Stresscrete Group ........................54

Instruments Systems GmbH ................20 Philips Lumileds ................................... 2 Thomas Research Products .................. 7

Inventronics (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd. ......... 37 Proto Labs Inc. ................................... 24 UBM Trust ..........................................58

Keystone Certifications Inc. ................ 52 Samsung LED America ......................... 1 Underwriters Laboratories ..................29

Ledlink Optics Inc. .............................. 11 Seoul Semiconductor Co. Ltd. .............. 8 USHIO America ..................................53

Linear Technology ............................. CV3 Shanxi Guangyu LED ..........................60

Lighting Co. Ltd.

6 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 LEDsmagazine.com

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 ____________
 views
news
ARCHITECTURAL LIGHTING

Schrder RGB LED floodlights highlight

Grand Place architecture
Five years after the city of Brussels and the Beliris
collaboration of the Belgium state and the
Brussels Capital region began planning
to enhance the historic Grand Place
central square, new lighting of the
historic site is live on the City Hall
structure. Solid-state lighting
(SSL) from Schrder, including
RGB LEDs, can wash the build-
ing and tower with soft white
light or create dynamic colored
lighting displays with choreo-
graphed audio for special events.
The Grand Place in Brussels is
a United Nations Educational, Sci-
entific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) world heritage site, a popular
tourist destination and home to world-renowned
Gothic architecture. While the enhancement project main-
tains the historic look, the lighting retrofit brings modern
technology to the site with an elaborate network-control sys-
tem and the dynamically-controllable lighting.
Lighting designers Isabelle Corten, Louis Dandrel and
Patrick Rimoux created the plans for the SSL project. Fabr-
icom is installing the lighting with the portion installed on
the City Hall building activated in October coincident to a
local election. Laurette Onkelix, the president of Beliris, and
Freddy Thielemans, the mayor of Brussels, switched on the
City Hall lighting in an inaugural celebration.
The City Hall is now lit by 1600 Schrder BaroLED flood-
lights that are linear fi xtures with RGB LED arrays. Th e
fi xtures are discretely mounted on ledges and other archi-
tectural elements of the structure. Visitors see no evidence
of the fi xtures.
The networked system combines separate audio and
lighting controllers along with both fiber-optic and Eth-
ernet networks that link routers mounted throughout the
building. The routers in turn use a DMX network to com-
municate with the intelligent fi xtures.
Brussels had multiple objectives in developing a lighting
plan for Grand Place that included both the desire for sav-
ings in energy and maintenance costs. The city also wanted
to accentuate even the small details of the architecture,
improve the ambiance for visitors, and enhance the iden-
tity of both Belgium and the city of Brussels.
The city took a painstaking approach to the
project, defining a precise manner in which
competitive proposals could be judged.
The evaluation process was weighted
with 30% of the decision based on
price, 30% on actual on-site tests,
10% on fi xture quality, and 30% on
energy usage. The on-site tests, for
example, revealed some of the pro-
posed products didnt deliver uni-
form light levels while others didnt render colors correctly.
The installed system based on the Schrder fi xtures deliv-
ers 30% in energy savings over the prior lighting. Moreover
the city has the option of dimming the lights and reaching
a 50% energy reduction. The new installation will reduce
maintenance costs by a factor of four, and reliable long-life
lighting was critically important given that many of the fi x-
tures are difficult to access.
Progress on the overall Grand Place project continues
including lighting for other facades surrounding the square,
and full installation of the audio and lighting control sys-
tems. Scheduled completion is June 2013 although the city
will continue to enable new features as the work progresses.
For example the city will shortly enable the next phase that
includes a sound and light spectacular involving the City
Hall, the Kings House and the Christmas tree.

LEDsmagazine.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 9

news+views
RETROFIT LAMPS
Osram Sylvania wins race to offer
100W-equivalent LED A-lamp
Beginning at Lightfair International (LFI)
earlier this year, it became clear
that the major lighting ven-
dors were in a heated race
to be first to market
with a 100W-equivalent
LED A-lamp (www. ____
ledsmagazine.com/
_______
news/9/5/4). Osram
Sylvania hit the finish
line first with some Lowes
retailers selling the compa-
nys Sylvania Ultra LED 20W A21
product starting in mid-November.
Philips Lighting came a close second
with its EnduraLED 100W-equivalent lamp
going on sale at Home Depot December 1.
The Sylvania product outputs 1600 lm
with efficacy of 80 lm/W. It has a CRI of 80,
color temperature of 2700K and is dimma-
ble to 10%. The company said that based
on the 25,000-hr rated life, the lamp would
save consumers $220 over its life relative to
an incandescent lamp.
Fast forward six months, and the race to
market will probably matter little in terms
of the sales of 100W-equivalent LED lamps.
But differences in product design may. Both
___________________________________
______________________
10 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012
the Osram and Philips designs are in the A-21
form factor that is slightly larger than the A-19
size that is most commonly used in homes. GE
Lighting has said that it will deliver an A-19
100W-equivalent lamp, although it may be six
months before that product ships.
Moreover, the Osram and Phil-
ips products are vastly different
in looks. The Philips design uses
remote phosphor and is yellow-
orange tinted in the off state.
The Osram design (pictured
nearby) looks white, but still has
prominent cooling features evi-
dent in the design.
The specs differ as well.
Philips says its lamp will
deliver 1780 lm more than
is typical from a 100W incan-
descent lamp that comes in
around 1600 lm. But the Phil-
ips design also is a 22W lamp.
The Osram lamp is selling for $50 while
the Philips product is selling for $55.
MORE: www.ledsmagazine.com/news/9/10/24
L-Prize lamp update
In other retrofit lamp news, the US Department
of Energy (DOE) said that it had completed
20,000 hrs of testing of the Philips lamp that
one the L Prize last year (www.ledsmagazine.
com/news/9/11/13). The DOE said that the tests
were the equal of 18 years of household usage,
that none of the 200 lamps in the test has failed,
and that average lumen maintenance remains
above 100% of the initial output.
Of course price has been an issue for the
lamp, but the product is more attractive for
consumers that can snare one of the rebates
being offered by certain utilities around the
US. Efficiency Vermont is offering a $20 rebate
through Home Depot stores in the state. The
Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency
is offering businesses a $20 rebate and con-
sumers a $15 rebate. Puget Sound Energy in
Washington State is offering consumers a
$10 rebate plus a $5 discount coupon usable
at Home Depot stores, as well as a $20 rebate
for business customers.
Philips Lighting also recently announced
a DimTone BR30 lamp that mimics the dim-
to-warm color temperature change of incan-
descent and halogen lamps. And the com-
pany announced an LED T8 retrofit lamp
that relies on an external driver thats
installed in pace of the fluorescent ballast.
MORE: www.ledsmagazine.com/news/9/10/24
PACKAGED LEDS
Sharp debuts tunable COB array
Sharp has taken a new approach to color-
tunable lighting, offering a compact chip-
on-board (COB) LED array that emits
LEDsmagazine.com
____________________
news+views
warm and cold white light at the
same time. The Tiger Zenigata
array can be adjusted from
2700K to 5700K. Depending
on the color tempera-
ture, the module emits
a luminous flux of 1900
lm to 2200 lm with a
power consumption of
around 25W.
The ability to adjust the color temperature
of a white-light LED fi xture provides benefits
in a number of applications, for example, opti-
mizing displays in retail applications when
new goods are featured. In offices, hotels and
other scenarios, the color temperature can
be adjusted throughout the day to optimize
comfort, productivity and wellbeing.
The usual method to achieve an adjust-
able color temperature is to have an array of
different LEDs, for example a mix of warm-
and cool-white LEDs. Sharp uses a total of
168 blue LED chips that are coated by strips
__________
of different blends of
red and green phos-
phors, which create
the warm- or cold-white-
light spectral energy.
The alternating strips
are interconnected in two
independent electrical cir-
cuits. The circuit for the 2700K
component is made up of 96 chips
arranged in eight parallel strips of
12 LEDs. The 5700K light component is cre-
ated from 72 chips in six parallel strips.
Sharp says that high CRI values can be
achieved, reaching a maximum of 92 for
cold white and up to 94 for warm white.
The Tiger Zenigata has the same form fac-
tor as Sharps Mega Zeni LED arrays. Sharp
says that it should be easy to adapt exist-
ing luminaire designs that currently use its
fi xed color-temperature arrays so that they
can have color-tuning capability.
MORE: www.ledsmagazine.com/news/9/11/10
COLOR TUNING
Philips HUE lamp offers
tunable color
Philips Lighting has introduced an LED retrofit
lamp called Hue that uses a mix of LEDs to pro-
duce tunable white light and 16 million colors.
Users of Hue will control the lamp using Apple
or Android smartphones or tablets that con-
nect to the lamp over a ZigBee-based wireless
network that is bridged to home or office data
networks and the Internet.
A $199 Hue starter kit includes the required
ZigBee bridge and three of the Hue lamps.
Additional lamps sell for $59. One smartphone
can control as many as 50 lamps. And the
Apple and Android apps for the lamps are free.
Uses for Hue are both novel and prac-
tical. A user can turn lights on remotely,
perhaps just before arriving home on a
dark night. In terms of white color tem-
perature and RGB color control, the Hue
app comes with preset lighting scenarios
_________
news+views
for read, concentrate, energize and relax
modes. Buyers can program additional
presets. Certainly as researchers discover
the positive impact of the light spectrum
on our health, Philips can argue that Hue
can enhance peoples wellbeing while also
offering conveniences.
Philips hasnt revealed the full design
details behind Hue, but has said that it uses a
mix of three colored LEDs lime-green, red-
orange, and royal-blue LEDs. Philips said that
the lime-green LED is crucial to the lamps
ability to deliver a CRI of 91. Traditionally,
green LEDs are less efficient than other col-
_______________
ors, but Philips Lumileds developed the lime-
green LED that apparently overcomes the effi-
ciency obstacle to some degree.
Hue can produce 600 lm, making it gener-
ally equivalent to a 50W incandescent lamp.
The LED-based Hue uses only 8.5W. Philips
said that the lamp design is based on the Zig-
Bee Light Link standard that was conceived
to allow plug-and-play interaction between
lamps, dimmers, outlets, sensors, switches,
and other lighting-related products from
multiple vendors (www.ledsmagazine.com/
news/9/4/19). Reliance on ZigBee Light Link
_______
should ultimately mean that Hue will inter-
operate with products from other vendors.
Philips will encourage third parties to
develop additional apps for Hue and associ-
ated products. The company is publishing the
application programming interface (API) that
software developers use to communicate with
the lamps. Moreover, it is releasing a compre-
hensive software development kit (SDK).
MORE: www.ledsmagazine.com/news/9/10/25
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 funding
programs
DOE Gateway report indicates LED
post-top lighting performed efficiently
in New Yorks Central Park
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has
published the evaluation report from a
Gateway demonstration in New York Citys
Central Park, conducted in collabora-
tion with The Climate Group and the New
York City Department of Transportation.
Four complete LED post-top luminaires
from Spring City, King Luminaire, Philips
Lumec, and Osram Sylvania were installed,
along with one retrofit post-top luminaire
kit from Sentry Electric. The LED luminaires
were evaluated for energy savings, lifecycle
cost, and light quality relative to the exist-
ing metal-halide (MH) luminaires.
The LED products demonstrated signifi-
cant energy savings and four of the five had
lower lifecycle cost than the MH incumbents.
A new method was developed to compare hor-
izontal and vertical illumination given var-
ied pole spacing. Following this report, an
updated version of the Spring City luminaire
was chosen for the retrofit of 1588 post-top
luminaires in Central Park, which began in
May of this year and is still in progress.
Two of the LED products provided bet-
ter horizontal illuminance values and three
products provided better vertical illuminance
values than the MH incumbent. Four LED
products had better backlight, uplight and
glare (BUG) ratings than the MH luminaire.
All of the LED products evaluated pro-
vided significant energy reductions rela-
tive to the MH baseline, measured at 51%
for the King Luminaire, 55% for the Sentry
Electric, 58% for the Philips Lumec, 67% for
the Spring City and 83% for the Osram Syl-
vania luminaire.
LEDsmagazine.com
Four of the LED products off ered lower
lifecycle costs than the incumbent lumi-
naire. The Osram Sylvania luminaire
had the lowest lifecycle cost, followed
by Philips Lumec, King Luminaire,
and Spring City, then the MH baseline
and Sentry Electric luminaire.
The New York City DOT selected an
updated version of Spring Citys Central
Park luminaire to install throughout Cen-
tral Park. The newer version is 15% more
efficacious than the one evaluated in the
Gateway study. The Spring City luminaire
in the study was the only one of the fi ve
evaluated luminaires with a warm-white
color temperature (3000K CCT) and it also
offered the highest CRI at 85.
MORE: www.ledsmagazine.com/news/9/10/2
Zhaga publishes
specification for LED
spotlight modules
Zhaga, the international lighting-indus-
try consortium that is developing speci-
fications for the interfaces of a variety of
LED light engines, has unveiled its first
specification for public viewing.
Zhaga Book 3, which defines the
interfaces for spotlight-type LED light
engines, is now available on the Zhaga
website. The current version is edition
1.2, and updated versions will be posted
periodically.
Book 3 defines the interfaces between
a luminaire and a non-socketable LED
light engine (LLE) with separate elec-
tronic control gear (ECG). The light
engine has a round disc shape, with a
maximum height of 7.2 mm and a typi-
cal diameter of 50 mm. One example is
Osrams Prevaled Core Z2 LED Module.
During their development phase and
when first finalized, the Zhaga specifica-
tions are confidential and available only
to members of the Zhaga Consortium.
However, Zhagas policy is to publish each
specification once certification is avail-
able (from third-party providers), and
once the first products with the Zhaga
logo have been sold by Zhaga members.
In late August 2012, Zhaga said that
40 products have been certified to be
compliant with either Book 2 or Book 3.
These products include
LED modules, LED
light engines, LED
luminaires, and
holders.
Book 3 defines
t he i nter fa ce
specifications for
an LED light source
that is used for spot
lighting and other applications that
need a point light source. The LLEs
covered by Book 3 have a round disc-
shaped aperture, called a light-emit-
ting surface, with a diameter between
9 mm and 23 mm.
MORE: www.ledsmagazine.com/news/9/10/8
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 17
 Chinese LED maker plans major
investment in Taiwanese chip company
SanAn Optoelectronics Co. Ltd, one of Chinas largest LED makers,
plans to invest NT$2.35 billion (approx. $80 million) in Formosa
Epitaxy (Forepi), a Taiwan-based manufacturer of InGaN-based LED
wafers and chips. The deal, which is subject to regulatory and board
approvals, would give SanAn a 19.9% stake in Forepi.
SanAn plans to acquire, via its 100% owned Xiamen subsidiary,
up to 120 million new shares in Forepi at NT$19.6 ($0.67) per share,
according to the Taipei Times. SanAn will become Forepis largest
institutional shareholder, ahead of Japans Mitsui & Co, which holds
15% of the company. If approved, the deal is set to become the biggest
single investment by a Chinese firm since Taiwan relaxed rules on
mainland investment in 2009, according to an AFP article.
SanAns website says that the company has more than 150 MOCVD
systems, making it the largest production base for LED epita xial
products in China. As well as LED wafers, the company also pro-
duces LED chips, sapphire substrates, and solar-cell products.
Formosa Epitaxy, the second largest LED chipmaker in Tai-
wan, said the new capital from SanAn Optoelectronics would help
strengthen its fi nancial position, expand its business scale and
enhance its competitiveness, according to the Taipei Times article.
MORE: www.ledsmagazine.com/news/9/11/9

DOE awards SBIR grants to Applied Nanotech

and Universal Display for SSL research
Applied Nanotech and Universal Display have received small busi-
ness innovation research (SBIR) grants from the US Department
of Energy (DOE). These awards will explore the merit of CarbAI-
based boards for power LED packaging and a low cost single layer
outcoupling solution for OLED lighting.
The grant awarded to Applied Nanotech, for $149,933, will explore
using the CarbAl heat-transfer material in a high-power LED cir-
cuit board. The goal is to use lower cost materials and less complex
manufacturing techniques for the boards. The CarbAl heat transfer
material has a combination of low density, high thermal diffusivity,
high thermal conductivity, and a low coefficient of thermal expan-
sion (CTE) that results in a material that exceeds the capabilities of
conventional passive thermal management materials.
The grant awarded to Universal Display, for $150,000, will focus on
the companys research in a single-layer outcoupling manufactur-
ing technique that can deliver External Quantum Efficiencies (EQE)
of greater than 42%, providing superior light extraction when com-
pared to high-efficiency phosphorescent white organic light-emit-
ting diodes (WOLED) produced with no outcoupling enhancement.
This increase in EQE will yield a 2-mm2 WOLED lighting pixel with
an efficacy of more than 80 lm/W, a CRI of over 80, and a lifetime
to L70 of more than 30,000 hours in a lighting system with a total
thickness of 3 mm or less.
Th is grant is intended to push OLED technology toward the
DOEs target of 140 lm/W in an OLED lighting system. Universal
Display has already achieved a research milestone of 102 lm/W
with a WOLED research lighting panel.
________________________
 funding programs

Taiwan government plans LED lamp subsidy

LED manufacturers in Taiwan received
a boost recently when government offi-
cials announced a subsidy for LED lamps,
according to an article on the Focus Taiwan
website. The Ministry of Economic Affairs
(MOEA) is reportedly thinking of offering a
subsidy of NT$200 ($6.87) per lamp.
The Minister of Economic Affairs Shih
Yen-shiang said that the NT$1 billion
($34.3 million) subsidy program to encour-
age domestic consumers to buy LED lamps
would commence in a months time.
Households will be able to claim the sub-
sidy of NT$200 per LED lamp for five to ten
lamps, said Shih. LED lamps typically cost
NT$400-$500 ($13.73-$17.16), so the subsidy
could halve the price in some cases.
With rising environmental awareness in
Taiwan, analysts say that consumers will
be willing to buy LED lamps if the prod-
ucts become more affordable. High prices
are thought to be delaying the growth of the
LED lighting market.
The subsidy is likely to be good news for
the market, although there are worries that
consumers will delay purchasing LED lamps
until the MOEA launches the subsidy pro-
gram in a months time, says the article.
Several local firms that produce their own
brands of LED lamps saw their share price
rise following the announcement, includ-
ing China Electric Manufacturing Co., Delta
Electronics Inc. and Everlight Electronics.
LED component makers including Formosa
Epitaxy and Edison Opto Corp. also saw a
positive response.
Meanwhile, Biing-Jye Lee, chairman of
Taiwan-based LED chipmaker Epistar, told
the Digitimes website that Taiwan-based
LED companies have been facing rising com-
petition from their China-based peers. Partly
this has been due to the subsidies provided
by the Chinese government, for both equip-
ment procurement and plant construction,
but these will come to an end in 2014.
Lee said that Taiwan-based LED compa-
nies own advanced technology, while Chi-
nese companies have access to a large mar-
ket. If Taiwan- and China-based LED firms
can cooperate in the international LED
lighting market, said Lee, then the alliance
will be influential and meaningful.
Lee also said that Chinese companies
have created an over-supply situation, and
this has forced prices to fall. However, sev-
eral LED epitaxial-wafer suppliers in China
have already been asked to merge, said Lee,
who also predicted that only five large-size
LED fi rms will be left in China by 2015.
Our feature article on the prospect for
a top-ten LED maker to emerge in China
(page 49) discusses the subsidies in detail,
along with the application segments in
China that are poised to consume consid-
erable numbers of LEDs.
MORE: www.ledsmagazine.com/news/9/10/1

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conferencepreview | STRATEGIES IN LIGHT 2013
SIL 2013 will celebrate 50 years of
LEDs and chronicle SSL proliferation
The 14th annual Strategies in Light conference will be held February 12-14, 2013 in Santa Clara, CA
and ELLA SHUM writes that the 50 th year of LED technology will be a prime theme although the future
development of SSL will pervade most presentations.
T
o get a feel for the theme at Strategies
in Light (SIL) 2013, simply consider
the presentation planned by the
inventor of the blue LED Shuji Nakamura that
will explore what we expect in LEDs in 2020.
Indeed the February 12-14 conference (www.____
strategiesinlight.com) that will take place at
the Santa Clara, CA Convention Center will
include presentations that cover the gamut
of LED manufacturing to solid-state lighting
applications (SSL) focused on broader deploy-
ment of the technologies and the trend that
LEDs will become our primary light source.
The conference will celebrate the 50 th birth-
day of the LED, but the pioneers that will be
recognized at the event will speak about the
future of the technology.
New for 2013
As always, SIL 2013 will provide a compel-
ling conference, an Investor Forum, and an
exhibit hall packed with innovative new
products. But there are notable changes in
store that promise to make the 2013 event
the best ever.
For the fi rst time, everyone attending
the conference can attend the Plenary
Session. And that session is star studded
__________________________
(www.strategiesinlight.com/plenary-ses-
sion.html).
______ We have invited the leaders and
visionaries of the industry to address the
conference and we want everyone to be able
to hear the talks.
We have also changed the track struc-
ture, abolishing the hard line between the
old HB-LED and Lighting Tracks. We have
ELLA SHUM is the Director of the LED Practice
at Strategies Unlimited and Chair of Strategies
in Light Conferences.
LEDsmagazine.com
recognized that the audience is mainly inter- and will affect our world for generations to
ested in the market and technology so we come. We cant wait to hear what he has to say
have created the LED & Lighting Technol- about what the LED will look like in 2020.
ogy Track and LED & Lighting Market Bob Steele will be hosting the Pioneer
Track. Some technology topics are applica- Awards, recognizing some of the key peo-
ble for lighting and other applications and ple who have influenced the development
companies in lighting may branch out into of our industry. Nick Holonyak, George Cra-
other markets. ford, and Roland Haitz and will join Naka-
We will still offer a Manufacturing Track. mura, in being recognized for their contri-
But unless you register solely for the Manu- butions to the industry.
facturing Track, you can attend talks in all
tracks. So pick your talks, not your tracks! Hot topics
While LED lighting has made a significant
Plenary Session move into the market, many issues remain
Back to the Plenary Session, we will be cele- to broader deployment. Moreover applica-
brating the 50th Anniversary of the invention tions beyond general illumination are open-
of the visible LED at SIL 2013. Besides talks ing broader opportunities for LEDs.
from leaders of the indus- At SIL 2013, we will get to
try like M J Jou of Epistar hear visions for LED light-
and Nobert Hiller of Cree, ing from influential leaders
we have invited Professor in the industry. We will learn
Shuji Nakamura, inven- about how LEDs will affect
tor of the blue LED, to give the way we live our health
us a visionary talk on the and the food we grow. Indeed
future of the LED. how LED lighting affects our
Twenty years ago, Dr. health is becoming a hot topic.
Nakamura had a vision that Based on her research, Pro-
gallium nitride (GaN) could fessor Mariana Figueiro of
yield a high efficiency blue the Lighting Research Cen-
emitter and, by combining ter (LRC) will be speaking
it with Nichias phosphor about the truths and myths
Shuji Nakamura, research
technology, could replace surrounding LED lighting
director of the Solid State
the Edison light bulb. With and our health. We will also
Lighting & Energy Center at
his breakthrough blue LED be hosting a 4 hour workshop
the University of California at
in 1993, and his first white dedicated to Human factors
Santa Barbara, and inventor
LED a few years later, he & lighting design.
of the blue GaN LED.
unveiled his vision to the Talks will further report on
world leapfrogging all the performance of LEDs thus
the established players and stunning the world. far in real life application. We have speakers
And now, his vision has become our reality, reporting on adaptive controls in outdoor
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 21
conference preview | STRATEGIES IN LIGHT 2013
lighting, and the challenges of replacing
office lighting. Speakers will compare avail-
ability, diversity and pricing of LED-based
products relative to other lighting technol-
ogies and the role of designers in the LED
lighting transformation.
One major challenge In LED lighting is
the growing number of tests involved. Test-
ing and standards have been a positive fac-
tor helping the industry develop higher qual-
ity products. Still the number of tests, the
amount of time that elapses during tests, the
cost of all the tests, and the need to repeat
tests due to small product changes have bal-
looned. It is getting to a point where it is suf-
focating the innovation in LED lighting.
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has
opened the discussion on ways to miti-
gate the testing problem while still ensur-
ing product quality. We will help move that
discussion further at SIL 2013. We have a
dedicated session called Testing & speed
of innovation where there will be presen-
tations from Finelite, the DOE, and utility
Southern California Edison. That session
will conclude with a panel discussion that
promises to be very lively.
As previously noted, the presentations
will go beyond general lighting. We are for-
tunate to have Wolfgang Lex of Osram Opto
Semiconductor speak this year presenting
Is there light beyond lighting? Lex will dis-
cuss a number of applications beyond dis-
play backlighting and general lighting that
will consume significant volumes of LEDs.
The Investor Forum
We will again host an Investor Forum at SIL
2013. Many investment professionals, finan-
cial analysts, venture capitalists, and merger
and acquisition groups in large companies
are interested in start-ups in the LED and
Lighting sector. We have invited 12 start-
ups, selected from different stages of devel-
opment, to discuss their companies and
new technologies. Each company gets a 15
minute slot to present. Last year, one CEO of
a start-up was immediately surrounded by
interested parties upon leaving the podium.
He received $9M three months later and it all
started with his presentation at this forum.
The start-ups this year are almost all
focused on LED lighting ranging from
control to drivers to luminaires. We also have
four longer talks to anchor the day including
the keynote from Christian Schraft, senior
vice president of Osram, speaking about
the lighting industry. Dan Coyne, managing
Director of Canaccord Genuity, will discuss
the industrys liquidity and valuation trends.
A lively panel at the end of day will be
moderated by Robert Walker, previously a
venture capitalist and LED industry execu-
tive who is now the CEO of a stealth-mode
startup. The panelists will include venture
capitalists from Kleiner Perkins, Capricorn,
NGEN Partners, and from and the invest-
ment bank Canaccord Genuity.
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conference | STRATEGIES IN LIGHT EUROPE
Strategies in Light Europe focuses
on growth opportunities in the
changing LED lighting market
Although the lighting market in Europe has been challenging of late, the industry continues with
its headlong transformation towards greater adoption of LEDs, creating new business models and
opportunities along the way, TIM WHITAKER reports.
S
ince its inception, Strategies in
Light (SIL) Europe has focused on
the issues affecting the regions LED
lighting industry, looking both at the trans-
formation of the market and also the key
technology issues. This year, SIL Europe
took place in mid-September in Munich,
Germany, and the conference was split into
two parallel tracks on market transforma-
tion and technology. The opening day fea-
tured well-attended workshops on European
standards for LED lighting, and the biologi-
cal aspects of light, as well as the Solid-State
Lighting (SSL) Investor Forum (see sidebar,
page 26). A selection of photos can be viewed
at www.ledsmagazine.com/features/9/11/3.
Slow market growth
Vrinda Bhandarkar, a research analyst with
Strategies Unlimited, opened the Keynote
session of the conference with an over-
view of the LED and lighting markets. The
year-on-year growth in the global market
for LED packages has fallen by an order of
magnitude in each of the last two years: the
market grew by 108% in 2010 and by 11.3%
in 2011, and Bhandarkar predicted that
2012s fi gure would be 1.5%. Th is would
put the total LED revenue at $12.7 billion
in 2012. Unit sales have of course grown
far more rapidly in percentage terms, but
this has been off set by a rapid decline in
the price of both LED chips and packages.
One factor has been the over-capacity of
mid- and low-power LEDs, particularly
among Korean and Taiwanese manufac-
turers. These devices were intended for use
in the TV and display market, but are now
LEDsmagazine.com
metric is rapidly becoming more
important than lm/W, which has
dominated technological prog-
ress in the last decade. Manuel
Zarauza of LED supplier Seoul
Semiconductor said that OEMs
are already talking about figures
as high as 2000 lm/$ (as well as
180 lm/W) by 2015.
Switching to the LED lighting
products themselves, Bhandarkar
said that the combined market for
LED lamps and luminaires will
grow at a CAGR of 17% from 2011
to 2016. Luminaires will grow at
19%, while the replacement-lamp
market will grow at 11% and will
saturate after 2014 at just over $4
billion per year.
Market transformation
Looking at the big picture,
Bhandarkar said that commod-
FIG. 1. Bernhard Dessecker of the Ingo Maurer itization is inevitable, partly as
Studio presented a lighting designers view of LED a result of government incentives
lighting, and SIL Europe attendees were invited and rebates. These encourage
to an evening reception at the firms studio in large-scale adoption, leading to
Munich. The LED wallpaper pictured is one of the commoditization and ultimately
company's many creative uses of LEDs. delivering the substantial energy
savings that provide payback for
those incentives. The industry is
increasingly being used for ambient light- heading for a substantial shake-up,
ing applications, said Bhandarkar. Prices said Bhandarkar. Consolidation to increase
for 4000K white LEDs are, on average, likely scale is inevitable, she said. Also, the indus-
to drop below $4/kilolumen (equivalent to try will take advantage of control systems
250 lm/$) by the end of 2012, she said, with to achieve greater energy-efficiency sav-
2700K LEDs being about twice as expensive. ings, although customized lighting design
A number of speakers said that the lm/$ will also be required to make this happen.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 25
conference | STRATEGIES IN LIGHT EUROPE
Many speakers at SIL Europe focused on the
transformation of the lighting industry. For exam-
ple, Guido van Tartwijk of Philips talked about a
three-phase transformation of the lamp market.
Race 1 is to create true replacements for differ-
ent lamp types that meet certain good enough
points in terms of lumen output and efficacy (in
lm/W). Race 2 is aggressive cost down to achieve
consumer-acceptable price points in a sustain-
able way. Th is helps to build shipment volumes
and reduce payback times. Race 3 is to add features,
such as intelligence and networking, which lead to
FIG. 2. At SIL Europe, Optotune showed focus-
tunable lenses in a variety of sizes, using
elastic polymers (see www.ledsmagazine.com/
____________
features/8/10/16).
new experiences for the end user. Another speaker
from Philips, Annetta Kelso, spoke about the mar-
ket transformation of the European lighting indus-
try, as described in detail on page 43.
Jaap Schlejen of Samsung Electronics LED offered
a different perspective, looking at three waves of
development. The fi rst wave was the introduction
of high-power LEDs, which enabled architectural
projects using colored LEDs, and various outdoor
and indoor applications using white LEDs. The sec-
ond wave was mid-power (MP) LEDs, which as dis-
cussed above became more prevalent when compa-
26 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012
SSL Investor Forum
This years Solid-State Lighting Investor Forum included presentations from
a number of private companies looking for investment, as well as input from
experts from the financial sector. Will Mackie of Berenberg Bank discussed
issues faced by non-experts when looking to invest in the lighting market.
Investors are concerned with available returns in a changing environment,
he said. The introduction of LED technology has disrupted the lighting
industrys value chain in a number of ways. For example, there is a general
compression of product lifecycles, along with higher levels of R&D spending,
concerns about capital expenditures, and the need to focus on supply-
chain management to deal with rapid obsolescence of new products as LED
technology continues to evolve and improve.
The issue of shorter lifecycles represents one of five key investor
concerns highlighted by Mackie. Another is margin compression, as a
result of high R&D spending and a lack of economies of scale, which will
only be resolved when true high-volume markets emerge. Also, LED chips
and packages are becoming commoditized, with an increasing focus on
lm/$ (rather than lm/W). The potential for profit is more uncertain as
this part of the market shifts towards a more competitive, higher-volume
situation.
Mackie also highlighted concerns over the long-term decline in the lamps
business, although a healthy market will be enjoyed in the next few years. The
final investor concern relates to the shift in value to luminaires and solutions,
which in turn requires higher selling expenses and more individualization.
Greater application knowledge and the ability to integrate a range of products
and technologies will be key, said Mackie.
Jrg Sperling of WHEB Partners gave a cleantech investors view of LED
lighting. He said that venture capitalists (VCs) look for disruptive technology,
sustainable differentiation, and attractive valuations and described SSL as
a VC-ready field. Suitable companies may not offer light-emitting products
or components, but could instead offer new, enabling, ancillary technologies.
Since systems are becoming increasingly important due to LED
commoditization, VCs will be looking at areas such as intelligent
LED controls and smart-grid integration as potential hot topics for
investment, said Sperling.
While WHEB looks for companies that are already profitable with $5-10
million in revenue, Arch Ventures funds very-early-stage companies. Archs
Paul Thurk gave a US-based VCs view of the European SSL market, and
said that there is absolutely a gap in early-stage funding in Europe.
Establishing a tighter SSL community would help start-ups, said Thurk,
describing the success of the DOE program in the US. The funding level
is not enormous, at around $114 million in total since inception, but the
program has had a huge community-building effect. Europe could really
use an equivalent, said Thurk.
Money is tight in Europe, and many SSL efforts are under-resourced,
said Thurk. It takes a certain level of funding to prove that the idea will work,
but this is essential so that the company can compete and stay ahead on
IP. Most start-ups in the US receive some form of non-dilutive funding from
different government agencies, said Thurk. However, the system in Europe
to gain FP7 funding from the EC requires partnering with organizations from
other countries, which can bring its own set of problems.
LEDsmagazine.com
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conference | STRATEGIES IN LIGHT EUROPE
nies including Samsung installed excessive
capacity for the TV backlighting market.
Schlejen said that MP LEDs have enabled ret-
rofit lamps to hit acceptable consumer price
points, and that MP developments make LED
linear-fluorescent retrofits attractive.
The third wave is in smart lighting,
using cost-effective integration of controls
and intuitive user interfaces. The third
wave will be enabled by IC makers that can
integrate complex functions, said Schle-
jen. He added that many of todays stupid
professional lighting installations can be
converted using smart retrofits that will
enhance energy savings, safety and com-
fort. Schlejen concluded that the industry is
buoyant, but some companies will need to be
careful in their approach. Continuing with
his wave theme, he advised: Surfs up. But
dont lose your pants.
Drivers Characteristics
Demographic change More people, more elderly
Electrification More grids
Emerging market shift More income
Energy efficiency More-efficient lamps
De-carbonization More bans/restrictions
Digitalization More intelligence
Emotionalization of light Light used for special events and setting the mood
TABLE 1. A variety of driving forces are shaping the future of the global lighting
market. Source: Christian Schraft, Osram AG.
An industry in flux
Christian Schraft of Osram AG charac-
terized the traditional lighting market
as being split into two distinct segments:
lamps and fi xtures. The former was global,
standardized, and based on the demand
created by replacement. There were a
small number of leading suppliers, in what
William Mackie of Berenberg Bank referred
to as a comfortable oligopoly. The tradi-
tional fi xtures market could be character-
ized, said Schraft, as application-specific
and regional, with small-batch produc-
tion. The introduction of LEDs created a
lifetime light source that will ultimately
eliminate the replacement business, said
Schraft. Integrated LED luminaires are
another unprecedented feature of the evolv-
ing lighting industry.
28 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012
Changes in the market also impact how
lighting companies operate. Previously,
companies supplied either lamps or fi xtures
(with Philips as a notable exception) but now
the boundaries are blurred, said Schraft.
Osram already operates at many different
points on the value chain, ranging from its
LED-making subsidiary Osram Opto Semi-
conductors to recently-acquired fi xture and
system suppliers Siteco and Traxon. Overall,
Osram AG generated about 25% of its rev-
enue in fiscal 2011 from SSL, said Schraft.
Of course, another impact of the inroads
made by SSL is the emergence of smaller
companies specializing in SSL technology.
Berenbergs Mackie commented that, while
industry leaders are having to manage leg-
acy and build bridges to the future, at the
same time fragmentation and technology
creates opportunities for new entrants.
Growth
Volume based
Value based
Quality of life
Schraft characterized the changes in the
lighting industry as involving a transition
to higher-value LED-based products and
applications, and a transformation to intel-
ligent networked solutions and value-added
services. The drivers of change are summa-
rized in Table 1.
Schraft contrasted the replacement of
older lighting technologies with the way in
which the TV industry has eliminated CRTs,
and digital cameras have effectively elimi-
nated fi lm. However, lighting is different,
said Schraft: although the market value of
traditional (non-SSL) lighting peaked in 2011
it will still account for a third of the market
in 2020. The installed base will have a long
life, or golden tail, he said, and there will
be coexistence of different technologies for
many years to come.
FIG. 3. SIL Europe exhibitor Cool
Polymers showcased a number of LED
lamps with bodies fabricated using the
companys thermally-conductive plastics.
Schraft also discussed different regional
preferences. Warm-light countries typi-
cally prefer 3300K or below, and light qual-
ity is a key purchasing reason. These tend to
be more-developed countries in North Amer-
ica and Europe that have a higher purchas-
ing power. Conversely, many less-developed
countries have a cold-light preference for
light above 5000K, and low cost and energy
saving are the primary purchasing reasons.
Ecodesign regulations and labeling
Jan Denneman, chairman of the Global
Lighting Association (GLA), made the point
that companies alone cannot set standards
or influence regulations. This is where orga-
nizations such as the GLA and the European
Lamp Companies Federation (ELC) come in.
One of the people that the ELC might seek to
influence with regard to European regula-
tions is Andrs Tth of the Energy Efficiency
unit of the Directorate-General (DG) for
Energy at the European Commission (EC).
At SIL Europe, Tth provided an update on
the new Ecodesign and Energy Labelling
regulations that should come into effect
in September 2013. These and other
European regulations, projects and fund-
ing schemes were discussed a recent LEDs
Magazine article (www.ledsmagazine.com/
_________
features/9/9/3).
The Energy Labeling regulation (874/2012)
has been adopted by the EC, and in the week
LEDsmagazine.com
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conference | STRATEGIES IN LIGHT EUROPE

following SIL Europe it was published in the
OJ (Official Journal of the European Union).
It will become directly applicable in all EU
Member States from September 1, 2013.
The same start date is planned for the new
Ecodesign regulation, but this is currently
within a scrutiny period (see Table 2).
The revised version of the energy label for
lamps has new A+ and A++ classes, which
are specifically designed to allow LEDs to
demonstrate their capabilities. The label (or
package) must also display a value for energy
consumption in units of kWh per 1000 hours.
The class is determined by the value of the
energy-efficiency index (EEI), with differ-
ent values applying to non-directional and
directional lamps. The EEI is the ratio of the
power corrected for any control-gear losses
compared with the reference power. The
latter is obtained from the useful luminous
flux; this is the total flux for non-directional
lamps, or the flux in a 90 or 120 cone for
directional lamps.
Luminaires are also included in the new
regulation, but there is no separate labeling
requirement for LED modules that are inte-
grated into luminaires. Replaceable modules
will require a label.
EC projects and research
The ECs Michael Ziegler, representing the
Photonics Unit of DG Connect, spoke about
the outcomes from the consultation on the
Green Paper on SSL, as previously discussed
in LEDs Magazine (www.ledsmagazine.
com/features/9/9/3). Ziegler said that two
lead markets have been identified to accel-
erate SSL uptake, namely cities and build-
ings. In March 2012, the EC established the
Task Force on SSL for Cities, with a goal to
provide guidelines for SSL deployment in
municipalities. The effort will run through
to the end of this year.
FIG. 4. Suncom high-bay LED fi xtures from
Suzhou EIC Electronic Co. Ltd. feature a
phase-change heat exchanger in the large heat
sink to remove heat from the LED light source.
Zieglers most interesting slide was an invi-
tation from the EC to the European lighting
industry which was well-represented in the
SIL Europe audience to undertake various
actions, such as creating win-win coopera-
tion platforms. This could include large light-
ing companies working with SMEs (small and
medium enterprises), or the lighting sector
working more closely with the building sec-
tor, said Ziegler. The EC would also like to
see the lighting industry invest in Europe,
for example in SSL manufacturing, as well
as contributing to the training of lighting
designers, electrical installers and resellers.
Ziegler also discussed the ECs cohe-
sion policy that will encourage smart spe-
cialization and help nations or regions to
focus on particular areas of technol-
ogy. This policy could include funding
for key enabling technologies, such as
setting up pilot lines for SSL but this
would most likely be for OLEDs rather
than LEDs.
Michel Quicheron gave an overview
of the SSL-related activities conducted
by the ECs Joint Research Centre (JRC).
He covered a report on public procure-
ment, which concluded that lighting
is often not among priority product
groups for such activities. This is due in
part to the lack of standards, the wide
variety of specifications in the market,
and the rapid development of the tech-
nology. Public procurement has high
potential for bringing more LEDs to
the market, but public buyers remain
cautious towards this technology, said
Quicheron.
Market surveillance
An ever-increasing number of stan-
dards and regulations are being put
in place to control the performance of
SSL products reaching the European market.
However, authorities usually lack the money
and resources to enforce the rules. Otmar
Franz of the ELC said that market surveil-
lance is necessary to ensure a level playing
field. Highest-quality, conforming products
have their price, he said. Non-conforming
products have lower product-development
costs and lower manufacturing costs, which
leads to price pressure.
Franz described some of the activities being
carried out by different EU Member States,
and said: The ELC supports [these activities],
but the action from different governments is
not focused enough. Because of this, the ELC
has decided to take complementary action by
starting a dedicated market-surveillance proj-

Energy Labeling Ecodesign

____________________________________
http://ec.europa.eu/energy/efficiency/labelling/labelling_en.htm _______________________________________
http://ec.europa.eu/energy/efficiency/ecodesign/eco_design_en.htm
Commission adoption July 12, 2012 Regulation no.874/201 Regulatory Committee (EU Member State experts) vote July 13, 2012
European Parliament/Council right of objection (ended Sept 2012) European Parliament/Council right of scrutiny (until Nov 21, 2012)
Published in the OJ*, volume L258 (Sept 26, 2012) Commission adoption and publication in the OJ* (expected date: end 2012)
Directly applicable in all Member States from September 1, 2013

TABLE 2. Update on two forthcoming EU regulations related to lamps and luminaires. Source: Andrs Tth, European Commission.
*OJ = Official Journal of the European Union (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/JOIndex.do?ihmlang=en).

30 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 LEDsmagazine.com

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conference | STRATEGIES IN LIGHT EUROPE
ect in the EU. This will keep track of market-passive-infrared (PIR) detectors and dim-
ming drivers.
available products initially the activity will
focus just on lamps and will initiate third- Hanrath explained that the dimming
party measurements where necessary. Non- speed and duration is fully confi gurable,
compliant products will be flagged up to the and the dimming is smooth and goes
relevant authorities for action. unnoticed by passengers. The cumulative
Franz was keen to emphasize that all mar- efficiency gains including the Wave sys-
ket participants including ELC members tem are 68% compared with fluorescent,
would be treated equally. The European said Hanrath, and the payback is 2.9 years.
market is an open and mature market for all The light quality and distribution is also
participants wherever they may come from, improved. One important point to note,
he said, butplay to the rules! said Hanrath, is that the economic via- bodys inner clock. The ipRGCs are located
bility of the Wave system is enhanced sig-
Airport and office lighting nificantly in regions where labor costs for
installation and maintenance
are much higher.
Andreas Cereghetti of Swit-
zerland-based Regent Lighting
compared office lighting using
three different approaches: lin-
ear lighting (pendant, surface or
recessed), recessed planar light-
ing, or freestanding uplighters.
The latter approach, developed
by Regent (Fig. 5), has advan-
tages such as flexibility and
individual control of each fi x-
ture. Installation and network-
ing are also straightforward.
Regent performed a case
study in an open office with
22 uplighters, each with pres-
ence detection, daylight sen-
sors, buttons to set the dim-
ming level and to switch on/
off individually, and ambient
brightness control. This lat-
ter feature prevents a situa-
FIG. 5. This LED uplighter from Regent can provide tion when one luminaire is lit
flexible lighting options for offices. and the rest of the office is in
darkness. Instead, the nearby
Several speakers discussed the use of LEDs uplighters are also illuminated at a low
in different lighting scenarios. Alexander level, enabled by a wireless communica-
Hanrath of Nualight, a Ireland-based LED tion network. This improves well-being
lighting supplier, described a lighting proj- and comfort, and reduces fatigue due to
ect at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam. This excessive background contrast levels, said
massive complex has more than 85,000 fi x- Cereghetti.
tures, and the maintenance cost for replac- The case study showed that overall power
ing a single lamp is in the EUR 25-100 ($32- consumption was considerably lower than
$129) range. Nualights Lumoluce subsidiary estimated, partly because of the ambient
replaced fluorescent fi xtures with linear brightness control, partly because desk
LED lights that were fitted with the propri- occupancy was lower than predicted, and
etary Wave system. This uses motion-based partly because of the influence of large win-
dimming, enabled by custom-designed dows and daylight sensing.
32 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012
Biological dimensions of LED lighting
As well as visual effects such as imaging and
motion perception, light also conveys non-
visual effects such as controlling the bodys
circadian rhythm, alertness and well-being.
Andreas Wojtysiak of Osram AG described
different sets of receptors in the eye, which
are either visual receptors (rods and cones)
or biological receptors (ipRGCs). These
ipRGCs are responsible for, among other
things, day/night detection to control the
in the lower part of the retina and are stim-
ulated most effectively by wide-area light
sources from above in nature, of course,
this means the sky. Wojtysiak said that
broad-area ceiling lights would do a much
better job of boosting the alertness of the
conference audience, rather than the spot-
lights that were in use in the auditorium.
Fenella Frost of PhotonStar LED extended
this discussion by emphasizing that blue
light at around 460 nm is the critical wave-
length that controls biological effects. Blue
light suppresses melatonin production and
promotes wakefulness, said Frost. Thus, it
can be beneficial in the morning to have a
light source with a high blue content (such
as a cool-white LED source), but in the eve-
ning this source can disrupt the natural
cycle and make sleep difficult. The latter
effect is seen when people use LCD screens
late into the night, and are affected by the
blue-light content of the backlights.
In contrast, correlated color tempera-
ture (CCT) on its own has limited biologi-
cal effect, although people often select cool-
white light in the morning to boost alertness,
and warm-white light in the evening to help
with relaxation. However, explained Frost, if
this warm-white source is LED-based, it may
still have a high blue-light content, which is
not conducive to sleep. The solution could be
a variable LED source that can be adjusted
to produce warm-white light with a low-level
blue component, for evening use.
Join us at next years Strategies in Light
Europe conference (www.sileurope.com),
which takes place on November 19-21, 2013
at the MOC Event Centre in Munich, Germany.
LEDsmagazine.com
 ________________________________

__________ _______
lighting | OUTDOOR
Lighting controls dominated
the Street and Area Lighting
The outdoor lighting industry is moving closer to the realization that
adaptive controls are necessary for maximum energy savings and can
provide even greater benefits messages that MAURY WRIGHT reports
were prominent at the Street and Area Lighting Conference.
A
nother Street and Area Lighting
Conference (SALC) has come and
gone, and as has been the case of
late the presentations were LED heavy. But
the need for adaptive controls was the preva-
lent message at the conference although the
outdoor lighting industry is desperate for
guidance on energy savings that controls
can deliver, the safety of controls in appli-
cations such as street lighting, and logis-
tics problems such as utility tariff rates. The
crowd left with some answers, yet questions
about controls persist.
The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES)
held SALC this year September 11-12 in Miami,
FL with a full conference agenda and small but
packed exhibit area (Fig. 1). The controls theme
came to the forefront early and often. Keynote
speaker Niels Van Duinen, global market-
ing director at Philips Lighting, led off Mon-
day morning with a forward look at LED light-
ing and projected how smart city projects will
ultimately connect lighting on Internet Proto-
col (IP) networks. Van Duinen sees connected
solid-state lighting (SSL) as a necessity given
the growing energy concerns around the globe.
Van Duinen said that LED-based lighting
can offer 50-70% energy savings, but added
its not enough to meet global sustainabil-
ity targets. Adaptive controls can bring the
savings to 80% according to Van Duinen.
Ultimately he envisions a unified network
connecting street lighting and other city
infrastructure. For more on the keynote, see
our earlier news story (www.ledsmagazine.
com/news/9/9/4).
34 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012
California street-light survey
Perhaps some of the most solid informa-
tion on controls at SALC came from Kelly
Cunningham, the outreach director at the
California Lighting Technology Center (CLTC)
located at the University of California at
Davis. Cunningham first shared some results
from a California street light research study
she conducted and concluded with some
details of a case study of an adaptively-con-
trolled, wirelessly networked lighting instal-
lation on the Davis campus.
During 2011, Cunningham surveyed 212
cities across California that in aggregate
have 1.1 million street lights. The survey did
not include the city of Los Angeles, which has
been noted for its large street-light project and
which we will discuss a bit later in this article.
Cunningham reported that as of 2011, 76% of
the lights covered by the study used high-pres-
sure sodium (HPS) lamps. Between 2-3% of the
lights used LED or induction sources. And note
that figure is high relative to the rest of the US.
Recent research by the Northeast Group that we
reported on in a news story said the penetration
of LEDs into street lights is below 1% in the US Of the municipalities that Cunningham
(www.ledsmagazine.com/news/9/10/26). surveyed, 54% own and maintain their street
The purpose of the survey, however, was lights. The good news is that its in the same
more to project what happens going for- group that Cunningham found the most sup-
ward rather than to report on the status port for investing in energy-efficient street
quo. Cunningham said that in conversa- lights and perhaps controls. She also said
tions with municipalities cost is a com- that municipalities with a climate action
mon theme. She said communities need plan or similar sustainability initiative in
commercial payback periods of a few years, place were more likely to invest. She said
not the 10 years that have been common in Savings alone may not be enough to push
many municipal products. this market forward.
LEDsmagazine.com
the discussion at
Conference
FIG. 1. The SALC exhibit floor (courtesy of IES: Bob Horner, photographer).
Cunningham briefly addressed light-
source technology, declaring that LED,
induction, and light-emitting plasma were
all energy-efficient options. We covered
some of the alternatives to LEDs in an SALC
report that we ran in the fall issue of our Illu-
________
mination in Focus publication (www.illumi-
____________ About the CLTC, Cun-
nationinfocus.com).
ningham said, We go for the right source
and the right controls for the application
and said the center was technology neutral.
LEDsmagazine.com
Controls questions
Moving to a discussion of controls,
Cunningham reported that most commu-
nities she surveyed about controls think in
general that controls are a good idea. At the
same time, she said that the municipalities
wonder about how much they will really save
and whether the technology is really safe.
About safety, Cunningham said that
street lighting is the most contentious of
applications for adaptive controls because
of potential safety concerns. She said that
there are places where adaptive controls will
never be used such as airport roadways and
that there are areas where controls can be
applied in roadway lighting.
Cunningham acknowledged that no one
has a solid handle on how much controls can
add in savings, but the CLTC is working to
help deliver data on the topic. The CLTC has
installed a campus-wide networked-light-
ing system after experimenting on a small
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 35
lighting | OUTDOOR

Total Nominal Total Nominal Annual C02

Council Total Number Wattage Wattage After % Energy Reduction Annual Energy Annual Energy
District of Units Before (kW) (kW) Savings (Metric Tons) Savings (GWh) Savings ($)
1 5,246 1,190.1 489.9 58.8% 1,689.1 2.857 $253,206.04
2 2,409 396.5 107.5 72.9% 697.3 1.179 $104,388.04
3 7,431 1,196.1 364.4 69.5% 2,006.5 3.393 $307,356.92
4 5,041 1,071.7 389.8 63.6% 1,645.3 2.782 $245,967.12
5 6,382 1,199.9 384.5 68.0% 1,979.0 3.327 $294,080.05
6 3,128 489.3 189.5 61.3% 723.3 1.223 $115,929.46
7 5,053 861.8 334.7 61.2% 1,271.7 2.151 $194,977.66
8 14,244 2,972.7 1,155.1 61.1% 4,384.9 7.416 $655,892.30
9 8,310 1,832.3 674.0 63.2% 2,794.5 4.726 $428,696.28
10 9,544 1,968.3 756.8 61.6% 2,922.8 4.943 $436,967.83
11 4,867 834.8 255.9 69.3% 1,396.5 2.362 $216,973.06
12 11,421 1,897.2 773.3 59.2% 2,711.5 4.586 $417,870.79
13 6,563 1,494.1 527.7 64.7% 2,331.6 3.943 $348,575.06
14 5,567 1,067.4 374.8 64.9% 1,671.0 2.826 $249,814.05
15 8,715 1,555.8 557.5 64.2% 2,408.4 4.073 $360,055.61
Total 103,921 20,028 kW 7,335 kW 63.4% 30,633 MT 51.79 GWh $4,630,750
TABLE 1. A summary of LED street lights installed, and corresponding energy and emission reductions, in Los Angeles through
Nov 5, 2012.

scale with controls. Coincident with SALC,
they released the fi rst results for the proj-
ect that includes 1400 lights. The focus has
been on wall packs, post-top area lights, and
pathway lights that were considered a safer
place to start than street lights.
The CLTC learned a lot quickly. For exam-
ple, relatively static occupancy sensing just
doesnt work. Cunningham said that an
installation has to address the occupant
directional of travel. For example, she said
that having a dimmed light come to full
brightness after a bicyclist has passed is not
useful. So the network is a key enabler of the
system being able to predict travel direction
before someone reaches a luminaire that
needs to come to full brightness.
Cunningham said that the same situation
would apply to street lights. A networked
system might need to predict that a car was
making a turn onto a roadway and react with
a lighting change, before the turn happens.
The CLTC system has delivered surpris-
ing results dealing with what Cunningham
called a mix of pedestrians, scooters, bicy-
cles, segways and other forms of transport.
She said that the network includes more
than 200 wall packs. In the case of the wall
packs, the LED lighting saves 87% in energy
over the prior lights and the adaptive-con-
trol system adds an additional 20% in sav-
ings. She said the network added 16% sav-
ings in post-top area lights, and a larger 34%
savings in pathway lights.

Case studies
Outside of the controls area, there were a
couple of other case studies presented at
SALC that we should discuss a new one
and an update from the Los Angeles LED
street-light installation that weve covered
previously. Lets start with the new one,
because its also the first instance of munici-
palities using the DOE Municipal Solid-State
FIG. 2. Networked LED-based post-top lighting at the University of California at Davis. Street Lighting Consortium (MSSLC) "Model

36 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 LEDsmagazine.com

_________________________________
lighting | OUTDOOR

suppliers submitted bids to supply products

from the same brand. The chart in Fig. 4 for
the 100W-retrofit bids illustrates the rela-
tive range of the pricing relative to the low
bid. Indeed pricing in that category ranged
to more than double the low bid price. The
winning bid was for Leotek luminaires.
In total, the coalition of communities
ordered 1154 luminaires with the larg-
est purchase being 422 and the smallest 2.
The speakers didnt reveal the price paid,
although the mean prices for the bids were
$361.53, $492.52, and $345.57 for the 100W,
150W, and 250W replacements respectfully.
In aggregate, the IAMU said that the proj-
ect will save 549,743 kWh in energy on an
annual basis.
The speakers showed a financial analysis
for a number of municipalities that indicate
FIG. 3. Networked pathway lighting on the Davis campus.
a broad range of payback periods based on
the inventory of lights, energy costs, main-
Price multiplier relative to low bid tenance costs and other factors. Algona, IA
was home to the largest project. The commu-
2.5
nity is expecting payback in 9.5 years based
on energy and maintenance savings.
2.0
In contrast, Auburn, IA is projecting pay-
1.5
back in just 2.4 years, although the project
was a modest 24 fi xtures. The big difference
1.0 is energy costs. Auburn pays $0.118 per kWh
while Algona pays $0.08 per kWh.
0.5 Roberts said that both the MSSLC specifi-
cation and other DOE reports were essential
0.0 in the success of the project. Still, the IAMU
Brand: 1 3 2 2 2 3 4 5 5 4
Bid: 1 1 3 4 1 2 1 1 2 2
realized the need for a practical guide for
(Low bid) Iowa communities considering an SSL ret-
FIG. 4. The range of bid prices received by the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities rofit. And the IAMU completed such a hand-
for LED-based replacements of 100W HPS lights. book that was to be published by the end of
last quarter.

Specification for LED Roadway Luminaires.
Moreover, it demonstrates how that MSSLC
work helped communities in Iowa move
very quickly on a project. For background
on the spec see, www.ledsmagazine.com/
________
news/8/10/29.
The Iowa presentation came from Jona-
than Roberts, an energy services engineer
with the Iowa Association of Municipal Util-
ities (IAMU), and Michael Lambert, senior
lighting designer at KCL Engineering. The
duo worked on a project in which 15 munic-
ipal utilities joined together to purchase LED
street lights to obtain better pricing through
a larger purchase.
The time line for the project was amaz-
ingly fast, driven in part because some of
the municipalities were using funding from
the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act that had to be spent by September 2012.
Using a customized version of the MSSLC
specification, the IAMU issued an RFP on
December 29, 2011. Proposals were due Jan-
uary 18, 2012, and the supplier that won the
bid was notified January 25.
Group buying
The group sought bids for SSL luminaires
meant to replace 250W, 150W, and 100W
HPS luminaires. There were as many has
five brands that distributors proposed
for the project and in some cases multiple
Los Angeles LEDs
Moving from a relatively small state to one of
the worlds most populous cities, Los Angeles
is also home to the largest LED street-light
installation in the world. We covered the Los
Angele project after Ed Ebrahimian, direc-
tor of the Bureau of Street Lighting in Los
Angeles, made a presentation at SALC two
years ago. At that time the city had installed
on the order of 20,000 LED lights. At SALC
this year, Ebrahimian (Fig. 5) said the num-
ber was up to 99,000 and as of November 13
the number had climbed to 105,000.
The scale of the Los Angeles project, and
the energy and carbon emission reductions,
are stunning. Table 1 summarizes the savings

38 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 LEDsmagazine.com

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lighting | OUTDOOR
as of November 5, 2012. Indeed at SALC, Ebra-
himian said that carbon reduction was the
biggest driver in the acceleration of the pro-
gram. The project had been slated to take five
years to retrofit 140,000 lights but the mayor
accelerated the pace to finish in four years.
Ebrahimian said that the city retrofits
around 1000 fi xtures per week. They have
finished all of the cobrahead fi xtures in resi-
dential areas in the city. The project has gone
so well, that the city now expects payback in
five and a half to six years as opposed to the
seven years from the original projections.
Lessons learned
But its the lessons learned from Los Angeles
that are arguably of greatest importance.
The city has settled into a regular cycle of
reviewing new luminaires every six months.
The continuous cycle is necessary to get the
latest technology. Ebrahimians team has
increased its warranty requirement to seven
years from six early on.
The city has performed a detailed com-
parison of failure of new luminaires using
HID data it had gathered previously and data
from the fi rst 98,000 LED fi xtures installed.
The HID lights had an average failure rate
of 10% whereas the LED lights have a fail-
ure rate of 0.2%.
The realized 63% in aggregate energy sav-
ings is far better than the projected 40% goal.
And the light quality is better than expected
also. The city had worried about uniformity
but discovered that the LED lights far out-
perform HPS lights in that area.
The transition to better lighting has
occurred at the same time that the city has
witnessed a decrease in citywide crime sta-
tistics. Comparing 2009 with 2011, vehi-
cle theft, burglary/robbery, and vandalism
was down across the board between 7:00
PM and 7:00 AM. In aggregate, the decrease
was 10.5%. Ebrahimian stopped short of pro-
claiming the lights as the sole difference, but
they clearly seem to be a factor.
The city is also installing a wireless net-
work on the lights. For now it is using the
connectivity to automate maintenance. But
in the future it could be used for adaptive
control and dimming.
Los Angeles still has more street-light
inventory for which it will consider an
upgrade. The initial project didnt cover the
70,000 decorative street lights in the city
40 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012
FIG. 5. Ed Ebrahimian, of the Los Angeles Bureau of Street lighting, discusses the
worlds largest SSL project (courtesy of IES: Bob Horner, photographer).
inventory. But the city plans to ultimately
retrofit those lights as well.
Measured expectations
Moving to a discussion of fi xtures, and fea-
turing a refreshing change of pace from typ-
ical SSL presentations at trade shows, Mark
Hand, director of new products and technol-
ogy at Acuity Brands presented Managing
LED luminaire costs. And Hands focus was
on the customer not the luminaire manu-
facturer performing the cost management.
At first the concept seemed backwards
but quickly came into perspective as Hand
described how the lighting community essen-
tially over specifies luminaire requirements.
The trend of specifiers setting all parame-
ters artificially high can be especially true in
street lighting, and Hand attacked elements
of a specification one at a time.
Hand started with lifetime. He asked Is
150,000 hours a realistic or reasonable life-
time? That lifetime equates to 34 years in
typical usage scenarios. Hand showed pho-
tos of a telephone, a TV, and a car that could
have been from about 30 years ago, and rhe-
torically asked if anyone would still want to
use the products today. The point Hand was
making is that municipalities will likely want
a different lighting technology in less than
30 years even if the replacement is simply
more efficient LEDs. Yet some municipalities
are requiring luminaires with TM-21 projec-
tions that show such lifetime, and engineer-
ing such products adds cost to the fi xture.
Hand took the position that for 24-hour,
7-day operation 50,000-60,000-hr lifetimes
make sense. He said that for 4-hour, 5-day
operation such as an office restroom with an
occupancy sensor, that 10,000-20,000-hr life-
times make sense.
By specifying a more realistic lifetime
spec, buyers can allow the luminaire maker
more f lexibility in product design that
directly results in lower prices. A shorter
rated life means that you can run the LEDs
hotter delivering more lumens with fewer
LEDs or eliminate a heat sink.
Realistic CRI
Next Hand attacked CRI. He said, Just
because the existing lighting has it doesnt
mean its truly needed. Hand acknowl-
edged that some applications such as high-
end retail need high CRI but that many such
as street lighting dont. Specifying high CRI
invariably reduces efficacy meaning a lumi-
naire needs more LEDs and has a higher
total cost of ownership.
The CRI discussion led to one on binning
and the trend of specifying product that fall
within a 3 MacAdam ellipse in terms of chro-
LEDsmagazine.com

maticity. Again some applications need tight
binning, but Hand said that street lights
are generally acceptable with 7 MacAdam
ellipse binning.
The extremes are also important when
it comes to specifying operating ambient
temperature range. Hand asked Do you
really need a product that works at -40C
and +40C?" He said Alaska may need prod-
ucts that operate at one end of that spec-
trum, and that Las Vegas might need prod-
ucts that operates at the other end. But
relaxing ambient operating range can
result in lower-cost products.
While controls were favored prominently
by most speakers at SALC, Hand took a more
measured approach to that subject as well.
He used a large parking lot to make an exam-
ple. In a factory with a relatively small night-
shift work force, he said simply having night
workers park in a specific area of a lot, and
turning the remainder of the lights off is
a far better solution than using sensors to
detect activity in all areas of the lot and con-
trolling the lights in real time.
Hand's last topic was serviceability.
He point out that a serviceable luminaire
cost much more in terms of extra inter-
connects and other hardware. He asked,
"Could replaceable be a better alternative?"
The point of Hand's talk became simplisti-
cally clear. He said that as buyers loosen the
specifications that they will get more lumi-
carclo
Specialists in Optic Design and Manufacture
arclo-optics.com www.carclo-optics.com www.carclo-optics.com www.carclo-optics.com www.
___________
LEDsmagazine.com
naire choices. And luminaire makers will
have more options to buy lower-cost LEDs.
Ultimately SSL becomes more affordable
without compromising on what's needed in
an application such as street lighting includ-
ing uniform, broad-spectrum light.
Utility logistics
The most frustrating presentations at SALC
were again from utilities that see LEDs
and controls as having unsolvable logis-
tics problems. For example, John Walter,
principal engineer for outdoor lighting
and attachments at the National Grid util-
ity that serves part of the US northeast
addressed the issue.
Ward said that HPS has six billing points.
Even lamps and ballasts from different ven-
dors fall into the same ranges for energy con-
sumption. He said that with LEDs everything
adds variability including color temperature
and driver electronics. He added, "Controls
further complicates the situation." He said
that National Grid looked at LED luminaires
from eight different manufacturers and
found they would have to account for 1202
different models in terms of energy usage to
calculate bills the way the utility does with
legacy lights.
Some in the audience saw the situation in
more simple terms. The prevailing thought
is that even with LEDs, utilities can estab-
lish some relatively small set of tariff s for
Optics
_____
lighting | OUTDOOR
which individual products are qualified.
Longer term, the answer is metering in the
luminaire with accurate billing data gath-
ered over a network. But there are appar-
ently legalities that utilities face in terms of
metering capabilities designed in by lighting
manufacturers.
Closing the show
SALC closed as it started with a focus on
controls and networks. Michael Poplawski,
senior lighting engineer at the DOE's Pacific
Northwest National Laboratory, led a
Wednesday panel discussion on controls
and adaptive lighting. The advice was in part
to learn about networks. Indeed, we've wit-
nessed the same need and have run numer-
ous articles about network technology that
may be second nature to computer profes-
sionals but not to lighting professionals. The
panel concluded that we need better stan-
dards for networks in lighting.
The MSSLC is moving to help in the area of
controls. The consortium announced a draft
of the "Model Specification for Adaptive Con-
trol and Remote Monitoring of LED Roadway
Luminaires" document at SALC (www.leds-
______
magazine.com/news/9/9/13).
_________________ The MSSLC has
been taking comments on the draft. But be
forewarned, the controls spec may be more
complicated than the luminaires spec that
the IAMU used for the street-light project
discussed earlier.
Opticselect
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 41
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lighting | BUSINESS LANDSCAPE

LED market spurs transformation in

Europe's professional lighting industry
As the European market continues to adopt and embrace LED-based lighting systems, further
changes will be required of both traditional lighting-industry players and LED component suppliers,
as ANNETTA KELSO explains.

T
he European professional lighting
industry is one of the largest and
most innovative lighting markets in
the world. With its transformation towards
LED sources and solid-state lighting (SSL),
this hive of activity is a very interesting mar-
ket to be in at the moment. But take a step
back, scratch the surface and observe what
is going on and it becomes apparent that
there is a clash of two fundamentally differ-
ent industries with totally different DNA, who
do not actually understand each other very
well yet. A similar scenario in lighting is also
playing out in other regions around the globe.
On one side, we have the lamp and luminaire
manufacturers, installers and lighting specifi-
ers from the traditional lighting industry. On
the other side there are the LED and component
suppliers from the semiconductor industry.
The latter group is highly dynamic, ratio-
nal, volume-oriented and used to continu-
ous change. It makes its living out of fast-
moving, ever-evolving technology steps and
short product lifecycles. The other group is
slow to adopt change, and is used to sta-
bility, traditional methods of working and
gradual improvements in a technology
which has been around for over a century.
Intentions and expectations on both sides
about LED adoption and penetration in the
general lighting market are genuine and
realistic. But do both parties actually appre-
ciate the scale of the upheaval, the level of
compromise and the changes in processes,
behavior and thinking that will be required
to realize this? It begins with understanding
the world in which the other party operates.
ANNETTA KELSO is Senior Marketing
Manager, LED Systems, with Philips Lighting,
Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
Good enough Penetration, logistics, New solutions,
(lm + lm/W) clearer form factors new channels
LEDs in down lighting
LEDs in spot lighting LEDs in spot lighting
(specifications) (market development)
LEDs in linear lighting
FIG. 1. The LED transformation of the general lighting market is a three-phase
process, and the current extent of progress depends on the specific application.
20th century lighting industry opment of the T5 fluorescent tube was still
The lighting industry has long been a sta- a two-year process for Philips, and it took
ble, traditional and conservative industry. another five years before the European lumi-
Stretching back to the 1890s, when the first naire manufacturers decided to accept T5 as
incandescent lamp was commercially pro- the new fluorescent standard.
duced, there has been a steady but slow Therefore, it should come as no surprise
rate of innovation throughout the 20th cen- that there was a strong reaction among the
tury. Three main light-source technologies bulk of different players in the lighting mar-
were invented and manufactured by four ket in 2008, when high-quality white-light
main global lamp suppliers, supported by var- LED propositions started to become commer-
ious control-gear manufacturers and multi- cially available for general lighting. In general,
ple thousands of luminaire makers. Light there was disbelief, confusion, fear, skepti-
sources were heavily standardized, and the cism, inertia and even anger amongst lumi-
common lamp bases of fluorescent tubes, HID naire manufacturers and lighting designers.
lamps and halogen lamps were always inter- They saw their whole familiar lighting world
changeable. Lamps with a single-source sup- threatened and the possibility of it being torn
plier were usually doomed to failure. apart in a very short timescale.
The rate of innovation and market adop-
tion of innovation in lighting was painfully Semiconductor industry challenges
slow compared to the emerging electronics Now, in 2012, after several years of experi-
industry. In the 1990s the design and devel- ence with high-performance white LEDs for

LEDsmagazine.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 43

lighting | BUSINESS LANDSCAPE

general lighting, it is possible to see more The bulk of the lighting market is, how- increasing, such as linear fluorescent, metal
clearly the scale of the challenge for the ever, not geared up yet for some of the key halide lamps and certain HID outdoor light
LED semiconductor industry. Tinged with a characteristics of doing business in the sources. Clearly, luminaire manufacturers
touch of arrogance, the expectations of the semiconductor world. Such characteris- have not yet abandoned all of the conven-
LED suppliers were that general lighting tics include speed, flexibility, rapid prod- tional light sources.
would be an easy market to penetrate with uct phase-out and phase-in, high volumes There is, as of yet, no discernible change
LEDs and that this would be achieved by a on limited product codes, and rational in European lighting behavior. The lumen
simple switchover of existing light sources decision-making. packages of LED modules and LED lamps
to LED light sources. This may well work in LED suppliers need to understand this and match the lumen packages of the conven-
the consumer retrofit lamp area, but not in to be realistic about the time it takes to build tional lamps they replace. There are no
the professional lighting market. up volumes. They would do well to devise real breakthroughs seen in LED luminaire
design. LED modules are still
LED module 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 designed into existing, tradi-
Gen 1 Gen 2 Gen 3 Gen 3+ Gen 4 tional 600-mm-square lumi-
50 lm/W 73 lm/W 92 lm/W 95 lm/W 100 lm/W naires, and spotlight and
Fortimo LED DLM 2000Lm
downlight luminaire shapes.
The only notable change
Gen 1 Gen 2 Gen 3 appears to be the rise in LED
63 lm/W 85 lm/W 105 lm/W dimming solutions; these are
Fortimo LED SLM 2000Lm at a level that is three times
higher than for new fluores-
cent and compact-fluorescent
Gen 1 Gen 2 Gen 3
luminaires.
Fortimo LED LLM
The emotional element
Lighting has always been a
Gen 1 Gen 2
combination of rational and
Fortimo LED Twistable emotional elements, which is
reflected by the diverse value-
chain involved. Color tempera-
ture is an emotional choice, often
FIG. 2. Philips' LED module portfolio has moved rapidly through a series of new generations.
subconsciously made, based on
what people like. Designers and
The product push that has occurred in the strategies for helping to facilitate the market end users are not swayed into making ratio-
last five years has been relentless. However, transformation to LEDs, in the form of more nal decisions about color temperature, based
the initial volumes and speed of the profes- market pull, rather than product push. At the on the higher efficacy of LEDs at 6500K!
sional part of the lighting industry in adopt- same time they need to identify and be realis- A warm, soft light makes people in colder
ing LEDs have probably been a little disap- tic about the elements that are non-negotiable countries feel more relaxed. The ratio of
pointing from the LED supply point of view. points for the lighting industry. 3000K versus 4000K Philips Fortimo LED
Volume expectations had been higher. downlight and spotlight modules, sold in
LED suppliers would do well to take some Lighting market still lacks speed Europe, is still exactly the same as it is with
time to understand the characteristics of Sales of LED light sources and modules are fluorescent or compact-fluorescent lamps.
todays successful European lighting manu- rising sharply by lighting-industry stan- Similarly, the selection of the color render-
facturers. These lighting companies recog- dards for new product launches. However, ing index (CRI) is an emotional choice the
nized the impact that LED technology was the average speed of a luminaire manufac- CRI choice of LED light sources remains very
going to have at an early stage, built their strat- turer to produce a new, updated LED port- similar to that of conventional light sources.
egy and organization around it and started to folio is still up to one year and that is before The lighting world is full of diversity.
invest in the right levels of technical expertise any sales have actually taken place. The abil- In the Philips lamps portfolio alone there
and R&D staff. The successful companies are ity of lighting manufacturers to absorb and are 33,000 product codes. Th is quantity is
mainly those that operate in the project busi- translate the latest LED advances into sale- deemed necessary to service the needs of
ness: they discuss lighting options with the able products still lags far behind the speed this market, where the element of choice is
end user and they can sell value-added light- of technological advances. very much an emotional factor and any lack
ing solutions. They understand the dynamics And, while there are several legacy light of it can be a deal breaker.
of the market, and the importance of selecting sources which are firmly in decline, for new Today, the European lighting industry
and training the right staff. luminaires there are still quite a few that are has generally accepted that LEDs are going

44 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 LEDsmagazine.com

______________
lighting | BUSINESS LANDSCAPE

to be an integral part of the lighting future.
The technology has lived up to its promises
in the area of energy efficiency and overcome
many early issues with quality of light. The
early days and attitudes of the LED hype seem
to have altered into a more serious, rational
approach towards LEDs yes, this is going
to be the lighting technology of the future, but
only if it makes sense. High energy efficiency
and long life are great, but not at any expense
and not at any compromise to light quality.
etration and mass adoption, the fi rst issue
the lighting industry needs to address is how
to adapt its processes to handle speed and
flexibility. LED modules are already being
upgraded on a yearly basis to take advan-
tage of the latest performance of new LEDs
inside and therefore LED luminaires will
also require regular updates to remain com-
petitive in the market.
The Fortimo LED DLM portfolio, one of
the first LED modules to be introduced back
configuration and processes. In addition, the
transformation will require full collabora-
tion between departments such as logistics,
purchasing, development, product manage-
ment, sales and after-sales service.
There are, in effect, two fundamental sup-
ply-chain challenges. The first is the nature
of the capital-intensive, often Asia-based,
semiconductor-process-based LED indus-
try with long and inflexible lead times that
are often in excess of 12 weeks. The produc-

Phases of LED transformation Typical LED module development cycle

There are many business models
that attempt to map the way a
First Product Commercial
new technology enters a market announcement specifications release
and the phases it goes through. with target specs frozen
Philips uses a three-phase
model to depict the LED trans-
formation of general lighting Month Month Month Month Month Month Month Month
(Fig. 1). In the fi rst phase, LED 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
technology has not yet reached
the performance specifications
of conventional light sources, Phase-in /
Sampling phase-out
although it is improving at a period
very fast rate.
In the second phase, LED light FIG. 3. LED modules can go from target specs to commercial release in just six months.
sources become superior in per-
formance to all conventional light sources, and in 2008, has just phased out the third gener- tion yields are still unreliable due to the fact
mass-market penetration and volumes start. ation and phased in the fourth generation, that LED technology is still at an early phase
Payback times decrease and the first consoli- with improved efficacy and lower-power in its lifecycle curve.
dation appears around certain standardized driver combinations (Fig. 2). All Fortimo LED The second supply-chain challenge is the
light-source shapes. In the third phase, new modules are already on either a second, third enormously high speed of innovation. LED
applications arise and new service business or fourth generation, depending on how long module suppliers have already adapted to
models are developed. they have existed. much shorter product-lifecycle processes,
In terms of where the European lighting Multiply the breadth of Philips module and it is now only a six-month process from
industry stands at the end of 2012, opinions offering with the product offerings of sev- the beginning to the end of a LED module
may differ, but there is a certain consen- eral other LED module manufacturers and it upgrade (Fig. 3).
sus that the end of phase one has just been becomes abundantly clear that a luminaire Combining long and inflexible lead times
reached. However, this will differ from appli- manufacturer not only needs to keep abreast with short product lifecycles can result in a
cation to application. of latest LED module specifications, but can supply-chain toxic cocktail. High invento-
no longer afford to take 1-2 years over a prod- ries, low service levels, high obsolescence
Lessons for the lighting industry uct introduction. All internal processes need and missed sales are risks that are inevi-
So the lighting industry would appear to be to be adapted and aligned for speed. It will table if things are managed in the way they
keener than it has ever been to embrace LEDs become essential to have close relationships were with conventional light sources. Plan-
as the light source of the future. High energy with the right suppliers to provide knowl- ning and forecasting will need to be given
efficiency and the promise of short payback edge and insight into their short-term prod- an additional focus that was not so critical
periods certainly make a very attractive uct roadmaps. with conventional light-source technologies.
proposition. But does the lighting industry The whole LED supply chain from bare
understand what it entails to move to LEDs? The supply-chain challenge LED suppliers, to LED module suppliers, to
Is the lighting industry ready to make cer- The introduction of LED lighting brings with the suppliers of components and drivers will
tain compromises, embrace change, adapt it a major supply-chain challenge, which organize itself to facilitate rapid phase-in and
processes and work in a different way? should not be underestimated. In order to phase-out of new and improved products. No-
With LED transformation about to enter manage this well, lighting companies need one wants to be stuck with volumes of obsolete
the second phase, involving fast market pen- to make vital changes in their supply-chain stock at a crucial changeover point and there-

46 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 LEDsmagazine.com


fore the upstream logistics of suppliers will be
tightly controlled and made to order. Manag-
ing ones stock could be the key to making or
losing money in the LED transformation.
Making smart choices
The yearly financial reports of major
European lighting companies show a clear
trend towards sharply increased fi xed costs,
due to their LED activities. In many cases
the R&D expenditure has doubled in the
last three to five years. Th is can be attrib-
uted to both the faster innovation cycles and
the growing complexity of LED products and
systems, which require an ever-evolving
level of specialism and expertise.
To remain successful, companies will need
to make smart choices on what they will do
in-house and what they will outsource. The
choice of LED light engine, for instance, has
an impact on these costs. To a luminaire man-
ufacturer, it may sound like an extremely
attractive proposition to take the design,
development and manufacturing of LED light
sources in-house. However, this will increase
the burden, costs and pressure on the whole
internal organization, while this is not the
companys key area of expertise.
The LED light source with the lowest ini-
tial cost is not always the best longer-term
solution. Manufacturers should be aware of
potential hidden costs over lifetime, which
are not always so obvious in the beginning.
The choice of a future-proof LED module, for
instance, will entail stable electrical, optical,
mechanical and thermal LED module inter-
faces, and the possibility of interchangeability
of suppliers. It will also require minimal pro-
duction changes, or investment in new tool-
ing during upgrades further down the line.
Companies in the lighting industry who
want to be successful in the next phase of
mass penetration of LED technology should
ensure they have a suitable strategy in place.
They will certainly have to adapt their inter-
nal processes and systems to reflect the speed
and flexibility needed for LED market intro-
ductions. They will also need to place a much
_______________
lighting | BUSINESS LANDSCAPE
larger focus on continuous professional devel-
opment, education and keeping up to date
with the latest technological advances. Com-
munication lines will need to be slick and tar-
geted to the right audience at the right time.
At the same time, lighting companies
should have a vision of what the third phase
of LED lighting will look like and blend this
seamlessly into their strategy. The scale of the
changes ahead for the lighting industry should
not be underestimated, as they will have an
impact on every part of an organization. At the
same time, the product-push approach from
the semiconductor industry needs to make
allowances for certain technical aspects of
lighting that are not up for discussion. Both
parties would benefit from listening more and
understanding each other better.
There is a storm raging through the light-
ing industry at the moment, but with a lit-
tle give and take and mutual understanding
the dust will start to settle, the horizon will
become clearer and we can move forward
into the volume phase in a smart way.
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manufacturing | CHINA
China will develop a global leader
in the LED manufacturing space
Despite what some judge as a failing effort for China in the LED manufacturing segment thus far,
ELLA SHUM of Strategies Unlimited believes that China will deliver a top-ten player.
T
here has been much interest in Chinas
efforts in the LED manufacturing
industry and a debate on whether it is
a failure or not. I believe that China will have
one of the top 10 LED companies in the world
within the next five years. With the enormous
Chinese domestic market primed to consume
LEDs, the market momentum behind low-
and mid-power LEDs (Fig.1), the unrelenting
support of the government, the proven speed
of progress in the last two years, and the abil-
ity to spend money freely, Chinese LED mak-
ers have a recipe for success.
Without question, the Chinese LED man-
ufacturing effort has stumbled thus far. The
article by Luke Johnson on Chinas approach
to commoditization in the September issue
of LEDs Magazine offers one theory on the
___________________
struggles (www.ledsmagazine.com/fea-
tures/9/9/15). But there are Chinese compa-
________
nies with the potential for success, so lets
discuss the players, the status of the China
manufacturing effort, and how Chinese
companies can still succeed.
Chinas LED background
China has been eyeing the LED industry since
the early 2000s. For the longest time acquir-
ing MOCVD technology and building reactors
was the key target. However, after fruitless and
frustrating years watching the LED industry
take off outside China, the central government
decided to encourage industry to purchase
MOCVD systems in parallel with its own devel-
opment effort in 2010. This encouragement
effort escaped the central governments con-
trol with local municipal government agencies
offering subsidies for MOCVD systems, and
ELLA SHUM is the Director of the LED Practice
at Strategies Unlimited and Chair of Strategies
in Light Conferences.
LEDsmagazine.com
InGaAlP the profit. Many people outside China focus on
InGaAlP high-power the third group of companies that are literally
mid-power 2% InGaN
dying, and conclude that China has failed in
2% super high-power
InGaAlP 1% the effort to build a viable LED industry.
low-power In examining the Chinese LED companies
7%
that are most likely to be successful, we will
RGB InGaN focus on SanAn and ETi.
9% low-power
33%
SanAn at a glance
InGaN SanAn was founded in 2000 and went public
high-power InGaN in 2008. It is one of the pioneers in the Chinese
30% mid-power
LED industry and is focused primarily on
16%
making LED chips, but does not sell packaged
LEDs. It has aggressively amassed talents
FIG. 1. Worldwide packaged LED revenue from Taiwan and US in epitaxial and chip-
by type of LED in 2011, totaling is $12.5 manufacturing technology. There are 80-100
billion (Source: Strategies Unlimited). ex-Epistar engineers and a former high level
Xiamen Sanan Photoelectric Co.,Ltd.
2011 First half of 2012
Total revenue RMB 1.75B (US $277M) RMB 1.378B (US $218M)
Profit RMB 936M (US $148M) RMB 466M (US $74M)
LED-related revenue RMB 1.6B (US $253M) RMB 1.259B (US $199M)
Subsidies RMB 805M (US $128M) RMB 198M (US $31M)
Company mainly engaged in R&D, production and sales of all-color
Products GaN and GaAs LED epitaxy and chips, and compound solar battery,
PIN Photoelectric detector chip etc.
TABLE 1. SanAn at a glance (Source: GG-LED and Strategies Unlimited).
free land and other incentives for the estab- engineering manager from Bridgelux work-
lishment of LED plants and companies. ing at SanAn. The company is the largest in
There were three main types of companies China in terms of scope and capacity with 144
that took up these offers; Chinese LED com- MOCVD systems and 60 more on order.
panies that the government had anointed Table 1 summarizes SanAns operations
including Xiamen SanAn Photoelectric Co in 2011 and the first half of 2011. Note that
(SanAn) and Elec-Tech International Co Ltd the subsidies received from central and local
(ETi), Taiwanese LED companies like Epis- government agencies were RMB 805 million
tar and Forepi, and the rest who saw the land ($128 million) in 2011 and RMB 198 million ($
as the most valuable part of the deal, or that 31 million) for first half of 2012. According to
aimed to go public as soon as possible and reap Chinese accounting practice, these subsidies
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 49
manufacturing | CHINA
are counted in company profits which means
that the company didnt perform quite as well
as the profit row would indicate.
SanAn started a substrate business in 2012
and has other investments and subsidiaries
in midstream and downstream sub segments
of the LED manufacturing industry. In June
2012, it opened a R&D center in the heart of
Silicon Valley in order to absorb talents from
the US. SanAns activities are not limited to
LEDs. In August 2012, it started a joint ven-
ture with Emcore and moved into terrestrial
concentrating photovoltaic (CPV)systems.
ETi at a glance
ETi was founded in 1996 specializing in
small household appliances and went pub-
lic in 2004. In 2009, it decided to enter the
LED business. In 2010, it paid Epivalley of
Korea to license its epitaxial and chip tech-
nology via a joint venture. Various teams of
engineers from Korea, Taiwan and US were
brought in but they did not work harmoni-
ously together. Currently, a team headed by
an ex-Forepi engineering vice president has
stabilized the production process. Out of the
60 MOCVD reactors installed, about 20 are
in production. Another 70 are waiting at cus-
toms about to enter the country.
Table 2 summarizes ETis operations in
2011 and the first half of 2012. Again subsi-
dies are counted in the profit figures. At this
point LEDs account for a lower percentage of
ETis revenue than at SanAn.
ETi basically uses all the LED chips that
they manufacture inside their home appli-
ances. The packaged LEDs they sell com-
mercially are made with chips from exter-
nal sources. They do have subsidiaries in
Japan, Germany and the US. The US opera-
tions called ETi Solid State Lighting Inc. is
based in Ohio and specializes in solid-state
lighting (SSL). ETi is seen more as a future
force in the industry because of the capacity
it has built up, the vertical integration and
the governments support.
Chinese domestic market
One harbinger of future success for the
Chinese is the huge local market for products
that use domestically-manufactured LEDs.
The LED market, in China and globally, con-
sists of lighting, mobile, large display, signage
and automotive application segments (Fig. 2).
50 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012
Elec-Tech International Co., Ltd.
2011 First half of 2012
Total revenue RMB 3.07B (US $486M) RMB 1.224B (US $193M)
Profit RMB 392M (US $62M) RMB 124M (US $20M)
LED-related revenue RMB 910M (US $144M) RMB 387M (US $61M)
Subsidies RMB 311M (US $49M) RMB 154M (US $24M)
ETis main products are small appliances. Future plan for LED products
Products
include epitaxy, chips, packaged LEDa, LED lighting, LED display, etc.
TABLE 2. ETi at a glance (Source: GG-LED and Strategies Unlimited).
nese market consumed 274 million handsets
with 213 million of them made by domestic
Others
17% Mobile vendors. Out of the 274 million, 138 million
23% were smartphones, 40% of which were made
Automotive by domestic vendors according to Nikkie
10% Tech. China will overtake US in smartphone
Backlight shipments in 2012 by consuming 26.5% as
Sign TV/Monitor
13% 21% compared to 17.8% for the US according to
Lighting IDC. Both Taiwanese and Chinese LED mak-
16% ers supply the mobile market.
In signage, China already makes 85% of
all LED signage in the world and for the
FIG. 2. Worldwide packaged LED
domestic market, most of the LEDs used
revenue by application in 2011 (Source:
are made in China. In automotive, analyst
Strategies Unlimited).
fi rm CSM says China is the largest producer
at 14.5 million units in 2011 and it also has
China is one of the top producers and con- the largest single market for automotive. In
sumers in all of these segments. The key ques- April 2010, Chinese auto maker Chery cre-
tion to ask is: Are Chinese made LEDs good ated a joint venture with SanAn called Wuhu
enough for the domestic market? AnRui Optoelectronics Co Ltd to enter the
In the large-display segment, iSuppli automotive lighting market. With over 100
reported that China produced 69 million automotive manufacturers, there will be
LCD TVs in 2011 and 76% were made by many opportunities for new LED suppliers.
domestic brands. This number is forecasted However, it will be a while before China can
to grow to 96 million in 2016. Domestic con- fulfi ll all the LED needs for this segment.
sumption was about 40 million in 2011,
up 15% from 2010. Beijing Optoelectronics Lighting segment
Technology Co Ltd (BOE) is the largest panel Still long term, the biggest market for LEDs
manufacturer in China and fi fth largest in globally will be in general lighting. The
the world. There had been rumors that BOE focus of the Chinese LED industry has been
would make an investment in Forepi of Tai- on lighting, and according to GG-LED the
wan to to lessen its dependency on Korean Chinese domestic market for LED indoor
LED suppliers. But in mid November, SanAn lighting in 2012 will be RMB 25 billion ($4
______
stepped in and invested in Forepi (www.leds- billion). Many domestic LEDs have gone into
magazine.com/news/9/11/9).
_________________ Chinese LED lighting and the market is littered with poor
makers haven't yet been the preferred sup- quality items. However, the government is
plier in large-display backlighting, and we working hard to help sort out this chaos as
will have to see how that changes over time. we will discuss below.
In the mobile segment, China made 621 Its in lighting where the question of the
million handsets in the first half of this year quality of China-made LEDs comes to the
according to the Chinese Ministry of Indus- forefront. Critics consistently harp at the Chi-
try and Information Technology. The Chi- nese LED makers for the lack of high-power
LEDsmagazine.com
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 manufacturing | CHINA

LEDs. But the lighting market favors low- (0.01-0.1W) and mid-power
(0.1-0.5W) LEDs for many products (Fig. 1). And technologically, those
LEDs are not as challenging for the Chinese to make. High-power
(0.5W-5W) and super-high-power (>5W) LEDs certainly have their
place in the market, for example in outdoor lighting applications.
However, Strategies Unlimited research showed that they only com-
prised of 33% in revenue (both InGaN and InGaAlP) in 2011.
In terms of efficacy, the Chinese manufacturers are a bit behind
the state of the art for low- and mid-power LEDs. But SanAn claims
140 lm/W and ETi is probably at 100 lm/W, and those are suitable fig-
ures for many applications.
We can look at SanAns success in Taiwan as an example of a
good enough level of performance. When SanAn opened an office
in Taiwan last year, the main effect was further depressing mar-
ket prices but no one seriously thought they would sell significant
volumes in this LED kingdom. For the fi rst half of 2012, however,
SanAn sold about RMB 40 million ($6.3 million) worth of chips
according to GG-LED. The forecast is for total sales to hit RMB 100
million ($16 million) for 2012. Granted, most of the buyers bought
the chips to be packaged for the Chinese domestic market. Still, the
fact that they have taken business away from the entrenched local
manufacturers on their home turf is shocking.
_____________

The muscle of the government

The Chinese government will also come into play in terms of the
quality required in LEDs relative to specific applications. Take the
replacement bulb. If one takes the 50,000-hr lifetime the US DOE
set as a requirement, we can basically ignore most of these Chinese
products. But as the world ponders whether we really need a light
bulb to last 25+ years, the Chinese government is working on set-
Over ting its own standards for much shorter lifetime with its own set of
testing methodologies, criteria and facilities.
110,000 hours of The looser performance goals will reduce the bill of materials and
ENERGY STAR the cost of LED lighting. At the same time, if the testing is carried out
rigorously and sub-standard products are forced out of the market,
qualifying the lessened requirements will actually foster a more uniform market.
One may doubt that government intervention will work, point-
certification ing to the fiasco surrounding the Many Cities, Many Lights street
services. lamp project in 2010. Another way to look at this intervention is
that the money wasted previously was a tuition fee paid to learn
how to do it right. The second round of this street lamp project and
specifications of the RMB 2.2 billion ($349 million) lighting subsi-
dies were much tighter. Remember, the decision makers do not get
voted out of office so they get a chance to pay to learn.
The government is doing everything it can to develop the LED

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industry. The list of LED lighting companies that are eligible to receive
RMB 2.2 billion ($349 million) in subsidies consist of only two non-
Chinese companies, Philips Lighting and GE Lighting. The govern-
ments 12th Five Year Plan dictates that 70% of LEDs used in China
will be made domestically by 2015. That means a guaranteed market
for the Chinese LED makers.

(717) 932-8500 Opium of the trade?

www.keystonecerts.com Looking at the revenue and profit numbers of SanAn and ETi, it is
obvious that they are reliant on the subsidies. The fact is that the

52 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 LEDsmagazine.com

government will not let these two companies, and a few others, fail.
The shortage of energy is a national security issue for China. To be
able to control key technologies like LEDs is vital. Besides direct
subsidies and all the visible assistance, channeling major contracts
to these companies is another way to support them.
Epistar and other companies have been crying foul that they are
competing with SanAn and the likes who sell at prices below cost
because their land is free and their cost is offset by subsidies. Tai-
wanese products are sold at premium due to higher quality but the
prices are not high enough for them to make money. Looking at the
books of Taiwanese LED companies, profit is lacking. In fact, Digi-
times had reported that SanAn planned to invest into Taiwan's Gen-
esis Photonics, a fi rm known for its green LEDs. With the recent
Forepi investment, that may or may not happen.
Critics of these subsidies called them opium for the LED makers.
While we do not see the opium going away at any time soon, the fact
that the subsidies are much lower for these two firms in 2012 than
2011 is an indication of a trend. Hopefully, for all the competitors,
when the subsidies end, the market will approach normality again.

IP lacking
IP and licensing agreements are an obvious missing link in the
Chinese LED makers becoming worldwide players. In the domestic
________
market, IP does not matter. Currently, Chinese packagers will use
foreign chips, made by manufacturers with IP portfolios, when they
know their products will be sold overseas. Alternatively, companies
with IP portfolios, like Osram and Philips, will OEM products from
China and their IP will protect the Chinese chips and packages inside. H I G H VA C C O R P.
One potential path for the Chinese LED makers to break through
the IP wall is to buy one of the companies with IP. The Chinese LED/MOCVD - Environmental
maker may be willing to pay more than just the financial face value Control Solutions
of the target company. For them, they will be buying a leg up in the
technology ladder, a door to the outside world and the future. HIGHVAC of Colorado Springs
For the target company, it is actually a good thing. The seller will introduces the ECOGUARD
net a handsome profit. The target company will have access to the PoU Exhaust Gas Abatement
Chinese market and more funds to support its future R&D effort. For Systems. The most efficient
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process toxins and dangerous
Whats missing? gases safely into the environ-
The major missing ingredients that money cannot buy in this the- ment. Highvacs vacuum pump
oretical plan are management maturity and R&D leadership. Both sales and support experience
SanAn and ETi are relatively young companies in the LED business allows us to understand the
that have grown very fast. To be able to buy a non-Chinese company complete exhaust gas line path
and manage it is no easy feat just ask Lenovo. Even if one buys a and the problems associated
world class LED company, how does one keep its talents? with them. Let us help you get
Buying complete engineering teams to set up a fab overnight is more up-time from your process system while remaining
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ing infrastructure to provide input. Chinese companies are always
leery of marketing. To be successful, the companies will need to be Tel: 866-279-0024
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enable success.

LEDsmagazine.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 53

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materials | POLYCARBONATES

Improved-clarity polycarbonate resins

perform in LED lighting applications
Polycarbonate resins offer an alternative to glass and polymethyl methacrylate for LED
lighting fixtures, complementing the life span, efficacy and durability of LEDs themselves,
writes BALA AMBRAVAN.

T
echnological advancements in light- ing and avoiding hot spots, to drive consumer ers, manufacturers and regulators (Fig. 1).
emitting diodes (LEDs), such as adoption. Finally, because LED costs remain Th is benefits package includes exceptional
higher lumen output and longer life comparatively high, it is important to protect mechanical properties and durability, light
spans, together with their expansion into the these expensive modules with impact-resis- transmission on par with PMMA, freedom
huge general lighting market require com- tant components. to design and mold configurations and build
mensurate advancements in specific diff usion levels, and most criti-
in materials used in solid- cally, compliance with safety and sustain-
state-lighting (SSL) prod- ability mandates.
ucts. Polycarbonate (PC) These PC resins are engineered with
resins in various optical improved monomers and are produced using
applications for LEDs such a technologically advanced process. This
as lenses, covers, tubes, process results in high-purity resins that
pipes, diff users and reflec- provide significantly improved light trans-
tors offer a good comple- mission as molded and after heat aging, as
ment with improved clarity compared to standard- and optical-grade
and the ability to with- PCs, as well as other performance enhance-
stand high temperatures. ments. Improved-clarity resins are helping
LED technology is rap- to drive the growing prominence of PC in the
idly changing to meet mar- LED market, particularly the general- and
FIG. 1. The latest PC resins offer improved clarity, better
ket demands for higher automotive-lighting sectors.
aging performance, and less yellowing in LED lighting
brightness, improved aes- Lets consider some of the major advan-
applications.
thetics, lower costs and lon- tages of improved-clarity PCs over tradi-
ger useful life. These trends tional acrylics and glass for LED optical
have raised concerns about components.
components of LED lighting fi xtures. One Improved-clarity PC technologies offer
issue is how to increase the durability of potential solutions to all these issues. PC life span
these components to match the exceptional Although polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) One of the chief advantages of LEDs is their
and growing life span of the LED mod- and, to a lesser extent, glass, have tradition- extended useful life of >30,000 hours (more
ules themselves. Another is improving lumi- ally been chosen for LED optical applica- than 10-15 years). While this long life span
nous efficacy (using less energy to achieve the tions, both materials have drawbacks that means LEDs are more environmentally
same brightness), which is being addressed these new PC materials avoid. Further, as responsible and cost-effective than previous
in part by increasing the light transmission LEDs continue to evolve and raise the bar types of lighting, it raises concerns about
performance of optical lenses and covers. Still on requirements for optical components, the the durability of LED lenses, tubes, reflec-
another challenge is enhancing the quality of high-performance attributes of PC accom- tors and covers. Will these parts last as long
LED light for residential applications, mak- modate new demands higher temperature as the LED itself without degrading from
ing it softer and closer to incandescent light- ranges, longer exposure to heat and tougher exposure to heat and ultraviolet (UV) light?
flammability requirements. Will covers and lenses effectively protect the
BALA AMBRAVAN is Global Product The latest PC technology provides a com- expensive LED light source from impact and
Marketing Director, Lexan Copolymers, prehensive value proposition to meet cur- damage, particularly in residential retrofit
Innovative Plastics, SABIC rent and future requirements from mold- applications where consumers handle, and

LEDsmagazine.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 55

materials | POLYCARBONATES
Optical properties
Scratch resistance
Design flexibility
Weight reduction
Low moisture
absorption
Weatherability
FIG. 2. PC, PMMA, and glass all, have distinct advantages in LED lighting, but PC
excels in areas such as impact resistance and lower system cost.
sometimes drop, the replacement lights?
Improved-clarity PC resins provide an
array of performance properties that help
LED lights operate effectively over their full
useful life. First, PC is renowned for outstand-
ing impact resistance that surpasses the per-
formance of PMMA by a factor of 10 in typi-
cal lab or practical impact measurements and
that of glass by a factor of 30 (Fig. 2).
Because LEDs are increasingly used for
architectural lighting, exterior lighting
(e.g., parking lots, street lamps) and auto-
motive applications, weatherability is crit-
ical to optimal light transmission and life
span. Depending upon their formulation,
improved-clarity PC resins can provide UV
and weatherability resistance according to
UL746C with the necessary F1 rating (Fig.
3). Resistance to UV light, which can cause
yellowing and embrittlement of polymers,
is a major aspect of outdoor exposure, how-
ever, even interior LED fi xtures must be able
to withstand UV radiation from ambient
light and sometimes from the source itself.
Improved-clarity PC resins offer enhanced
anti-yellowing performance to maintain
light transmission and resist becoming
brittle so they retain their excellent impact
properties.
In outdoor lighting, transparent, weath-
erable PC resins offer a welcome alternative
56 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012
Glass for ways to reduce LED costs by optimizing
PMMA brightness while minimizing power con-
Polycarbonate sumption. In these cases, it is vital to take
full advantage of every lumen produced
Impact
(Room & low temp)
by the LED module. In contrast, applica-
tions such as residential lighting require a
uniform, diff use light that hides hot spots.
Covers, lenses, tubes and reflectors used
with LED light sources play a crucial role
Lower systems cost
in striking the right balance between trans-
mission and diff usion.
Improved-clarity PC materials offer high
transparency that can provide approxi-
Heat resistance
mately 90-92% light transmission, nearly
comparable to that of PMMA. Th is capabil-
ity makes them suitable for HB LEDs used to
retrofit high-intensity discharge (HID) fi x-
Chemical resistance tures and fluorescents, as well as for flash-
lights and automotive headlamps.
When diff usion is required, specialized
PC resins can provide a broad spectrum
of light management to customize per-
formance without compromising forward
light transmission (Fig. 4). Different diff u-
to both glass and PMMA because they com- sion technologies can provide narrow-angle
bine high impact performance to protect the or wide-angle light scattering, while diff us-
solid-state LED from vandalism and other ers plus opacifiers combine translucent scat-
threats, meet stringent UL
requirements for weath- As molded
erability and flame retar- optical properties
dancy and optimize for- Std PC
ward transmission of light. OQ PC
In contrast, breakable glass Improved clarity PC
does not provide sufficient
impact protection, and
PMMA does not meet UL94
V0 requirements.
Heat aging, another
aspect of LED life span, is
becoming even more impor- Yellowness
index Post aging
tant as high-brightness optical properties
LEDs (HB LEDs) with higher
lumen outputs place added FIG. 3. SLX polycarbonate resin provides weatherability
stress on optical compo- and resists UV exposure.
nents. Improved-clarity PCs
can handle extended exposure to tempera- tering with wide-angle light scattering. PC
tures of 110C to 130C, which is a develop- manufacturers such as SABIC may be able to
ing trend for HB LEDs, while retaining their tailor diff usion properties to meet customer
mechanical and optical properties. requirements. Diff usion-based PC products
also provide a system solution that could
PC brightness potentially be more effective and cheaper
Some LED applications, such as downlights than a diff user film that is often used in such
and spotlights for industrial or commercial applications.
spaces, call for maximum brightness. Also, Specialized anti-dust grades of PC can
designers and manufacturers are looking meet requirements for reflectors used in LED
LEDsmagazine.com

FIG. 4. An LED-based retrofi t tube
for linear fluorescent applications
features a diffuser made from
Lexan PC resin.
downlight applica-
tions. These reflectors need
to provide diffused light (rather than
specular reflection) and retain their reflec-
tive properties over the life of the down-
light. Anti-dust capability helps to main-
tain long-term reflectivity performance.
At the same time, although the PC grades
are highly fi lled, they retain their excellent
mechanical properties. Finally, the design
freedom provided by PC facilitates the cre-
ation of diverse reflector shapes. In con-
trast, anti-dust PMMA materials cannot
deliver equivalent mechanical performance
and do not meet UL94 V0 flame retardancy
requirements.
PC heat properties
LEDs generate heat that is not fully dissi-
pated by heat sinks. Therefore, materials
used for lenses, reflectors and covers in close
proximity to the light source must be ther-
mally stable and flame retardant. Heat gen-
eration is increasing due to higher bright-
ness of LEDs that require at least 1W of
power or more. Miniaturization to reduce
material costs and meet market demands is
also contributing to higher temperatures
not only are LEDs positioned closer to other
components, but heat sinks are shrinking
due to lack of available space and therefore
are less able to dissipate heat.
In fact, typical operating tempera-
tures for HB LEDs are already around 80-
90C, and are expected to go higher by
20-30C as more powerful modules and
smaller form factors are developed. Spe-
cialized PC resins address this trend by
providing thermal resistance up to 130C,
which represents an improvement of 20-
30C over standard PMMA. Above 110C,
PMMA begins to deform. As mentioned
earlier, improved-clarity PC grades retain
their high light transmission and mechan-
ical properties after extended heat aging,
even at elevated temperatures. Some of the
LEDsmagazine.com
LED replacements for higher watt-
age incandescent bulbs (e.g. 75W or 100W)
already require temperature resistance
over 120C.
From a safety perspective, SABICs
improved-clarity PC resins provide fl ame
retardancy meeting UL94 V0 down to 1 mm
and V2 down to 0.75 mm with high trans-
parency. Although the global safety stan-
dards for LED lighting are still evolving (UL
in the United States, IEC in Europe and in
Asia, UL, IEC or specific local standards),
PC provides a higher ceiling in flame retar-
dancy and thermal resistance performance
to accommodate evolving regulations. In
contrast, PMMA does not meet these UL
standards (it only complies with the UL94
horizontal burn rating).
In addition to compliance with safety
standards, these clear, flame-retardant PCs
use technology that supports environmen-
tal directives. By avoiding bromines, chlo-
rines and phosphates, these materials com-
ply with eco labels and regulations such as
the European Unions Restriction of Hazard-
ous Substances (RoHS) directive.
PC design options with LEDs
The general lighting industry is fragmented
and complex. LEDs are adding complexities.
The diversity of the market is creating the
need for versatile materials that combine
high performance with attractive aesthet-
ics and innovative designs.
LED designs are already more diverse
than those used for incandescent or fluores-
cent lighting. To address this trend, plas-
tics such as PC offer a choice of processing
methods (injection and blow molding, and
extrusion), molded-in color and the ability to
create complex shapes, including part inte-
gration. Glass presents significant design
limitations in these areas.
When comparing plastic types, PC sur-
passes PMMA in the breadth of its design
window. In particular, PC enables sharp cor-
ners and notches that can further accentu-
ate PMMAs weakness in impact strength.
materials | POLYCARBONATES
When extruding large diff user sheets used
for wall and ceiling LED applications, PC
maintains its impact and rigidity bet-
ter than PMMA, which tends to sag. Simi-
larly, PCs dimensional stability, as well as
strength and toughness, enable thin-wall
molding (ranging from 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm)
for cost savings and weight reduction as well
as improved light efficiency.
One interesting area for LED design inno-
vation is automotive head lamps. LEDs are
being used for special lighting enhance-
ments including so called angel eyes or
accent lights providing a halo effect and in
strips used for daytime running lights or
fog lamps, which have been pioneered by
Audi and Mercedes-Benz. Versatile PC res-
ins can contribute high light transmission
combined with UV resistance, impact resis-
tance and high heat tolerance to these dis-
tinctive designs.
Specialty PC resins have also been engi-
neered with high reflectivity performance.
These materials can be used in head lamp
reflectors to maximize the luminance of
LED modules without the need for second-
ary coatings or plating. They also offer the
opportunity to integrate the reflector into
the LED module.
PC is an excellent choice in architectural
lighting as well as automotive lighting for
light pipes or tubes, which are used to move
light from its source to its destination by
channeling it over a few millimeters or up to
100 meters. Light pipes provide design flexi-
bility and eliminate components and assem-
bly steps. PC provides the right balance of
optical properties (transmission and refrac-
tive index), durability and process ability
(extrusion or profi le) for these applications
particularly long, thin pipes.
PC is becoming a preferred material for
tubes, covers, lenses and reflectors in LED
lighting designs. Specialized PC grades have
been engineered with a range of desirable
performance attributes from thin-wall
capability to exceptional heat aging perfor-
mance to sustainable flame-retardant sys-
tems which build upon the materials clas-
sic impact resistance, toughness and clarity.
As LED technology races ahead, new appli-
cations are developed, new markets are pen-
etrated and regulations evolve, PC resins
provide the variety, performance and versa-
tility to meet these new challenges.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 57
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drivers | LED TUBES

Examine all options for driving

LED-based retrofit tubes
Most of the LED retrofit tubes on the market integrate a driver within the tube form factor,
but JAMES CHORLTON explains that an external driver offers significant benefits.

W
e are on the brink of an LED revo-
lution. Since high brightness LED
technology has reached efficiency
levels comparable with those of fluorescent
lamps and the price-point has lowered sig-
nificantly, organizations are recognizing
the benefit of solid-state lighting (SSL) as a
commercially-viable, energy-efficient light-
ing solution. One high-profile target for SSL
manufacturers is the very large installed
base of linear fluorescent tubes. Ultimately
the switch to LEDs in tubes may become a
no-brainer but the best way to implement
the driver is still very much up for discussion.
As the uptake of LEDs for general-purpose
use has escalated, so has the industry debate
around the way in which the SSL technol-
ogy should be deployed. Many retrofit prod-
ucts have appeared on the market designed to
replace the popular 4-foot fluorescent tube
they appear to be a simple, straight-forward
solution. But with the European Commission
Low Voltage Directive Administrative Co-oper- FIG. 1. LED tubes in a car park in Northampton, UK.
ation Working Group (LVD ADCO) expressing
serious concerns about replacement tubes and access to live parts where one end of the tube No retrofit standards
the modifications necessary to existing lumi- is left exposed as an easily accessible shock With no specific standards in place, the
naires in order for them to operate correctly, hazard, the report concluded that operators design of LED lamps varies considerably.
there remains a question mark over whether need to do more to assess the safety risks. They can be broken down into two main
the retrofit model is as clear cut as it seems. The 2011 findings were supported by a categories those with external drivers
Similar concerns exist with regulatory bodies more recent study carried out by the UK- and those with internal drivers. The inter-
in other parts of the globe. based Electrical Safety Council. Independent nal driver approach creates simple retrofit
The concerns described in the working research by the council into the basic safety opportunities, albeit with the accompanying
groups recommendation report in 2011 of linear T8 lamps from UK suppliers found safety implications outlined above.
related to safety and the unacceptable risk that a year from the LVD ADCO recommen- The issue is that, in principal, the integrated-
of electric shock presented to consumers and dation the situation had not improved, and driver approach appears straightforward.
professionals. They discovered that many of that potentially unsafe retrofit LED lamps Depending on the type of control gear that has
the LED T8 replacement tubes in particu- continue to be placed on the market. The been fitted, the contractor will simply need to
lar did not comply with safety requirements main issue being that currently there are modify the existing fluorescent control gear
including protection against electric shock. no specific standards for these products to by using a fuse link in place of the starter for
Having identified that a common failure was adhere to, and herein lies the problem. magnetic ballasts. Alternatively, the contrac-
tor can bypass electronic ballasts completely
JAMES CHORLTON is the Business Director of Honeywell Electrical Devices and Systems (ED&S). and wire the lamp end caps directly to mains

LEDsmagazine.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 59

drivers | LED TUBES

voltage rather than having to mount and wire inefficient triac-based, phase-cut dimming being significantly heavier than the fluores-
up a new LED driver module as well. approaches. Not only that, but the retention of cent it replaced, and too heavy for the old
However, apart from the safety implica- the existing fluorescent ballast can dramat- lamp holder it now sits in. Furthermore, the
tions and the compliance issues caused by ically reduce the lifetime of the fi xture. Flu- lamp holder is not designed to take a contin-
uncontrolled luminaire modification, the orescent ballasts last a few thousand hours uous mains voltage of 230V or 115V, which
internal driver approach also requires that but an LED lamp is designed to last for tens the retrofit LED tube demands.
all the electronics must be By comparison, an exter-
housed within the confines nal driver system, that is
of the LED tube. based on the flu-
The lifetime of the orescent con-
LED driver will be cept where a sin-
directly negatively gle external LED
impacted by using driver runs one or
smaller de-rated more LED tubes,
FIG. 2. An external LED tube driver can support various control schemes including 0-10V or DALI.
components to fit in can comfor t-
the restricted space. ably include any
In addition, the excess heat generated as a of thousands. By choosing a retrofit solution dimming and smart features required. Since
result of putting the driver into the LED tube that retains a used ballast of unknown qual- there is less restriction on size and form factor
raises the overall temperature of the tube and ity, the luminaire will continue to need costly there is greater flexibility. The design flexibil-
reduces the lifespan of the LEDs. and frequent maintenance. ity can minimize the effect of heat depreciating
It is also more difficult to incorporate the lumen output of the LEDs. The external-
smart features such as 0-10V or DALI-con- More safety issues driver approach should offer better reliability,
trolled dimming. In fact many of these ret- There are also further safety implications a longer life span and a safer product. At Hon-
rofit LED tubes are non-dimmable or rely on with the weight of the new LED tube often eywell for example, where we deploy the exter-

______________

FIG. 3. Honeywell LED tubes.
nal driver design, we have an industry-leading
5-year warranty and a 60,000 hour product life
thats almost 7 years at 24/7 operation.
The 5-year warranty is the main reason
that St Michaels Car Park in Northampton,
UK chose to switch from fluorescent lighting
to LED tubes with an external driver (Fig.
1). The Councillor John Caswell, Northamp-
ton Borough Council cabinet member for
the environment, said that given the need for
more affordable and energy-efficient lighting
they were looking for a solution that offered
a long warranty period from an established
manufacturer.
Tube lifespan
One of the key benefits of this long lifes-
pan for the council is the only maintenance
required over the next 10 years is cleaning,
compared to fluorescent lamps which need
to be replaced approximately every two years.
For St Michaels car park the result is far less
disruption to everyday operations.
The car parks existing 6-ft twin 70W flu-
orescent units were replaced with Honey-
well 5-foot twin 23W LED Utility units to
give comparable light output while signif-
icantly reducing energy usage. The switch
is predicted to reduce the car parks energy
LEDsmagazine.com
Solder
Materials for
LED Assembly
Solder Paste
Flux-Cored
Wire
Preforms and
NanoFoil
Thermal
Interface
Materials
Bar Solder and
Wave Flux
consumption by as much as 75%, saving Gallium
up to 17,800 ($28,400) annually. And the and Indium
impact is already being seen. A few weeks
Compounds
after the switchover was complete, the car
parks energy provider phoned the council, Die-Attach
concerned that lights in the car park must
have stopped working as thered been such
a dramatic drop in energy usage.
Finally, choosing a complete luminaire
solution with an external driver means any
safety or life concerns are removed. The
entire system the lamp, the lamp holder
and the driver are designed to work together. Learn more:
http://indium.us/F308
From our perspective, many of the ret-
rofit LED lamps in the market are unsafe.
The retrofit tube model with integrated
driver just doesnt work in a secure or reli-
able way. Others would argue against the
higher initial investment cost needed for a
full replacement and a switch to an external
driver model. We would say that the return
on investment through energy savings, a
longer product life, plus the safer design not
only makes that investment preferable, but www.indium.com
askus@indium.com
essential. The discussion continues.
What is clear though, is that as the indus- ASIA  CHINA  EUROPE  USA
try is about to witness the mass adoption of
2012 Indium Corporation
LED technology, standardization and fur-
ther regulation is necessary.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 61
 



   

  

  
  
 
 
    
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design forum | OPTICAL MODELING

Accurately model LED sources

for optimal SSL product designs
MARK NICHOLSON of Radiant Zemax describes how creating a virtual prototype with accurate LED
source models is a vital step in delivering SSL products that meet design goals.

I
n last months LEDs Magazine, Thomas
Davenport of Synopsys wrote about some
of the complexities of designing with
LEDs in solid-state lighting (SSL) products
(www.ledsmagazine.com/features/9/10/10).
_________________________
Optical modeling can help translate that
theory into real-word SSL product designs.
Indeed we will consider how modeling
and the creation of virtual prototypes can
ensure that a development project delivers
on design goals established at the beginning
of the project.
By modeling light as rays, which are thin FIG. 1. A phosphor-converted white LED integrates four emitters in an array with a
lines that follow the direction of light, and noticeable lack of energy in the center of the LED.
tracing these lines through an optical sys-
tem, we can produce a virtual prototyping
environment for optical and illumination
systems. LED sources are especially complex
in the rays they produce, and the virtual pro-
totype is the best way to deliver optimal SSL
products. Optical system design software
uses the ray tracing technique to simulate,
optimize and tolerance optical systems.
For example, in NASAs recent Curios-
ity mission to Mars, all the cameras and
other optical equipment on the Rover were
designed and tested virtually on computers
extensively before prototypes were made
and the fi nal system assembled. And while FIG. 2. An LED with four color emitters can produce white light or colors, although the
not everyone has NASAs budget, all optical close up image is quite different from what the eye sees.
and illumination system engineers can ben-
efit from virtually prototyping their systems LEDs as little hemispheres that glow uni- might think they would look like, based on
before committing to prototyping costs and formly white, doing so can be a very mis- their unlit appearance.
production tooling. leading, and costly assumption. In the first case, you might be surprised to
To understand the LED optical complex- discover that the round LED actually lights
The LED challenge ity, lets look at some examples. Figs. 1 and 2 up as four squares, with almost zero energy
LEDs provide a challenge because they have show commercially available LEDs in their fi ring straight out of the center. The lack of
the previously-mentioned very complex unlit and lit states. The LED in Fig.1 is a energy in the center is due to the fact that
optical properties. LED brightness changes phosphor-converted white LED, while the there are four separate emitters packaged as
depending on where on the LED you look, LED in Fig. 2 mixes color emitters to deliver an array in the white LED. You can also see
what angle you look at, and what colors you white or color light. For each LED, the lit that the individual emitters arent precisely
want. While it is tempting to think of white state is surprisingly different from what you uniform in light output or color.

LEDsmagazine.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 63

design forum | OPTICAL MODELING
FIG. 3. Software traces rays through a light pipe.
The spatial variation of color in the LED in
Fig. 2 might also surprise you. The color mix
delivers white light to the human eye and you
might expect the source to be a simple white
LED. But there is little simple in LED lighting!
Model creation
These images were produced by a Scanning
Imaging Goniometer (SIG) which rotates a
highly calibrated, linear camera around a
hemisphere centered on the source under
test. These sources are typically LEDs, but
can also be halogen sources, arc lamps or
virtually any kind of source.
By capturing pictures of the lit appearance
of the source at all angles and by including
a spectrometer, at all wavelengths we build
up a model of the real radiance of the source,
that we call a Radiant Source Model (RSM).
The RSM accurately describes the light out-
put and spectral distribution of the source.
RSMs are used in optical system design
programs like Zemax12 to produce sets of
rays that exactly model the spatial, angular
and color output of the LED.
The RSM is vitally useful to both LED man-
ufacturers and their customers, SSL product
designers. For manufacturers, who make the
bare LED die and must then design the encap-
sulant lens around it, RSMs provide a unique,
comprehensive way of understanding the
light distribution from both the bare die and
the encapsulated device. For SSL designers,
64 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012
FIG. 4. A deformed cylinder maximizes the forward light output.
the RSM of the finished LED provides com-
plete information on the spatial, angular and
color properties of the LED without requir-
ing an understanding of the complex semi-
conductor physics of the device.
RSMs are used in optical system design
programs like Zemax12 to produce sets of
rays that exactly model the spatial, angu-
lar and color output of the LED. Zemax con-
tains measured data on over 700 LEDs and
other light sources, and that library of data
is available to other ray tracing codes also.
The ray tracing program then traces these
rays through whatever the optical system is
to provide the desired final output.
Light pipe example
For example, if you were designing a light
pipe to project an LED beam that behaves
like a flashlight, you could start with a
simple cylinder of plastic (Fig. 3). But were
the design goal to deliver ten times the
brightness in the forward direction, you
need to change the geometry. Fig. 4 shows
a deformed cylinder achieved with free-
form surface modeling than can deliver the
desired brightness gain.
Note how some of the high-angle rays are
lost where the source and pipe are joined.
FIG. 5. A collimator optic controls the
beam pattern.
But the remaining rays are guided by the
deformed light pipe shape to result in the
brightness gain in the forward direction. The
computer program designs the shape given
the starting distribution of light represented
by the RSM and the desired output based on
the specification for the product design.
In another example, a design team might
set a goal of developing a collimator optic.
Such an optic is intended to reflect a major-
ity of the rays directly forward in the direc-
tion thats perpendicular to the surface upon
which the source is mounted, producing a
controlled column of light for directional-
lighting applications. The collimator optic
depicted in Fig. 5 captures all the light from
the LED to produce a brighter output over
the desired throw.
By using measured data and virtual pro-
totyping software, optical and illumination
designers can include all the details they need
to design with speed and confidence. The
result is shorter SSL product design cycles, less
money spent on prototypes, and optimally-per-
forming production lamps and luminaires.
LEDsmagazine.com
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