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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

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LEDsmagazine.com

UV LEDs
UV-C LEDs advance
life science
applications P. 47

Standards
Spectral power
distribution transfer P. 59

TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATIONS OF LIGHT EMITTING DIODES Production


Binning for
uniformity P. 69

SSL
Luminaires
LEDs enable
innovative
form P. 29

OUR LED & LIGHTING EVENTS


COVERAGE BEGINS ON P. 37!
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ISSUE 74

2014
November/December Cover Story
View a selection of the innovative
commercial indoor products recognized
by the 2014 Next-Generation Luminaires
Solid-State Lighting Design Competition
on p. 29 (Courtesy of Blackjack Lighting).

features
29 FOCUS ON LUMINAIRES
NGL Indoor Competition 2014
Maury Wright

37 THE LED SHOW 2014


columns/departments
The LED Show reflects the proliferation of
solid-state lighting
Laura Peters 4 COMMENTARY Maury Wright
LED-based lighting begins to
47 UV LEDS realize unlimited potential
UV-C LEDs enable broader use of HPLC and DNA
quantitation 9 NEWS+ANALYSIS
Hari Venugopalan, Crystal IS Zumtobel illuminates new Leica
facility with energy-efficient lighting
53 PREVIEW
Cree develops next-gen LED
Strategies in Light and The LED Show combine retrofit lamps with legacy looks
for illuminating keynotes and sessions Osram completes SSL retrofit of
Robert Steele, Ella Shum, Philip Smallwood, and James the Vaticans Sistine Chapel
Highgate Light engines/modules: LG
Innotek, Philips Lumileds
59 STANDARDS
SSL projects: Insta Elektro,
IES establishes new standard for spectral LEDtronics, MSP airport
data transfer
Jiangzhong Jiao, Osram Opto Semiconductors
21 FUNDING + PROGRAMS

63 SIL JAPAN 2014 Blue LED creators receive Nobel


Prize in Physics for 2014
SIL Japan speakers explore the SSL frontier
beyond lumens per watt DOE releases long-term report on
Minnesota LED bridge lighting
Ella Shum and Manami Konishi
IEA 4E SSL Annex opines on LED
67 DEVELOPER FORUM impact on health and environment
Optimized methodologies lead to high-precision DOE again addresses the blue
LED color binning light hazard with LEDs
Matthias Hoeh, Instrument Systems GmbH MSSLC indicates moderate LED
penetration into roadway lighting
76 LAST WORD
EPA begins specification process
SSL cost reduction: Designers are missing the for Energy Star Luminaires
bigger picture
Ralph Weir, Cambridge Nanotherm

LEDsmagazine.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 3


commentary

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Christine Shaw


& PUBLISHING DIRECTOR cshaw@pennwell.com

LED-based lighting
EDITOR Maury Wright
mauryw@pennwell.com
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Carrie Meadows
carriem@pennwell.com

begins to realize CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Caroline Hayes


caroline.hayes@ruivamedia.com
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Ken Marrin

unlimited potential kmarrin@cfl.rr.com


CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Laura Peters

A
lpeters40@gmail.com
MARKETING MANAGER Kimberly Ayer
ART DIRECTORKelli Mylchreest
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Mari Rodriguez
s I write this, Im attending the US hopes such goals can be attained with SENIOR ILLUSTRATORChristopher Hipp
Department of Energy (DOE) solid- lower-power LED-based products. AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Debbie Bouley

state lighting (SSL) workshop in Detroit. Of course, most of the comments about
The presentations thus far have covered new approaches to lighting had more to do
ground ranging from tunable human- with form factor than HCL. Host Jim Bro- EDITORIAL OFFICES PennWell Corporation,
centric lighting (HCL) to Detroits laud- drick, SSL program director at the DOE, LEDs Magazine
98 Spit Brook Road, LL-1
able street-light project partially funded lamented the downlights in the meeting Nashua, NH 03062-5737
Tel: +1 603 891-0123
by the DOE (http://bit.ly/1xikGWu). The room. He said the shape and depth was Fax: +1 603 891-0574
city has installed 25,000 SSL luminaires, purely due to the shape of lamps, and a flat www.ledsmagazine.com

mostly this year. Still, the prevailing theme circular disk that required no penetration SALES OFFICES
SALES MANAGER Kelly Barker
of the opening morning was rethinking into the ceiling might be a better design. (US EAST COAST) kellybarker@pennwell.com
Tel. +1 603 891 9186
the form and function of lighting. We are seeing significant evolution in
SALES MANAGER Allison OConnor
We recently covered HCL and whether form factor and functionality in SSL prod- (US WEST COAST) allison@jagmediasales.com
Tel. +1 480 991 9109
science supports the use of light as a ther- ucts. Peruse the article on the DOEs Next
SALES MANAGER Jim Ajayi
apy or to boost productivity (http://bit. Generation Luminaires program in this (UK/REST OF EUROPE) jima@pennwell.com
Tel. +44(0) 1992 656657
ly/1q7GM4G). The speakers at the work- issue for inspiration (p. 29). There are
SALES MANAGER Johann Bylek
shop clearly believe the industry should energy-efficient products aplenty, but (GERMANY/ johannb@pennwell.com
AUSTRIA/SWITZERLAND) Tel. +49 89 90480 143
move forward now, including Steven Lock- some have unique forms and features.
SALES MANAGER Masaki Mori
ley, associate professor of medicine at Har- Consider the product on our cover. (JAPAN) mori-masaki@ex-press.jp
Tel: +81 3 3219 3641
vard Medical School. The science may not That Swirl design is more about style
SALES MANAGER Mark Mak
be perfect, but the speakers believe there is than functionality, but it could not be (CHINA & HONG KONG) markm@actintl.com.hk
Tel: +852 2838 6298
credible evidence that light therapy works. implemented using legacy sources.
SALES MANAGER Monica Liu
For example, Lockley said light therapy at However, one speaker issued some (TAIWAN) monica@arco.com.tw
Tel: +886 2 2396 5128 ext: 270
home could delay the need for the elderly words of caution. Leslie North, principal
SALES MANAGER Young Baek
to move into care facilities. at Aurora Lighting Design, lamented that (KOREA) ymedia@chol.com
However, some of the most compelling no tunable products are compatible in Tel: +82 2 2273 4818
SALES MANAGER Dan Aronovic
comments came as panelists were asked terms of CCTs or the dimming curve. She (ISRAEL) aronovic@actcom.co.il
how lighting developers should act based also said SSL color performance needs to Tel: +39 972 9899 5813

on what the industry knows. Lockley advo- be synchronized with other legacy sources CORPORATE OFFICERS
CHAIRMAN Frank T. Lauinger
cated more tunable lighting in schools and such as fluorescent because designers PRESIDENT AND CEO Robert F. Biolchini
medical facilities but also made a surpris- often need to mix technologies. CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Mark C. Wilmoth
ing comment. He said no one was think- As we covered in a recent roundtable, the TECHNOLOGY GROUP
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Christine A. Shaw
ing about tunable technology in street SSL industry has work to do in dimming & PUBLISHING DIRECTOR
lights, but that a late-night transition to performance, especially when it comes to SUBSCRIPTIONS: For subscription inquiries:
a warmer CCT would be better overall for changes in CCT and spectral distribution Tel: +1 847 763-9540;
Fax: +1 847 763-9607;
the environment and people. (http://bit.ly/ZGIdBn). But the industry has e-mail: LED@halldata.com;
ledsmagazine.com/subscribe
Most people think about SSL with an come a long way in light quality and color
We make portions of our subscriber list available to carefully screened
eye toward energy savings, and dimming rendering. Lets keep the momentum going. companies that offer products and services that may be important for
in street lights has been discussed and your work. If you do not want to receive those offers and/or information
via direct mail, please let us know by contacting us at List Services
implemented in some cases. Still, even LEDs, 98 Spit Brook Road LL-1, Nashua, NH 03062.

4000K-CCT street lights can impact sleep Maury Wright, Copyright 2014 PennWell Corp (ISSN 2156-633X). All rights
reserved. Contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any
patterns and Lockley thinks of SSL in EDITOR form without prior written consent of Publishers.
terms of health and wellbeing first, and mauryw@pennwell.com

4 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 LEDsmagazine.com


FEATURED events
| online Lighting Japan
January 1416, 2015
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SPIE Photonics West 2015
Editorial Digest February 712, 2015
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LED drivers determine the success
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ADVERTISERS index
American Bright Optoelectronics .................35 Informa Canada ..........................................65 Proto Labs Inc. ...........................................49
Autec Power Systems..................................26 Instruments Systems GmbH .......................55 Ripley Lighting Controls ...............................67
Citizen Electronics Ltd. ...............................17 Inventronics (Hangzhou) Inc. .......................28 Seoul Semiconductor Co. Ltd. ....................13
Cooledge Lighting .......................................19 IOTA Engineering .........................................57 Shanxi Guangyu LED Lighting Co. Ltd. ........18
Cree Inc. ..................................................CV4 Ledlink Optics Inc. ......................................23 Shat-R-Shields ............................................50
E-Lite Semiconductor ..................................24 LG Innotek ..................................................52 Shenzhen Ledfriend
Evergreen International Corp. .....................68 LTF LLC .......................................................41 Optoelectronics Co. Ltd. ............................2
Future Electronics Inc. ......................8, 27, 62 Lumens Co. Ltd. ................................... 38-39 Shenzhen OKT Lighting Co. Ltd. ..................51
Green Inova Lighting Technology Maruwa Co. Ltd. .........................................15 Shenzhen Refond
(Shenzhen) Limited ...................................48 Optoelectronics Co. Ltd. ..........................58
Matrix Lighting Limited, Hong Kong ...........CV2
Guangzhou Hongli Signcomplex Limited ...................................33
MBN GmbH.................................................16
Opto-Electronic Co. Ltd. ............................14 The Korean Consulate General ....................12
Orb Optronix................................................60
Hangzhou Everfine Photo-E-Info Co. Ltd. ......61 Thomas Research Products ........................11
Otsuka Electronics Co. Ltd. ........................22
Hangzhou HPWinner Opto Corporation ..........7 Underwriters Laboratories ...........................46
Philips Lumileds ............................................1
Henkel ........................................................31 Universal Lighting Technologies...................45
Phoenix Contact ..........................................20
IMIGY Lighting Co. Ltd. ..................................5 Zhejiang Baikang Technological Co. Ltd. .....36
Plessey Semiconductors Ltd. ......................43
Indium Corporation .....................................25

6 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 LEDsmagazine.com


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news views
SSL PROJECTS

Zumtobel illuminates new Leica facility


with energy-efficient lighting
Zumtobel has announced a major solid-state lighting (SSL)
project in a new headquarters facility for Leica Camera
thats located in Wetzlar, Germany where the camera maker
was founded. The varied lighting scheme was intended to
blend seamlessly into the building while providing an opti-
mum workspace and to highlight areas such as the art
gallery and museum areas that are open to the public to
serve as a monument of the companys history. The project
involved Zumtobel Claris II and Linaria fluorescent prod-
ucts and Panos Infinity fixtures, among other products.
Perhaps the most intriguing elements of the design center
around the Panos Infinity LED luminaires that were used
in a variety of spaces including customer-meeting areas, rior design while delivering light on target in areas such as
public areas, corridors, and in the on-site coffeehouse. The the museum and gallery. Moreover, the designers said the
design teams from hpi Himmen and Lichtvision deployed LED choice delivered 40% energy savings relative to fluo-
the recessed luminaires as downlights for general illumi- rescent options.
nation and as wall washers in many areas. The design relies on an innovative mix of color tempera-
The fixtures deliver on the goal of blending into the inte- tures to ensure a comfortable visual experience. page 10

RETROFIT LAMPS HISTORICAL BUILDINGS

Cree develops next-gen LED Osram completes SSL


retrofit lamps with legacy looks retrofit of the Vaticans
Cree has revealed its second-generation commercial LED bulb/lamp Sistine Chapel
design with products designed to replace 40W and 60W incandescent Osram has announced the completion of a major SSL
bulbs. The new design is lower in cost with 40W-equivalent products project, retrofitting the Sistine Chapel in Rome, Italy
selling for $7.97 at Home Depot, and the cost reductions are derived with LED-based fixtures. The new lighting uses 90%
from an airflow-based thermal design less energy than the prior installation and the project
that enables the use of fewer LEDs driven was backed by the European Union under the Digital
at higher current and lower-cost ther- Agenda for Europe initiative.
mal elements. The result is a replace- We first covered the Sistine Chapel story back about
ment LED A-lamp that is mostly indis- one year ago (http://bit.ly/1xpJNTW). At that time, the
tinguishable from an incandescent bulb. story was primarily focused on lighting Michelangelos
Cree has consistently been among works of art. And indeed the project delivered on those
the technology and market leaders goals while also providing improved ambience in the
since it entered the market with 40W- chapel. Moreover, the project far exceeded the original
and 60W-equivalent LED lamps back goal of 60% energy savings.
in March 2013 (http://bit.ly/1u6A1XA). LED-based lighting is proving especially viable in
The company followed those prod- such settings. For example, Philips lit all of the precious
ucts with both 75W- and page 12 works in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, page 10

LEDsmagazine.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 9


news+views
Zumtobel from page 9 The downlights are
3000K CCT products. But the building is Sistine from page 9
designed to allow a significant amount of Netherlands with LED-based fix-
natural light into most areas. So the design- tures (http://bit.ly/Ls8HzB). We
ers chose to use 4000K-CCT wall washers to also recently covered an applica-
more precisely match the natural light. tion where LEDs were used in an
The Leica facility lighting uses DALI (dig- iconic religious facility, lighting

Governatorato dello Stato della Citt del Vaticano Direzione dei Musei
ital addressable lighting interface) fixtures the St. Mary and Bartholomew
to enable the control requirements. In turn, Church in Harsefeld, Germany
the DALI interconnects are bridged to the (http://bit.ly/1tQsfkJ).
KNX building management system. The sys- The Sistine Chapel lighting
tem is used to dim the lighting when feasible project consumed more than
to save energy and to extinguish lighting in 7000 LEDs from Osram Opto
areas that are unoccupied. Semiconductors installed in
MORE http://bit.ly/144jl9J custom fixtures designed for the
high-profile project. Light levels
AUTOMOTIVE are higher but controlled, and
visitors will enjoy the experi-
TI enables adaptive LED headlamp ence with enhanced viewing of
designs with matrix manager IC the famed frescoes.
Texas Instruments (TI) has announced the Osram believes that the work
TPS92661-Qi LED Matrix Manager for auto- breaks new ground. Osram has
motive headlamp systems. The IC integrates developed an LED lighting solu-
12 MOSFET switches that are used to steer tion that sets standards in terms of tech- perhaps even more enamored with the
current through or around multiple LED nological strength, quality, and innova- results. The Sistine Chapel contains
strings to vary beam patterns and inten- tion, said Klaus Patzak, Osrams CFO the most extraordinary works ever con-
sity in intelligent and adaptive headlamp and the executive in charge of lumi- ceived by the human mind and is Michel-
systems. naires at the company. Its the first such angelos masterpiece, said Antonio
The most widely known implementation solution in the world and paves the way Paolucci, director of the Vatican Muse-
of an intelligent and adaptive headlamp for completely new possibilities for our ums. We want to honor the 450 th anni-
system is the Audi Matrix unit announced clients. We will now rapidly turn this versary of Michelangelos death by pro-
last year (http://bit.ly/1qtZK7k). The sys- potential into reality. viding new lighting for his work.
tem can steer a beam to match corners in But the curators of the property are MORE: http://bit.ly/1tQBfXe
the roadway and create notches in the beam
to ensure that the beams dont blind drivers
of oncoming vehicles. Effectively the tech- ified components and is designed to work conversion to perhaps most significantly
nology eliminates the need for a low beam. with a master microcontroller (MCU) to packaging. The new LEDs are based on
The system is on production cars in Europe, enable the matrix headlamp functionality. Osrams UX:3 chip technology. UX:3 is a
although for now US standards prohibit such MORE: http://bit.ly/144kLRB thin-film flip-chip process that results in
implementations (http://bit.ly/1xpXhyV). the contacts being on the bottom of the die
Coincidentally or not, TI chose to use the Osram Opto demonstrates single- (http://bit.ly/1u77S2A). After epitaxy, the die
word matrix in the branding of its new LED low-beam headlamp in lab is flipped with the light emerging from what
IC. The switch array is designed to drive a Osram Opto Semiconductors has revealed was the gallium-nitride (GaN) layer that was
matrix of LEDs, both switching strings on a laboratory development of a single LED originally adjacent to the substrate.
and off and dimming strings to deliver the that delivers 1400 lm and that, combined The company also uses a ceramic-based
adaptive headlamp features. The company with a reflector, can implement an auto- phosphor for the headlamp LEDs, and that
said the IC would reduce the printed-circuit motive low-beam headlamp function that phosphor is more capable of delivering con-
board (PCB) size by 73% in an adaptive head- meets relevant global standards. The com- sistent lumen output over long life, espe-
lamp controller. pany believes that in the next two years a cially in adverse thermal environments. To
The IC can drive as many as 96 individual module smaller than a box of matches will help mitigate thermal issues, Osram adapted
LEDs broken into 12 strings. Each string can be all that is required for a capable low-beam some packaging technology originally devel-
be individually controlled including pulse- implementation. oped for the high-output Osram Ostar LEDs
width modulation (PWM) dimming with The laboratory work combines a number used in projector applications (http://bit.
10-bit precision. It meets the AEC-Q100 of technologies in the LED manufacturing ly/1snA799). With the contacts on the bot-
Grade 1 specification for automotive-qual- process ranging from epitaxy to phosphor tom of the LED, the component can be sol-

10 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 LEDsmagazine.com


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news+views
dered directly to copper in the package. Moreover, the company is planning three technology can eliminate the bulky and
The result is an LED that outputs 200 families of modular light engines that com- expensive AC-DC driver module used in
Mcd/m 2 (mega candela per square meter). bine the LED with AC-driver technology on most LED luminaires. The downside to
The company said the LED offers triple the a circuit board. AC-LED technology has been lower effi-
luminance of existing LEDs targeting the The area of AC-driver technology is a cacy, flicker, and less-effective dimming
auto application. Moreover, the company popular one at the moment because the control. The latest products are attack-
has tested the LEDs at an elevated 85C
operating temperature where lumen depre- Cree from page 9
ciation is less than 10%. The result is poten- 100W-equivalent A-lamps, A-lamps with minimize the look of the elements and
tially a low-beam module measuring only high CRI, and BR30 lamps (http://bit. reduce weight as well. Based on the specs,
3050 mm. ly/1p2BMlK). All shared a similar inter- the new lamps come close to the weight of
MORE: http://bit.ly/1uHieIf nal design based on what Cree called a an incandescent bulb at around 2 oz.
filament tower. Based on the cutaway photo that Cree
LIGHT ENGINES/MODULES Cree has said the new design looks supplied, the new design uses far fewer
more conventional, but the real reason LEDs than did the filament tower. The LED
LG Innotek develops AC-LED for the design is lower cost and perhaps lamp appears to be segmented into four
light engines for downlights even better optical performance, although sections, with the sectors being pie-like if
LG Innotek has announced plans to enter the prior lamps have remained among the viewed from the top of the bulb. Note that
the market for direct-AC-driven LED tech- most highly rated on the market. Philips and Best Buy have previously used
nology. The company said it will deliver The original design had a notable segmented approaches, although quite dif-
five new packaged LED products that are metal heat sink painted white. That fea- ferent from Cree. But Philips has notably
optimized for use in AC-driven systems. ture certainly provided a different look retreated from that approach in its main-
from incandescent bulbs, but it was not stream lamps (http://bit.ly/1GxxfA2).
nearly as obtrusive as the silver metal The new lamps offer 460- and 815-lm
heat sinks with fins used on many low- output in the 40W and 60W equivalents,
cost LED bulbs. respectively. As in the past, Cree will offer
The mainstream media has reported the lamps in a warm 2700K CCT and in
that the new Cree design has no heat sink. a daylight version at 5000K. The brighter
We havent had the chance to get a hands- version uses 11W. CRI is 80 or better. The
on look at the product just yet, but we sus- product is slightly larger than an A-19 bulb
pect that the new design has thermal ele- but would fit in most applications.
ments and likely uses thermoplastics to MORE: http://bit.ly/1qtZ9CF

12 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 LEDsmagazine.com


news+views
ing those areas of weakness, such as the third-generation Acrich3
driver IC announced recently by Seoul Semiconductor (http://bit.
ly/1mkOBIi). Moreover, even driver IC specialists such as TI are
offering ICs for AC-driver topologies (http://bit.ly/XEhdlI).
Apparently, LG Innotek has developed its own AC-drive
technology, although the company did not provide details of
the implementation in its recent announcement. The com-
pany simply said it had developed a way to control LED drive
current directly from the AC line and that the implementation would
deliver a 30% cost reduction relative to similar DC-driven light engines.
LG said it is offering the 5250HV (High Voltage), 3030HV, and
5630HV products for use in AC applications. The company targets
the larger packages at luminaires and the 3030HV at retrofit lamps.
LG claims that the 5630HV offers an industry-leading 136-lm/W effi-
cacy in terms of LEDs designed for AC applications.
All of the new module offerings, both modules for SSL retrofit lamps
and luminaires, are designed to predominantly deliver light in one
direction for applications such as downlighting. The pictured light
engine would most likely be deployed in a directional retrofit lamp.
MORE: http://bit.ly/1qu16iE

Philips Lumileds announces board-


level modular LED light engines
Philips Lumileds has announced the Matrix Platform including the
Luxeon XR and XF family of modular LED light engines that consist
of LEDs mounted on rigid or flexible printed-circuit boards (PCBs)
as a building-block product for SSL developers. Lumileds, and oth-
ers in the SSL industry, refer to such PCB-based products as Level
2 products differentiating the customer engagement from Level 1
products or individual packaged LEDs. The initial Luxeon Matrix
products target troffers and other linear applications.
Packaged LEDs are increasingly difficult for some lighting man-
ufacturers to work with at the component level. Both mid-power

LEDs and high-power devices in flip-chip or chip-scale packages


(CSPs) require automated assembly on high-end surface-mount
device (SMD) production lines. Indeed, when Lumileds first pio-
neered the CSP LED last year (http://bit.ly/1foX4lz), the company
said many customers would buy products that use the LED in a
Level 2 engagement with the LEDs already mounted on a PCB,
thereby simplifying both the product development and manufac-
turing processes.
The initial Matrix press release covered specifically the off-the-
shelf XR flexible strip and XF rigid board families that use Lumileds
mid-power Luxeon 3535 LEDs (http://bit.ly/1xhEk3h). In the long

14 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 LEDsmagazine.com


news+views
term, it may be flexibility in configurations striking white glass
of the modules that will be most valuable to roof on the west side of
lighting product developers. Lumileds has the street.
emphasized that it will offer custom options The products
in terms of LED types and form factor. installed include Led-
MORE: http://bit.ly/112KMzy lux luminaires, Insta-
light lighting control
SSL PROJECTS systems, and Ledtrix
DMX-based intercon-
Insta Elektro announces LED- nect products. Indeed,
based arcade lighting project the installation allows
In Kiel, Germany Insta Elektro has sup- for dynamic light
plied LED-based fixtures for the lighting of scenes tuned to events,
the Arkaden-Die Holtenauer shopping area neighborhood architecture. the calendar, or the whims of the arcade.
along both sides of Holtenauer Strasse. Architectural firm Kersig von Hanneken Insta continues to be involved in innova-
The Kiel project was driven by the Die Hol- Architekten, designer Studio DL, and con- tive LED lighting projects. For example, last
tenauer advertising association to relight tractor Elektro Lbke partnered on the proj- year the company supported a project at the
Holtenauer Strasse with special attention ect. Ultimately, the plan centered on using the Wanne-Eickel, Germany bus station and town
paid to the many shops lining both sides of recessed windows along the top of the resi- square in which the luminaires were installed
the street. Moreover, the project required dential building to conceal RGB (red, green, in the pavement (http://bit.ly/1tQIhuZ). More
that the lighting be integral with the resi- blue) color SSL fixtures that could direction- recently, the company supplied an energy and
dential units behind the shops on each side. ally project light onto the arcade and the glass ecology exhibition with customized RGB
The concept sought to make the shops, and roofs. Additionally, the group installed 200m luminaires (http://bit.ly/1xdpQAp).
their glass roofs, a seamless part of the of linear white LED lighting to highlight the MORE: http://bit.ly/1tQI7Uv
news+views
Race engine manufacturer installs
LED lighting in California shop
LEDtronics has announced an LED-based
high-bay lighting project at the Ed Pink Racing
Engines shop in Van Nuys, CA. RTM Lighting
& Electronics handled the installation that is
generating brighter light levels for employees
while reducing energy usage by 70%.
The race shop is renowned in US motor-
sports having built engines that won races
in top series including NASCAR, IndyCar,
and top-level dragsters. The engine shop has
worked with racing teams from Ford, Pontiac, totaling 12,000 ft2. Previously, a mix of T8 Racings Honsowetz. At this rate, we will
and Toyota and supported superstar drivers and T12 fluorescent fixtures lit the facility pay for the conversion in about 13 months.
including Tony Stewart and Don Prudhomme. where engines are rebuilt, built, tested, and Still, Honsowetz noted other benefits of the
But the shops former lighting was hamper- designed for an international customer base. upgrade beyond the energy savings and light-
ing the precise work of the staff and wasting The upgrade allowed the shop to use fewer ing quality. With LED lighting, the interior
significant energy, leading to a major retrofit. HBL003-200W-XPW-101WD LED high-bay temperature on hot days is easier to control.
The lighting is much better for our unique luminaires from LEDtronics. Using a total of MORE: http://bit.ly/1ypZqL8
work environment, says general manager only 2600W, the LED lights saved the company
Frank Honsowetz, former director of racing 5730W, said Mark Jarel, LEDtronics street & MSP airport to combine LED lighting
for Nissan North America who joined Ed Pink outdoor lighting product sales manager. and solar generation on garages
in 2001, about the upgrade. We are saving about $900 a month from The Metropolitan Airports Commission
The facility consists of two buildings the conversion to LED lighting, said Pink operates seven airports in the Minnesota

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Twin Cities area of Minneapolis-St. that energy-efficient LED light-
Paul, and has begun a massive ing was making solar generation
energy-efficiency project includ- more viable despite the inher-
ing LED lighting at the flagship ently low efficiency in solar pan-
Minneapolis St. Paul International els (http://bit.ly/1kXzh1e).
Airport (MSP). Construction was The project addresses many
begun in early fall on what the angles in energy efficiency. For
agency said is Minnesotas larg- example, the airport will add
est solar generation project a 18 charging stations for electric
3-MW plant located atop two park- vehicles. Moreover, the airport
ing structures (see rendering of the expects the solar plant to deliver
solar array atop Terminal 1s park- 20% of the airports energy needs.
ing ramp here). Moreover, the proj- The energy services company
ect will include retrofit of more than Ameresco has been selected to
7700 metal-halide fixtures to SSL products. project will create jobs, reduce the airports lead the $25.4 million project. A number of
The Metropolitan Airports Commission carbon footprint, and save the Airports Com- Minnesota-based organizations will partic-
has worked for decades to operate Minneap- mission hundreds of thousands of dollars a ipate including tenKsolar, Thrivent Finan-
olis-St. Paul International Airport as sustain- year. I want to thank all the public and pri- cial, and Hunt Electric. Apparently Cooper
ably as possible, investing millions in infra- vate entities who have worked with us to make Lighting will supply the SSL fixtures as they
structure to reduce impacts to soil, water, and this project possible. were the only lighting company listed as a
air quality, and spending nearly a half-billion Weve seen an uptick in projects that com- participant. Utility Xcel Energy is contribut-
dollars on noise mitigation around MSP, said bine LED and solar technology. Indeed, we ing a $2 million grant to the project from its
Jeff Hamiel, the Commissions executive direc- covered a presentation at the February Strat- Renewable Development Fund.
tor and CEO. This ambitious new solar energy egies in Light conference that made the point MORE: http://bit.ly/1qAh76u
Sometimes its better to stray off the straight and narrow

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management. Minimal, confgurable and extremely simple
to use, light sheet allows your next lighting project or
luminaire to be truly unique.

Redefining the Geometry of Light


Vancouver, Canada I Munich, Germany I cooledgelighting.com
+ funding
programs
Blue LED creators receive Nobel
DOE releases long-term
report on Minnesota
LED bridge lighting
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has
published an update on what was one of
the first prominent outdoor LED light-
ing projects installed as part of the agen-
cys Gateway Demonstration program
back in 2008. The I-35W freeway bridge
in Minneapolis, MN was lit with LED-

Prize in Physics for 2014 based fixtures and is among the longest
continually-operated SSL installations in
the world. After more than 20,000 hours
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has converted white LED device. of operation, the luminaires performed to
awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize for Physics The Academy released the infographic expectations, while high-pressure sodium
to the team of researchers that created depicted nearby, which demonstrates the (HPS) fixtures would have required at
the first blue LEDs in the early 1990s and impact that LED sources can have on energy least one relamping cycle and most likely
ultimately enabled functional white light consumption. Indeed, LED sources have additional maintenance procedures.
output from LED sources. Isamu Akasaki reached 300 lm/W in efficacy in the labora- The luminaires installed on the bridge
(Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan and tory. At the system level, shipping solid-state were The Edge models from BetaLED
Nagoya University, Japan), Hiroshi Amano lighting (SSL) products regularly achieve prior to the acquisition of Ruud Lighting
(Nagoya University, Japan), and Shuji efficacy in the 150-lm/W level. by Cree (http://bit.ly/1zu9g2H). We cov-
Nakamura (University of California, Santa With 20% of the worlds electricity used ered the first DOE Gateway report on the
Barbara) have been honored for the inven- for lighting, its been calculated that opti- project that was published back in 2009
tion of efficient blue light-emitting diodes mal use of LED lighting could reduce this (http://bit.ly/1tXd8Ga). That first report
which has enabled bright and energy-sav- to 4%, said Frances Saunders, president of noted that the LED products offered 13%
ing white light sources. the Institute of Physics, in response to the energy savings relative to HPS lighting
The trio of scientists will formally receive Nobel announcement. Akasaki, Amano, along with more uniform illumination
across the wide span of the bridge.
300 lm/W The lighting has been periodically
monitored over the course of the Gate-
way Demonstration. The Minnesota
Department of Transportation (MnDOT)
70 lm/W
used a mobile monitoring system devel-
16 lm/W oped by the Virginia Tech Transporta-
0.1 lm/W tion Institute to collect seven sets of
measurements between April 2009 and
October 2011. Through 13,000 operat-
ing hours the average illuminance on
Oil lamp Light bulb Fluorescent lamp LED
Approximately 19th century 20th century 21st century
the roadway dropped from just over 11
15,000 B.C. lx to just under 10 lx.
Source: Johan Jarnestad / The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
The project has provided useful data
their Nobel awards in December at a cere- and Nakamuras research has made this both relative to the use of LEDs and to
mony in Stockholm. The three innovators possible and this prize recognizes this lighting issues in general such as dirt
will also share a monetary prize of SEK 8 contribution. depreciation or light losses attribut-
million ($1.1 million). The Academy noted The Academy also noted that LEDs com- able to dirty optics. Dirt depreciation
that the blue emitter was instrumental in bined with solar energy hold the promise was 4% after 5000 hours and 12% after
creating white light by combining with of bringing light to 1.5 billion people glob- 20,300 hours. The DOE noted that LED-
existing red and green LEDs. More recently, ally who lack access to electricity. Indeed, based systems are typically specified
the white light is most often generated by as we have chronicled in a recent article, with an expected 30% in lumen depre-
a blue LED along with a mix of yellow, red, LEDs are breathing new life into solar tech- ciation over the life of the page 22
and/or green phosphors in a phosphor- nology (http://bit.ly/1EfG0N8). page 22

LEDsmagazine.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 21


+
funding programs

MnDOT bridge from page 21 Nobel from page 21


system, and clearly dirt depreciation is a A speaker at the 2014 Strategies in
major contributor. Light conference back in February also
In 2013, the DOE removed the lumi- described the advances in LEDs and
naires for an in-depth laboratory analy- solar power (http://bit.ly/1kXzh1e).
sis of the photometric performance after Its also notable that the Nobel Award
20,300 hours of usage. The report notes to the blue-LED inventors comes as we
that although the products were very early- approach what the United Nations has
stage SSL products, the photometric per- declared the Year of Light in 2015 (see the
formance matched or exceeded what could article featured in the October issue of
be expected from HPS lighting while deliv- overall depreciation. LEDs Magazine at http://bit.ly/10qozdC).
ering maintenance and energy savings. The report also noted that the CCT of Saunders added, Its wonderful that the
Independent of dirt depreciation, the the luminaires dropped by 800K over the Nobel Foundation have chosen to com-
luminaires suffered lumen depreciation of course of usage with a corresponding mend these three physicists work on the
an average 18%. Moreover, the luminaire reduction in CRI. Of course, HPS products cusp of the International Year of Light
efficacy declined by 15%. The report also are far inferior to even early LED-based 2015, a global initiative to highlight the
notes a slight unexplained drop in input products in terms of CRI. importance of light in our lives.
Overall, the DOE says that Nakamura in particular has been rec-
Illuminance (lx) Temperature MnDOT has been pleased ognized a number of times previously
Average Linear (F)
with the test. The report for his work with the blue LED. He won
12 6/22/2009 80 noted that there were a few the 2006 Millennium Technology Prize
11 70 issues with the SSL prod- (http://bit.ly/1x3kh7E), and continues
6/2/2011
4/14/2010 60 ucts but that no lighting to be involved in the industry and is
10 4/16/2009 50
11/9/2010 installation, conventional one of the founders of LED-lamp devel-
10/7/2009 10/10/2011
9 40
or otherwise, is without oper and manufacturer Soraa (http://bit.
8 30
20
issues. One LED driver had ly/1x0sk7N).
7 10 to be replaced, and MnDOT Its also important to recognize the
6 0 worked with BetaLED/Cree work in red and other LEDs that preceded
3000 3600 4700 7300 9400 12,000 13,300
Operating hours on the optics material issues the invention of the blue LED. Back in
in the fixture design. 2012, for instance, GE celebrated the 50th
power over time. The actual output of the You can download the original report and birthday of visible LED lighting (http://
LEDs dropped by only 10%, but an issue the recent Phase II report from the DOE SSL bit.ly/1t8qzhe) and the work of the com-
with the optics/materials added to the website at http://1.usa.gov/1axM85W. panys researcher Nick Holonyak in cre-
ating that LED innovation.

22 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 LEDsmagazine.com


funding programs +
IEA 4E SSL Annex opines on LED impact
on health and environment
The International Energy Agency (IEA) ly/1wuLNvM). The current focus of the Annex that photobiological standards to which SSL
Energy Efficiency End-Use Equipment (4E) is documenting performance criteria, evaluat- products are tested are largely sufficient
Annex, formed to assist governments in ing the robustness of testing standards, and to protect the public. Note we had a series
promoting LED-based lighting as a means recommending accreditation frameworks. of articles on photobiological issues that
to reduce energy consumption, has pub- Over the course of the last month the exhaustively covers the issues and standards
lished a number of new reports. The latest Annex has released three reports, the most (http://bit.ly/1qnDYCc). The Annex also noted
publications report on the impact of SSL on recent of which is focused on the human that new generations of LEDs are using violet
human health while other recent reports health impact of SSL. Specifically, the report and ultraviolet (UV) emitters and that those
include research on environmental impacts focused on the impacts of glare, blue-light products need further scrutiny.
and a review of test labs working with LED- hazard, flicker, and non-visual effects on the In the area of flicker, the report sim-
based products. circadian rhythm. ply states that it remains a problem for the
The IEA 4E SSL Annex was formed in 2010 In the area of glare, the Annex recom- industry and that no guidelines exist in
to advise ten member countries Australia, mends that the maximum luminance of all Europe or the US to limit flicker in LED-
China, Denmark, France, Japan, the Nether- LED lighting products be specified. More- based products. The Annex calls the situ-
lands, South Korea, Sweden, the UK, and the over, the report states that designers/spec- ation unacceptable but makes no defini-
US regarding quality assurance programs ifiers should match the luminance to back- tive recommendation on how to proceed in
for LED-based lighting. In one of its first ground ratio based on visual ergonomics developing such regulations.
actions in 2011, the Annex created a document criteria. What is clear, however, is that the The sections of the report focused on non-
that segmented the SSL market and created industry lacks usable glare metrics. visual impact largely cover the same ground
performance tiers for products (http://bit. In the area of blue light, the report implies on which an interview we published in Sep-

   


 

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High Reliability
tember was focused (http://bit.ly/1q7GM4G). The Annex research into test laboratories
Clearly, there is more physiological research compared the work of 100 laboratories spread Solders and
required on the topic but LEDs offer the around the globe over the course of October
unique ability to deliver a tuned spectrum. 2012 to August 2013. The process involved TIMs for LED
The health aspects report is on the Annex comparisons of photometric, colorimetric,
website at http://bit.ly/13E6B9t. and electrical parameters associated with a
The lifecycle assessment report is based to a variety of SSL products. More than 50 of the
large extent on work done by the DOE. Indeed, labs were direct and willing participants in
we covered the DOE research in a series of arti- the study while others were compared based
cles (http://bit.ly/1tXqEJN). The work revealed on existing known test schemes.
that the major impact to the environment rel- The laboratory evaluations will help the
ative to LED lighting was energy usage and the test organizations fine-tune their work,
greenhouse emissions that accompany gener- and help lighting companies and specifiers/
ation. Those impacts dwarf any environmen- designers understand the areas where special
tal hazards attributable to manufacturing SSL emphasis is needed in characterizing or eval-
products or retiring the spent product. The uating SSL products. The full report is on the Clear residue solder
Annex lifecycle report is also available on the Annex website at http://bit.ly/10ioLLJ. paste
website at http://bit.ly/1t8yM50. MORE: http://bit.ly/1xIKs30
Low voiding ux-coated
solder preforms
DOE again addresses the blue light hazard with LEDs
High performance
The DOE has published a report entitled range that is due to the blue emitters used
True Colors that once again affirms the in phosphor-converted white LEDs and that
thermal interface
agencys position on the potential hazard peak is consistent regardless of CCT. Still, the materials >40 w/mK
of LED-based lighting attributable to blue report states that legacy sources with simi-
energy in the spectral power distribution of lar CCTs also contain similar percentages of
SSL products. The study focuses on the rela- energy in the blue range and pose an equal
tionship between CCT and CRI, and optical optical-safety risk even if there is not a blue
safety and photobiological stimulation. energy peak in the SPD.
Learn more:
The DOE had previously released a fact The report also addresses the poten- http://indium.us/F314
sheet on LED lighting and the blue light tial of blue-pump-based LEDs to damage
hazard (http://bit.ly/1vEsIDf). The agency materials such as works of art. The DOE
stated at the time that LEDs posed no more notes that museum curators have already
danger than legacy sources with similar debunked any risk of damage from LED-
based lighting. Moreover, the
Spectral irradiance (W/m2/nm) Nominal CCT
2700K
report states that LEDs are
0.018 3000K less likely to cause damage to
0.016 3500K
4000K
artwork than legacy sources
0.014
5000K due to less energy emitted
0.012
6500K
0.010 3000K VP outside the human sensitiv-
0.008 ity range specifically less
0.006 energy in the ultraviolet (UV)
0.004
and infrared (IR) regions.
0.002
0.000 Finally, the DOE addressed
380 480 580 680 780 the potential effect of LEDs
Wavelength (nm) on the photobiological con-
CCT ratings. Still, some researchers and cerns and the human circadian rhythm.
alarmists continue to speculate that the The report first notes that how the human
blue-peak typically seen in the spectral physiological system works is still being
power distribution (SPD) of an LED poses debated, as we covered recently (http://
risks to human wellbeing. bit.ly/1q7GM4G). But again the percentage www.indium.com
In the new report, the DOE fully documents of blue energy in SSL products is similar to askus@indium.com
the SPD of LED sources with varying CCT rat- that in legacy sources with similar CCTs. ASIA CHINA EUROPE USA
ings (see figure). The document affirms that The full report is available on the DOE web-
2014 Indium Corporation
there is typically a blue peak in the 450-nm site at http://1.usa.gov/1ogTTqb.

LEDsmagazine.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 25


funding programs +
MSSLC indicates moderate LED
penetration into roadway lighting
The DOE has released the results of a road- HPS is most prominent. Moreover, 36% still
way lighting survey conducted by the agencys use mercury vapor lights that trail both HPS
Municipal Solid State Lighting Consortium and LED sources in efficacy.
(MSSLC). The survey was meant to shed Indeed, the average age of installed road-
lighting on the penetration rate of LEDs and way lighting in the survey is 15.3 years with
the potential for additional energy savings the departments of transportation report-
through SSL retrofits. ing an even higher 17.6 years. Clearly, there
The MSSLC surveyed 240 organizations is ample opportunity for SSL deployment
including municipalities, counties, state and, in fact, we are still in the early stage of
departments of transportation, investor- the transition to LED sources. Read the full
owned utilities, and municipally-owned report on the DOE website at http://1.usa.
utilities. The results show moderate LED gov/10qRSg7.
penetration and significant opportunities The MSSLC is an organization founded
for further savings. to help municipalities and utilities to sim-
The results indicate that the majority of plify the transition to LEDs. The organiza-
respondents have some LED-based lighting tion recently published its v2.0 of a lumi-
in their street-lighting inventory, but only naire model specification that can be used
8% considered it the most prominent tech- to simplify the SSL procurement process
nology installed. Meanwhile, 82% still say (http://bit.ly/1t8IWmb).

EPA begins specification process


for Energy Star Luminaires
The US Environmental Protection Agency angular uniformity, light-source start time,
(EPA) has formally launched the collabor- and zonal lumen density.
ative-revision process that will ultimately Meanwhile, expect the efficacy require-
lead to an Energy Star Luminaires v2.0 spec- ments to go up in v2.0. The agency noted
ification. The agency hopes to streamline all that the industry has made notable improve-
aspects of the process, drive lighting efficacy ments in efficacy since the v1.0 specification
levels higher, and broaden the scope of cov- was published, driven primarily by LED
ered lighting products. sources. The agency will likely set a forward-
The Energy Star Luminaires v1.1 specifi- looking target expected to be reasonable for
cation took effect in April 2012 (http://bit. the final publication of Luminaires v2.0.
ly/1pvQIMl). In late 2012, the agency made Finally, the v2.0 specification will likely
small revisions, establishing the Lumi- include new product types. Some types
naires v1.2 specification. Both revisions fol- under consideration include retrofit prod-
lowed the release of Luminaires v1.0 in Octo- ucts for directional and non-directional
ber of 2011 supplanting the prior Solid State luminaires, downlight and accent-light
Lighting Luminaires v1.1 spec (http://bit. products with non-circular beams, and
ly/1tI50aX) and the Residential Light Fix- color-tunable luminaires.
tures V4.2 spec combining products based Also in news for the larger Energy Star
on LED and legacy sources. program, the EPA has launched a rebate
The intentions of the v2.0 specification finder tool online that consumers can use
are very straightforward. The agency first to find special offers and rebates on a vari-
hopes to simplify the specification require- ety of products ranging from appliances to
ments as well as the testing and certifica- lighting (http://1.usa.gov/1uGfsTl). The tool
tion process. The EPA has worked with the covers residential and commercial prod-
National Electrical Manufacturers Associ- ucts. In the Lighting & Fans category, you
ation (NEMA) to canvass stakeholders in can search for types of ceiling fans with and
preparation for the revision process. Some without lights, decorative light strings, ret-
areas that may be modified include color rofit lamps, and light fixtures.

26 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 LEDsmagazine.com


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focus on Luminaires
NGL Indoor Competition 2014
At The LED Show in Los Angeles, CA this past September, the US Department of Energy (DOE)
announced 57 commercial LED indoor lighting products recognized for excellence by the Next
Generation Luminaires (NGL) Solid-State Lighting (SSL) Design Competition. Jointly sponsored by the
DOE, the Illuminating Engineering Society of America (IESNA), and the International Association of
Lighting Designers (IALD), the 2014 indoor competition saw 266 total products submitted, with 153
products making it to the final evaluation. The judges awarded four submissions as Best in Class and
53 others as Recognized winners.
MORE: www.ngldc.org/14/indoor/winners.stm

A panel of 10 judges evaluated entries over 3 days in August, reviewing inde-


pendent testing documentation, photometric files, LED data sheets, and
driver specifications. Each luminaire was installed in an indoor environment
closely matching the intended product application. Judging took place at the
Intelligent Lighting Creations facility near Chicago; a motorized ceiling enabled
the luminaires to be evaluated at proper mounting heights.

BEST IN CLASS

Slot 2 & 4 LED linear


luminaires BY ACUITYS MARK
ARCHITECTURAL LIGHTING
The Slot family of fixtures can be pen-
dant, surface, or wall mounted and can
be specified in direct- or indirect-light-
ing configurations, and in 2- or 4-in.
widths as the product name implies.
Mosso Pro LED Desk Lamp BY KONCEPT
Judges lauded the excellent diffusion
and high output relative to the aper- The task luminaire scored high with judges based on light distribu-
ture. A representative Slot 2 model tion and color rendering and the variable CCT offered in the desk
delivers 8412 lm from 98W for an effi- lamp. The product features touch-based controls and an integral
cacy of 86 lm/W. The products have a occupancy sensor. Total light output is 542 lm from 5.5W for effi-
CCT of 3500K and a CRI of 82. cacy of 99 lm/W with a warm-end CCT of 2800K and CRI of 83.

LEDsmagazine.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 29


BEST IN CLASS

LS Series BY CREE
The surface- or pendant-mount linear luminaires are designed to
replace fluorescent strip and wrap fixtures. The serviceability was
deemed excellent by the judges with tool-less entry to the driver
compartment. The products are offered in a choice of 3500K,
4000K, and 5000K CCTs with CRI over 90. The 3500K product can
deliver 4000 lm from 44W for an efficacy of 91 lm/W.

Series 11 LED Micro Profile and Micro


Flex Cove Luminaires BY FINELITE
The product pair includes the linear Profile luminaire
with a telescoping variable-length light engine and the
Flex luminaire that can be matched to concave and
convex surfaces both of which allow great flexibility
for lighting designers. The products are offered across
3000K, 3500K, and 4000K CCTs at a CRI of 83. The
products deliver a maximum of 1797 lm at 20W for an
efficacy spec of 91.7 lm/W.

COLOR-TUNABLE FIXTURES
BeveLED 2.0 Color Select BY USAI LIGHTING
The color-tunable downlight allows for separately adjustable
CCT and dimming level using either room-side controls or net-
work-based control systems. The color output is adjustable from
a very warm 2200K to 6000K, and brightness is adjustable from
0.1100%. At a CCT of 3099K and CRI of 83, the luminaire can
deliver 1517 lm from 30W for an efficacy of 51 lm/W.

Aera BY ACUITYS
WINONA LIGHTING
Aera won recognition as an
Emerging Luminaire, one of three
Aculux 3.25-in LED Luminaires such recognized products, imply-
BY JUNO LIGHTING GROUP ing that the technology might not
The Aculux Series enables both Black Body be fully commercially deploy-
Dimming and Tunable White Technology. The able at this time. Still, the con-
former enables the CCT to drop from a 3000K cept is stunning as window-like
CCT to 1800K when dimmed, matching hal- luminaires deliver tunable output
ogen-type performance. The Tunable White for mood setting or daylight sim-
Technology enables a choice of CCTs between ulation. At a CRI of 3000K and
2000K and 4350K. At 3000K and CRI of 79, CCT of 82, the luminaire delivers
the product delivers 1002 lm from 20W for an 1700 lm from 24W for an effi-
efficacy of 51 lm/W. cacy of 71 lm/W.

30 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 LEDsmagazine.com


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All marks used are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Henkel and its aliates in the U.S. and elsewhere. S registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Oce.
MI14 Henkel Corporation. All rights reserved. 1HM7M (9/14)
U.S. Patent Granted.
DOWNLIGHTS

Cylinder Series High-Ceiling LED


Platform BY METEOR LIGHTING
Designed for applications such as auditoriums, the Cylinder Series
supports 010V, DALI, DMX, and VX DMX (digital video optimized
DMX) controls. The judges warned of high cost but noted that the
product delivers excellent performance for high-occupancy venues.
2-in. LED Round and Square The fixtures can deliver 19,043 lm from 173W for an efficacy of 110
Downlights BY JUNO LIGHTING GROUP lm/W. Those specs are for a 5620K-CCT model with CRI of 72.
The downlights offer a choice of round and square trim
with retrofit installation and serviceability enabled below
the ceiling. The judges lauded good color properties,
glare control, and smooth dimming. A 2-in. model can
deliver 695 lm from 10W for an efficacy of 67 lm/W. Juno
offers a broad choice of CCTs from 2700K to 4100K and
CRI of 80 or 90 minimum. Lumination DI Series LED
Luminaires BY GE LIGHTING
The Lumination DI downlights
feature a modular GE Infusion
LED light engine, based on a
ID LED High-Ceiling Zhaga Book, for easy serviceabil-
Downlight BY FOCAL POINT ity and upgrade in the field. The
The judges lauded the flexibility of the product with design can deliver 3250 lm from
options in terms of beamspread, lumen output, and 56W for an efficacy of 58 lm/W.
drivers, and the glare control and good color proper- GE offers the product with a
ties. A typical 3500K-CCT product delivers 5830 lm broad range of specs enabled by
from 69W for an efficacy of 84 lm/W, and CRI of 84. the modular approach, and the
cited model delivered a 2964K
CCT with CRI of 90.

8-in. Recessed LED


Downlight BY EATONS
COOPER LIGHTING
The 8-in. aperture enables flexibility
in beam distribution while the optics
reduce glare and hide the LED point
sources. The design allows installa-
tion/service from below the ceiling
with no tools required to replace the
light engine. A 4000-lm model deliv-
ers 73-lm/W efficacy, consuming
55W at 3272K CCT and 95 CRI.

LEDsmagazine.com
GRID CEILING LUMINAIRES

Flat Panel Retrofit Kit Indy X-Series


BY SAMJIN LND CO., LTD. Architectural LED
Luminaires BY JUNO
Impressed by the glare con- LIGHTING GROUP
trol of this edge-lit ceiling
troffer kit, the judges also The attention to service-
responded positively to its ability in the Indy X-Series
appearance, color proper- Architectural LED luminaire
ties, and light distribution. design was a high point for
With light output of 4263 lm the judges, along with the
generated at 46 W, the lumi- 3636-lm output and 35W
naire reaches 93 lm/W effi- for 105 lm/W efficacy. All
cacy and supports 010V
Nivo BY FOCAL POINT Basket Series and Lay-in
dimming. The 83-CRI Nivo relies on a frameless housing that can Series models deliver
be concealed by the ceiling grid, its acrylic diffuser 3654K-CCT illumination
installed flush or dropped down. The luminaire reaches with CRI of 84.
85 lm/W efficacy with 3729-lm output at 44W.
Series 4000 BY TEMPO
A configurable linear LED lighting
system, individual elements of the
Series 4000 can be mechanically
articulated to fit nearly any space,
and the judges noted the ability to
install the system around corners
and curves. A 6-in. element can
DECORATIVE & SPECIALTY

deliver 330 lm from 5W for an effi-


cacy of 69 lm/W at a CCT of 2200K
and CRI of 83.

Swirl LED Pendant BY BLACKJACK LIGHTING


Run by a former lighting designer, Blackjack has deliv-
ered a number of unique SSL products including
OLED-based luminaires, and Swirl fits the profile with
LEDs seamlessly placed inside curved architectural
structures creating a unique look (see cover for an
application photo). Judges praised the fresh look and
interesting design along with good performance. At a
CCT of 3102K and CRI of 83, the fixture delivers 3577
lm from 42W for an efficacy of 86 lm/W.

Matrix BY LUMINII
Designed for backlighting appli-
cations such as display cases in
high-end retail settings (as seen
Cycle BY EUREKA LIGHTING here), the Matrix product can be
mounted directly on a surface
Delivering diffuse direct and indi-
even with double-sided tape. The
rect light, the Cycle luminaire was
judges noted good color and light
praised by the judges for a unique
output and the flexibility of the
design that also delivers good color
product to serve in many specialty
rendering and light distribution.
applications. A 2957-CCT, 86-CRI
The product is available in different
model outputs 1385 lm from 28W
sizes over a range of CCTs. A 3204-
for an efficacy of 50 lm/W.
CCT, 83-CRI model delivers 2687
lm from 64W for an efficacy of 42
lm/W.

34 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 LEDsmagazine.com


Vaya Cove LP BY PHILIPS COLOR KINETICS
Offered in lengths ranging from 648 in., the Vaya product was
praised for smooth dimming and excellent color rendering and
light output. Philips offers the product over a range of 2700K to
5000K CCTs with custom options for red, green, blue, and amber
LEDs. A 12-in., 3038K-CCT, 84-CRI model delivers 265 lm from
5W for an efficacy of 57 lm/W.

Elliptipar S222 Wall Washer


BY THE LIGHTING QUOTIENT
The semi-recessed fixture is
designed for ceiling mounting and
wall-grazing applications based
on what the company calls fraqtir
optics that create a uniform plane
of light. Judges praised the low-
profile design and asymmetric light
distribution. A 3069K-CCT, 86-CRI
model delivers 729 lm from 16W for

COVE & GRAZING FIXTURES


an efficacy of 45 lm/W.
conference | THE LED SHOW
LED

THE
The LED Show reflects the
proliferation of solid-state lighting
Conference presenters at The LED Show 2014 noted trends toward adaptive lighting and integrated
networks, the introduction of ever-more-compact lighting solutions, and the proliferation of LED
lighting even beyond existing lighting applications, reports LAURA PETERS.

T
he LED Show this past September in
Human
Los Angeles featured speakers from interface Central Cloud
diverse backgrounds, from lighting server server
designers and installation specialists to LED
manufacturers. The speakers noted trends
in lighting design and especially in net-
Primary bus Primary bus
works and control implementations, while
recognizing hurdles in lighting design that
have yet to be overcome. Still, the prevalent PLC Gateway
theme focused on the fact that solid-state
lighting (SSL) will dominate general illu- Secondary bus Secondary bus
mination going forward and that both
product developers and lighting specifiers/ Boiler Lighting BACnet LONTalk
Gateway
designers must learn to optimize the use of controller controller device device
the upstart sources. Central plant
controller
LED proliferation is evident Relays Switches
Several presenters demonstrated just how
many places LED lighting is found today. Wireless
Louis Brill, a consultant with Illuminations, VAV boxes devices Source: Leviton

noted that while many buildings now use an FIG. 1. Integrating SSL and other building systems involves a complex combination of
LED lighting skin to decorate the architec- different network and control technologies.
ture beneath it, the latest application involves
using the faade or parts of the faade for identity of the local community. I believe dig- acy sources, and when combined with eco-
video presentations, which he calls media- ital art will do to public space what the phone nomic viability, SSL becomes a no-brainer.
tecture. Mediatecture is used to provide art, did to private space, said Brill. Haugaard compared smart luminaires to
cultural information, entertainment, and With an emphasis on everyday white smartphones, indicating that voice is only
social commentary within the public space. lighting, Eric Haugaard, director of prod- one function of smartphones today and
Examples include the NASDAQ faade in uct technology at Cree Lighting, indicated light will soon be only one of several func-
Times Square, NY (which has shown operas) that the era of LED lighting proliferation tions performed by light fixtures. In addi-
and The Comcast Experience visual wall in has begun in full force. He said that despite tion, lighting systems are typically autono-
Philadephia, PA (which conveys community SSLs low market penetration of only 1.4%, mous but will eventually be interfaced with
information, nature scenes, and sports high- LED adoption is moving very quickly, espe- other networked systems such as security
lights). According to Brill, these dynamic cially in the areas of street lighting, ware- and energy management systems for greater
light shows can not only inform and enter- house lighting, and locations where main- energy efficiency and operational efficiency.
tain passers-by but also preserve the visual tenance severely interrupts operations or is
very costly, such as in hospitals and outdoor Smart lighting, networks, and controls
LAURA PETERS is a contributing editor with stadiums. Haugaard pointed out that LEDs Several presenters pointed out the sta-
LEDs Magazine. now offer superior illumination to many leg- tistic that lighting accounts for 38% of a

37 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 LEDsmagazine.com


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conference | THE LED SHOW

FIG. 2. Attention to
buildings electricity use. In fact, a recent
when luminaires
article in Illumination in Focus stated that
h make small and
lighting controls have the potential to elim-

t
oo
large transitions in

Sm
inate 60% or more of wasted lighting energy
light level impacts
in buildings (http://bit.ly/1wtGUTw). The
how people perceive
article explored how lighting control Intensity
smooth dimming
requirements are driving a reduction in
performance.
building energy use.
At The LED Show, Greg Galluccio, direc-
tor of LED business development at Levi-
ton, highlighted the trend toward light- Time
ing fixtures that control themselves. Once Source: Zulch Industries

lights are added to an Ethernet connec-


tion they become IP-addressable, which in-line dimming, Zulch stated that differ- ifications could be incorporated into the
is required for energy monitoring by util- ent approaches have been used to eliminate luminaire or driver itself to achieve smooth
ities. Galluccio suggested some benefits of flicker including increasing pulse-width dimming rather than using a DMX control-
automated lighting beyond dimming, occu- modulation (PWM) resolution and utilizing ler or in-line dimmer.
pancy sensing, and daylight sensing and dimming curves. We had a feature article
control. These benefits include the ability that explained the use of dimming curves Multicolor lighting and color tuning
to show emergency routes indoors and out- in late 2013 (http://bit.ly/1rfY6pW). In the area of color lighting, Eman Zadeh,
doors, illuminate crime scenes outdoors, Zulch stated that flicker still occurs with brand director of Coloronix talked about
and provide warnings, such as a red color approaches such as improved PWM drive. the various control options. An inexpensive
on a doorbell. He explained that smooth dimming results option using infrared (IR) or RF control is
Galluccio outlined some of the challenges when large changes in light intensity are suitable, for instance, for a patient to con-
associated with creating fully automated made during the beginning of a ramp and trol lighting in his/her room in a hospital.
building systems integrating lighting small intensity changes are made toward However, IR/RF control is limited in that all
control with security systems, HVAC con- the end of ramps (Fig. 2). In this way, small fixtures show the same colors at the same
trols, audio/visual systems and conferenc- changes in intensity are being made dur- time. For greater control flexibility, Zadeh
ing, and energy management/load control ing the periods when the eye is most sensi- recommended DMX, which is the mostly
systems (Fig. 1). He said that because each tive to those changes. Zulch suggested that widely available method and affords different
of these systems was developed at different these minor hardware and software mod- control options for small- to medium-sized
times and each uses its own sensing and
control devices, integration becomes dif-
ficult. Two-way communication is needed
between devices and between each device
and its controller. There is also a need to
prioritize certain control commands over
others and to enable system overrides in
case of emergency. Galluccio said the wide
range of wireless protocols in use also pres-
ents challenges. However, each system has
the potential to be run more effectively and
maximize energy savings in the full build-
ing automation scenario.
Image courtesy of Light Think Studios

Dimming issues persist


Moving to what is often the result of con-
trols, good dimming remains a problem
in the SSL sector. Indeed, smooth dim-
ming was the subject of the presentation
by Richard Zulch of Zulch Industries. He
focused on flicker during dimming, which
is most noticeable over a large viewing area
such as in a large room. FIG. 3. The pool area in a retrofit lighting project was significantly overlit in a one-for-
Using DMX (digital multiplex) control or one installation of LED-based fixtures.

40 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 LEDsmagazine.com


conference | THE LED SHOW

projects. DMX accommodates up to 150


lighting fixtures. For large-scale projects, he 2009 2014
recommends IP/Ethernet methods that man- 1050 lm 1150 lm 1220 lm 1195 lm 1090 lm
age multiple DMX universes.
Colored lighting can use LED combina-
tions of RGB, RGBA, RGBW, or RGBAW (A
= amber, W = white). The addition of phos-
phor-converted white LEDs allows higher
overall lumen output. To limit rainbow or 12 VDC 20 VDC 29 VDC 27 VDC 26.7 VDC
1050 mA 500 mA 350 mA 350 mA 350 mA
shadow effects, Zadeh suggested choosing 12.6W 10.4W 9.9W 9.3W 8.9W
fixtures that mix the color internally. Some Met lumen New driver New driver New optics New optics
of the areas adopting colored lighting today needs New LM-79 New LM-79 New holder New LM-79
include hospitals and other healthcare set- promise of UL retest UL retest New LM-79 UL retest
long-term UL retest
tings, corporate offices (indoor and faade stability
lighting), nightclubs and restaurants, as well Source: Lumenique
as residences.
FIG. 4. Frequent changes in LED performance characteristics, attributable in part to
Jeffery Saake, executive vice president
short design cycles, can result in major changes to a luminaire design.
of Lumenetix, spoke of the rising popular-
ity of color tuning. We expect color tun-
ing to become as prevalent as dimming. the second wave involved controls). Saake the color temperature, or range of color tem-
He views color tuning as part of the lighting sought to dispel myths that color tuning peratures, to be set at the time of installation
industrys third wave in SSL, which focuses leads to low efficacy and that it is a niche or any time thereafter to optimize visual
on functionality and connectivity (the first technology, difficult to control, and expen- appeal, wellness, or personal preference.
wave involved energy efficiency and lifetime; sive. He said color-tunable sources enable In other words, designers would not have

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conference | THE LED SHOW

to select a specific color tem- 2014 LED MR16 replacement lamps - Flood beam distribution 3000K
perature at the time of design 3000K
because objects in a space are
subject to change.
Because color tuning uses
multicolored LEDs, manag- (#9) GE BAB (#14) Illumicare (#47) OptiLED (#94) Coastal Source (#141) Coastal Source (#143) Coastal Source
20W 40 2900K 6W 30 3000K 3.5W 30 2800K 3W 30 3000K 1.6W 30 3000K 3.4W 30 3000K
ing the systems requires real- 525 CBCP 1090 CBCP 704 CBCP 2012 977 CBCP 541 CBCP

time digital control and active,


closed-loop feedback. For
instance, a five-channel system
is needed to control RGBAW
(#145) Coastal Source (#146) Coastal Source (#32) Toshiba (#167) GE (#170) GE (#80) Soraa Premium
LEDs and their thermal sensi- 6.2W 30 3000K 8.5W 30 3000K 6.7W 35 3000K 7W 35 3000K 4W 35 3000K 11.5W 36 3000K
1377 CBCP 1790 CBCP 667 CBCP 1100 CBCP 580 CBCP 1260 CBCP
tivity requires on-board tem-
perature monitoring to main-
tain color specifications. In
these systems, LED lifetime var-
ies based on usage so monitor-
(#87) Sylvania (#130) Soraa Vivid (#164) Soraa Vivid 2 (#165) Soraa Vivid 2 (#179) Acuity (#186) Soraa Vivid 2
ing and feedback of light output 6W 36 3000K 9.5W 36 3000K 11.5W 36 3000K 9.8W 36 3000K 6W 36 2800K 10.4W 36 3000K
1075 CBCP 1250 CBCP 1075 CBCP 600 CBCP (#163 with 36 lens)
is needed, again, to correct the
color point. Saake concluded
that in color tuning, having the
proper hardware and software
architecture is key to deliv- (#189) Soraa Vivid 2 (#191) Soraa Vivid 2 (#95) Kichler (#102) Dauer (#106) Dauer (#111) Dauer
10.4W 1036 3000K 10.4W 3636 3000K 6W 38 3000K 7W 40 3000K 4W 40 3000K 5W 40 3000K
ering consistent light quality (#163 with 1036 lens) (#163 with 3636 lens) 640 CBCP 1025 CBCP 654 CBCP 818 CBCP

and acceptable efficacy over Source: Wiedenbach Brown

the full tuning range. We pub- FIG. 5. Beam distributions prove difficult to characterize with LED sources relative to legacy
lished a recent Illumination in halogen lamps.
Focus feature article in which
lighting and LED manufactur-
ers discussed SSL issues including color tun- management systems, and security systems. Also focused on indoor spaces, Paul Ford
ing (http://bit.ly/ZGIdBn). Derry Berrigan, chief innovation officer of The Lighting Quotient outlined methods
at Light Think Studios and chair of Light for choosing light fixtures for architectural
Pivotal role of lighting designers Think University, is an advocate of people- wall and ceiling lighting. Ceiling lighting,
Of course, the design/specification commu- inspired energy-efficient lighting design. which can make rooms appear larger and
nity must learn to effectively use the expand- In her presentation, Berrigan emphasized less cluttered, is typically performed indi-
ing capabilities of SSL systems. In his presen- the need to consider the experiential con- rectly. Ford began with the Lighting Facts
tation How design can save lighting, Ted text when installing new lighting and illus- list of wall-washing products and indicated
Konnerth, CEO of Egret Consulting, stated trated the consequences when context is that people might choose a product based
that lighting designers need to take their not considered in a project. She showed primarily on lumen output, or lumen output
rightful place on the national stage of SSL an indoor pool area in a condominium and efficiency. However, he showed how two
as the guardians of the bastions of qual- that had undergone a 1:1 lighting retrofit products delivered very different percent-
ity lighting. He indicated that there has of metal-halide fixtures for LED parking ages of light to the wall itself. Its important
been an influx of new companies into SSL, garage fixtures (Fig. 3). to look for an asymmetric photometric dis-
including 600 new lighting manufacturers The room has two skylights, so indoor tribution with wall washers, as well as high
since 2006. With many new entrants and a lighting is only needed four hours per delivered lumens to the wall, he noted. The
predominantly technical approach to light- day. The retrofit, performed by the resi- same rules hold when selecting cove light-
ing, Konnerth says designers need to play an dences building manager, cost $33,000 and ing, where delivered lumens to the space of
active role in the development of standards resulted in 102 fc of illumination in an area interest is key. Finally, he indicated a trend
and code requirements to ensure that qual- that required perhaps 1020 fc. In addition in office lighting toward fixtures that are
ity lighting is maintained. Beyond impor- to being overlit, glare and harsh direct light integrated with furniture. As office layouts
tant lighting metrics such as efficacy, lumen from the fixtures proved unacceptable to change, the light moves with the employee.
output, luminous distribution, and the like, swimmers. To solve the problem, 15 of the
designers are needed to define the essential 18 fixtures were turned off permanently and LEDs: Packages to LED-scale fixtures
attributes of lighting as it becomes integrated custom diffusers were made to dampen the The discussion also included a look at the
with building automation systems, energy light from the three illuminated fixtures. challenges of working with packaged LEDs at

42 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 LEDsmagazine.com


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conference | THE LED SHOW

the luminaire level including remarks from FIG. 6. LEDs installed on


Phosphor
Kevin Willmorth, the founder of Lumenique, filament-like structures deliver
LLC and Tasca. He stated that several trends an incandescent look and feel.
including an increasing number of stan-
dards, multiple control options, and a prepon- LED chips is required. Carey, who calls the
derance of LED options contribute to a long design a chip-scale fixture, said,
design-in period for fixture manufacturers. This is a more efficient, com-
In particular, he pointed out the mismatch pact approach where the LEDs
between LED design cycles of 24 months and Sapphire
and surrounding materials are
lighting design cycles of 1824 months, which tower the fixture.
leads to costly and repeated LED re-evalua- Another integrated scheme
tions during fixture design (Fig. 4). Willmorth involves the combination of light
stated that although there is a performance diffusers with phosphor mate-
gain associated with designing in ever-higher rials to make a single structure
performing LEDs (83 lm/W to 122 lm/W in Source: Intematix that provides diffuse, uniform
the case shown), the burden of retesting needs light with more efficient light
to be addressed. extraction from the LEDs. These
Lara Cordell, LC, LEED AP at Wieden- lamps with integrated diffusers
bach Brown, a provider of smart lighting She is part of an industry group, the LED will soon appear in linear fixtures for offices
and electrical services, also highlighted the Group made up of lighting designers, and commercial spaces.
problem of rapidly changing LED technol- researchers, lighting manufacturers and dis-
ogy for fixture manufacturers. She stated tributors, and industry media that plans The evolving role of standards
that re-specification of the LED or mod- to address such specific SSL issues as beam Standards and market transformation pro-
ule is often required at the time of lighting profile variability. grams were also addressed at The LED Show.
product procurement, a change that signif- Julian Carey, senior director of market- Marci Sanders of the US Department of
icantly impacts project budgets and deliv- ing for phosphors at Intematix, spoke of a Energy (DOE) LED Lighting Facts program,
ery timelines. movement toward delivering lamps and Taylor Jantz-Sell of the US Environmental
Cordell also discussed changes in the way
lighting designers view LED lighting. In Summary of SSL market transformation programs.
2010, lighting designers took a guilty until
Energy Star DLC LED Lighting Facts
proven innocent view because there were
many untested, expensive lighting prod- Technologies CFL and LED Only LED Only LED
ucts, but in 2014 the view has changed to Focus area Residential Commercial Both
innocent until proven guilty due to access Product types Lamps and residential
Luminaires Both
to many high-quality lighting products at luminaires
accessible price points. Cordell noted that Minimum requirements Yes Yes No
it has become easier to obtain LEDs with Voluntary Yes Yes Yes
CRI exceeding 90 and high R9 values, but
Family grouping Yes Yes Yes
the industry is still seeking a better way to
Primary function Certification program Qualification program Performance verification
describe color than the CRI metric.
Beyond this issue, Cordell stated that Funding Utilities/application
EPA DOE
LEDs have introduced variability in unex- fees/grants
pected places. For instance, there is great Verification Yes Yes Yes
variability of beam intensity among com-
mercial LED spotlights, which makes spec- luminaires with fewer, better components. Protection Agency (EPAs) Energy Star pro-
ifying the products difficult without seeing Such a change can result in improved per- gram, and Irina Rasputnis of the DesignLights
samples of each in the application. While formance and lower cost. His example was Consortium (DLC) provided program updates
legacy sources specify a center beam can- of clear replacement bulbs where the LEDs and demonstrated ways in which the pro-
dle power (CBCP), beam intensity is 50% are integrated onto a filament-shaped sub- grams work together. For instance, the data
of CBCP at the beam angle edge and 10% of strate (Fig. 6). These LED bulbs are popu- required for Lighting Facts satisfies 75% of the
CBCP at the field angle edge, whereas LED lar because they mimic incandescent bulbs data requirements for the DLC and Energy
spotlights deliver a variety of intensity dis- and are attractive for bare bulb appli- Star. The table outlines the programs, some
tributions (Fig. 5). Cordell proposed that cations. The design offers the benefit of similarities, and differences.
product specification sheets include a stan- removing heat from the LED via the inert The Lighting Facts database now lists
dard method to describe the beam profile. gas inside the bulb, so no exterior heat sink 20,000 lamps and luminaires from more than

44 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 LEDsmagazine.com


of our system, EVERLINE components make it easy to configure a
flexibility and quality. Developed to work individually or as part
The EVERLINE LED family leads the industry in performance,
170 manufacturers. Energy Star, which sets minimum performance
and energy-efficiency guidelines for residential lighting products,

controllable and high-efficiency LED lighting system.


now works with more than 2600 retailers and 900 utilities in the US.
In 2014, the average utility rebate per lamp is $9.95. Rebates on CFL
products will be phased out through 2018, as the number of utility
rebates continues to increase for LED lamps.
The DLC Qualified Products List (QPL) promotes commercial
lighting products to member utilities in the United States and prov-
inces in Canada. Rasputnis suggested that companies ensure their
products will pass qualification testing prior to submission, which
costs $500 per individual product and $25 for each subsequent prod-
uct in the same family. To date, over 60,000 products can claim DLC
qualification and use the DLC logo in product promotions. Due to
industry suggestions, Rasputnis noted that the DLC is in the pro-
cess of developing a product challenge policy.
Ruth Taylor, program manager at the DOE and Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory (PNNL) announced the winners of the 2014
Indoor NGL Design Competition at The LED Show 2014, recogniz-

Find us at unvlt.com or 615-316-5100


ing lamps and luminaires that exhibit excellence in performance
and design. See further coverage of that program on p. 29.
Chad Stalker, regional marketing manager of Philips Lumileds
at the time of his presentation but now an Acuity executive, fur-
ther discussed the value of standards activities. He said Energy Star
certification and DLC qualification, beyond the obvious benefits of
product rebates, build confidence in the purchase of lighting prod-
ucts because people recognize the value behind certification and
qualification testing. Stalker said among all the steps in a prod-
ucts lifecycle LED manufacturing and testing, lamp manufac-
turing and testing, lamp certification or qualification, and system
installation oftentimes the greatest hurdles exist during instal-
lation. Furthermore, he said that people do not always realize how
high the cost of non-compliance can reach, citing one case where
a manufacturers liability amounted to $21 million because it had
made false claims regarding the lifetime of its lamps.

Economics of SSL
Of course, LED lighting remains expensive and part of the issue
for designers/specifiers is justifying the expense. Don McDougall,
principal with Solid State Capital Services (SSCS), outlined a
strategy to make SSL more attractive by selling directly to the
top executives at a company. He suggested approaching CEOs and
CFOs, who consider all costs that affect the bottom line of the
business, rather than facility managers, who often focus mainly
on their budgets.
McDougall suggested speaking to CEOs and CFOs in a language
they can relate to, and presenting them with a 10-year cash-flow
is a member of the Panasonic Group
Universal Lighting Technologies, Inc.

model to demonstrate the full savings of a lighting upgrade. The


model should include rebates, HVAC and energy savings estimates,
tax benefits, and maintenance savings. With regard to tax benefits,
for instance, abandonment of assets and depreciation of assets pro-
vide savings with even small lighting upgrades. Lighting can qual-
ify as a short-lived asset and can therefore be depreciated over 5 or
15 years according to the United States tax code. Also, McDougall
noted that LED lighting upgrades improve property value (http://
bit.ly/1wah8F6).

LEDsmagazine.com
BRINGING NEW
OPPORTUNITIES
TO LIGHT
Rapidly evolving thinking about energy eciency and public safety along
with exciting technological advances is driving the evolution of the lighting
industry, providing greater opportunities and growing challenges.

Hear about how the UL of today is


addressing the needs of the lighting industry
in our latest video, scan the code or visit
UL.com/weknowlighting.
UL and the UL logo are trademarks of UL LLC 2014
life sciences | UV LEDS

UV-C LEDs enable broader use of


HPLC and DNA quantitation
New UV-C LED sources are driving innovation to achieve size and cost reductions in instrument
design for life sciences applications, writes HARI VENUGOPALAN, improving productivity and reliability
without sacrificing performance.

M
any laboratories in the life sci- a) Data
Data readout
ence fields rely on fast, accurate, Deuterium processing
Reference
and dependable measurements lamp photodiode
for their applications. This is especially
true in high-performance liquid chroma-
tography (HPLC) and DNA concentration
and purity measurements, which rely on
quantitative analysis through absorption
spectroscopy. Leading instrument manu-
facturers for these applications are seek-
ing alternative light sources, such as UV-C Grating
(ultraviolet LEDs in the C band in the range Beam Photodiode
splitter Sample
of 100280 nm), as a means to satisfy new
needs for their end users. UV-C LEDs can
b) Data
offer these manufacturers opportunities Data readout
for miniaturization and lower cost solu- processing
Reference
tions to differentiate their offerings and photodiode
expand market penetration.
UV LEDs in other bands are already
broadly used in some notable applications.
For example, LEDs Magazine published a fea-
ture article earlier this year on UV-A (315 UV LED
400 nm) LEDs used in curing applications
(http://bit.ly/1gKflPU). UV-C LED usage has
been limited by the LED efficiency as was Beam Photodiode
discussed in an article on a Strategies in splitter Sample
Light presentation (http://bit.ly/1kXzh1e).
FIG. 1. The optical path of a fixed-wavelength HPLC detector using a deuterium lamp
But Crystal IS has made great progress with
light source (a) is slightly more complex than the path of a fixed-wavelength HPLC
UV-C LEDs especially at the upper end of the
detector using a UV-C LED (b).
band (http://bit.ly/1sVubbc).
UV-C LEDs in the upper range are use- turization of instruments, which not only tions in the lab. This reduces laboratory
ful in a number of test-and-measurement- reduces costs but also maximizes lab real bottlenecks and improves productivity.
centric applications for life sciences. Labo- estate. The availability of low cost, small Until recently, instrument manufacturers
ratories are looking for smaller instruments footprint LED-based instruments enables have been hampered in their development
that cost less than their bulky counterparts researchers to have instruments on their by the aforementioned lower performance
to drive productivity and lab performance. workbenches for routine measurements. At of commercially available UV-C LEDs. How-
Emerging technologies are allowing minia- the same time, when full spectrum measure- ever, as higher-performance components
ments are needed, researchers can access become available, manufacturers can capi-
HARI VENUGOPALAN is director of global the more expensive, full spectrum UV-lamp- talize on the capabilities of LEDs to address
product management at Crystal IS. based instruments available at central loca- these trends with new instrument models.

LEDsmagazine.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 47


life sciences | UV LEDS

Now lets discuss some applications in which monitoring in pharmaceutical and bever- 0.005% or lower. UV-C LEDs offer simi-
UV-C LEDs are used today. age manufacturing, quality control, and lar sensitivity while reducing the overall
biotech research. instrument cost and size for fixed-wave-
UV-C LEDs benefit fixed- Current HPLC detectors typically use length detection. This allows manufactur-
wavelength detection in HPLC deuterium lamps as their primary light ers to help end users optimize their labo-
HPLC is a separation technique in which source. HPLC manufacturers select deute- ratory real estate with smaller units when
a sample mixture is introduced into a col- rium lamps because of the high stability of they require a single or few fixed wave-
umn. The different compounds of the mix- light output through the duration of a mea- lengths. In addition, LEDs offer longer life
ture pass through the column at varying surement. High light-output stability of a and instantly turn on, ensuring that LED
UV light source lifetime is not wasted in warm-up unlike
Irradiance (W/cm2nm) at 50 cm in HPLC ensures deuterium lamps. Furthermore, the emis-
10 detection of lower sion from LEDs can be easily fiber cou-
1 mW LED
concent rat ions pled, which is an advantage in applications
(1W input power) of compounds. where the flow cell needs to be isolated.
1
A comparison of This opens the door for manufacturers
Xenon fash lamp UV lamps done to select UV-C LEDs as an alternate light
(15W input power) by Hamamatsu, source for fixed-wavelength detectors and
0.1
a manufacturer build more cost-effective systems.
of spec t rome - For fixed-wavelength HPLC systems, the
0.01 ter components, largest difference in cost generally stems
200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Wavelength (nm)
i nd icates t hat from the initial setup cost, as this includes
compared w ith both the light source and any ancillary
FIG. 2. A spectral comparison of a xenon flash lamp and UV-C LED other UV lamps equipment. An HPLC system using an LED
with power output centered at 260 nm shows the energy wasted such as xenon detector would require a power supply, pho-
with the xenon lamp and the higher peak power of the LED source. flash or mercury, todiodes, and a beam splitter. A typical
deuterium lamps total cost for an HPLC detector system with
rates due to differences in their partition- have two orders-of-magnitude better sta- LEDs is approximately $750. In contrast, an
ing behavior between the mobile phase bility (http://bit.ly/1pgE91C). HPLC system that uses a deuterium light
and the stationary phase. Detection of source requires more costly equipment to
these components is primarily analyzed LEDs deliver on stability requirements build. The necessary power supply is much
by absorption spectroscopy using a UV Newly available high-performance UV LEDs more expensive, and a housing is required
spectrophotometer. HPLC is typically used rival the stability of high-end deuterium to store the lamp. In addition, deuterium
for protein purification, routine process lamps with a peak-to-peak fluctuation of lamps are broad-spectrum sources, emit-

48 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 LEDsmagazine.com


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life sciences | UV LEDS

ting light across many wavelengths in the The drive to increase Absorbance at 260 nm
UV range. This necessitates the use of expen- productivity and reduce 70
sive filters and monochromators for fixed- costs in these appli- 60
wavelength HPLC detection. As a result, a cations centers on the
50
typical system cost is expected to be closer speed and accuracy of
to $4,000. Fig. 1 shows a typical instrument measurement. DNA and 40
design using a deuterium lamp (a) versus one protein have absorption 30
incorporating a UV-C LED (b). peaks at 260 nm and 280 20
nm, and the absorbances 10
Reducing costs for DNA at these wavelengths 0
purity measurements determine the concen- 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
dsDNA concentration (ng/l)
Moving to another example of UV-C LED tration of DNA and pro-
usage, DNA concentration and purity mea- tein, respectively, while FIG. 3. Measurements of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA)
surements, which use absorption spectros- the ratio of the absor- concentration taken with a UV-C LED at 260 nm
copy, are the first step in the analyses for bances determines the demonstrate near-perfect linearity over vastly different
many life science applications. The extrac- purity of the DNA sam- levels of concentration.
tion of DNA ensures the integrity of bio- ple. Spectrometers for
logical research and impacts fields such as DNA concentration and purity measure- light across multiple wavelengths (a sig-
biotechnology, forensics, genomic research, ments rely on xenon flash lamps, which nificant fraction of the optical energy is in
and pharmaceuticals. This includes the offer instant on/off for quick evaluation the visible spectrum), only light at a par-
detection of genetic disorders, production with high linearity of measurement over a ticular wavelength is useful for any sin-
of DNA fingerprints, and creation of genet- wide concentration range. gle parameter measurement. Since DNA
ically engineered organisms that can pro- Although broad-spectrum UV lamps purity is determined by absorbance mea-
duce beneficial products such as insulin. such as xenon flash lamps generate ample surements taken specifically at 260 nm and

50 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 LEDsmagazine.com


life sciences | UV LEDS

A comparison of systems for DNA purity measurements.


Xenon flash lamp system UV-C LED system
Light source $600 $600
Power supply and trigger socket* $1000 $50
Excitation filter for 260 nm $350 $0
Excitation filter for 280 nm $350 $0
Silicon photodiodes (UV
$100 $100
enhanced)
Total $2400 $750
*Systems using xenon flash lamps require a trigger socket in addition to the power supply. This is not necessary for
LED-based systems.

280 nm, additional elements such as fil- wavelengths while the UV-C LED system
ters and mirrors must be used to filter out uses two LEDs one at each wavelength.
unwanted wavelengths before light from
the broad spectrum lamp hits the sample. System efficiency for LED
Xenon flash lamps also require high voltages implementations
and increased shielding of electronics dur- Component costs provide a significant differ-
ing lamp ignition. These expensive electron- ence in initial system cost. However, the sys-
ics coupled with additional optical compo- tem efficiency is also a factor that contributes
nents quickly add to the overall cost of the to the overall costs. In the system
instrument. examples given here, the power consump-
tion for the UV-C LED system is approxi-
LED and UV lamp spectra mately 2W (1W per LED). A typical xenon
Within the narrow range of wavelengths flash lamp will operate at an average
defined by the absorbance measurement power that ranges between 2W and 60W.
for either DNA or protein, UV-C LEDs can Indeed, the UV-C LED system offers a more
match the measurement performance of ef f icient lig ht source for f i xed-
xenon f lash lamps. Fig. 2 compares the wavelength measurements. As a significant
spectral irradiance of a 1-mW, 260-nm amount of light output from the xenon flash
UV-C LED with a 15W xenon flash lamp. lamp is filtered out in the unwanted wave-
The high light output of the LED allows lengths, the LED provides more power out-
for a lower detection limit of 0.5 ng/l for put at the desired wavelength as seen ear-
concentration of double-stranded DNA lier on in Fig. 2.
(dsDNA), and the excellent spectral qual- As demonstrated here, systems using
ity of the LED leads to linearity of measure- UV-C LEDs can match and may even some-
ment over three orders-of-magnitude of times exceed the performance of systems
concentration from 0.52000 ng/l (Fig. 3). using UV lamps, while at the same time
The performance and monochroma- delivering higher efficiency and reduced
ticity of LEDs results in a simpler design costs for fixed-wavelength applications.
than the xenon flash lamp instrument The comparable performance allows
one that requires fewer optical elements the instrument designer to capitalize on
and therefore lowers system cost. Addi- the other benefits of UV-C LEDs, such as
tionally, power sources for UV-C LEDs are cost and size, without sacrificing prod-
less complex and less costly. The reduction uct performance for these complex tasks.
in component costs allows for a more cost- UV-C LEDs enable longer instrument life,
effective instrument to be manufactured higher reliability, and increased produc-
without sacrificing performance for DNA tivity while reducing overall costs for the
purity measurements. The table compares end user. These new devices are driving
typical optical component costs for a fixed- innovations in instrument design for the
wavelength detector for measurements at life sciences to address key market trends
260 nm and 280 nm. The xenon flash lamp around productivity, cost reduction, and
system assumes two filters to achieve those miniaturization.

LEDsmagazine.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 51


conference preview | STRATEGIES IN LIGHT
LED

THE
Strategies in Light and The LED
Show combine for illuminating
keynotes and sessions
Co-locating in Las Vegas in February 2015, the Strategies in Light and The LED Show conferences
will deliver the best features of both events in one venue, as conference chairs ROBERT STEELE,
ELLA SHUM, PHILIP SMALLWOOD, and JAMES HIGHGATE explain.

F
or the past 15 years, PennWells
Strategies in Light conference has
been acknowledged as the largest and
most comprehensive event for LEDs and
solid-state lighting (SSL) in North America.
Traditionally, this event has focused on
the LED lighting supply chain, from com-
ponents through luminaires, and has
attracted attendees from all levels of this
supply chain (http://bit.ly/1nQVQtq). The
LED Show, inaugurated in 2008, has been
directed toward and attended primarily by
end users of LED lighting products light-
ing designers and specifiers (see p. 37 for our
wrap-up of The LED Shows 2014 event). The
LED Show was acquired by PennWell in 2011,
and the two events have been held separately
since then. However, on February 2426, Combining the traditional content of The LED Show with the Strategies in Light multi-
2015 these events will be co-located for the track structure will bring attendees the opportunity to explore various topics in LED
first time in Las Vegas at the Sands Expo and technology, market research, applications, and trends in SSL.
Convention Center, offering attendees a full
spectrum of LED lighting-related conference hold? Bhardwaj will dissect core LED tech- turned the San Francisco Bay Bridge into a
content as well as a broad range of products nologies, ranging from substrates and phos- kinetic light sculpture using the design of
displayed on the exhibit floor (http://bit. phors to packaging, and will discuss the renowned LED artist Leo Villareal (http://
ly/1thYk4I). The theme for the co-located trends that he sees in the ongoing evolution bit.ly/1xEt0fu). The title of his presentation
events is The Power of Illumination. toward lower dollars per kilolumen. is The power of light.
In 2014, the China upstream, midstream, Representing one of the newest entrants
Plenary speakers and downstream LED markets are expected into the LED lighting arena, Tony Shakib,
For the 2015 event, the Plenary Session has to reach $2.3 billion, $7.7 billion, and $50 vice president for IoT (Internet of Things)
been split into two, with three presentations billion, growing at 35%, 20%, and 50%, vertical business development at network-
each morning on Wednesday and Thursday. respectively. Dr. Troy Hsu, CTO of SanAn ing equipment maker Cisco Systems, will
Among the six keynotes, Dr. Jy Bhardwaj, Optoelectronics, Chinas largest LED com- examine The chaotic world of smart light-
CTO of Philips Lumileds, will address the ponent manufacturer, will explain the fac- ing and provide his vision of what the future
issue LED innovation: What does the future tors behind these meteoric growth rates and will be like in this fast-growing segment.
what we can expect in the next five years. A key feature of Strategies in Light and
ROBERT STEELE, ELLA SHUM, PHILIP The third Plenary Session speaker will The LED Show will continue in the Plenary
SMALLWOOD, and JAMES HIGHGATE are co- be Ben Davis, CEO of non-profit organiza- Session of the new co-located events up-
chairs of the Strategies in Light and The LED tion Illuminate the Arts. Davis is the vision- to-date and in-depth analyses and fore-
Show conference programs. ary behind the Bay Lights Project, which casts of the LED and lighting markets by

LEDsmagazine.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 53


conference preview | STRATEGIES IN LIGHT

PennWells research unit Strategies Unlim- the advancements that are taking place with and management solutions. Bob Karlicek,
ited. Philip Smallwood, director of LED and regard to networked and connected lighting director of the Smart Lighting Engineering
Lighting Research at Strategies Unlimited, in commercial, residential, and outdoor appli- Research Center at Rensselaer Polytech-
and Stephanie Pruitt, market research ana- cations. Topics discussed will cover lighting nic Institute (RPI), will discuss new experi-
lyst, will provide overviews and five-year systems, control electronics, control integra- mental results on advanced lighting system
forecasts of the LED lighting and LED com- tion, total home automation, and cost-bene- controls based on technologies well beyond
ponent markets, respectively (see our fea- fit analysis. The second focus will serve as an current commercially available systems.
ture by editor Maury Wright, diving into the educational platform to discuss our increased Jim Benya, principal at Benya Burnett Con-
highlights of the 2014 forecasts and analyses, understanding on the characteristics of light sultancy, will present the most current cir-
at http://bit.ly/10zl855). and the influence it could have on our bodies cadian research, evolving wellness design
and our environment. practices, and technical updates investi-
New four-track conference structure The Smart Lighting Track will feature gated through the lens of critical review,
Adding the traditional content of The LED speakers from exciting new startups as both pro and con.
Show to the Strategies in Light multi-track well as more established industry players. Market and Applications Track. The
structure will offer attendees opportuni- Reflecting the wide range of topics encom- Market and Applications Track is designed
to explore the wide variety of ways that
LED technology is being utilized in light-
ing products and applications. It also aims
to understand the future development of
the SSL market by assessing the challenges
to market growth as well as possible solu-
tions to overcoming those challenges. This
track will focus particularly on emerging
applications that have not been served well
by conventional lighting technologies and
whose unique requirements are being met
more effectively by LED products. Issues of
energy efficiency, lighting quality, and cost-
effectiveness will be explored in depth in the
sessions in this track.
The track begins on Wednesday with a
session titled The outlook for SSL, with a
During the Investor Forum, startups and private companies will once again enter the lead-off presentation by Jim Brodrick, light-
Dragons Lair to present their technology innovations to a sophisticated group of ing program director for the US Department
investors and analysts. of Energys SSL Program, who will address
the question Whats next for solid-state
ties to explore a wide variety of topics in passed by the term smart lighting, session lighting? (Brodrick contributed an article
LED technology, markets, applications, and titles include Integration please, Wire- to the March issue of LEDs Magazine that
trends in SSL. For the first time, a separate less smart lighting, Challenges of con- explored lessons the DOE has learned and
track on Smart Lighting will be offered to pro- nected lighting, and Human-centric light- steps being applied to move the SSL indus-
vide attendees with the most current infor- ing. Speakers from throughout the lighting try forward; see http://bit.ly/1wIHAUb). Jed
mation and discussion of this topic of increas- and networking industries will bring their Dorsheimer, director, equity research for
ing importance to the lighting industry. differing perspectives on what unique fea- displays and lighting at Canaccord Genuity,
Smart Lighting Track. The way we tures smart lighting will bring to the light- will provide an update on the latest results
manipulate light and our understanding of ing market, and how it will affect our living of his multi-year research program on the
the impact it has on our environment and and working environments. evolution of the LED market.
bodies are continuously evolving. Not only Neil Joseph, CEO of Stack Lighting, will The first of two panel sessions will be con-
are we finding new and improved ways of review how the market is demanding control ducted by renowned lighting researcher Mark
networking lighting in an effort to increase for each lamp and how these lamps should Rea, director of the Lighting Research Cen-
its efficiency and overall usability, but we actually learn from what you teach them. ter at RPI. The title of the session is Value
are continuing to discover that the way we Danny Yu, CEO of Daintree Networks, will thinking: The next big idea for lighting. Rea
use lighting can have a lasting impact on our provide real-world examples of how enter- will be joined by four SSL industry profession-
productivity, mood, and general wellbeing. prises are able to integrate lighting and als to discuss the challenges and opportuni-
Therefore, the Smart Lighting Track will have building controls using networked wire- ties for transforming our collective thinking
two main focus areas. The first will look at less open standards-based energy control about lighting as a socket-filling business to

54 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 LEDsmagazine.com


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conference preview | STRATEGIES IN LIGHT

one that is a value-providing business.


A session entitled Lighting and health
will explore the most recent thinking on
how lighting can affect human health and
wellbeing. Lead speaker Mariana Figueiro,
also of RPIs Lighting Research Center, will
explore the topic Light and health: Does
Do no harm = do nothing? (See an inter-
view with Maury Wright and Terry Clark of
Finelite that briefly covers a study, in which
Figueiro participated, on the effects of light
on health at http://bit.ly/13lcZ5n).
A second panel session, moderated by
lighting designer Ted Ferreira, principal
at CD+M Lighting Design, will address the
topic Metrics vs. market: What drives the
decision to purchase specification grade Over 300 exhibitors are expected to showcase their products, which will encompass
LED lighting products? Three panelists, the entire LED lighting vertical supply chain, including materials, LED components,
representing a lighting manufacturer, archi- instrumentation, lamps, and more.
tectural firm, and building owner/manager,
will participate in this discussion. will share the secrets of lumen maintenance. Walker, CEO of RayVio, will explain the recent
A session entitled Trends in LED light- On the luminaire side, Kevin Leadford, vice advances in the capabilities of UV LEDs.
ing applications will cover several unique president of innovation at Acuity Brands; John Lighting Track The LED Show. Bring-
applications, including horticultural light- Yriberri, vice president of worldwide appli- ing its legacy show and talent to co-locate
ing, networked outdoor lighting, and federal cation engineering at Xicato; and Anthony with Strategies in Light, The LED Show
government LED lighting retrofit programs. Catalano, CTO and founder of TerraLux will Lighting Track sessions promise to keep
Advanced Technology Track. This track examine the issues arising from the imminent the same in-depth conversations and lively
will focus on the leading edge of technology arrival of high-luminance LEDs on the order interaction that have previously been expe-
in the LED and lighting industries. It will of a billion nits. rienced at the event. The presentations and
cover the hottest topics, ranging from chips We will also examine the advances in dif- discussions will address LED and SSL sys-
to luminaire design, as well as the frontier ferent areas of electronics. Jamey Butteris, tems, retrofit, and financial implications.
of the LED industry. The speakers will dive director of R&D at Hubbell Lighting, will Topics will include advancement in lumen
into different approaches to the implementa- focus on the use of AC-LED technology with efficacy, driver and flicker issues, color qual-
tion of chip-scale packaging (CSP) by Philips a talk on Demystifying AC LED and control ity, compliance, and many others.
Lumileds, Cree, and Semiconlight. Shawn circuits. Looking at opportunities for using With sessions entitled Control!, Re-
Du, general manager of Nichia America, LEDs beyond the visible spectrum, Robert think your light, Not in Kansas anymore,
The better way, and Smarter, better,
brighter, the Lighting Track promises to
deliver a topical and meaningful approach
to the issues that most concern the end-user
and specifier communities for LED lighting,
continuing the tradition established by The
LED Show over the past seven years.
Charles Knuff ke of WattStopper will
navigate through the ever-changing sub-
ject of codes and lighting controls. Musa
Unmehopa, secretary general of the Zhaga
Consortium, will proudly present the
Zhaga story, including a complete discus-
sion of the Books or specifications and
the international adoption of LED light-
ing solutions. Ashfaqul Chowdhury, chief
engineer at GE Lighting, will offer a col-
Workshops with expert presenters offer attendees intensive learning opportunities in orful approach to enhancing LED light-
a variety of subject areas across LEDs and lighting. ing with native red light. Rohit Patil, color

56 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 LEDsmagazine.com


conference preview | STRATEGIES IN LIGHT

scientist at Xicato, will quantify the color ter; James Kim, senior director of R&D, LG recognize the most innovative products and
mystique with a laymans explanation of Innotek USA; plus Dan Coyne and Jed Dor- services in the LED marketplace. Awards
color quality. Duncan Jackson, principal at sheimer, managing directors at Canaccord will be presented for innovative products
Billings Jackson, will present his analysis Genuity, the sponsor of the forum. across a broad range of LED lighting cate-
of the manufacturer and specifier relation- The forum will continue with its highly gories. The awards gala will culminate with
ship, including who is ultimately responsi- successful Dragons Lair format, in which the announcement of the winner of the Illu-
ble for educating the client. the companies will present for 12 minutes mineer of the Year award. The dinner is open
each and the panelists will ask questions to all attendees of Strategies in Light/The
Investor Forum and provide commentary for 8 minutes. LED Show, but a separate ticket is required.
The Investor Forum, to be held on Tuesday, For more information about the Sapphire
February 24, will be entering its sixth year. Pre-conference workshops Awards, please visit ledsmagazine.com and
The forum brings together the hottest start- Workshops offer attendees intensive learn- click on the Sapphire Awards tab.
ups and private companies at the fron- ing opportunities in a variety of specific
tiers of technology and markets with the subject areas. Presenters are experts in Exhibit floor
most sophisticated group of investors and their fields and typically have many years of The exhibit area will include companies
analysts. experience in LEDs and lighting. All work- that have traditionally exhibited at either
There will be 12 companies presenting at shops will be held on Tuesday, February 24. Strategies in Light or The LED Show. Over
the forum in the areas of drivers, UV LEDs, Six morning and afternoon half-day work- 300 exhibitors are expected to showcase
visible light communications, optics, and shops are available as well as one full-day their products, which will encompass
other technologies. The panelists confirmed workshop. the entire LED lighting vertical supply
so far include Tim Woodard, managing New for 2015, the prestigious Sapphire chain. For more information on the co-
director of Prelude Ventures; Frank Harder, Awards Gala event, sponsored by LEDs Mag- located Strategies in Light/The LED Show
vice president of LED lighting business strat- azine, will be held on the evening of Wednes- events, please visit strategiesinlight.com or
egy, Samsung Strategy & Innovation Cen- day, February 25. The Sapphire Awards will theledshow.com.
standards | SPECTRAL POWER DISTRIBUTION

IES establishes new standard


for spectral data transfer
JIANZHONG JIAO describes the intention behind and implementation of the new IES TM-27 standard
for a data file format dedicated to spectral power distribution.

T
he implementation of LED light
sources for illumination has
extended the discussions about
color quality, lighting for health, the biolog-
ical effects of lights, horticultural lighting,
and beyond. In all aspects, both LED and
lighting product developers and end users
are more interested than ever in the spectral
content of light sources. Lighting designers
have started to request more information
for light source spectral power distribu-
tion (SPD) in addition to all the chroma-
ticity related information such as chroma-
ticity values (x,y or u,v), correlated color
temperature (CCT), and color rendering
index (CRI). value may no longer be sufficient and the ant flux of LEDs and other light sources,
SPD data can add value in designing or users may need to evaluate the SPD effects. lamps, or luminaires; the spectral transmit-
evaluating illumination results in general The SPD is an intrinsic physical character- tance of color filters; and the spectral reflec-
lighting, specialty lighting, display, flash istic of a light source. For a given SPD, there tance of paint and other finishes. Spectral
lights, etc. The metric essentially graphs the is always one corresponding chromaticity data is usually obtained when testing a light
energy of a light source relative to the wave- value, CCT, CRI, and other derivative color- source, lamp or luminaire, or material. The
length (see illustration on p. 60). For more related measures. data is often used in lighting application
background on SPD, consider the LEDs The luminous flux, or photo- software, rendering software,
Magazine series of feature articles on color metric-related lighting informa- analysis or evaluation software,
science (http://bit.ly/MqbtWY). tion, is typically transferred elec- and optical design software to
For a given point on the chromaticity tronically or distributed between assist LED users such as lighting
chart, or a given chromaticity value, there producers and users. The IES designers.
is a corresponding CCT value. However, LM-63 document established
any point on the chromaticity chart can standardized file formats for the Spectral data standard
be affected by various SPDs of the differ- electronic transfer of photomet- For these reasons, the IES
ent light sources. The CRI values can also ric data, but the standard does Computer Committee (CC)
be different. For example, if the color qual- not include such formats for spectral data. established a new document, TM-27, titled
ity is a topic of discussion, the chromaticity Spectral data includes the spectral radi- IES Standard Format for the Electronic
Transfer of Spectral Data. The original
DR. JIANZHONG JIAO, director of regulations and emerging technologies at OSRAM Opto author took direction from the IES Board
Semiconductors, Inc., is an internationally recognized lighting expert. He has been actively and drafted the document a few years ago,
involved in LED and SSL standard development activities. He serves as the past chairman of the but the process slowed due to lack of wide-
SAE Lighting Committee, past chairman of NGLIA, past chairman of the NEMA SSL Technical spread interest or knowledge on this spe-
Committee, active member of IESNA Testing Procedure Committee, Roadway Lighting Committee, cific topic. In 2012, a project initiation form
and Computer Committee, ANSI SSL Working Groups, Standard Technical Panel of UL8750, was submitted and received wider support
standard committees in IEEE, CIE USA, SEMI, JEDEC and other organizations. He can be reached within IES to move forward in the effort to
at jianzhong.jiao@osram-os.com. establish a standard.

LEDsmagazine.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 59


standards | SPECTRAL POWER DISTRIBUTION

A working group of experts from both XML format contains information specific to the spec-
CC and the Testing Procedures Commit- The header contains information that is not tral data. This gives an umbrella for spec-
tee was formed. The working group mem- specific to the spectral data and many of the tral distribution fields. TM-27 recommends
bers collaborated with both committees header elements are optional. The intent is six fields based on the common usage, and
to address all needs and knowledge in for the document to con- 1
Photopic
order to complete the document. To final- tain as much header infor- 0.9 curve Phosphor
ize the standards document in an efficient mation as possible so that 0.8
Blue LED
amount of time, the working group decided the origin and purpose of 0.7
to start with a single SPD. The working the document is clear. The 0.6
group and the IES Computer Committee header elements include 0.5
now plan to develop standard formats for Manufacturer, Catalog 0.4
multiple spectra, including spectra as a Nu mber, Descr ipt ion , 0.3
function of angle. Document Creator, Unique 0.2
As outlined in TM-27, the data is format- Identifier, Measurement 0.1
0
ted in accordance with the W3C Extensi- Equipment, Laboratory, 360 410 460 510 560 610 660 710 760
ble Markup Language (XML). This data for- Report Number, Report Wavelength (nm)
mat allows end users to utilize and view Date, Document Creation
the information directly without the need Date, and Comments. All elements may provides the element name for each field:
for proprietary software to interpret it. In not apply to every document. For exam- Spectral Quantity, Ref lection Geome-
order to standardize the XML schema for ple, a document containing stellar spectra try, Transmission Geometry, Bandwidth
spectral data transfer, TM-27 makes rec- wouldnt need the manufacturer element FWHM, Bandwidth Corrected, and Spec-
ommendations for two sections: one being but may still have the laboratory element. tral Data. Attributes such as flux, trans-
the header and one being the spectral dis- The spectral distribution section is the mittance, intensity, etc. are then listed
tribution section. parent of the spectral distribution data and for each field.

TM-27 intent
TM-27 provides XML schema that guide
document users in establishing the pro-
grams needed in their specific practice.
The major goal of TM-27 is to create a uni-
fied, industry-standard format for the elec-
tronic transfer of spectral data. Given the
fact that there are many existing formats,
each used only for a specific type of soft-
ware, confusion about the new unified
format may arise. To help eliminate this
confusion, TM-27 provides a logo and an
icon for spectral data transfer conforming
to TM-27.
Similar to TM-25, Ray File Format for
the Description of the Emission Property
of Light Sources (http://bit.ly/LvNLaU),
TM-27 is highly technical and is specifi-
cally targeted to the individuals who are
involved in this line of work. Although this
document may not appear to be reader
friendly, it is a very important document
that will have a wide impact on the light-
ing industry. With LED usage growing, the
spectral information of these devices has
become part of lighting design and evalu-
ation. This TM-27 document will be a crit-
ical step for establishing an improved,
more sophisticated, producer-user inter-
face mechanism.

60 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 LEDsmagazine.com


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post-show | STRATEGIES IN LIGHT JAPAN

SIL Japan speakers explore the SSL


frontier beyond lumens per watt
At the 7th LED Japan /Strategies in Light Japan conference in October, ELLA SHUM and
MANAMI KONISHI presided over sessions ranging from LED substrates and manufacturing
advancements to LED life science applications and human-centric lighting.

T
he 7th LED Japan 2014/Strategies in tectures, improved lumen maintenance, produce more and higher-quality light while
Light (SIL) Japan, which took place and easily replaceable solid-state lighting GaN-on-silicon (Si) proponents believe that
in Yokohama in October, was the (SSL) modules directly link to customer technology can significantly reduce com-
most successful event in the series yet, with requirements such as creating atmosphere ponent cost. To date, however, GaN-on-GaN
compelling speakers and an eager, interac- or ambience, improving safety, and reduc- technology remains more expensive than
tive audience that posed tough questions ing lighting maintenance cycles and cost. GaN-on-sapphire or silicon-carbide tech-
indicative of the growing momentum nology in mainstream
for LED-based lighting. The coincident LEDs, and GaN-on-Si
announcement of Shuji Nakamura, Hiroshi has yet to deliver compa-
Amano, and Isamu Akasaki winning the rable performance to leg-
Nobel Prize in Physics while working in acy LEDs.
Japan on the blue LED helped energize P rofessor Tosh iya
the audience and the speakers (see p. 21). Yokogawa of Yamaguchi
Indeed, the SIL conferences have been hon- University gave an over-
ored that Nakamura and Amano have pre- view of why GaN-on-
sented keynotes in prior years at SIL shows GaN is useful for high-
in the US and Japan, and Akasaki was a co- power LEDs and how
author of one of the featured talks at SIL one can fabricate bulk
Japan 2014. The program coursed along GaN substrates of wafers
the theme of the search beyond lumens using an HVPE (hydride
per watt. The audience at LED Japan/Strategies in Light Japan vapor-phase epita x y)
Initiating the search, the keynote coming from not only Japan but also all over Asia enjoyed process. As we have cov-
speech Whats next in LED innovation? by two full days of in-depth talks and discussion on the ered previously, HVPE is
Norihide Yamada, vice president of Japan bleeding edge of LED technologies and applications. simpler than the MOVPE
Business at Philips Lumileds, explained the (metal-organic vapor-
limitations in pursuing efficacy or lumens The conclusion is that there are plenty of phase epitaxy) process and therefore less
per watt (lm/W). He said the industry has design opportunities and innovations for expensive (http://bit.ly/1tmNw3Y).
reached a point where the focus should not SSL product developers one just has to While HVPE produces a suitable sub-
be on efficiency improvements but on other start from a different point of view. strate, the current growth rate needs to be
performance measures (Fig. 1). Yamada improved before it can be commercially via-
gave a masterful look at technology from Epi technology battle ble. Moreover, MOVPE is still required to
the customers perspective, not the man- For two years in a row, the war on epitax- grow the active GaN layers, but substrate
ufacturers perspective. He articulated ial (epi) technology continued to capture cost is the primary disadvantage of GaN-
how technology advancements like corre- the attention of the audience. Indeed, propo- on-GaN processes. The good news deliv-
lated color temperature (CCT)/color ren- nents of gallium-nitride-on-gallium-nitride ered by Yokogawa during the Q&A session
dering index (CRI), flip-chip LED archi- (GaN-on-GaN) believe that such LEDs was that more companies, including his
previous company Panasonic, were utiliz-
ELLA SHUM is co-chair of Strategies in Light Conferences (US and Japan), a Strategies Unlimited ing GaN-on-GaN technology so we could
Partner, and principal at YEBY Associates LLC. MANAMI KONISHI is co-chair of the LED Japan/ expect more LEDs with homogenous sub-
Strategies in Light Japan conference and president of Plus M. strates on the market soon.

LEDsmagazine.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 63


post-show | STRATEGIES IN LIGHT JAPAN

Meanwhile, Shinya Nunoue of Toshiba Thermal management


Corporation championed GaN-on-Si tech- Of course, LED tech-
nology and how companies are getting nology is a only part of
around the defect issues associated with the SSL product-devel-
the heterogeneous substrate with a signif- opment puzzle, and
icantly different crystal structure. He said thermal management
that Toshiba is making LEDs on crack-free remains a significant
8-in. Si wafers. In the lab, the best result in challenge. Foxconn, a
terms of efficacy has been 170 lm/W at 350 first-time presenter at
mA of drive current, a CRI of 70, and CCT SIL, showed off its lat-
of 5000K. On the production line, the 3535 est developments in
LEDs are at 130 lm/W and are delivered in thermal conductive
a flip-chip chip-scale package (CSP). CSPs plastic and double-
have the potential to further reduce com- sided heat sinks for
ponent cost, adding to the lower cost of Si LED lights. The work
wafers. We covered CSP technology in our FIG. 2. Shinya Nunoue of Toshiba discussed the efficacy and was done by Vladimir
feature on the Light+Building trade fair cost of GaN-on-Si LEDs. The question of whether GaN-on-Si K ond r a t en k o a nd
earlier this year (http://bit.ly/1mTY7Br). will truly be less expensive than GaN-on-sapphire is still a Yuriy Sakunenko of
The question of whether GaN-on-Si LEDs source of controversy. Moscow State
will truly be cheaper than GaN-on-sapphire University of
or Si-carbide LEDs is still hotly debated and potential applications. One of the Instrument Engineering and Computer
(Fig. 2). Indeed, GaN-on-Si technology gen- most interesting applications is to use the Science; Hung Tu Lu of Nanoplus Tech, a
erated the most interest and questions ever VCSEL matrix array to replace the current subsidiary of Foxconn; and Alex Naumov
at an SIL Japan conference. LED matrix array in adaptive headlights. A of Foxconn. The major advantages of these
single VCSEL chip with appropriate optics two technologies are reduction in cost and
The laser option could form the basis of a high-beam head- weight, environmental friendliness, and
Of course, LEDs are not the only solid- lamp with lower cost relative to LEDs. ease of production since plastic thermal
state light source. Indeed, laser technol- The basic value both GaN-on-GaN LEDs elements can be produced via injection
ogy is closely related and can be used in and lasers bring to lighting is a smaller molding, a process with high up-front
some applications costs but very low per-piece prices.
such as automo- Still, the more interesting part of the pre-
t ive hea d la mps. sentation may have been the simpler dou-
Associate professor ble-sided heat sink concept (Fig. 3). Foxconn
Tetsuya Takeuchi claims that using a double-sided heat sink
of Meijo University can reduce heat by 2030%, so long as the
in Japan presented optical design of the lamp or luminaire can
Laser il lumina- accommodate the mechanical element. The
tions: Prospects of design could limit beam patterns.
blue VCSELs. Note
that Nobel Laureate SSL applications
A kasaki was co- The SIL Japan conference also looked beyond
author of the paper. the enabling technology, and covered both
Ve r t i c a l - c a v- general lighting applications and additional
it y surface-emit- features that might be integrated into smart
ting laser (VCSEL) lighting products.
technology delivers FIG. 1. Norihide Yamada of Philips Lumileds said return on For example, Fumitaka Murayama, pres-
a narrow beam of investment on energy improvements is decreasing but that ident of Outstanding Technology, presented
light perpendicular product developers need to focus on customer demands for Realization of LED visible light commu-
to the surface of the SSL products with greater utility. nications. He described a test in which the
component. Takeu- company achieved outdoor visible commu-
chi compared LEDs and lasers for illumi- source size. This allows smaller lamps with nication over a 42-km range using a single
nation. The comparison basically boiled narrower beam angles and higher lumens. 10W LED in 2010. The same technology is
down to three key points: efficiency/cost, We shall see whether these advantages employed in the GINREI satellite, launched
beam profile, and color rendering. He went will help the technologies find a place in in February 2014 by Japan Aerospace Explo-
on to describe advancements in VCSELs the world of SSL. ration Agency (JAXA), attempting to commu-

64 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 LEDsmagazine.com


post-show | STRATEGIES IN LIGHT JAPAN

nicate at 6001200-km distances with Earth. communication with light- Cree XML 10W Confguration 1
But the technology applies locally as well. ing products is focused on + Aluminum plate Conventional
At the Kansai Electric Power Plant, this com- programmatic and adap- 50502 mm rear heat sink
munication technology was used for a visible tive control of the lighting
wireless LAN because radio waves may dam- and enabling the Internet
age electrical equipment like relay boards. of Things (IoT) concept. To
Visible lighting can be used for location- think about smart lights
based services like indoor GPS-like location much like smartphones is
services in retail lighting and area security. an interesting concept that 67C 51C
In the latter, there is no fear of leaks or jam- was explored by Gerald
ming and access from the outside, unlike Harbers, founder and CTO Confguration 2 Confguration 3
with RF technology. Finally, the world is of Xicato. The main point in Frontal heat sink Double-sided
facing a wireless spectrum crunch. Accord- his talk Lighting technol- heat sink
ing to Cisco, global mobile data traffic will ogy integration pushes the
increase 18X from 20112016. Murayama idea of having light, connec-
stated that the market of visible communi- tivity, and sensors all in one
cations will skyrocket because of this trend. module. On top of this inte-
One of the best lighting designers in grated base, we can develop
China, Xu Dongliang, CEO of Toryo Inter- applications and services 51C 46C
national Lighting, showed off some of his that will make lights access
most interesting commercial pieces of work points for devices designed FIG. 3. Foxconn proposed a double-sided heat sink
including a hotel building wrapped round for IoT functionality. that can lead to a 2030% improvement in thermal
by a dragon-like sculpture. Using LEDs, he Scott Brown, senior vice mitigation, in comparison to other potential cooling
worked around Chinese commercial demand president of marketing of configurations.
and landscape aesthetics by integrating dis- Dialog Semiconductor Inc.,
play functionality in the lighting design. He discussed the new Ledotron digital dim- to power the wireless transceiver.
also indicated the potential of next-genera- mer standard and how it would eliminate John Hwang, executive director of the
tion lighting design through the free expres- all issues, such as compatibility, associ- Human Centric Lighting (HCL) Society,
sion in artwork like his famous work Ligh- ated with triac dimmers. He went into brought the discussion of controls and tun-
topia, which was chosen to represent China great length about how smart lighting will able lighting to the popular world of profes-
in the 2012 Venice Biennale. be a driver for the next SSL adoption wave. sional sports. HCL generally uses tunable
One way to move the chaotic world of smart spectral power and CCT to enhance human
SSL networks and controls lighting forward is to have a flexible driver productivity and wellbeing including the
Still, the near-term opportunity to integrate that will support any wireless protocol and ability to adapt lighting for human circadian
rhythms. Hwang described how the new age
Circadian advantage in MNF of sports lighting was affecting the US pro-
fessional football game. In a study of Mon-
Region West Coast East Coast day Night Football West Coast versus East
Coast teams, the home win has everything
Winning % 63.5% 36.5% to do with the circadian rhythm (Fig. 4). HCL
can manage jet lag for away games and give
Winning points 14.7 9.0 a blue boost with spectrally targeted light-
ing. The goal is to set up a circadian-rhythm
Home win % 59.3% 56.5% monitoring program to target optimum
physical condition for game performance.
MNF home win % 71% vs. East Coast 43.8% vs. West Coast Steve Paolini of Telelumen, meanwhile,
enlightened attendees with the concept of
MNF home win % 58.1% vs. non-East Coast 67.5% vs. non-West Coast recording and playing back of light much
like a digital music player. Most companies
Because of the circadian rhythm, which East Coast football players cant control, their in smart lighting demonstrate how consum-
bodies are past their natural performance peaks before the frst quarter ends.
ers can control and tune their lights via a
Data: Smith et al., Sleep, 20(5):362-365, 1997.
smart device interface. Paolini explained
FIG. 4. The win-loss records of NFL teams in Monday Night Football games can be that most light consumers do not want to
correlated to circadian rhythms, and HCL could help teams prepare to play at a tinker with the details. They want to expe-
higher level. rience the light energy, e.g., a Maui sunset or

66 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 LEDsmagazine.com


post-show | STRATEGIES IN LIGHT JAPAN

UV-LED applications map FIG. 5. UV LEDs are already being


Irradiance (mW/cm2) widely used in curing, but the deep-UV
Curing application LED technology for applications such
100 as water purification and general
sterilization will require more efficient
Semiconductor
development and lower-cost LEDs.
436 nm
Organic decomposition Photocatalyst outdoor cultivation. In the case of lettuce,
10
Waste water treatment one can harvest 25 times per year. An inter-
Under 385 nm
Ozone Air purifcation, sterilization, esting idea is Keystone Technologys Hai-
production Sterilization deodorizing kara Yasai (open vegetable factory). These
factories are open so everyone can see how
1 Phototherapy
308 nm plants are grown. The produce is distrib-
Sensing uted to local restaurants and stores, reduc-
ing the environmental impact and cost of
DDM application transporting the crops over long distances.
0
200 225 250 275 300 325 350 375 400 In conclusion, the attendees of LED Japan/
Low-pressure mercury lamp Wavelength (nm) High-pressure mercury lamp SIL Japan, coming from not only Japan but
254 nm 365 nm all over Asia, enjoyed two full days of in-
depth talks and discussion on the bleeding
daybreak on Mt. Fuji with the ease of selecting a song. They do not edge of LED technologies and applications. Their enthusiasm was
want to compose a light song by fiddling with a color wheel on an expressed by their active participation. We look forward to carry-
iPhone. In the near future, consumers will be able to interact with ing on the momentum and building another successful conference
their lights like a music player. This will have an impact on the smart in Yokohama next year.
home market, enhance retail experiences, and improve human bio-

showcase
logical experience.

LEDs in life sciences


PRODUCT
At SIL Japan, however, it was abundantly clear that LED technology
is impacting applications far beyond general lighting including RIPLEY LIGHTING CONTROLS
in life-science applications. Cyril Pernot of Nikkiso Co. Ltd. gave
an in-depth talk entitled Deep UV LED: Challenges and perspec- Ripley PhotoClock II for smart
tives. Deep ultraviolet (UV LED) is one of the hottest markets even lighting energy management
though there are many challenges to overcome. We have a feature
article on UVC-LED technology in this issue (see p. 47) and reported As much as 40 percent of a municipalitys energy
on a presentation on the topic of UV LEDs at our flagship SIL US spending is on street lights, smart
event back in February 2014 (http://bit.ly/1kXzh1e). lighting solutions can drive
The limiting factor to the technology is efficiency in the lower reductions. Enabled by its
LED wavelengths and therefore the cost of the LEDs. While a white innovative 7 day versatile
LED is a few dollars per watt, a deep-UV LED can be in the range programmability, sub-second
of $10,000/W at present. According to Pernot, the current forecast accuracy, worldwide coverage
for deep UV is relatively low in the next few years, but he expects and LED applicable design, the
it will take off after 2017 as the cost and efficiency will be in range PhotoClockII enables lighting
for mass adoption. Fig. 5 depicts an application map for UV LEDs. operators to more efficiently and
Life science potential also includes optimized food-crop produc- reliably manage their
tion. Japan is in the forefront in using LEDs to grow vegetables. See lighting networks.
our recent news item on lettuce production for more information
(http://bit.ly/1p7upMI). Seiichi Okazaki, president and CEO of Key-
stone Technology, described some of the key advantages in vegeta- RIPLEY lighting
controls
ble plant factories using fully artificial light to deliver sunlight-like Division of Sout hConn T echnologies Inc
spectral power. The presentation data was based on the experience
of 198 such factories currently operating in Japan. Tel: 803-939-4700
In an urban setting, Okazaki said the land usage ratio Fax: 803-9393-4777
approached 6070 times better than that of legacy farming. The Web: www.RipleyLightingControls.com
same volume of production uses less than 4% of the water used in

LEDsmagazine.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 67


developer forum | LED BINNING

Optimized methodologies lead to


high-precision LED color binning
Binning remains a required step in the production of LEDs, and MATTHIAS HOEH describes a
methodology that can improve the precision of binning operations, which in turn can help SSL
product developers deliver consistent color and flux output.

L
EDs for sophisticated applications are
Laboratory
marketed in classes with tight colori-
metric and photometric specifications Reference
with the classes commonly being known spectroradiometer
as bins. Solid-state lighting (SSL) product
developers rely on the binning process to
specify LEDs to thereby deliver lamps and
Golden sample correction
luminaires with consistent color and light
output. Binning is a costly and time-con-
suming but necessary burden for LED man- Production
ufacturers. Lets consider a binning method-
ology that can lead to optimal classification. Tester Tester Tester
Indeed, the necessary quality for LEDs spectroradiometer spectroradiometer spectroradiometer
and, in turn, SSL products can only be
achieved by using accurate and high-preci-
sion measurement and classification during
FIG. 1. In addition to the initial calibration, the optical measurement systems for
production. Instrument Systems has ana-
LED production testing are regularly adjusted to the measured values determined
lyzed methodological optimization along-
in a reference laboratory using reference LEDs called golden samples to derive a
side improvements to instrumentation and
computational correction.
has developed a guideline for LED manufac-
turers to improve binning precision in LED precisely in a reference laboratory. reference laboratories is a basic require-
production. Specifically, we will describe Binning is then carried out on the follow- ment for any comparability and this can be
how to eliminate the impact of rapid fluc- ing basis. The DUT is allocated to a class guaranteed with established procedures for
tuations and slow drift in LEDs. and mechanically sorted to a bin with DUTs LED laboratory measurement. However, the
of the same class for subsequent sale. Each core problem of optical test and measure-
Comparability and reproducibility tester must be stable enough to maintain ment on a production line has not really
of measurements the desired binning specification until the been addressed in the literature specifi-
The optical characteristics of an LED (or next correction to the laboratory reference cally how reproducible measured values can
generally of a device under test; DUT) are values, i.e., the statistical and systematic be achieved for binning within a correction
determined at a handling and sorting sys- measuring errors must be sufficiently low. interval, within a calibration interval, and
tem, called a handler, in the production All other test stations in the production line within the production site. This leads to the
process using an integrated electrical and must be referenced to the same or compara- issue of how rapid fluctuations and slow
optical tester. Fine adjustment of the opti- ble laboratory values (Fig. 1). If there is more drift effects can be prevented and where
cal measured values is carried out using than one production site, the laboratory ref- there are feasible boundaries for commonly
one or more reference light sources that are erence values must in turn be aligned to applied correction functions.
known as golden samples. Such reference each other and adjusted if necessary. The causes of general perturbance phe-
sources have been measured accurately and The comparability of the binning results nomena were analyzed on the basis of the-
at several production sites is a higher-level oretical and experimental approaches and
MATTHIAS HOEH is product manager problem and can be achieved with an over- countermeasures were specified in order to
at Instrument Systems GmbH arching metrology concept. Highly accu- provide answers to the issues outlined pre-
(instrumentsystems.com). rate and precise optical measurement in viously. The result is a guideline for meth-

LEDsmagazine.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 69


developer forum | LED BINNING

ods and equipment in LED production. It ples deal with the most
allows comparability to be significantly important causes of the Detector/
enhanced within a bin group and between phenomenon described. fber connection
bin groups that are produced subsequently
and in parallel. Influence of Baffe
measurement conditions
Improvement of binning precision In order to provide a con-
Ultimately, inaccurate as well as imprecise crete example, this sec-
measurements mean that DUTs are sorted tion assumes an LED
to the wrong bins. The initial step in the with an emission cone LED
investigation is to divide the problem into of 130. An integrating
three phenomenological classes, which sphere with a diameter of
are shown in Fig. 2 in order to draw con- 100 mm is used to deter-
Detector/
clusions about the underlying technologi- mine the color coordi- fber connection
cal and methodological causes. nates and luminous flux.
A. Initial mean deviation from the lab- As is normally the case
Baffe
oratory reference. There may be many rea- in a production setting,
sons for a measurement deviating from the the DUT is positioned a
reference value and its individual contri- few millimeters in front
bution is generally not known. The empiri- of the entrance port of
LED
cal correction for the deviation therefore the sphere since this can
inevitably increases the level of measur- be realized with a single FIG. 3. If the luminous flux emitted by an LED is only
ing uncertainty. In the practical setting mechanical axis. partially collected by the integrating sphere, generally
of LED production, the correction is com- For a distance of 10 uncorrectable deviations of optical measured values
monly determined from a linear fit with mm between the LED arise (a). The automated positioning of the LED within the
two free parameters. From a metrologi- and sphere, only the light entrance port is a solution to deviations (b). Part b of this
cal perspective, this is justifiable for small
emitted within a cone of figure shows an integrating sphere for LED production that
deviations between measured value and 118 enters the integrat- offers a dome-shaped dust guard at the entrance port so
reference value. However, this approach ing sphere. Light emitted the recommended LED positioning is not obstructed.
will often be unsuccessful for large devia- to the side, which is not
tions, especially if one cause for the devia-collected by the integrating sphere, needs the entrance port of the integrating sphere
tion dominates. to be compensated by the correction func- and the DUT. A further improvement can
The deviation should be kept as small tion. This can only succeed if emission to be obtained by automated positioning of
as possible in order to avoid corrections the side is proportional to perpendicular the DUT directly inside the entrance port
entirely or to at least minimize the impact emission, but this does not apply in prac- in what is called a 2 geometry. Integrating
of potential erroneous corrections. In other tice. If the phosphor layer on the sides of spheres optimized for LED production can
words, the measurement of a DUT in pro- the LED is damaged or varies in thickness, be supplied for this type of test setup. They
duction must be virtually correct right the resulting red or blue shift of the entire are equipped with a glass dome to provide
from the start. The following two exam- emission is not taken into account by the protection against dust. This enables the
correction (Fig. 3a). LED to be positioned directly within the
Errors also result if the radius of the sphere using a special han-
Reference value
orientation of the opti- dler without the dust being able to pen-
A cal axis or the opening etrate into the sensitive measurement
Measured angle of the emission adapter (Fig. 3b).
value
cone varies from one Technical and cost boundaries limit
C
LED device to another. the standardization of measurement con-
B This problem can ditions in a production setting to the rec-
only be rectified by ommendations for laboratories. Those
Time
measuring the total recommendations are defined in some
FIG. 2. The diagram shows the optical measurement results luminous f lu x. The international standards on the uncer-
in LED production within a calibration and correction m i n i mu m requ i re - tainty of measurements and calibration
interval. The nonconformities with the reference value can be ment for conforming (see http://bit.ly/1oVEsUY).
divided into three phenomenological classes: A) initial mean to this ideal is achiev- If the remaining discrepancy is to be
deviation from the reference value; B) rapid fluctuations; and ing the smallest dis- further reduced, it is also necessary to
C) slow drift. tance possible between harmonize measurement conditions in

70 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 LEDsmagazine.com


developer forum | LED BINNING

National Primary of milliseconds to seconds and they lead


standard to poor repeatability. Repeatability is the
laboratory
e.g., PTB, NIST
standard deviation of a set of results from
Uncertainty a measurement repeated under steady test
<1.6%
conditions. The test conditions determine
Spectroradiometer Reference Working
Spectro-
manufacturer standard
Transfer
standard
radiometer the result. These should therefore be taken
standard calibration into account when instruments are com-
Uncertainty Uncertainty pared on the basis of repeatability speci-
1.6% Transfer 2.0% fications as documented in a standard on
standard Working
LED manufacturer the uncertainty of measurements (http://
standard Spectroradiometer
bit.ly/1wyYFzI).
Repeatability exerts a major impact on
Uncertainty Uncertainty
2.0% 3.5% how tightly, for example, the color coor-
FIG. 4. Calibration of the optical measuring instruments in LED production should be dinate boundaries for bins can be reason-
traceable to a national primary standard. This enables the accuracy of measuring ably defined. If the boundaries are too
instruments to be guaranteed. tight for the repeatability achieved, LEDs
with identical optical properties will often
the reference laboratories with subse- sources as maintained by national labo- be binned differently. A highly precise
quent conditions in production facilities. ratories such as NIST (National Institute of measurement for excellent repeatability
This avoids other deviations that cannot Standards and Technology) or PTB (Germa- is essential in order to meet the market
be corrected empirically. For example, nys national metrology institute) as illus- trend toward bins that match only one to
the 4 geometry recommended for labora- trated in Fig. 4. two McAdam ellipses.
tory-based measurement of luminous flux Appropriately equipped calibration lab- An averaging procedure cannot be used
and color coordinates is not practical in oratories staffed by trained personnel are to increase precision because this wastes
production environments. This geometry necessary for carrying out calibration. The valuable time and it would reduce through-
involves the DUT being positioned in the calibration needs to be repeated in
middle of an integrating sphere. The cal- order to maintain high accu-
ibration of all measuring systems should racy over the long term espe-
therefore be designed for subsequent mea- cially considering that sys-
surement in 2 geometry. tem components may have

Influence of calibration
The importance of an accurate absolute
measurement for a reproducible binning
result was demonstrated in the previous FIG. 5. A commercially supplied working
section relating to the measurement con- standard with calibration traceable to a
ditions. Moreover, wrong calibration of national primary standard in conformity
optical measuring instruments (typically with ISO 17025 is ideal as a reference
CCD-array spectrometers) on the produc- for white LEDs and provides a luminous
tion line causes deterioration in reproduc- undergone changes as a result of unavoid- flux with a stability of 0.1% over 12
ibility. If calibration is impaired or inac- able aging effects. This can be ensured by hours.
curate, a large correction of the measured monitoring with a working standard main-
values is necessary in order to obtain the tained in local laboratories as a reference put in production. The only solution to this
laboratory reference value. However, the (Fig. 5). If no reference is available, a reca- issue is the use of measuring instruments
validity of the empirically determined cor- libration should take place at maximum with outstanding repeatability. We ana-
rection function depends in each case on intervals of one year. One way of ensuring lyzed two important physical causes for
the causes of the deviation and the spread the quality of calibration is accreditation dynamic f luctuations of measured val-
of the optical characteristics of the tested of an in-house calibration laboratory or a ues in order to identify the basic require-
devices. Results following a correction are calibration service provider in conformity ments for high-precision measurement in
therefore generally of doubtful value. with the ISO 17025 international standard LED production.
Calibration must satisfy strict conditions (linked previously).
in order to minimize the uncertainty out- B. Rapid fluctuations. Now lets dis- Impact of thermal noise
lined above. If this is to be achieved, cal- cuss the rapid fluctuations issue (as seen A measuring instrument is always subject to
ibration should be retraceable to reliable in Fig. 2). Dynamic fluctuations of mea- underlying background noise. If the noise is
reference standards in this case, light sured values are noticed on a time scale significant in relation to the actual signal,

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developer forum | LED BINNING

the precision and accuracy a) Deviation from initial Temperature (C) FIG. 6. The graphs provide a comparison
deteriorate. The problem can luminous fux (%) Ambient CCD of drift for the measured luminous flux
be addressed on the instrument 1.0 35 between different spectroradiometers. As
side with a number of measures, 0.8 a result of uniform continuous operation
0.6
which we intend to describe 0.4 30 of the instruments, the temperature of
using the example of spectrora- 0.2
0.0 the detector and electronics was only
diometers for LED production. -0.2 dependent on the ambient temperature,
-0.4 25
An initial measure is to use an which was controlled over 20 hours
-0.6
inherently low-noise detector -0.8 from 20C to 30C. A temperature-
-1.0 20
and low-noise signal-process- 0 5 10 15 20 stabilized luminous flux standard with a
ing electronics. The unavoidable Time (hr) stability of 0.2% served as a reference.
residual thermal noise can be The instruments tested included: a) a
b) Deviation from initial Temperature (C)
further reduced by active cool- luminous fux (%) Ambient CCD standard spectroradiometer without
ing of the detector; our experi- cooling and without temperature-
1.0 35
ence indicates that the temper- 0.8 optimized components; b) a
ature should be cooled to below 0.6
0.4 spectroradiometer without cooling and
30
-5C (Fig. 6). 0.2 with temperature-optimized components;
On the operator side, the rel- 0.0
-0.2 and c) a spectroradiometer with cooling
ative noise level can be mini- -0.4 25
to -10C and with temperature-optimized
-0.6
mized by maximizing the signal -0.8 components.
at the detector. The saturation -1.0 20
0 5 10 15 20
must be adjusted to accommo- Time (hr)
date the nominal spread of DUT relation to the reference value.
emission properties without c) Deviation from initial
luminous fux (%)
Temperature (C) The causes can generally be found in the
Ambient CCD
incurring oversaturation. Since measuring instrument and the actual test
the integration time of the spec- 1.0 35 setup. Since more frequent correction is
0.8
troradiometer needs to be kept 0.6 expensive due to test-system downtimes
0.4 30
as low as possible in order to 0.2 and strong drift effects ultimately render
enable the highest throughput 0.0 the calibration of the spectroradiometer
-0.2
in production, only two adjust- -0.4 25 questionable, this perturbation should be
ment options are available for -0.6 prevented by selecting suitable measur-
-0.8
detector saturation: the density -1.0 20 ing instruments. The two biggest causes of
0 5 10 15 20
filter in the spectroradiometer Time (hr)
drift effects are explained further on.
and the measurement accesso-
ries for example, the size of the integrat- therefore cause fluctuations of the mea- Temperature dependence of
ing sphere used. The combination of a suit- sured values. detectors and electronics
able measuring instrument with measures The technical approaches that make The link between noise and temperature of
undertaken by the operator will already light transmission more independent of the the CCD detector and the signal-process-
achieve lower noise and more precise mea- fiber position are beyond the scope of this ing electronics in an array spectroradiom-
surement, as well as facilitating binning in article. In practice, a fiber bundle is often eter has already been addressed in the sec-
a more finely nuanced way on the basis of used instead of an individual fiber. In com- tion on rapid fluctuations. The background
photometric and colorimetric quantities. bination with additional design measures, noise is not only characterized by its ampli-
this eliminates sensitivity to movements tudes and frequencies but also by a temper-
Impact of mechanical perturbation and vibrations of the machine. These are ature-dependent offset. The temperature of
The light emission of the DUT is collected the only types of fiber that should be used. the components is determined by the oper-
by a measuring adapter and coupled into an C. Slow drift. Even when optical mea- ating status of the instrument in the first
optical fiber that transports the light sig- suring results obtained on the production instance and by the ambient temperature
nal to a spectroradiometer. An optical fiber line are corrected to the results of the spec- in the second instance. The temperature-
has characteristic light-guiding properties troradiometer in the reference laboratory dependent offset leads to a change in the
that have to be incorporated in the instru- on a daily basis, agreement over an entire binning result over a period of a few hours
ment calibration. However, these proper- day is not stable enough for highly repro- so that classification by different instru-
ties change when the position of the fiber ducible binning. The systematic errors of ments and at different times is not compa-
changes so unavoidable movements and the spectroradiometer on a production line rable (Fig. 6a).
vibrations of the handler alter the through- change over a timescale of minutes and The size of the error depends mainly
put and spectrum of the light signal. They hours so the measurement results drift in on the design of the detector and the elec-

74 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 LEDsmagazine.com


developer forum | LED BINNING

Countermeasures to improve LED binning. is a range of different methods to


Causes of initial mean deviation Countermeasure combat this problem and most of
Incorrect calibration Calibration procedure in conformity with ISO 17025 them are the responsibility of the
Obsolete calibration Monitoring based on LED standards for timely recalibration instrument manufacturer. The
Alignment of the measuring conditions in the laboratory and in measures include the use of appro-
Measuring conditions not optimum priate and tested materials, man-
production, based on CIE recommendations (e.g., 2 geometry)
ual adjustment of the instruments
Good optical design of the spectroradiometer (stray light for LED
Stray light by trained personnel, and ensuring
<0.05%)
high quality throughout the pro-
Detector with deep quantum well (for dynamic range of at least
Low dynamic measuring range duction chain. LED manufacturers
1000:1)
are able to make a comparatively
Causes of rapid fluctuations
small contribution to improvement
Low-noise detector including signal processing electronics. Ideally, by ensuring that the ambient tem-
Thermal noise
also additional active cooling (<-5C). perature in the production area is
Sufficiently small digitization steps (for typical measuring range controlled within a range of max-
Quantization noise
around 15 bit) imally 3C. If the spectroradiom-
High signal level of the detector (without oversaturation), eter in question meets the quality
Signal too low
adjustment, e.g., via density filter requirements referred to above, the
Fluctuations in power supply to the Power source with good mains filter and long measuring times unavoidable vibrations of the han-
DUT (NPLC 0.1 to 1) in the case of low currents (A range) dler do not present a problem for
Light guidance influenced by fiber Special fiber, optimized to constant throughput in spectral and test and measurement.
movement absolute terms
Different positioning with the handler Positioning of the DUT should be precise Summary and outlook for
Causes for slow drift color-binning test systems
The accuracy and precision of spec-
Temperature dependence of the Detector and signal processing electronics optimized for low
troradiometer-based test systems for
detector and signal processing temperature dependency. Ideally, additional temperature
electronics stabilization LED production are closely linked to
the comparability of parallel produc-
Responsibility of the tester manufacturer: Quality assurance for
tion lines and to short- and medium-
Mechanical deformation of optical materials, precision in assembly and adjustment, quality control
components Responsibility of the LED manufacturer: Reduction of temperature term repeatability. Three phenomena
fluctuations in production (<3C) impact negatively on this so-called
binning precision:
Responsibility of the tester manufacturer: Use of high-quality The mean deviation from the lab-
components oratory reference value that is to
Aging of optically relevant materials Responsibility of the LED manufacturer: Carry out regular
be corrected, i.e., the accuracy of
corrections, monitoring with LED standards, as necessary renewal
the measuring system
of barium sulfate coatings
Rapid fluctuations
Slow drift
tronics. Accordingly, it can be consider- exceptional precision and exert a big influ- Each phenomenon can be traced back to
ably reduced by selecting an instrument ence on the signal at the detector. If the various physical causes. The countermea-
with components optimized to that end optical path changes as a result of mechan- sures to improve LED binning are set out
(Fig. 6b). A correction algorithm specific ical deformations, large systematic errors in the table above and some of these mea-
to the instrument can additionally be used will occur. Deformations can be caused sures were dealt with in detail in the previ-
by the instrument manufacturer in order to by unsuitable materials, components not ous sections of this article. These measures
reduce the remaining effect computation- properly fixed in position, deformation relate to manufacturers of optical measur-
ally. The effect can be almost entirely elimi- due to temperature, or material fatigue. ing instruments and the operators of the
nated with temperature stabilization of the In particular, temperature changes and production plant.
detector, which can be conveniently com- vibrations create drift effects within min- The use of high-quality tools such
bined with active cooling for noise suppres- utes and hours. as spectroradiometers and a detailed
sion in practical settings (Fig. 6c). The influence of this group of causes understanding of where accuracy and
can easily be underestimated, but if spec- precision are important in LED production
Impact of mechanical troradiometers of inferior quality are are the enablers for precise binning
deformations of components used these effects lead to poor correla- within tight photometric and colorimetric
The components within the optical path tion of binning results between produc- boundaries; they also provide good
of a spectroradiometer are aligned with tion lines and within a single line. There comparability over the long term.

LEDsmagazine.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 75


last word

SSL cost reduction: Designers are


missing the bigger picture

Significant bill of materials reductions can be achieved through substrate choice,


observes RALPH WEIR, CEO of Cambridge Nanotherm, avoiding a continual drive to
the bottom in terms of component cost.

I
n August of this year, the US Department nies approach the problem from the wrong overall BOM. Therefore, even if in this hypo-
of Energy published its 2014 edition of the angle. The de rigeur approach to reducing thetical example, advanced thermal venting
Solid-State Lighting (SSL) Manufacturing BOM costs seems to be brute-force reduc- materials elevate the cost of the substrate
R&D Roadmap. Principal amongst its mes- tion in the cost of components across the from 5% to 10%, a company would still have
sages was that LEDs still have relatively board. This may be achieved by economies saved itself around 25% of BOM through a
modest market penetration. The penetra- of scale, investing in production, or reducing simple substrate respecification.
tion rate, it points out, will only accelerate as quality. This approach works to a point, but To offer an example with which I am per-
costs fall. Price is the industrys main issue. demand for lower component sonally involved, by apply-
In the short-term cost reduction will be prices will eventually involve ing a novel, patented electro-
achieved mainly by refining existing design compromising products and chemical process, it is now
and manufacturing processes. Longer- brands, and placing undue possible to form a dielectric
term, innovative new designs and manu- strain on an already-stretched nanoceramic layer of just
facturing methods will be required to drive supply chain. Cost reduction a few microns on the sur-
down prices. through clever redesign too face of an aluminum PCB.
However, the report also briefly noted that often goes by the wayside. This avoids the need for ther-
alternative approaches for LED mounting Thermally-efficient sub- mal interfacing between the
being investigated include chip-on-board strates can play an enormous dielectric layer and the alumi-
(COB), chip-on-flex (COF; mounting the LED role in reducing costs. Let us num. The upshot is a thermal
die on a flexible printed-circuit board, or PCB), suppose a hypothetical com- material with several times
and die attach directly to the heat sink. pany wants to reduce the costs of its LED the degree of thermal transfer of traditional
To my eyes, the report implies that COB, bulb products to be more competitive. If this MCPCBs, enough to halve the size of many
COF, and chip-on-heat-sink are presently company could reduce the number of LEDs LED designs.
in the investigation phase. While its true used in designs by half or a quarter, with Such technologies reduce cost while
that these technologies may not yet have those LEDs operating at a higher power rat- addressing other key issues faced by the
gained massive mainstream acceptance, it ing thus achieving the same lumens it LED industry. Improvements in color qual-
is nonetheless also true that they have been could achieve significant cost savings. ity can be achieved with superior thermal
extensively proven in the field in partic- The difficulty with this approach is that management, and both efficiencies and life-
ular COB. It seems ironic that the report cramming a greater number of higher-power times can be improved. Whats more, nano-
would give these technologies such a cur- LEDs into a smaller space presents a thermal ceramic coatings can also be applied to flex-
sory mention given that theyre likely to be a nightmare beyond the abilities of traditional ible materials with relative ease, opening up
key component in achieving the cost reduc- metal-core PCB (MCPCB) technologies. How- entirely new classes of application.
tions the report recommends. Indeed, ther- ever, advanced thermal substrate materials So while they may only have received a
mally-efficient substrates are an overlooked are now emerging that would allow many of passing mention for now, advanced ther-
cost-reducer. todays designs to halve in size. mal substrates are already impacting LED
Its clear that LED manufacturers need to According to a previous DOE report, the designs and theyre going to play a key role
continue to drive down costs aggressively. LEDs and associated per-LED optics in a in the next round of aggressive LED cost
However, in my experience LED compa- downlight can eat up as much as 60% of the reductions.

76 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 LEDsmagazine.com


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