LEDtronics® announced that it helped the Hilton Garden Inn in Washington, D.C., eliminate the time and costs involved in maintaining old, incandescent bulbs on their marquee canopy by replacing them with the latest in lighting technology — LED bulbs

Larson Electronics releases a New Four Color Explosion Proof LED Signal Stack Light that is Class 1 Division 1 and Class 2 Division 1 approved and may be used in wet locations and marine environments. This waterproof LED equipped light is designed for routing traffic in industrial refueling stations and process status indication in manufacturing facilities.

Apple is rumored to be actively pursuing the launch of its new sapphire plant in Mesa, Arizona for a “critical new sub-component,” according to a report by MacRumor based on documents from 9to5Mac.The company is rumored to open the plant by February.

Rubicon Technology, a leading provider of sapphire substrates and products to the LED, semiconductor, and optical markets, today announced that it will showcase its line of optical products for use in defense and aerospace, instrumentation and analytical processing, sensors and detectors, semiconductor process equipment, and medical and laser applications at the Photonics West Exhibition, February 4-6, 2014 at The Moscone Center in San Francisco, California. 

NEMA’s Electroindustry Business Conditions Index (EBCI) for current conditions in North America slipped below the 50-point level typically associated with expansion in January for the first time since October 2012. The index declined for the third straight month, falling to 40.6 from 52.8 in December. The share of respondents that reported conditions improved in January declined to 12.5 percent from 16.7 percent in December, while the share reporting conditions deteriorated increased to 31.3 percent from 11.1 percent. Just over 56 percent of respondents indicated that conditions were unchanged from December to January. 

San Diego announced today that it will illuminate its downtown district with GE Lighting’s intelligent lighting system, including LED street lighting, making it the first city in the United States to adopt GE’s LightGrid™ technology. The new system, set to be in place by spring of this year, will offer improved and energy-efficient lighting that will save the city more than a quarter-million dollars in energy costs each year.

Osram Opto Semiconductors is keeping pace with the constant growth of the market and switching its fabrication of red, orange and yellow light emitting diodes to 6-inch wafers. The German high-tech company is therefore extending the fabrication of all large-wafer LEDs to the indium-gallium-aluminum-phosphide (InGaAlP) material system and therefore expanding its production capacity. The company began switching fabrication of blue LED chips back in 2011.

Cree introduces SmartCast™ Technology, the first self-programming wireless lighting-control system that reduces energy consumption by more than 70 percent*, at half the cost of traditional lighting controls. Intuitive and easy to use, luminaires enabled with Cree SmartCast Technology remove the initial and ongoing complexity associated with lighting controls, allowing customers to realize the full savings potential of lighting controls with benefits they’ve never had before. 

TOGGLED, developer and producer of next-generation solid-state lighting technology, reported today that in 2013 it was awarded 16 new LED lighting patents by the United States Patent and Trademark Office and 5 new LED lighting patents by international patent offices. With a total of 47 patents issued and more than 40 patents pending, the company continues to invest heavily in research and development, design, engineering, and manufacturing automation.  These investments have globally positioned TOGGLED as an intellectual property leader and competitive producer of commercial-grade LED lighting solutions.

Xeleum Lighting today announced the availability its XCO-100 SMART-LIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM. This affordable and easy-to-install lighting control system reduces lighting energy usage by 80 percent or more over conventional lighting systems that do not utilize LEDs, daylight harvesting and occupancy sensing.

Universal Display Corporation, enabling energy-efficient displays and lighting with its UniversalPHOLED® technology and materials, announced it exhibited with partner IDD Aerospace/Zodiac Lighting Solutions a white OLED lighting prototype for aircraft interiors at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) 11th annual Solid-State Lighting (SSL) R&D Workshop in Tampa, FL. The workshop took place January 28–30, 2014.

Lumex announces the global launch of its TitanBrite High-Voltage, Low-Current LED, the newest addition to the TitanBrite family of high-power LEDs. The TitanBrite High-Voltage, Low-Current LED can run at a higher voltage with a lower current than alternative technologies (such as a traditional10W LED) while providing up to 45% brighter light output and superior light distribution. This allows for up to 20% cost and 50% real estate savings for applications requiring low current, but high light output. Though high-voltage, low-current LEDs provide key performance benefits for applications that use LED drivers that offer higher voltages to drive a high-power LED, few design engineers are aware that these technologies are available and can produce the comparable if not brighter light output.

LED lightings represent a green light source which offers energy saving and long lifespan advantages. Nowadays, it has been popularized in our daily life. It has continuously replaced lighting devices such as incandescent lighting and fluorescent lighting. Either in household life or working environment, lighting fixtures are closely linked to you and us. Today’s LED lighting products can be problematic with blinding light, glare, high light loss and insufficient light source. Long-term usage can provoke uncomfort such as eyestrain. As modern man are conscious of environ...

Grid is a monumental kinetic light installation that illuminated the Hotel de Region of Rhone-Alpes for the 2013 edition of the Festival des Lumieres.

Another year has come to a close. As 2014 kicks off, the LEDinside editorial team  has compiled the market expectations for this year.

Research by Gaël Reecht, Fabrice Scheurer, Virginie Speisser and et al from University of Strasbourg, France luminescence can be achieved by a single polymer molecule, which could be the smallest possible OLED device, according to Physic Review article. Below is the synopsis for the report on Physical Review Letters by Don Monroe :

The LED industry main logic is driven by general lighting. Compared to previous waves driven by LED backlight and commercial lighting, general lighting is a market with a real value of more than RMB 100 billion (US$ 16.81 billion). It is estimated by 2014 the global civilian lighting market will reach more than RMB 100 billion for the first time, and reach RMB 160 billion in 2015. Within the next two years, CAGR will reach 60 percent taking the LED industry to its new hot spot.

“The National Lighting Bureau has once again performed yeoman service for North America’s lighting community.” So said National Lighting Bureau Chair Howard P. Lewis (Viscor Group of Companies) in reviewing the Bureau’s 2013 accomplishments at the conclusion of his fourth year in office. The Bureau serves as an independent, IRS-recognized not-for-profit lighting-information source created (in 1976) to help people make better decisions about lighting.

LED lighting over the next 3-5 years will experience rapid development. Whoever gains access to distribution channels will ultimately win the market as they are the key recourse for LED lighting application. Channels and brand name still remains as the main barrier for lighting applications. Brands with control over export markets will be in an active position. Lighting manufacturers employ different channel strategies depending on the market segments and client demands. High quality distribution channels are conducive towards manufactures that have a controlled accounts receivable turnover ratio and can avoid producing bad debts, as this can increase company revenue and profits.

In 1973 the marketing guru, Philip Kotler stated that noise, shapes, smells and colours helped to draw attention, transmit messages and create feelings that increased the likelihood of purchase. Since then, marketing has moved on in all senses and the reproduction of colour has become a key differentiating factor in the retail sector. In sensorial marketing, light is one of the most important factors in the purchase experience.

In response to Nichia Corporation’s (Nichia) press release regarding the order entered by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Everlight notes that the order referenced in Nichia’s press release relates to discovery disputes and is not a substantive ruling on the merits of any of Everlight’s claims or defenses.  The orders are not related to the merits of patent infringement or validity and therefore have no effect on Everlight’s products.  Also, Everlight have produced relevant LED list and samples in compliance with the Court’s Order.

Retail price for LED bulbs is substantially higher than that of incandescent. LED bulbs can last anywhere from 15,000 hours up to 25,000 hours. EU standards have relaxed recently, dropping the minimum hours to 6,000. In a recent test by a UK consumer group Which?, they discovered that most LED bulbs on the market do not live up to the promised lifespan by manufacturers.

“The fourth quarter of 2013 was another good quarter for Philips, despite the challenging economic environment and ongoing currency headwinds. In the quarter, Lighting and Consumer Lifestyle both delivered strong comparable sales growth of 8%. At Healthcare, comparable sales increased by 4%, while order intake declined 1% as a result of weak markets in US and Europe. The operational profitability of all sectors improved substantially, driven by good sales growth, gross margin expansion of 2 percentage points and the productivity gains, all coming from the Accelerate! program.

Cree is redefining commercial lighting with the ZR Series LED troffer, delivering a new category of performance, affordability and inspired design. Featuring Cree TrueWhite® Technology, the ZR Series LED troffer delivers superior color quality (> 90 CRI) in an ultra-slim, sleek package at a remarkable initial price of US$ 99.* The ZR Series LED troffer cuts energy consumption in half, and with standard 0–10V dimming can accelerate its already rapid two-year payback.** 

It’s really impressive to see how creative artists are using technology and lighting to transform environments into captivating surroundings and how cities are emerging from the shadows and standing proudly. A few weeks ago, at the Québec City Lights Festival, (Festival des Lumières de Québec) some playful light shows made quite an impression on the public by lighting up the Old Capital and allowing its Nordic appeal and historic architecture to stand out.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a world leader in advanced component solutions, announced today that it has raised the light efficacy for its chip-on-board (COB) family of LED packages to the highest in the industry. Samsung’s LC013B, LC026B and LC040B feature a compact light emitting surface (LES) with high light output that is designed for use in high performance LED products.

Ringdale®, Inc., Texas-based manufacturer of USA-made ActiveLED® luminaries, announces continued growth in its retrofit line with the launch of in-ground ActiveLED lighting. The 18-watt ActiveLED In-Ground replaces 150-watt HID 9.5" and 13" in-ground lighting fixtures. The in-ground retrofit is ideal for illuminating flagpoles, art, monuments, landscaping, and walkways. ActiveLED's In-Ground lighting delivers energy savings of up to 90% when compared to HID lighting and includes an unmatched 10-Year No Light Loss Warranty.

The working light body itself is only 660g. With its diverse accessories, it can be applied to many situations that you can imagine. So it also can be defined as Multi-Purpose Lighting or Lighting Tool. Also, it is IP65 rated, and made in Taiwan. The main feature includes:

LED driver IC is unsurprisingly the upcoming star of 2014, spurred by the increasing demand for LED general lighting. However, the driver IC market appears to commoditize rapidly with competition from China vendors. According to a recent report by Morgan Stanley, LED general lighting penetration rate is estimated to reach 17% in 2014, up from 8% in 2013. LED lighting penetration rate is anticipated continue rising to 44 percent by 2016. Each light needs an LED driver IC to control the electric current and, in some cases, offer dimming function. The volume for LED driver ICs will thus grow proportionally with LED lighting.

In 2009, India began a plan of replacing 4 million inefficient incandescent bulbs with CFL by 2012. By 2013 Indian states including Tamil Nadu announced plans of replacing some 200,000 fluorescent tube lights with LEDs. Philips and Panasonic active involvement in the Indian market in late 2013 and Jan 2014 are also indicators of LED market potential. LEDinside editorial team had a chance to recently interview Deepak Loomba, Managing Director and CEO of De Core Nanosemiconductors Ltd., who shares some interesting insights on the LED market developments in India.