A more efficient, safer and longer-lasting light bulb technology is emerging and starting to appear on store shelves, it is called LED.

It’s reported that the global LED output is expected to grow by only 5 percent next year, given the impact of the global economic downturn. While Taiwan, which accounts for 20 percent of the world’s LED output, is projected to fare slightly better with a 7 percent increase, according to an analyst with the Industrial Economics and Knowledge Center (IEK) under the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI).

Recently, Lighting Science Group Corporation (LSG), announced that it has designed, developed and produced an integrated lighting system for the 2009 Time Square New Year's Eve Ball. The Ball, which boasts a system comprised of 672 LED modules, will be installed on November 26 in Times Square, New York, where it will continue to remain year round.

According to an industry executive at the Electronica 2008 exhibition, the integration of intelligence with LED technology will lead to a greater significant energy savings for many lighting applications.

It’s reported that Taiwan’s DRAM chipmakers and backlight-module makers had announced aggressive investments in LED epitaxy-wafer production last year in anticipation of bright market future, touting to add a total of 100 metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) machines to the Taiwan industry. However, their optimism has been dampened by the global economic crisis, which has hamstrung consumer spending of various sectors including high-tech products like LED, DRAM and LCD TVs.

Recently, the electric utility completed replacing the sign's old neon illumination with LED lights that consume nearly 90 percent less energy, last longer, and require less maintenance. Visible to drivers along Interstate 88, the old signage previously used 2,618-watt neon lights, but now generate the same brightness using 323-watt LEDs. Because LEDs also last longer than neon lights and need to be replaced less frequently, ComEd expects to save another 20 percent in annual maintenance costs.

Recently, Leica has released a new inverted routine microscope that features LED illumination of the target. Brilliant optics and optimum illumination are the key to achieving the best possible results in microscopy.

It’s reported that Lime Energy and Harrah's Rincon Resort and Casino, Valley Center, CA, have completed an energy efficiency retrofit project that produces significant benefits for the resort and the environment. The project includes new LED technology in elevators, recessed downlights and outdoor signage.

Now, LEDs, illuminate the traffic lights and cell-phone buttons, are finding their way into the home. Their residential uses are limited as yet, but look for big advances in the next few years, those in the industry say. Terry McGowan, a Cleveland Heights, Ohio, lighting consultant and director of engineering for the American Lighting Association, said lighting is undergoing a revolution, much like what happened to electronics when tubes gave way to solid-state components. We're right on the edge of seeing LEDs show up in the living room.

It’s reported that the use of LED backlights in LCD TVs will start to grow rapidly from 2009 as TV makers introduce slimmer models.

It’s reported that there is an article “2008 Tour of Homes” demonstration of LED residential downlights and undercabinet lights, shows an overview of project results including significant energy savings, improved illuminance uniformity and positive user feedback.

Recently, ilumisys, Inc., developer and producer of next-generation solid-state lighting technology, announced that LED Lighting Inc. is becoming a reseller of ilumisys lighting.  

It’s reported that Intematix Corp.has added an amber-color LED family to its growing line of packaged device solutions. Its new amber-color product line leverages Intematix' patented phosphor technologies in combination with InGaN blue LED chips to create the breakthrough product family. Blue-excited amber LEDs offer substantial increases in efficiency and temperature stability compared to traditional AlInGaP-based amber LED technologies. Follow-on blue-excited color LED families are also under development.  

Some consumers are starting to switch their regular household halogen or incandescent light bulbs to LED technology. Up until now, LEDs have typically been used more in professional applications, but they are beginning to increase in popularity as a household lighting solution.

Now, some manufacturers were becoming more and more serious about energy-saving technologies and other green technologies. At FPD International 2008, there exhibits booths of Korean and Taiwanese panel manufacturers, looking for their green technologies. Standing out the most at every booth were low power LCD TV panels.

The New York City Waterfalls public art installation, by artist Olafur Eliasson, comprised four man-made waterfalls in the New York Harbor situated along the shorelines of Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn and Governors Island. One of the key features of the waterfalls was their use of LED lighting behind the water flow to simulate the effect of moonlight.

Recently, five large billboards, each measuring 4m high by 3m tall, have been installed at Barcelona airport by Sakma, a local manufacturer. The billboards use an array of LEDs, rather than fluorescent lamps, to achieve uniform lighting with much lower operating costs.

It’s reported that Officials with Raleigh and Progress Energy are testing nine energy-efficient streetlights downtown to determine how well they withstand extreme heat, cold and rain. The last of the nine experimental lamps was installed Tuesday in front of Progress' downtown office tower on Davie Street. If the lights live up to their promise, they could take a significant bite out of Raleigh's $5.3 million annual streetlight bill.

Light bulbs and fluorescent tubes are far away from the optimal efficiency, while OLED can offer new perspectives for novel large area light sources for display and lighting applications. Such displays are increasingly applied to mobile telephones, digital cameras, or pocket computers. In future these small light miracles will play an important role for TV screens and for lighting.

Cree Inc. has announced revenue of $140.4M for its fiscal 1Q09, ended September 28, 2008. This represents a 24% increase over revenue of $113.4M in 1Q08 and a 3% increase over 4Q08 revenue.

Recently, Littelfuse Inc. has introduced the PLED 6 series, an open LED protector that provides a switching electronic shunt path when a single LED in an LED array fails as an open circuit. This ensures that the entire array of LEDs will continue to function even if a single LED in the array does not.  

Recently, Aluwave AB signed a development and supply contract for a light engine based on its LED-bearer material Alunat™. The contract value is estimated to 10 MSEK over four years and the unnamed customer is a European based multinational lighting manufacturer. With strong requirements on technical solution and quality Aluwave AB was selected and in order to reach high light output in combination with low power consumption and long product life the properties of Alunat™ was required.

It’s reported that Raja Parvez, CEO of Rubicon Technology, Inc., a leading provider of sapphire substrates and products, discussed the importance of the shift in the LED industry to larger diameter sapphire substrates in order to speed adoption of LEDs into high volume, high performance, green applications such as commercial lighting and large area display backlighting units.

Recently, Lighting Science Group (LSCG), a global developer and integrator of intelligent and efficient LED solutions, announced that it has installed several integrated LED systems to create an interactive, dynamic lighting experience for the newly opened Club Devo in Goes, Netherlands. Using close to 100 percent LED technology for its lighting needs, Club Devo is the first nightclub in Europe believed to implement LED lighting systems on such a large scale.

It’s reported that Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), with its One-Chip AC LED technology, has been selected a winner of the 2008 R&D 100 Awards competition sponsored by the U.S.-based R&D Magazine.  

LEDs have been used widely for decades in other applications—forming the numbers on digital clocks, lighting up watches and cell phones and, when used in clusters, illuminating traffic lights and forming the images on large outdoor television screens. Until recently LED lighting has been impractical to use for most other everyday applications because it is built around costly semiconductor technology. But the price of semiconductor materials has dropped in recent years, opening the door for some exciting changes in energy-efficient, green friendly lighting options.

It’s reported that Kim Lighting, a leading manufacturer of outdoor architectural lighting, released a much-anticipated white paper on the lighting industry's overall failure to properly bring commercial outdoor LED lighting to market. Titled "Why Today's LED Site and Area Luminaires Are Not Measuring Up," the white paper explores the challenges associated with using LED technology for outdoor lighting to achieving results that are sustainable and do not sacrifice performance.  

It’s reported that Taiwan-based LED chipmaker Epistar has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against competitor Huga Optotech, seeking NT$200 million. Epistar filed the lawsuit with Taiwan's intellectual property court, claiming that Huga's blue and green LED products infringe on its patent.

Optimal Light Partner (OLP) has developed a patented fiber-optic light system that enables a powerful light source to be mounted separately from where the light leaves the lamp. An example is street lamps with light source mounted at ground level. The main benefit with this approach is simplified maintenance, and also that the light source can be protected from extreme environments. The product has already been commercialized.

OLEDs are beginning to be used in TVs and cell phone displays, and big names such as Siemens and Philips are throwing their weight behind the technology to make it a lighting source as well. The OLED printer was made by General Electric Co. on its sprawling research campus here in upstate New York. It's not far from where a GE physicist figured out a practical way to use tungsten metal as the filament in a regular light bulb. That's still used today, nearly a century later.