LEDs light up Leica microscopes

The LED illumination series LED5000 and LED3000 have been designed for high-end stereo microscopes and routine stereo microscope systems, respectively. Both series have spotlight, ringlight, and multicontrast illumination modules available. Lifetimes up to 50,000 hours nearly eliminate downtime. The LEDs save up to 90% of the power required by a 150-W halogen lamp. The LED5000 series can communicate with Leica Application Suite (LAS) software to save illumination settings with captured images and performing recall when needed.   www.bgocled.com

Epistar to introduce retrofit 60W-100W LED light bulbs

Taiwan-based LED chipmaker Epistar announced the development for high-pressure warm white LEDs with efficiency of 150lm/W. This means the warm white LED lighting products that can replace the traditional 60W, 70W, even 100W can be introduced to the market in 2012. In parrticular the Europe and US markets tend to favor warm color lighting designs.   www.bgocled.com 

Incandescent light bulb phaseout begins

The nation's light bulbs begin facing new efficiency and labeling standards starting Jan. 1, but don't expect old-fashioned incandescents to suddenly disappear from store shelves. The congressionally mandated efficiency standards gradually phase out Thomas Edison's 131-year-old creation in favor of other light bulbs that use at least 25% less energy. The first to go, beginning Sunday, is the traditional 100-watt, followed in January 2013 with the 75-watt version and in January 2014 with the 40-watt and 60-watt bulbs.   www.bgocled.com

Improved Air Circulation

The most innovative LED systems also offer a much smaller profile than traditional lighting fixtures, and as a result can improve airflow and temperature consistency. For example, Dialight LED High Bays are the smallest on the market with a form factor less than one- third the height of most conventional fittings that eliminates turbulence and pockets of warm air. The low-profile design of today’s LED-based fixtures also allows the fittings to be mounted closer to the ceiling (using existing wiring) for even less interference with air flow.

With energy savings of up to 75 percent, and a potential ROI payback period of less than two years, LED lighting solutions alone offer powerful cost-saving incentives to make the switch to LED, particularly in areas where energy costs are already high. In addition, government agencies and utility providers in all 50 states now offer energy-saving rebate programs for industrial facilities that make the switch to LED to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Factor in the extended life—up to 10 years maintenance-free in some cases—and LED solutions offer a clear advantage over traditional lighting solutions in cold storage applications.

Michael Schratz is the Director of Marketing for Dialight, he has responsibility for the Company’s worldwide corporate branding, messaging, market positioning and communications including web marketing, PR and social media initiatives. Michael plays an integral role in managing new product introductions, successfully rolling out new LED lighting products into the market.   www.bgocled.com

Less Heat Output

From a heat emissions standpoint, LED fixtures produce a fraction of the heat emitted by conventional fittings, which dramatically reduces the strain on cooling systems, improving energy efficiency in this area as well. The most efficient LED fixtures feature advanced heatsink technology for built-in thermal management, rather than just relying on the ambient temperature in the cold locker to keep the fixture cool. This reduction in heat output lowers the risk of condensation buildup that can cause dangerous icicle formations. These are a significant problem with conventional fixtures, pose a safety threat to workers and must be removed regularly. LEDs mitigate the risk and removal by eliminating the formation from the start.   www.bgocled.com

Zeroing in on the Elusive Green LED

Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a new method for manufacturing green-colored LEDs with greatly enhanced light output.
The research team, led by Christian Wetzel, professor of physics and the Wellfleet Constellation Professor of Future Chips at Rensselaer, etched a nanoscale pattern at the interface between the LED’s sapphire base and the layer of gallium nitride (GaN) that gives the LED its green color. Overall, the new technique results in green LEDs with significant enhancements in light extraction, internal efficiency, and light output.
The discovery brings Wetzel one step closer to his goal of developing a high-performance, low-cost green LED. “Green LEDs are proving much more challenging to create than academia and industry ever imagined,” Wetzel said. “Every computer monitor and television produces its picture by using red, blue, and green. We already have powerful, inexpensive red and blue LEDs. Once we develop a similar green LED, it should lead to a new generation of high-performance, energy-efficient display and illumination devices. This new research finding is an important step in the right direction.”
Sapphire is among the least expensive and widely used substrate materials for manufacturing LEDs, so Wetzel’s discovery could hold important implications for the rapidly growing, fast-changing LED industry. He said this new method should also be able to increase the light output of red and blue LEDs.

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Seven-Eleven Japan to Install LED Lighting

Affected by power shortages in Japan’s eastern and northeastern regions, Seven-Eleven Japan has planed to replace in-store and signboard lights with LED lighting at 5,000 outlets of its convenience store chain as part of a 10 billion yen program to cope with this problem.
At present, Seven-Eleven Japan has some 6,000 outlets in Tokyo Electric Power’s service area alone. And it’s estimated that power saving of per store is125 kilowatts a day. The company expects to cut the consumption of electricity by 25 percent in the July-September period. It also includes installation of solar panels on 1,000 stores. Other convenience stores operators such as Lawson Inc also plans to install LED bulbs at 10,000 of its stores across Japan, starting with 3,000 outlets in Tokyo and surrounding prefectures by August.   

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