The May/June issue of LEDs Magazine featured an article entitled “Asking the right questions helps to educate customers and suppliers alike.”
In a continuing effort to advance SSL market transformation, we thought it beneficial to request and receive comments from our readers that may serve to further benefit and enhance the procurement process and protocol.
>> Read the full article: Solid-state education for the LED Nation!
>> Post your Comments: What are the crucial questions that buyers should ask manufacturers/suppliers?
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Silicon semiconductor foundry eyes LEDs and solar cells
The New York Times (along with other sources) has described how Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) is planning to commence manufacturing solar cells and LED chips.
TSMC is the world's largest semiconductor foundry, meaning that it makes semiconductor chips for other companies. This outsourcing model is part of the mainstream silicon semiconductor industry, and chips are used in personal computers, mboile phones and many other electronic applicances.
The New York Times speculates taht TSMC could drive down prices in new markets such as solar cells and LEDs, as it did for computer chips. But the lower prices could also stimulate demand for what are now expensive technologies.
TSMC is the world's largest semiconductor foundry, meaning that it makes semiconductor chips for other companies. This outsourcing model is part of the mainstream silicon semiconductor industry, and chips are used in personal computers, mboile phones and many other electronic applicances.
The New York Times speculates taht TSMC could drive down prices in new markets such as solar cells and LEDs, as it did for computer chips. But the lower prices could also stimulate demand for what are now expensive technologies.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Stimulus Watch
Keeping tabs on cities that are thinking about spending federal stimulus funds on LED street lighting.
See also: How to spend your stimulus funds on LED street lighting
Seattle
Source: Blog entry on seattlepi.com
Seattle will replace its 40,000 street lights with efficient LED fixtures, the city announced Monday. The city has been testing LED lights on Capitol Hill. It will pay for replacing lights citywide using part of its $6.1 million in federal stimulus Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant funding.
"We have tested LED streetlights in our neighborhoods and they work," City Councilman Bruce Harrell, chairman of the council's Energy and Technology Committee, said in a news release. Replacing all of the street lights will take four to six years, the city said.
Seattle; Arlington Heights, Illinois; Boise, Idaho
See article on environmentalleader.com
Chico, California
Source: ChicoER.com
Capital Services Director Tom Varga said the city is in the process of finishing a grant application for federal stimulus funds stipulated for energy. Varga said the city stands to gain $832,000 through an allocation formula and plans to use its first funds to convert city street lights to LED lights.
Varga said the technology is new, and the city would try a demonstration project first, perhaps converting lights on one block so they could be compared to the current lights.
"The numbers work out but it's a different quality of light," he said. "We want to see how it compares." The demonstration project could happen in late summer.
Wichita, Kansas
Source: Wichita Eagle
Wichita council wrestles with taking stimulus money:
When Vice Mayor Jim Skelton heard a proposal to replace all 876 light fixtures in city-owned parking garages with more efficient LED lights for just over $1 million, he balked.
"This seems like throwing a heck of a lot of money at that specific thing, and where in the heck else can we use $1.1 million dollars right now?" he fumed.
See also: How to spend your stimulus funds on LED street lighting
Seattle
Source: Blog entry on seattlepi.com
Seattle will replace its 40,000 street lights with efficient LED fixtures, the city announced Monday. The city has been testing LED lights on Capitol Hill. It will pay for replacing lights citywide using part of its $6.1 million in federal stimulus Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant funding.
"We have tested LED streetlights in our neighborhoods and they work," City Councilman Bruce Harrell, chairman of the council's Energy and Technology Committee, said in a news release. Replacing all of the street lights will take four to six years, the city said.
Seattle; Arlington Heights, Illinois; Boise, Idaho
See article on environmentalleader.com
Chico, California
Source: ChicoER.com
Capital Services Director Tom Varga said the city is in the process of finishing a grant application for federal stimulus funds stipulated for energy. Varga said the city stands to gain $832,000 through an allocation formula and plans to use its first funds to convert city street lights to LED lights.
Varga said the technology is new, and the city would try a demonstration project first, perhaps converting lights on one block so they could be compared to the current lights.
"The numbers work out but it's a different quality of light," he said. "We want to see how it compares." The demonstration project could happen in late summer.
Wichita, Kansas
Source: Wichita Eagle
Wichita council wrestles with taking stimulus money:
When Vice Mayor Jim Skelton heard a proposal to replace all 876 light fixtures in city-owned parking garages with more efficient LED lights for just over $1 million, he balked.
"This seems like throwing a heck of a lot of money at that specific thing, and where in the heck else can we use $1.1 million dollars right now?" he fumed.
LED backlighting market for LCD panels to see rapid growth
After several false dawns, it looks like the market for LED-backlit LCD panels is really starting to take off.
DisplaySearch estimates that 10.6 million LED-backlit LCD panels larger than 10-inch diagonal were shipped in the first quarter of 2009, and the total for 2009 is expected to reach 104.5 million units. Meanwhile, iSuppli predicts that the proportion of TVs using LED backlights will grow from 3% in 2009 to 39% in 2013, when total shipments will reach 90 million units.
>> Read the full article.
>> Post your Comments: Are we poised to see the next big LED application come to fruition, or are the market research firms being over-optimistic once again?
DisplaySearch estimates that 10.6 million LED-backlit LCD panels larger than 10-inch diagonal were shipped in the first quarter of 2009, and the total for 2009 is expected to reach 104.5 million units. Meanwhile, iSuppli predicts that the proportion of TVs using LED backlights will grow from 3% in 2009 to 39% in 2013, when total shipments will reach 90 million units.
>> Read the full article.
>> Post your Comments: Are we poised to see the next big LED application come to fruition, or are the market research firms being over-optimistic once again?
Friday, June 12, 2009
How to spend your stimulus funds on LED street lighting
Postings: from the desk of Jim Brodrick. June 10, 2009.
[Author Jim Brodrick runs the Solid State Lighting Program for the US Department of Energy.]
With federal stimulus money flowing, cities across the country are looking to replace their conventional streetlights with new LED streetlights. [See for example the LEDs Magazine article San Jose stimulated to convert streetlights to LEDs].
The main attractions, of course, are energy efficiency, durability, and long life -- all of which can add up to significant savings, not to mention cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions and adding to a city's "green" reputation. But using LEDs for street lighting is not yet a slam-dunk, and any negative experiences in these early market days could give an undeserved bad name to the entire technology and slow widespread adoption. Municipalities need to keep a number of things in mind about LED streetlights to avoid being burned.
First of all, LED technology is not a magical panacea that can overcome all existing street lighting problems -- such as poles that are spaced too far apart, or the presence of trees that obstruct the light. Second, not all LED luminaires are created equal; some are better than others, sometimes by a wide margin, and more than a few don't live up to the manufacturers' claims.
And third, LED lighting is not a "cut-and-paste" technology that can simply be substituted for existing lighting without taking its own special requirements into account. LEDs are different from conventional lighting sources in many important respects. For example, only about half of the light produced by a conventional lamp illuminates the street; the rest is absorbed in the fixture or falls in areas not needing illumination. But LEDs are much more directional than conventional light sources and thus allow for more effective use of the lumens produced -- which is why an LED luminaire may be a suitable replacement for a conventional product even though it appears to offer a much lower lumen output.
The bottom line is that someone involved in the purchase and installation of LED street lighting has to be familiar with the technology and exercise due diligence. The best approach is to have someone on the purchasing team who's knowledgeable about currently available LED lighting, or to hire a knowledgeable consultant. The technology is changing rapidly, so this person also needs to keep up-to-date on the most recent developments.
Ask around. Find out which other municipalities have installed LED streetlights, which consultants they've worked with or considered, and what they learned from their experiences, good and bad, with the new technology. The DOE GATEWAY demonstration reports are another good resource, providing performance data and user feedback on a number of installations, including street and area lighting.
To help municipalities make good choices regarding LED street lighting, here are some key questions that should be asked of lighting vendors:
Evaluating and selecting street lighting products is a complex process, and we're planning to dive deeper into this topic in a panel session on outdoor lighting applications at the DOE SSL Market Introduction Workshop, which is being held July 13-15 in Chicago. Energy leaders from the City of Anchorage, the City of Oakland, and for Wal-Mart will share their experiences with recent installations, and DOE will share details on the soon-to-be-released draft ENERGY STAR criteria for outdoor lighting. To find out more or to register, visit www.ssl.energy.gov/chicago09.html.
As always, if you have questions or comments, you can reach me at postings@lightingfacts.com.
[Author Jim Brodrick runs the Solid State Lighting Program for the US Department of Energy.]
With federal stimulus money flowing, cities across the country are looking to replace their conventional streetlights with new LED streetlights. [See for example the LEDs Magazine article San Jose stimulated to convert streetlights to LEDs].
The main attractions, of course, are energy efficiency, durability, and long life -- all of which can add up to significant savings, not to mention cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions and adding to a city's "green" reputation. But using LEDs for street lighting is not yet a slam-dunk, and any negative experiences in these early market days could give an undeserved bad name to the entire technology and slow widespread adoption. Municipalities need to keep a number of things in mind about LED streetlights to avoid being burned.
First of all, LED technology is not a magical panacea that can overcome all existing street lighting problems -- such as poles that are spaced too far apart, or the presence of trees that obstruct the light. Second, not all LED luminaires are created equal; some are better than others, sometimes by a wide margin, and more than a few don't live up to the manufacturers' claims.
And third, LED lighting is not a "cut-and-paste" technology that can simply be substituted for existing lighting without taking its own special requirements into account. LEDs are different from conventional lighting sources in many important respects. For example, only about half of the light produced by a conventional lamp illuminates the street; the rest is absorbed in the fixture or falls in areas not needing illumination. But LEDs are much more directional than conventional light sources and thus allow for more effective use of the lumens produced -- which is why an LED luminaire may be a suitable replacement for a conventional product even though it appears to offer a much lower lumen output.
The bottom line is that someone involved in the purchase and installation of LED street lighting has to be familiar with the technology and exercise due diligence. The best approach is to have someone on the purchasing team who's knowledgeable about currently available LED lighting, or to hire a knowledgeable consultant. The technology is changing rapidly, so this person also needs to keep up-to-date on the most recent developments.
Ask around. Find out which other municipalities have installed LED streetlights, which consultants they've worked with or considered, and what they learned from their experiences, good and bad, with the new technology. The DOE GATEWAY demonstration reports are another good resource, providing performance data and user feedback on a number of installations, including street and area lighting.
To help municipalities make good choices regarding LED street lighting, here are some key questions that should be asked of lighting vendors:
- Do they have an LM-79 photometric test report from an independent laboratory to back up performance claims? If so, is the report for the specific correlated color temperature (CCT) you're interested in? LM-79-08 is the test procedure developed by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) for measuring electrical and photometric characteristics of SSL sources, and is the easiest and most reliable way of comparing products. Conscientious manufacturers will have tested their luminaires to this procedure and should be willing to provide the information. Knowing whether a product was tested at a particular CCT is important, because LED performance tends to vary significantly with spectral output.
- Can they provide LM-80 lumen maintenance testing data, or at least documentation of the measured LED junction temperature inside the luminaire, along with the LED manufacturer's temperature-dependent lumen maintenance information? The expected life of LED luminaires is usually tied to projections of lumen maintenance at various operating temperatures. Lifetime claims of 50,000 to 100,000 hours are common, but most products have been on the market less than a year and are undergoing almost continual LED and other design upgrades, so it will likely be some time before their actual lifetimes can be reliably predicted. In the meantime, IES has developed the LM-80-08 test procedure for producing the data needed to project LED lumen maintenance. Because the procedure was only finalized in September 2008, many products won't have LM-80-08 data available yet, but conscientious luminaire manufacturers will at least have measured the steady-state operating temperature of the LEDs in situ to confirm they're operating at or below the LED manufacturer's maximum recommended level.
- What are the terms of the product warranty? One indication of how confident manufacturers are about their lifetime data is how willing they are to back it up with a warranty. Compare warranty terms and conditions. They vary widely.
- Can they provide the BUG rating for your luminaire? BUG stands for "backlight-uplight-glare," and is used by IES in place of the outdated cutoff classifications to indicate the different vertical zones of the entire sphere around the luminaire. BUG ratings indicate a product's effectiveness in directing light only where it's wanted. Data should be provided on the amount of lumens emitted in each zone.
Evaluating and selecting street lighting products is a complex process, and we're planning to dive deeper into this topic in a panel session on outdoor lighting applications at the DOE SSL Market Introduction Workshop, which is being held July 13-15 in Chicago. Energy leaders from the City of Anchorage, the City of Oakland, and for Wal-Mart will share their experiences with recent installations, and DOE will share details on the soon-to-be-released draft ENERGY STAR criteria for outdoor lighting. To find out more or to register, visit www.ssl.energy.gov/chicago09.html.
As always, if you have questions or comments, you can reach me at postings@lightingfacts.com.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
ENERGY STAR Gazing
By Brian Owen, Contributing Editor of LEDs Magazine
On June 2, 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR for RLF 4.2 went into effect, containing SSL references, which commenced the controversy and the ensuing agency feud. See News.
Like a Seinfeld episode, being a show about nothing, the one-year anniversary of the EPA race to the solid-state space and the EPA's claim to ENERGY STAR for SSL has come and gone ... the story? NOTHING!
With respect to the “resolution in 45 days” memo issued by the EPA prior to the ENERGY STAR Partner Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, DOE sources commented, "We are seeing progress and activity at the Committee level, such as legislative language, and it is moving in the right direction, identifying and recognizing the DOE as the lead agency in ENERGY STAR for SSL and SSL research matters, BUT it is still too soon to make a final conclusion as there is still much more work ahead."
In a recent posting on Green Inc., the New York Times online blog, entitled “http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/29/can-incandescent-bulbs-be-made-efficient,” Michael Siminovitch, the director of the California Lighting Technology Center, described super-efficient incandescents as the “holy grail” of lighting industry research right now.
“The stuff is happening, and will happen,” Siminovitch said. “We’re all going to be doing it because people hate fluorescents so much.”
The blog went on to say, “The federal ENERGY STAR program does not certify advanced incandescents. But that may change if the technology catches up to CFLs, which are purported to use 75 percent less energy than incandescents and last seven to 10 times as long.”
The blog added, “Alex Baker, the EPA lighting program manager for ENERGY STAR, told Green Inc. that if the performance of a halogen or other advanced incandescent source rivaled that of currently qualified CFLs, the program might consider certifying them.”
Alex, get your house in order, before inviting new guests!
On June 2, 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR for RLF 4.2 went into effect, containing SSL references, which commenced the controversy and the ensuing agency feud. See News.
Like a Seinfeld episode, being a show about nothing, the one-year anniversary of the EPA race to the solid-state space and the EPA's claim to ENERGY STAR for SSL has come and gone ... the story? NOTHING!
With respect to the “resolution in 45 days” memo issued by the EPA prior to the ENERGY STAR Partner Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, DOE sources commented, "We are seeing progress and activity at the Committee level, such as legislative language, and it is moving in the right direction, identifying and recognizing the DOE as the lead agency in ENERGY STAR for SSL and SSL research matters, BUT it is still too soon to make a final conclusion as there is still much more work ahead."
In a recent posting on Green Inc., the New York Times online blog, entitled “http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/29/can-incandescent-bulbs-be-made-efficient,” Michael Siminovitch, the director of the California Lighting Technology Center, described super-efficient incandescents as the “holy grail” of lighting industry research right now.
“The stuff is happening, and will happen,” Siminovitch said. “We’re all going to be doing it because people hate fluorescents so much.”
The blog went on to say, “The federal ENERGY STAR program does not certify advanced incandescents. But that may change if the technology catches up to CFLs, which are purported to use 75 percent less energy than incandescents and last seven to 10 times as long.”
The blog added, “Alex Baker, the EPA lighting program manager for ENERGY STAR, told Green Inc. that if the performance of a halogen or other advanced incandescent source rivaled that of currently qualified CFLs, the program might consider certifying them.”
Alex, get your house in order, before inviting new guests!
Semiconductor supply chain sees big potential for cost reductions in LED manufacturing
Improvements in LED manufacturing processes, learning from the lessons of the mainstream silicon semiconductor industry, could have a big impact on the LED industry, writes Paula Doe of SEMI.
Making a real market for all those great LED lighting applications may depend in large part on the efforts of the semiconductor supply chain to implement the same kind of roadmaps and standards that have brought down the costs of semiconductors and flat panel displays.
The same manufacturing efficiencies that reduced semiconductor cost over the past three decades will enable high-brightness LEDs to penetrate the general purpose lighting market, argues SEMI president Stan Myers.
>> Read the full article here.
>> Please leave your comments below.
Making a real market for all those great LED lighting applications may depend in large part on the efforts of the semiconductor supply chain to implement the same kind of roadmaps and standards that have brought down the costs of semiconductors and flat panel displays.
The same manufacturing efficiencies that reduced semiconductor cost over the past three decades will enable high-brightness LEDs to penetrate the general purpose lighting market, argues SEMI president Stan Myers.
>> Read the full article here.
>> Please leave your comments below.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
