As the global lighting market experiences significant changes, some new trends are becoming apparent, including the move from incandescent to energy efficient lighting, from classic technology to semiconductors and from components to solutions.

Another trend, says Osram Germany lighting expert Hans-Peter Birkhofer, is solid-state lighting (SSL), which uses semi-conductor LEDs, organic LEDs and/or polymer LEDs. They vary in intensity and colour, can be integrated into furniture and buildings and can be customised to suit a client’s needs and preferences.

Increasingly, he says, SSL solutions are ready for lighting applications in architecture, signage, retail stores and streets.

Osram’s future lighting business will be application-driven with solutions and products for illumination and visibility, visualisation for electronic devices, sensing in vehicle applications and lighting for special applications in the material, water and medical fields.

“SSL allows for an energy saving of 50% to 75%, when used in combination with the products and occupancy control, smart-time scheduling, task tuning, variable load-shedding, personal control and daylight harvesting,” says Birkhofer.

The LED efficiency is based on the lumens per watt (lm/W) that a light can provide. The more lumens per watt it provides, the more efficient it is, as it uses less electricity to provide enough light. The Department of Energy’s roadmap for LED efficacy showed a target of between 100 lm/W and 150 lm/W in 2009, between 150 lm/W and 200 lm/W for this year, and reaching over 200 lm/W by 2020.

“Osram laboratory technology is producing more than 150 lm/W and the commercially available LEDs produce just over 100 lm/W,” he explains.

The Osram SSL technology is regulated by Zhaga, an international collaboration between companies in the lighting industry, which allows for the interchangeability of LED light sources from different manufacturers and sim- plifies LED applications for general lighting.

To subscribe to Engineering News's print magazine email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or buy now.