LED Lighting Being Enhanced to be More Competitive

A maker in Taiwan launches full-angle LED bulb

Amid continual development globally of the green lighting industry in recent years, driven partly by rising eco-awareness underpinned by the fact that electricity used in lighting accounts for over half of all such energy consumed, Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has been engaged in energy-efficient lighting research in accordance with the government's industrial policies, coaching manufacturers to develop green lighting technologies on the one hand and developing functionally innovative lighting of its own on the other hand.

For example, in the beginning of the year, the ITRI launched an LED bulb with 330 degrees of light, with only half the weight of a conventional LED bulb.

LEDs are pinpoint light sources so most LED lighting products are modules of tinted LED arrays or matrices, whose output coverage has always been its Achilles heel, says an ITRI engineer.

So the launch of the wide-angle LED bulb by the ITRI will theoretically help Taiwan's LED lighting companies develop more internationally competitive products.

To be Mainstream
The ITRI thinks green lighting is already a global trend and will become mainstream to lead the international lighting market. For example, it predicts that LED bulbs could exceed the size of the traditional light bulb market this year in Japan, where demand for energy-saving products has soared following the devastating earthquake on March 311, 2011.

With LED lighting source being point-type and suitable as spotlighting without equalling the coverage of incandescent or compact fluorescent bulbs, improving the output angle of LED lighting remains the goal of big international lighting manufacturers.

The ITRI says that its newly launched LED bulb is made with the technology similar to that of back lighting. A crystal lighting chip module is used to emit light across 330 degrees, exceeding the limits of traditional LED lighting. With an outer shell of lightweight plastic that is not only durable but has higher design flexibility and lower manufacturing cost, the bulb weighs only 100g, or half of typical LED bulbs. The ITRI believes this new bulb will help to popularize LED lighting.

Another LED-related achievement is the ITRI's role in the establishment of the LED Grow Light Alliance announced earlier this year. Made up of over 50 LED lighting makers as well as organic farming, aqua-cultural and animal husbandry companies, the Alliance creates an integrated platform for members to raise output with innovative LED lighting. The Alliance will develop LED grow lights to sharpen competitiveness of Taiwan's LED lighting sector, and raise demand for such LED lighting as well as Taiwan's agricultural, aqua-cultural and animal husbandry industries.

After having successfully applied LED lighting, jointly with the Council of Agriculture, to help boost output of water bamboo growers last year, raising harvest to four times yearly, many farmers are now interested in using LED lighting, says the ITRI. Such cross-industry cooperation applies LED lighting to help other industries to enhance productivity, proving LED lighting can be enhanced to create added-value as an agricultural tool.

While many privately-owned companies have applied LED grow lights in the past, the ITRI-led LED lighting Alliance sets a milestone to integrate industrial resources to tap synergy to further tweak such niche application.

Innovative & Superior Technology
Innovative & Superior Technology Inc., located in the Tainan Science Technology Park in southern Taiwan, has developed a full-angle LED bulb after two years of work by its R&D staff led by president First Chen and five other optics and illumination experts. The company says that it has obtained patents in Taiwan and Japan, and is applying for patents in the U.S., Europe, and China.

Chen says that the technology used to make the full-angle LED bulb is a combination of illumination and opto-electronic technologies. Suitable for LED bulbs of any voltage or wattage, such technology can be applied to any type of LED lighting as pendent light, floor lamps, wall lamps, nightlights, track light and so on.

With most LED bulbs emitting light at angles between 180 and 250 degrees, with such limited coverage being a major hindrance to further popularity of LED lighting, Innovative & Superior Technology therefore focused on the R&D of a full-angle LED bulb.

The newly-developed full-angle LED bulb overcomes the weakness of limited coverage of typical LED bulbs to match the 360-degree lighting emitted by traditional light sources, as well as being more energy-efficient, says Chen.

Since launching the full-angle LED bulb, Innovative & Superior Technology has been contacted by many bulb manufacturers for technological cooperation.

Tons Lightology
An expert in the design and manufacture of high-power LED lighting, Tons Lightology reported success in the beginning of the year. Besides winning the European iF design award with its Micro Track LED Light recently, the maker also won many Taiwan Excellence Awards this year with eight other LED lighting products.

So far the Year of the Dragon has truly been auspicious for Tons Lightology, who also has grown steadily in recent years. Although the international LED lighting market declined last year, Tons Lightology maintained 0.9% growth in sales, became listed on the OTC market in Taiwan last June, and is scheduled to complete IPO (initial public offering).

Tons Lightology's award-winning Micro Track LED Light has many features. With three kinds of colour temperatures and three angles, the light rotates 355 degrees or pivots 90 degrees to flexibly meet various display needs, being an optimal light source suitable for exhibitions and especially temporary showcases, because assembly and dismantling are quick and easy.

Moreover, Tons Lightology emphasizes the efficient heat dissipation of this light to guarantees a lifespan of 50,000 hours, without emitting infrared and ultraviolet rays to minimize product aging and color deterioration.

The Micro Track LED Light has a multifunctional track, which supports the lights and also carries the 12V low voltage power.

Among the company's nine Taiwan Excellence Award winners this year, the GA-310 LED Outdoor Light has relatively low heat discharge to minimize interfering ambient plant growth; while its non-infrared and ultraviolet rays, coupled with glare-free characteristics, reduce hazards and visual discomfort.

The maker also says that the high quality lighting emitted by the GA-310 LED Outdoor Light enhances the brightness and texture of walls and lit surfaces. In addition, a patented inner structure enables a lifecycle of over 50,000 hours, making the unit especially suitable for outdoor illumination around offices, hotels, restaurants or commercial premises where extended use is typical.