Opinions

Opinions & Appointments

Resources | LpR Article | Tech-Talks Bregenz | Quantum Dots | Oct 31, 2017

Tech-Talks BREGENZ - Ken T. Shimizu, Research & Development Director, Lumileds

QDs have been a hot topic in lighting for a while already, but up until now they haven’t been adopted on a large scale in lighting. The adoption began in display devices because some of the technical issues were of less concern in this application. With continuing development, QDs are now also becoming interesting for general lighting applications. Ken Shimizu, Director of Novel Technologies and Devices, Research and Development at Lumileds, attended the LpS in Bregenz and made a presentation about the company’s QD technology. In this interview he gives some background information about the QD program and future steps. Read more »

Resources | LpR Article | Commentary | Test Equipment | Oct 31, 2017

The Value of High-End Labs for High Quality Lighting

With the relocation to the Augsburg site in 2015, the Osram laboratory equipment includes a number of integrating spheres of different sizes up to 3 meters in diameter, several goniophotometers A/B/C types, a rotary mirror light distribution meter and a hemispherical goniometer with a measurement radius of 2.65 meters, optical bench measuring systems with up to 35 meter measuring distance, corresponding high-quality photometric receivers and spectral radiometers as well as the necessary components for the electrical operation of lamps - according to customer or standardized specifications. Read more »

Trends in Horticulture Lighting

Cree has been a leader in general lighting applications for over 20 years and has customers ranging from restaurant chains to global government agencies. Paul Scheidt began his career in Cree in 2005, working on the development of their lighting applications. During this time, he has seen an increase in the horticulture lighting application. LED professional spoke to Paul Scheidt about horticulture lighting and what he thinks is behind this recent trend. He also shares his views of what he thinks the future holds for both Cree and horticulture lighting applications. Read more »

Tech-Talks BREGENZ - Dr. Wilfried Pohl, Research Director, Bartenbach GmbH

Bartenbach is one of the pioneers in light planning and lighting research. Since Christian Bartenbach Senior founded the engineering office in 1976, the company has been dedicated to light and visual perception. Several lighting inventions made over the years, can be attributed to Bartenbach. Dr. Wilfried Pohl, as a member of the Managing Board and Director of Research at Bartenbach GmbH, has played a substantial role in many developments. LED professional talked with him about Bartenbach’s history, education in the lighting business, the lighting parameters he deems very important, the quality of light, "Human Centric Lighting" and "Biodynamic Lighting“, and how LEDs have changed the light planning and lighting research company, in general. Read more »

Brave New World and the Dualism of Light(ing)

The lighting business has been quite predictable over a long period of time. Technical changes were introduced slowly, dominated by a handful of leading companies, and mostly due to new, but not disruptive light sources. The life of engineers was mainly determined by a manageable number of parameters: Lighting requirements, light source parameters, costs, product dimensions, and the odd, required feature. Read more »

Statements | Jul 25, 2017

Paul Scheidt, Cree - Horticulture Lighting

"When you go into horticulture application the light output level directly correlates to the yield that you see in the plants. There is no buffer, when lights dim, the yield goes down. If something degrades very quickly and is 100% for one growth cycle then goes down to 90% for the second growth cycle, you will see a reduced yield. There is no room for adjustments." Paul Scheidt Read more »

Tech-Talks BREGENZ - Jamie Singerman, Future Lighting Solutions

We recently sat down with Jamie Singerman, Worldwide Corporate Vice President, and Patrick Durand, Technical Director for Future Lighting Solutions, a leading provider of Solid-State Lighting technologies, engineering expertise and online simulation and design tools, to discuss the company’s differentiators and their views on the ever changing lighting market. Read more »

Lighting Delivering Increased Value To Society - A Strategy For Growth

In recent years we have seen energy efficiency as the key driver for regulation as well as growth. Thanks to the arrival of LEDs the industry is already providing energy savings greater than any other sector. As the LED revolution rapidly continues, where next for the EU lighting industry? LightingEurope, the European industry association for the lighting industry has developed a strategy for growth which aims to fundamentally deliver value to society while aligning with the need to move towards a circular economy. Read more »

Andreas Weisl on the Future of Seoul Semiconductor

Andreas Weisl is Managing Director and Vice President Sales SEOUL SEMICONDUCTOR Europe GmbH. Read more »

Tech-Talks BREGENZ - Philipp Henrici, President and Managing Director at BJB

It’s unusual for a lighting company to be older than electric lighting itself, but BJB in Arnsberg, Germany is celebrating their 150th anniversary this year. LED professional’s Siegfried Luger and Dr. Günther Sejkora spoke with Philipp Henrici, the President and Managing Director at BJB about disruptive technology changes, starting from petroleum lamps to electric lighting as well as conventional lighting versus solid state lighting. They also touched on the subjects of chances and drawbacks of LED component standardization, modular systems and automated production processes. Read more »

A Lighting Designers Relativity of Light Performance

The LED will always be the superstar of light sources. Their precise and clear lighting possibilities have been targeted by lighting planners and architects for the past ten years. The coming years will see the performance of the LED getting progressively closer to the spectrum of daylight and that will, in turn, generate biologically effective LEDs that are even higher in contrast and promise a new kind of feel-good light. Read more »

Statements | Apr 13, 2017

Dr. Jy Bhardwaj

DR. JY BHARDWAJ SAID: "LEDs get integrated into the infrastructure, or let’s say, embedded. Instead of points of light there will be ceilings of light or walls of light. LEDs will be integrated into work surfaces, tables and all kinds of different things". Read more »

Statements | Apr 12, 2017

Professor Shuji Nakamura

PROF. NAKAMURA SAID: "For violet LEDs we reach about 50-100 Acm-2 but the laser diode uses 3-10 kAcm-2 which is about 1,000 times higher than blue LEDs. This leads to very tiny chips in combination with the same phosphors such as YAG types. The light output is about 1,000 times higher than conventional LEDs with the same chip-size". Read more »

Tech-Talks BREGENZ - Norman Bardsley, President of Bardsley Consulting

Professor of Physics, Dr. J. Norman Bardsley, has become an internationally recognized expert in SSL through his activities as an advisor for DoE and ISA. Dr. Bardsley has a profoundly deep knowledge and understanding of OLED technology, which includes the manufacturing thereof, cost structures and research activities. LED professional talked with him about the different aspects of OLED lighting technology and asked for his thoughts on future perspectives. Read more »

From Component to System, Andreas Weisl, CEO at Seoul Semiconductor Europe GmbH

The history of Light-Emitting Diodes (LED) is quite short compared with some other electronic device industries. However, it has changed and revolutionized the entire world of light within a very short period of time. The history of Light-Emitting Diodes (LED) is quite short compared with some other electronic device industries. However, it has changed and revolutionized the entire world of light within a very short period of time. Read more »

Resources | LpR Article | Tech-Talks Bregenz | Light Conversion | Jan 26, 2017

Tech-Talks BREGENZ - Dr. Rubén D. Costa, Group Leader, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg

Light quality and costs of LED systems remain an important topic even though big improvements have been made. New approaches are always welcome and stir up hope. It was exactly a year ago that LED professional published the article by Dr. Rubén D. Costa, Liebig Group Leader at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, about his amazing new „Bio-Hybrid“ white LED approach. At LpS 2016 his presentation on the latest research results and improvements also won him the LpS 2016 Scientific Award. Consequently, we just had to invite him to a Tech-Talk Bregenz! In the interview below he gives us some interesting background information about why he started the project, how it works and what he expects in the future. He also gives us his views on LEDs and lighting in general. Read more »

Commentary | Smart Lighting + IoT | Resources | LpR Article | Jan 26, 2017

Lighting Up Smart Cities, Dr. Wu Chou, Huawei

Although streetlights have been associated with cities for more than a thousand years, they are rarely considered for functions other than luminary purposes. One of the distinct features of streetlights is their geographic location. In particular, streetlights follow the roads and streets that are the arteries of the city, and at night they outline the city so it can be seen from many miles away. Read more »

Tech-Talks Bregenz | Nov 24, 2016

Tech-Talks BREGENZ - Prof. Christian Cajochen, Univ. Basel, Head of Center of Chronobiology

Human Centric Lighting has become a catchphrase used by industry and the press. But the press has also started reporting that research emphasizes the danger of LED lighting in connection to our health and has coined the term “Blue Light Hazard”. These claims have caused confusion amongst end users and throughout the lighting community. Prof. Christian Cajochen, Head of the Centre for Chronobiology at the University of Basel - an expert on this topic - held a lecture at the LpS 2016 entitled “Light Beyond Vision”. Afterwards, LED professional seized the opportunity to talk to him personally and get some in-depth information about the risks and benefits of LED lighting. Read more »

Commentary | Interview | Nov 24, 2016

Review of the LED Lighting Design Approach

A rapidly changing world leaves little time to react to new trends. Nokia lost its lead position because it failed to recognize market changes and take appropriate action in time. This has caused anxious industries to react quickly when changes come about. But, in some cases, such hasty reactions can also be harmful. Read more »

Event News | Commentary | Oct 03, 2016

LpS 2016 - Product Launches - Latest Technology Trends

The sixth LED professional Symposium +Expo opened its doors on September 20th, in Bregenz, Austria. Exciting product launches were presented in the exhibition and at the international press conference at the LpS 2016. Among the presenting companies were: Auer Lighting, Dow Corning, Flip Chip Opto, Gigahertz-Optik, iLumTech, Ophir Photonics, Plessey and UL. Read more »

Tech-Talks Bregenz | Sep 02, 2016

Tech-Talks BREGENZ - Sebastian Huelck, Director Lighting, EBV Elektronik

Solid State Lighting has not only changed the way that light is generated but also how areas or objects are illuminated. It has changed the whole industry and business. Sebastian Huelck, Director of Segment Lighting at EBV Elektronik GmbH & Co. KG, discussed these changes and the new requirements for modern distribution with Siegfried Luger and Dr. Guenther Sejkora. He explained the transition of distributors from pure logistic specialists to one-stop shops and full service providers, and commented on regional differences. He finished off by giving insights into the future projects of the company. Read more »

Commentary | Interview | Sep 02, 2016

The Good the Bad and the Ugly

We sit as lighting designers in our offices and look at beautiful pictures of beautiful lighting scenarios in beautiful glossy magazines. We are inspired by possibilities that new lighting technologies can offer us and allow ourselves to dream of the beautiful projects to come. Read more »

Commentary | Aug 10, 2016

Lifetime and Reliability by Günther Sejkora

Although questions regarding lifetime and reliability of Solid-State-Lighting (SSL) products are essential for customers, knowledge about it is still fragmentary. It was easy to give answers to these questions in the times of conventional lamps (incandescent, fluorescent, high pressure): light output degraded over time and end of life was reached when light output fell below a certain level or when the lamp “burned out”. Read more »

Tech-Talks Bregenz | Aug 09, 2016

Tech-Talks BREGENZ - Francis Wong, AVP Lighting Business Unit, Lextar

Francis Wong, Associate Vice President Lighting Business Unit at Lextar, visited the LED professional team for a Tech Talk in Bregenz after Light & Building 2016. Siegfried Luger, Arno Grabher-Meyer and Dr. Guenther Sejkora could discuss Lextar's history, current position, future orientation and strategies. Further exciting topics were the ongoing technology developments, the requirements on modern lighting systems, the latest lighting trends from Light & Building and the relevance of OLED and IoT technology for the company. Read more »

Tech-Talks Bregenz | Jun 02, 2016

Tech-Talks BREGENZ - Dr. Biing-Jye Lee, Chairman of Epistar

Dr. Biing-Jye Lee, Chairman of Epistar, had a discussion with Siegfried Luger and Arno Grabher-Meyer from LED professional about the latest trends and the future of LED, Laser and Solid-State lighting technologies. He also gave them his view on how the markets and technologies will evolve. In addition, Dr. Lee shared some of the highlights from this year’s Light + Building as well as his view of current issues such as smart lighting, connectivity and new applications. Read more »

Commentary | May 19, 2016

LFI 2016 Touts LED Lighting and Digital Control Technology Transformation by Dr. Nisa Khan

The 27th Annual LightFair International (LFI) conference was dominated by LED lighting coupled with internet-based control via wireless networks that continues to proliferate in today’s world. The world is increasingly becoming drenched with Internet of Things (IoT) discussions, demonstrations and for some, a certain level of implementation. Electric lighting transformed our society for over 100 years, boosting our mood and association with the environment, culture, productivity, and economic conditions. Such enormity pales in comparison to an unprecedented revolution that LFI describes as “Light and Technology in a New Language!” Read more »

Commentary | Apr 19, 2016

Zhaga Meets Smart Lighting by Dee Denteneer

At first glance, the standardization of LED lighting components seems to be quite remote from the rise of smart, connected lighting and the Internet of Things (IoT). But the projected growth in penetration of smart lighting can only be realized through developments in high-volume electronics and standardization. Such standardization is intended to remove arbitrary variations in components, making design and implementation easier for manufacturers of smart LED luminaires, and enabling a supplier ecosystem. This is where Zhaga comes in. Read more »

Tech-Talks Bregenz | Apr 14, 2016

Tech-Talks BREGENZ - Karl Jónsson, IoT Architect, Tridonic

Karl Jónsson, IoT Architect at Tridonic presented some interesting facts, figures, and ideas about IoT and the future of lighting in his speeches about “The Internet of Things and Lighting” at Zumtobel’s International Year of Light Event in 2015 and again at the Light + Building 2016 preview. LED professional got the chance to talk with him about his visions for IoT and Tridonic’s latest developments in that domain. Read more »

Discussions | Interview | Apr 07, 2016

Interview & Discussion: 5 Questions About Intelligent Lighting with Dr. Walter Werner

Interview with Dr. Walter Werner, Managing Director at Werner Management Services in Austria. This interview was originally published in The Lighting Magazine, Australia. Read more »

Leading Article | Interview | Mar 09, 2016

Lumileds Sets New Standards for Mid Power Range LEDs

Rahul Bammi, Lumileds Vice President Marketing and Product Management and Matt Everett, Lumileds Senior Director Mid Power Products discussed their new Mid Power March product launches with Siegfried Luger, publisher of LED professional. This article covers the features of these new product lines. Read more »