LEDs poised to light the world

Current conditions are suitable for a paradigm shift to LEDs, says Osram Opto Semiconductor. Light emitting diodes have considerable potential for increases in brightness and efficiency, and can deliver even more potential energy savings than traditional light sources.

Development work is ongoing and LEDs are already penetrating the general illumination sector.

These diodes, called 'the light of the future' by industry experts, are among the most energy-efficient light sources available today. They can be five times more efficient than incandescent lamps and are expected to be 10 times more efficient in the future. They are point light sources, and their directional light helps reduce light pollution, eliminating scattered, wasted light and delivering light precisely where it's needed.

With artificial lighting accounting for about 19% of global electricity consumption (2.4% of primary energy consumption worldwide), replacing conventional light sources with efficient light sources such as LEDs could cut global electricity consumption for lighting in half.

At present, energy savings based on conventional lighting technologies include compact fluoroscent lamps (CFLs) with integrated electronics, advanced linear fluorescent lamps, halogen energy-saving lamps (HES) and high-intensity discharge lamps, together with advanced control gear and light management systems.

As the adoption of these more energy-efficient light sources becomes more widespread in the coming years, the resulting energy savings will naturally increase.

LEDs are already being used in an extremely wide range of applications. They are more than just 'nice to have' and there is ample evidence that cost efficiency and environmental protection are not mutually exclusive.

They combine sustainability with cost efficiency.

Double-figure growth is forecast for their market in the mid-term. As the technical performance of them increases and their manufacturing costs decrease, LEDs will come to dominate more and more applications for which they offer significant energy savings and reduced overall costs.

These applications include consumer electronics, automobiles, public sector/street lighting and solar energy applications.