Cree XP-E Blue+Red LED grow light,
5 blue LEDs(465-470nm),
5 red LEDs(620-630nm),
VF: 24-28V, IF: 1A,
30 watt,
$17.99
: 30W Cree XP-E Blue+Red LED grow light
| Cree XP-E Blue+Red LED grow light, 5 blue LEDs(465-470nm), 5 red LEDs(620-630nm), VF: 24-28V, IF: 1A, 30 watt, $17.99 |
: 30W Cree XP-E Blue+Red LED grow light
XLamp XR-C LED,
1 watt,
VF: 2.2V – 3.2V,
IF: 350mA,
Emitting colors: Red, Blue, Green, Yellow,
PCB diamters: 16mm/20mm
$5.00
: Cree XLamp XR-C LED
| XLamp XR-C LED, 1 watt, VF: 2.2V – 3.2V, IF: 350mA, Emitting colors: Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, PCB diamters: 16mm/20mm $5.00 |
A year ago, China’s light-emitting diode industry seemed like a case study of industrial policy gone awry. Hundreds of factories built all over eastern China, often with lavish clean energy subsidies from state-owned banks and local governments, were operating at half capacity. The share prices of LED manufacturers were plunging.
A year ago, China’s light-emitting diode industry seemed like a case study of industrial policy gone awry. Hundreds of factories built all over eastern China, often with lavish clean energy subsidies from state-owned banks and local governments, were operating at half capacity. The share prices of LED manufacturers were plunging.
Now demand is surging, and the Chinese manufacturers suddenly find their factories running at full tilt, churning out LEDs faster and cheaper than global rivals. With a price war underway, the Chinese are taking share from top players in the United States, Europe and Japan, the industry pioneers that made crucial technological breakthroughs, and from Taiwan and South Korea, previously the leaders in low-priced LEDs.
For some in the United States, the Chinese expansion has uncomfortable echoes of the solar panel and wind turbine industries, in which China went from a bit player to global leader through a combination of extensive government subsidies and low-interest loans from state-owned banks.
Workers manufacture LEDs at the GuoLi Optoelectronics Technology factory in Foshan, China, contributing to the country’s rapid gains in global market share in the LED industry.
Credit
“LED lighting could see itself become the next solar, wind or other future opportunity that the U.S. will have given away by failing to address Chinese industrial policies and unfairly traded products,” said Michael R. Wessel, a member of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a government advisory panel.
Such industries have been at the center of increasing trade frictions between China and the United States. SolarWorld, a solar panel maker that complained to the American government about what it considered unfair advantages for Chinese competitors, was later the victim of a cyberattack by Chinese military officials, according to a recent indictment by the Justice Department.
Yet LEDs represent a far more complex story than simply another industry that Western companies created and then ceded to Chinese rivals — one reason the trade issues may not play out in the same way.
The industry, for instance, is highly segmented. Chinese manufacturers are strongest in the low-wattage LEDs used for television and cellphone backlights as well as for fairly dim lamps, equivalent to 40-watt incandescent bulbs. Western companies are retaining market share for brighter, higher-wattage equipment with bigger profits.
Many Chinese producers also have a poor and worsening reputation for quality, which may hurt them in the long term.
China’s rise reflects the industry’s changing dynamics.
In the last year, LEDs have finally begun to rapidly gain traction in the global lighting business. American, European and Chinese regulators have put in effect energy-efficiency rules that phase out the use of incandescent bulbs. Big multinationals that make light bulbs like Philips, Osram and General Electric have responded by embracing light-emitting diodes, which use one-fifth of the electricity of incandescent bulbs and half the electricity of fluorescent bulbs.
Environmentalists have applauded. Lighting accounts for about 6 percent of the world’s emissions of greenhouse gases, and LEDs have the potential to steeply reduce them.
Continue reading the main story
For consumers, the shift has been good. Prices have fallen by nearly half in the last year for low-end, low-wattage LEDs made in China, and by 15 to 20 percent for the higher-wattage versions made elsewhere, buyers and manufacturing executives said.
With significant capacity, Chinese manufacturers could quickly increase production to meet the demand. Alice Tao, a lighting analyst at IHS Technology, a global consulting firm, estimated that very low prices had allowed Chinese companies to capture about 30 percent of the global market. That gives them the biggest share ahead of Japan, South Korea, Germany, Taiwan and the United States, which share the rest of the market in fairly even proportions.
But quality is a concern as China floods the market. Instead of lasting a decade like well-made LEDs, the low-priced LEDs occasionally burn out after less than a year, large buyers warn. More commonly, they start emitting strangely tinted light that may leave a room looking slightly pink, a little bit green or even what is known in the lighting industry as a “rainbow sherbet” palette of colors.
“What is going down is consistency — you just don’t know if you’re going to get the life span that they promise,” said Benjamin Carson, the owner of an Australian sign company that uses LEDs to make outdoor business signs.
Mr. Carson said that American-brand LEDs typically cost a third more than the Chinese LEDs that he buys. But he is considering a switch to American LEDs anyway because too many signs with Chinese LEDs ended up with burned-out or oddly colored sections after less than a year.
Photo
LEDs at the China sign convention. Chinese factories are now churning out LEDs faster and cheaper than global rivals. Credit Jonah M. Kessel for The New York Times
Other buyers are even more cautious. “We do not buy Chinese LEDs,” said Mike Pugh, the procurement director at Xicato in San Jose, Calif., a large provider of indoor lighting systems for retailers and hotels. “We just can’t take that chance.” Xicato instead buys LEDs from multinationals like Cree of Durham, N.C.; Philips Lumileds, based in San Jose, Calif.; and Osram Opto Semiconductors of Regensburg, Germany.
The Chinese industry, with heavy debts from an earlier spasm of investment, is still largely relying on factory equipment purchased from 2009 to 2011. But with sales growing fast, Chinese companies started ordering considerable new equipment from Western suppliers early this year, which could improve their reliability.
As with many fast-growing Chinese industries, there have also been environmental problems. Wang Wei, the sales director at Foshan GuoLi Optoelectronics Technology Company, said in a recent interview that the company has struggled to limit acid runoff into water supplies.
Despite such issues, the LED industry is part of China’s broader push into clean energy. Three-quarters of China’s electricity still comes from burning coal, which contributes to severe air pollution as well as global warming.
China’s clean energy efforts are a major source of job creation. The Chinese LED industry has created tens of thousands of well-paid jobs for young community college graduates like Lin Lian Xing, who works at the Guangzhou Hongli Opto-Electronic Company, a state-controlled business here that is trying to produce higher-quality LEDs.
Continue reading the main storyContinue reading the main storyContinue reading the main story
Ms. Lin, a 26-year-old who wears a white lab coat, face mask and hood, works over a microscope in a specially ventilated clean room to check the quality of miniature dies that are used to punch out tiny LED components from sheets of plastic resin.
She earns $500 a month plus medical benefits and free food and lodging in an air-conditioned dormitory where employees sleep four to six in a room. “I like the recreation center here best,” she said, looking up from her microscope.
But hanging over the LED industry have been trade frictions in the solar panel industry, which uses many similar technologies. The United States and European Union have both accused the Chinese government of violating global trade rules by providing export subsidies for solar panels, which China denies.
In the years after the global financial crisis in 2008, the solar and LED industries in China received huge loans at low interest rates from state-owned banks following directives from Beijing to lend to green energy projects. “There are subsidies — it’s on the bank loans,” said Meng Zhaochun, the general manager of Shenzhen APR Corporation, a Shenzhen-based manufacturer of important LED components.
China is now following the Obama administration’s example by encouraging greater domestic demand for energy-efficient lighting and moving away from subsidies. If domestic demand rises, it is harder for foreign governments to challenge past subsidies as trade violations.
Many Chinese companies are struggling to make a profit. If state-owned banks stop financing the Chinese industry with low interest rates, consolidation may be inevitable.
“There are too many Chinese players in this market and the price competition is very fierce,” Ms. Tao said. “Most of them can’t make a profit and it’s difficult for them to survive.”
Even as Chinese manufacturers gain worldwide market share, their issues may only mount. The frenzied competition is still prompting many of them to cut corners, said Li Junfeng, a senior Chinese energy policy planner.
“The problem,” he said, “is too many manufacturers with very low quality.”
Cree LEDs – more than 51,000 of them and known as XM-L – shine brightly on the new East Span of the majestic San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The new East Span of the bridge stretches more than 2,000 feet high across the bay. Some 1,600 fixtures designed by Musco line the span and contain almost 51,500 LEDs. The project was finished after three years of testing and design.
Cree just may be hard pressed to find a better way to display the sharpness, power and durability of its LED lighting than a just-unveiled project along side partner Musco Lighting.
One of Cree’s LEDs for the bridge projectCree LEDs – more than 51,000 of them and known as XM-L – shine brightly on the new East Span of the majestic San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
In photos and with details of the project released Thursday, Cree (Nasdaq: CREE) and Musco, which designed the fixtures containing the LEDs, touted the project.
The new East Span of the bridge stretches more than 2,000 feet high across the bay. Some 1,600 fixtures designed by Musco line the span and contain almost 51,500 LEDs. The project was finished after three years of testing and design.
Cree says its LEDs will cut energy costs for the bridge 50 percent and the LEDs are expected to last 15 years.
“We wanted the East Span of the Bay Bridge to not only be aesthetically pleasing, but also cost-effective and functional for travelers,” said Andrew Fremier, deputy executive director at Bay Area Toll Authority. “The new LED lighting solution by Musco using Cree’s LED technology truly improves the way residents and visitors experience the Bay Bridge, providing crisp, brilliant light for all who cross it, while delivering energy efficiency and payback for years.”
Cree is a global leader in LED lighting, from lighting for home lamps to street lights – and now one of the world’s best-known bridges.
“As LEDs evolved and continued to become more efficient, we knew the technology would allow us to develop a light fixture that could meet the bridge’s meticulous design requirements with no compromises,” said Jeff Rogers, vice president of developmental sales at Musco, in a statement. “Cree delivered the performance, reliability and design flexibility for us to create a custom designed solution. Once we demonstrated our custom solution using Cree’s XM-L LEDs, Caltrans and their design partners believed in our vision.”
Kyocera Corporation of Kyoto, Japan, announced that it has developed a new type of LED that produces a color spectrum very close to natural sunlight. The new modules are ideal for color-inspection applications, and they boast low power consumption and extremely long life.
Kyocera Corporation of Kyoto, Japan, announced that it has developed a new type of LED that produces a color spectrum very close to natural sunlight. The new LED modules and lighting products that employ them expand Kyocera’s line LED lighting solutions. The new modules are ideal for color-inspection applications, and they boast low power consumption and extremely long life. The new LEDs light engines can be used in a variety of applications including fluorescent tubes, standing lights and compact handheld lamps, making them a perfect alternative to large, heat-producing xenon lamps in areas such as automotive paint inspection.
Kyocera boasts that its LEDs render a more evenly distributed and wider spectrum of light than fluorescent lighting or conventional LEDs. According to Kyocera, the LEDs make a color rendering possible that approximates natural sunlight. These characteristics are essential in applications requiring accurate color reproduction, such as commercial printing, paint manufacturing, and automotive color inspection.
The company’s unique material technologies reportedly facilitate exceptional performance. The new LEDs are rated for about 100,000 hours of service, equal to longer than 11 years of continuous operation. Additionally, the LEDs leverage Kyocera’s proprietary material technology with a ceramic package that has higher reflectivity than conventional materials, resulting in brighter light output.
Kyocera is selling the new LED products in multiple lighting options including standing lights for inspection workstations; a handheld portable device for inspecting large objects, like automobiles; and fluorescent tubes for lighting up enclosed areas or entire rooms. Kyocera can supply LED modules individually or in the previously mentioned finished products. For enhance portability, the LEDs can also come in battery-powered versions. Kyocera has designed its LED modules for a variety of environments that require accurate color reproduction, and general aesthetics ranging from fashion retailing and fine-art museums to high tech manufacturing and hospital operating rooms.
LED Corn lights,
24/28/32/36/48/50/64 pcs 3014 SMD LEDs,
G4/G9/E14 base, 150lm~360lm
ac 110v/220v, ac 110v~240v, ac 220v~240v, dc 12v, ac/dc 12v, ac/dc 12v~24v,
warm/cool white,
$1.80
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| LED Corn lights, 24/28/32/36/48/50/64 pcs 3014 SMD LEDs, G4/G9/E14 base, 150lm~360lm ac 110v/220v, ac 110v~240v, ac 220v~240v, dc 12v, ac/dc 12v, ac/dc 12v~24v, warm/cool white, $1.80 |
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Cree XR-E Q5 LED Emitter,
optional colors: warm white, white, blue, royal blue, green, red, yellow, orange
$2.50
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Square shape,
10w high power LED Emitter,
Optional color: White/Red/Yellow/Orange/Blue/Green/RGB
$4.50
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| Square shape, 10w high power LED Emitter, Optional color: White/Red/Yellow/Orange/Blue/Green/RGB $4.50 |
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300w LED Emitter,
Emitted color: white
VF: 45v~54v
IF: 4.5A~6A
300pcs LEDs
Dimension：82*82mm
$79.99
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| 300w LED Emitter, Emitted color: white VF: 45v~54v IF: 4.5A~6A 300pcs LEDs Dimension：82*82mm $79.99 |
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IR LED Controller
DC 12v~24v,
Output 3 channels, 4A/Ch,
Common anode,
$11.99
Buy at KiwiLighting.com: 20-key IR LED Controller – 3-channel 4A/Ch DC-12v~24v
| IR LED Controller DC 12v~24v, Output 3 channels, 4A/Ch, Common anode, $11.99 |
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A19 LED Bulb Lights,
E27 base, A19 bulb,
Power: 3.5w/4w/6w,
Input AC 100v~120v/AC 220v~240v,
100lm/W, CRI>85, PF>0.5,
warm/cold white,
$11.00
Buy at KiwiLighting.com: A19 LED Bulb Lights – E27-base 3.5w/4w/6w 100lm/W...
| A19 LED Bulb Lights, E27 base, A19 bulb, Power: 3.5w/4w/6w, Input AC 100v~120v/AC 220v~240v, 100lm/W, CRI>85, PF>0.5, warm/cold white, $11.00 |
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RF LED Controller,
DC 12v~24v,
Output 3 channels, 4A/Ch,
common anode,
8 levels brightness,
6-key remote control,
$12.99
Buy at KiwiLighting.com: 6-key RF LED Controller
| RF LED Controller, DC 12v~24v, Output 3 channels, 4A/Ch, common anode, 8 levels brightness, 6-key remote control, $12.99 |
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RF LED Controller
DC 12v~24v,
Output 3 channels, 4A/Ch,
common anode,
8 levels brightness,
$12.99
Buy at KiwiLighting.com: 4-key RF LED Controller
| RF LED Controller DC 12v~24v, Output 3 channels, 4A/Ch, common anode, 8 levels brightness, $12.99 |
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Music LED Controller
DC 12v~24v,
Output 3 channels, 4A/Ch,
4 models,
blinking with the music rhythm,
$13.99
Buy at KiwiLighting.com: Music 3.0 LED Controller – 4-model 3-channel 4A/Ch DC-12v~24v
| Music LED Controller DC 12v~24v, Output 3 channels, 4A/Ch, 4 models, blinking with the music rhythm, $13.99 |
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Hand Held DMX ID Editor,
DC 4.5V,
support our DMX21xx series DMX receiver module,
Communication method: off-line(one-to-one),on-line(one-to-many),
portable, easy to use,
$74.99
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You can earn money via Kiwi Lighting Affiliate Program now!
When you make purchases for yourself, Fidelity points are assigned at a rate of 1 point for every $10 spent. When your referred customer completes an order, you receive Sponsorship points, which is also at a rate of 1 point for every $10 spent.
10 Fidelity points = 1 USD(for coupons or cart exchange), 10 Sponsorship points = 1 USD(for coupons, cart exchange, or cash)
For example: Mary, who you referred, spent a total of $64.23 on merchandises. Mary gets 6.423 Loyalty points, and you as the referrer get 6.423 Referral points.
Register an account on KiwiLighting.com, then go to affiliate page to get html code, then put the code on your blog/facebook/twitter/google+/linkedin/forum or any other website, or directly send your referral link to your friends.
Fidelity points and Sponsorship points will expire 1 year(365 days) from the date of the acquisition.
DOE-CALiPER-snapshot-2014-indoor-LED-luminaires.
Featuring: Downlights, Industrial Luminaires, Track Heads, Troffers, Linear Fixtures.
LED luminaires increased for 11th consecutive quarter, and is now at 86 lm/W.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s CALiPER program has released a Snapshot Report on indoor LED luminaires, which utilizes the LED Lighting Facts® program’s extensive product database to help industry stakeholders understand the current state and trajectory of the market for that class of products. Based on data through the first quarter of 2014, the report focuses on five types of indoor luminaires: downlights, industrial ambient luminaires (e.g., high-bay and low-bay), track heads, troffers (e.g., 2×4, 2×2, 1×4), and linear fixtures (e.g., linear pendants, strip lights). Together, these five product types represent the bulk of all indoor luminaires listed by LED Lighting Facts, and about one-third of the total products listed.
Among the report’s highlights:
Reports download:
(7 pages, May 2014) (8 pages, January 2014) (6 pages, November 2013) (7 pages, July 2013) (6 pages, April 2013)Dimmable LED Bulb Light,
75pcs 2835 SMD LEDs,
12 watt, 960lm,
Input AC 220v,
warm white 3000K-3200K,
cold white 6000K-6500K,
$12.00
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3/4/6pcs LG 5630/5050 SMD LEDs,
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powered by USB port,
good for camping lighting, desktop lighting,
$1.50
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Energy efficient street lights are to be updated in Shefford.
The LED lights were introduced as a pilot in Shefford as part of an energy saving initiative by Central Beds Council and Shefford Town Council.
Shefford-street-lights-before-and-after
The LED lights were introduced as a pilot in Shefford as part of an energy saving initiative by Central Beds Council and Shefford Town Council.
The illuminations were first installed in Queen Elizabeth Close so their effect could be seen – and they have been deemed a success.
The old orange lamps consume 780 watts whereas the new LED white lights use just 144 watts. This equates to a saving of more than 80 per cent, equating to £236 per year.
The LED lights will now be installed across the rest of Shefford and an extra 7,000 will replace the older versions across Central Beds over the next two years.
In this financial year this includes 850 in Biggleswade, 430 in Langford and Henlow, 262 in Potton, 363 in Sandy and 422 in Shefford.
Councillor Brian Spurr, executive member for sustainable communities, services, said: “The pilot lights in Shefford are a clear improvement and the savings in terms of energy costs and carbon emissions are absolutely fantastic.
“It really shows that we’re looking into new solutions to give residents good value for money and fits in with our aims to cut down carbon emissions in Central Beds.”
Shefford Ward Councillor Tony Brown, said: “I am extremely pleased with the outcome of the trial in Queen Elizabeth Close and the benefits that have been achieved by replacing the old and obsolete street lamps with this new efficient form of lighting.”
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. announced that it has improved the light quality of its LED packages and modules based on a 90 CRI (Color Rendering Index) for use in advanced lighting applications. Samsung is showcasing these LED components at the LIGHTFAIR International trade show exhibition being held here from June 3rd through 5th. COB LED Modules
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. announced that it has improved the light quality of its LED packages and modules based on a 90 CRI (Color Rendering Index) for use in advanced lighting applications. Samsung is showcasing these LED components at the LIGHTFAIR International trade show exhibition being held here from June 3rd through 5th.
“With our improved color rendering, Samsung’s LED packages and modules now provide LED lighting makers with light quality that far surpasses that of conventional lighting applications, while adding to the energy efficiency of our LED lighting line-up,” said Bangwon Oh, senior vice president of strategic marketing team, LED Business, Samsung Electronics. “With more than 90 CRI, the enhanced color reproducibility of our best product platforms will make them even more attractive to lighting designers worldwide.”
Samsung’s LED product platforms include mid-power, high-power and chip-on-board (COB) packages as well as LED modules. With the improved CRI, Samsung LM561B and other mid-power LED packages can be used in a wider range of retrofit LED bulbs and downlights by reproducing colors comparable to those seen under natural sunlight. In addition, the improved high power LED LH351 series is suitable for MR, PAR and other spotlights that require high color rendering, along with high light output.
Samsung’s LED modules enhanced with 90 CRI include the LT-A302 module comprised of mid-power LED packages, and the SLE series, which uses COB-type packages. The LT-A302 is a linear, lens-attached module (LAM) with a thin, 21 millimeter-wide form factor. The SLE series modules are suitable for spotlights and track lighting that prioritize high light output.
Samsung’s LED packages and modules with over 90 CRI will be commercially available in June.
For LED packaging service provider Everlight Electronics, automotive applications will be the most important market segment, especially in the China market, according to company chairman Robert Yeh.
Car LED Lights, Daytime Running Light, LED automotive lighting, Driving Light, Fog Light
Car LED Lights, Daytime Running Light, LED automotive lighting, Driving Light, Fog Light
For LED packaging service provider Everlight Electronics, automotive applications will be the most important market segment, especially in the China market, according to company chairman Robert Yeh.
Automotive applications account for less than 5% of Everlight’s consolidated revenues currently and it will take 3-5 years for the revenue proportion to rise to a double-digit level, Yeh said.
Everlight has 20% of its consolidated revenues coming from backlighting applications, 12.5% from lighting and 10% from digital signage and outdoor displays, Yeh said.
Everlight decided at its shareholders meeting on June 11 to distribute a cash dividend per share of NT$3 (US$0.10 ) for 2013, accounting for 85.47% of the corresponding net earnings per share of NT$3.51.
LED lighting in refrigerated cases provides dramatic energy savings, lower maintenance cost and more appealing displays, reports Laura Peters.
Refrigerated display lighting (RDL) represents one of the more perfect applications for LEDs. Because fluorescent tubes can be replaced with LED strips and reduce energy usage by 60%, retailers are beginning to implement LED case lighting on a wider scale. Typically, a store can realize return-on-investment (ROI) after 2-3 years using LED-lit coolers. In addition, since LED fixtures give off little heat relative to a fluorescent tube, an additional energy break is realized on compressor cooling. “LEDs love the cold; the colder they are the longer they last. We are able to design fixtures that are rated for 100,000 hours,” said Jamie Pearson, senior value stream manager of Lithonia Lighting, part of Acuity Brands.
 |
| Fig. 1. |
Fluorescent tubes provide a diffuse light in all directions, whereas LED lighting fixtures have been designed to provide directional illumination at 70-160° as needed in the case. Importantly, the quality of light in the case can also be improved to reduce glare, eliminate hot spots and make the food and packaging more appealing through better color rendering. “We recognized early on that many company’s products would be within 10% of each other in energy savings. So we focused on providing the best light with the best color rendering and greatest uniformity,” said Paul Kelly, vice president of market development for Nualight.
This merchandizing effect of LED lighting is being applied beyond the refrigerated cases themselves. Many grocery stores, specialty shops and convenience marts have decided to implement LED lighting throughout the store and in outside parking lots and gas stations. For instance, Jerónimo Martins Group (Fig. 1 and 2) recently installed LED lighting inside and outside its supermarkets in Portugal, which we will cover in more detail below. Notably, Walmart has set a goal to use 100% LED lighting in all of its 5366 stores through new construction and retrofitting.
As will be discussed, the adoption rates of RDL differ among Europe, North America and Asia. The fastest adoption has been seen in North America, where incentives have shortened the time to ROI.
Refrigerated case lighting options
Refrigerated display cases are available in many styles and sizes, but the market overall generally comes down to vertical freezer cases with doors and horizontal refrigerated cases without doors. The lighting in the vertical cases run vertically along each side of the door, and is generally 5-ft tall. In horizontal cases, typically there are one or two 4-ft fixtures that run at the top of the case (canopy lighting) and the base of the case (shelf lighting). In Europe, another common design employs a row of vertical coolers on top and horizontal coolers on the bottom.
 |
| Fig. 2. |
The worldwide market for lighting in refrigerated display cases is huge, especially the retrofit market. Case makers such as Hussmann and Kysor/Warren are selling new refrigerated cases with LED lighting already equipped in the case. But for existing stores, new cases cost in the range of $5000 for a three-door unit, so most managers choose to retrofit the case lighting.
In a study from 2010, Osram Sylvania estimated that there were roughly 10 million vertical case freezer doors available for retrofit, and nearly 20 million horizontal linear 4-ft fixtures in open refrigerated cases available for retrofit in the US. The study estimated there were 14 million single-lamp fixtures and 6 million dual-lamp fixtures in horizontal cases available for retrofit, according to Cheryl Ford, vertical marketing manager for Osram Sylvania.
The vertical units are used for packaged foods, while the horizontal cases are used for fresh dairy and meats. Though an ingress protection (IP) rating is not common for the freezer lighting fixtures, many users specify an IP rating of IP64 or IP65 for the horizontal cases to ensure the fixtures can withstand wet cleaning.
At first glance, it would appear that food and beverage retailers have countless options when it comes to choosing a provider of LED refrigerated display lighting. Providers include well-known companies such as Acuity Brands, GE Lighting, Nualight, Osram Sylvania, and Philips Lighting, but there are numerous other providers from Europe, North America and Asia. The qualified product list of the DesignLights Consortium (DLC), which includes both vertical and horizontal RDL, contains products from 19 manufacturers.
 |
| Fig. 3. |
The DLC relies on LM-79 data from a qualified third-party testing lab to demonstrate that fixtures meet minimum performance criteria. These include a luminous efficacy of 55 lm/W, CRI of 70, light output of 50 lm/ft for end fixtures or 100 lm/ft for center fixtures, and a zonal lumen density of 90% from 0-90°. Fig. 3 shows a typical light distribution when zonal lumen density is concentrated in this way.
A 5-ft fluorescent tube uses 60W of power (total wattage for 58W lamp and ballast). Today’s 5-ft LED fixtures typically use 12W (right or left end unit) or 18-24W (center unit). Both bi-pin and bracket-based versions are offered (Fig. 4). A driver is needed to step down from mains power to 24V. It is typical that one driver is required per door (2 fixtures).
Some LED fixtures use a series of low-wattage LEDs, typically 0.5W or 1W, along a strip, while others use high-powered LEDs spaced along a metal fixture. Most units have specially designed optics. Some companies offer broad product lines in a range of sizes and color temperatures, while other companies target only the most common case sizes and product depths.
Retailers typically choose LED fixtures with cooler color temperatures for freezers whereas a warmer CCT of 3000K is more suitable for meats, fish and seafood. Products with a color rendering index (CRI) of 70 to as high as 95 are commercially available, which compares to a CRI of 85 for fluorescent lamps. For instance, Philips offers its Affinium LED modules (Fig. 5) in color temperatures of cool white (5600K) or neutral white (4100K).
 |
| Fig. 4. |
Though a higher price is associated with the higher CRI LED fixtures, retail store owners understand the greater visual appeal associated with better color rendering. While initial use may be confined to high-end products such as meats and cheeses, the more LED pricing comes down, the easier it becomes to afford the better light.
Susan Fowler, LED refrigerated lighting product leader for GE Lighting summarized the design of the Immersion RV40 LED fixtures (Fig. 6), as products that “optimize energy savings while providing 750-1100 lx, hiding the view of the light source, focusing light on the packaging versus spilling onto the floor or doors, and creating uniform light in the case.” GE offers these fixtures in 3500K, 4000K and 5000K color temperatures and sizes of 30, 36, 48, 60 and 70 in. The 60-in, 4000K model produces 1070 lm (213 lm/ft) and requires 18W of power.
Regional differences
Retailers in North America, Europe and Asia are at different stages of RDL adoption. The types of cases and sizes differ by region as well. Fowler noted that North American stores tend to be larger in general than stores in Europe. She stated that while all regions are interested in reducing energy cost and maintenance cost with LED fixtures, western countries tend to focus on energy and light quality, while eastern regions tend to focus more on payback.
In North America, the utility rebates have accelerated adoption. “North America is miles ahead of Europe,” said Kelly. “Perhaps 40% of the North American market has been retrofit in the freezer segment,” he added. Kelly predicted that LED lighting for all refrigerated cases will become the de facto standard in North America by 2014.
Another difference is that product tends to be situated closer to the door in cases in the US. Some companies offer a product line that accommodates these differences. Speaking to Osram’s approach, Ford said, “The distance of the lighting fixture to the merchandise is key. If your shelf depth is up to 4 in – one product is used, 4-8 in – a second product and 8-10 in – a third product.”
 |
| Fig. 5. |
Brief history of case lighting
Refrigerated cases have been lit by T8 fluorescent tubes for several decades. GE Lighting was the first company to install LED lighting in refrigerated cases at Walmart in 2006. At that time, the LED fixtures used 41W of power each, replacing 59W fluorescent tubes. “Because LED refrigerated display lighting was one of the first LED categories created for grocers, the technology has had time to evolve and drive the payback down significantly,” said Fowler.
Such early installations are just now passing their warranty period of five years or 50,000 hours of operation. Fowler stated that testing of these systems has shown they currently perform at or better than the predicted values after five years. However, many customers are opting to upgrade to the newest LED fixtures because of the higher efficiency. For instance, current generation GE fixtures require 45% less power than the fixtures produced in 2008.
In 2006, the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute conducted a study comparing LED and fluorescent lighting in refrigerated cases. The study determined that shoppers overwhelmingly preferred the LED-lit cases for displaying packaged foods of many different colors. The shoppers found the LED lighting made the merchandise more appealing, more comfortable to look at and more eye catching.
Recent case studies
Three recent installations of refrigerated case lighting took place in grocers in different parts of the world: the Jeronimo Martins Group in Portugal, Sainsbury in the UK and Food City in the US.
The Jerónimo Martins Group was among the first European retail companies to equip its new stores entirely with LED lighting, including the outdoor parking lots and gas stations. The first installation took place in 2011 in its Recheio store in Torres Vedras, a region north of Lisbon. For its refrigerated shelf lighting, Arquishelf luminaires were designed with 56 Oslon SSL LEDs from Osram Opto Semiconductors. Energy savings was estimated at 50% for the Recheio facility. The all-LED lighting facility will be used as a model for the chain’s other stores. The second installation is scheduled to take place in a store in Tavira, Portugal.
Sainsbury, a supermarket chain in the UK recently selected Nualight to supply refrigerated case lighting for all its new and retrofit store projects. Nualight stated that its LED lighting will reduce lighting-related energy consumption for Sainsbury’s by 70% in low-temperature cases and by 40% in medium-temperature cases. Sainsbury was the first retailer to use Nualight’s Perfino fixture, which is designed to address the challenges of reflective packaging and visibility of the LEDs in multi-deck cases.
 |
| Fig. 6. |
Food City first evaluated vertical-case LED lighting systems in its Abingdon, VA store and later retrofitted 89 stores using GE’s NV40 fixtures (Fig. 7). In total 7400 display cases were upgraded, providing a lighting energy and refrigeration cost savings of $337,000. Keith Norton, director of engineering for Food City said in a statement, “The biggest expense was not replacement lamps and ballasts, but sending contractors to the stores to begin with. Preventative maintenance measures were costing Food City more than $5 per door per year, or $37,000 annually. The reliability of an LED system was a critical factor in our payback equation, as was the impact energy savings would have on shortening that time period.” GE’s Fowler noted that for retrofit, ROI strongly impacts the lighting selection.
ROI and energy savings
As shown with these case studies, the energy savings for LED lighting in refrigerated cases typically averages 60% and can be 70% or greater when occupancy sensors are used. In the US, the upfront cost of LED lighting retrofits can be offset by federal tax savings and local utility rebates.
Under the Energy Policy Act (EPAct) Section 179D, commercial property owners who make qualifying energy-reducing investments in new or existing locations can obtain tax deductions of up to $1.80/ft2. The current law is effective for projects completed by December 31, 2013.
Local utility rebates for refrigerated case lighting vary by state (see ). One prerequisite for accessing these rebates is that the product chosen is listed in the qualified product list of the DesignLights Consortium.
 |
| Fig. 7. |
Rebates can impact ROI considerably. Rebates are provided on a per door or per fixture basis. For example, utility provider Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) in California offers a rebate of $55 per door in vertical cases. In a 5-door case, 6 fixtures are used so the savings amounts to $45 per fixture. With occupancy sensors, SMUD makes available a rebate of $85/door, or $425 per 5-door freezer, which amounts to $70 per fixture.
Lithonia’s Pearson sees widespread interest in occupancy sensing and dimming, especially among stores that operate 24/7. GE’s Fowler commented that the customers most interested in the technology are those that pay the most for electricity. “Retailers who really watch their power usage will adopt occupancy sensing to further reduce costs. However, we also see that some retailers have concerns about the impact of dimming on brand image,” she said.
As retailers worldwide evaluate and gradually adopt occupancy sensing, the technology in the sensors continues to advance. Whereas earlier sensors led to abrupt changes in lighting levels, the newer sensors and programming in LED fixtures allows more gradual changes in light level. “We have what we call follow-me dimming, where light levels are boosted as a person approaches and walks past the display case,” said Ford. When no person is detected for some period of time, dimming the light levels by 50% will significantly reduce energy cost.
Lifetime, maintenance and reliability
Maintenance savings and cooling savings also contribute to ROI. The fluorescent tubes in a freezer environment typically last only 6-12 months and the difference in heat generated between LED fixtures and fluorescent tubes can amount to 100 BTU per door. Most of the LED fixtures are rated for 50,000 hours or five years. Maintenance costs will vary by the size of the installation, but as we discussed with the Food City example, maintenance cost can be significant.
 |
| Fig. 8. |
The other factor that grocers and other retailers evaluate closely, beyond ROI and color quality, is the speed of installation with refrigerated case lighting. “This is a very fast paced industry, so a retailer can sometimes provide only 6-7 weeks’ notice for a facility that wants installation within 3-6 months. You need a very flexible supply chain to do that,” said Kelly. He added that while speedy installation is needed, so is careful installation.
“I think the major technical challenge is not associated with the LED fixtures themselves but the ease of installation – it has to do with the design of the peripherals, the cabling, the LED driver, the robustness of brackets/clips you use,” said Kelly. “By having the flexibility in your fixture design to suit any case interior profile, you can adjust the lighting before and after installation to create the optimal impact. That’s becoming increasing important,” he said.
To ensure reliability, most manufacturers are very select about the LEDs they use, or they use in-house LEDs. The LEDs are fully tested for reliability under IES LM-79, then the fixtures are reliability tested under IES LM-80.
Next steps for food retailers
The retrofit of fluorescent tubes to LED lighting in refrigerated cases is delivering an energy savings of 60%. The next generation coolers have been designed with integrated LED lighting, and as occupancy sensors improve it is likely that dimming will be used to further reduce energy use.
Increasingly, retailers are looking to differentiate their stores and spotlight specific foods or products. While the adoption of LED lighting in refrigerated cases was driven by energy savings and incentives, the adoption of LED lighting throughout the stores is more driven by the merchandising effect of LED lighting.
The brighter LEDs available today are increasing the chances that ambient LED lighting can be used to bring out colors and textures of produce and specialty items. For example, the Zest accent luminaire from Nualight (Fig. 8) has been specifically designed for food retail environments and features a CRI >90. The color temperature may be tuned via remote control from 2700K to 5000K to suit the display merchandise allowing the retailer the flexibility of re-configuring display layouts without needing to change the light fixture. The 8-ft model produces 1600 lm at 30W power.
LED Engin, Inc., demonstrated its Generation 3.0, tunable white light engine at Lightfair. LuxiTune Generation 3.0 features a 2200 lumen emitter, equivalent to a 120W halogen lamp. The light engine offers smooth halogen-style dimming from 1600K to 3000K and Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) tuning between 2100K and 4300K.
LED Engin, Inc., demonstrated its Generation 3.0, tunable white light engine at Lightfair. LuxiTune Generation 3.0 features a 2200 lumen emitter, equivalent to a 120W halogen lamp. The light engine offers smooth halogen-style dimming from 1600K to 3000K and Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) tuning between 2100K and 4300K. Both tuning curves track the black body curve closely and light intensity (flux) is adjustable from 100% to less than 0.5%. With the company’s complementary secondary optic, luminous efficacy is 63 lumens/W at steady-state temperature. The Color Rendering Index (CRI) is 90 at full intensity, and the CRI maintains an average of 85 as the LED is dimmed.
The DALI and DMX compatible light engine provides flicker-free operation with industry-standard analog 0-10V dimmers. According to LED Engin, the light engine’s self-learning mode eliminates known issues related to varying voltage drops on long and short cables when multiple lamps are connected to one dimmer. DMX control can switch between CCT tune and halogen dim modes. LuxiTune employs a compact, single emitter to provide warm, soft tones of dimmed light. Throughout the dimming range, LuxiTune maintains color quality and consistency within 3 Standard Deviation Color Matching (SDCM). The multi-channel emitter platform creates more vibrant colors without some of the hue changes experienced with simpler two-color systems. Smart feedback control ensures color and flux stability over the product’s lifetime and eliminates the known effects of varying light output over temperature and time from different color dies. Furthermore, the light engine has no perceptible flickering effects in the 100Hz to 200Hz range.
Secondary optics measuring 84mm diameter are available in 24°, 34° and 45° beam angles for compact lighting fixtures. A driver board is mounted remotely, separated from the LED MCPCB in the LuxiTune 3.0. The company points out that this is a particularly useful feature in recessed metal box downlights. A separate emitter allows easier integration into swivel features, and heat from the driver board does not increase the temperature of the LED with the separate emitter. So, reliability and operating life are improved.
LED Engin also offers a 1100 lumen version of the latest LuxiTune, equivalent to a 60W halogen lamp. LuxiTune Generation 3.0 is sampling to key customers now, with volume production ramping in the third quarter of 2014.
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ImA4Wheelr posted his review on our SST-90 LED Driver here
This driver appears important enough to warant it’s own thread. It would be awesome if a driver guru developed a DIY version of this driver. It is used in the UF-T90 and the Lustfire 3U2. There are some posts about it here and there. I will attempt to link to them later today. I modded one in this build.
ImA4Wheelr posted his review on our SST-90 LED Driver here
This driver appears important enough to warant it’s own thread. It would be awesome if a driver guru developed a DIY version of this driver. It is used in the UF-T90 and the Lustfire 3U2. There are some posts about it here and there. I will attempt to link to them later today. I modded one in this build.
This driver appears important enough to warant it’s own thread. It would be awesome if a driver guru developed a DIY version of this driver.
It is used in the UF-T90 and the Lustfire 3U2. There are some posts about it here and there. I will attempt to link to them later today. I modded one in this build.
The pictures below are the HX-1175b1. I purchased them from here. I contacted the vendor ahead of time telling him that I only wanted the HX-1175b, not the “C”. He sent me HX-1175b1′s. They look even better than the “b” in that they appear to have bigger voltage sense resistors” (from memory). I have not tested this driver yet. It does appear to be well assembled and has nice 24gauge silicone insulated wires. The toroidal inductor looks good too.
I will add some info later. For now, here are some pics.
The two pictures on the right below are of the HX-1175b that is in this Relic thread. My T90 driver had 2 R068′s which also equals .034 ohms. Layout and components appear to be the same except for the larger voltage sense resistors. Also, the torodial inductor appears to be slightly thicker wire, but same number of turns. The larger resistors is a great change because that is where the heat was generated in mine after swapping the FET’s out. There appears to be a small capacitor ( where I have a resistor labeled 303) next to a larger capacitor, but the circuit in the PCB appears to be the same.
