LG Chem, the world’s largest OLED light panel manufacturer, today unveiled the world’s biggest building installation of OLED lighting at the inauguration ceremony for Seoul National University’s new main library.

LG Chem supplied 1,100 OLED light panels for reading lights at the KwanJeong Library at Korea’s premier university. 

LG's OLED table lamps installed at Seoul National University. (LG Chem/LEDinside)

Seoul National University (SNU) adopted OLED lighting for the library’s reading lights because it is energy efficient and is extremely comfortable to the eyes. OLED lighting comes closest of any lighting source to natural sunlight and does not emit UV, which increases eye fatigue, or produces blue light, which can cause eye damage.

University officials also selected the OLED light panels because their slim and modern design conforms with the library’s cutting-edge architecture. OLED light panels are only the surface light source that is currently available, which makes them ideal for various design applications. 

Rows of LG OLED table lamps can be seen at the university library. (LG Chem/LEDinside)

“Lighting is the most important factor for a library facility since we want to avoid eye fatigue for our students,” said an administrator of the Seoul National University Library.  “OLED lighting is the best lighting option for the library’s study areas since it protects the eyes while offering a soothing and simple design, and we selected LG Chem’s lighting products because of the company’s technology leadership in the sector.” 

“The adoption of OLED light panels at Seoul National University Library is a recognition of OLED lighting’s superiority,” said Park Sung-Soo, Vice President of the OLED Light Business at LG Chem. “LG Chem plans to commercially market in March the OLED reading lights installed at the Seoul National University Library, in addition to its ‘Frame’, OLED lighting lamp, which is already being sold online. This is part of LG Chem’s efforts to create new consumer experiences with OLED lighting products,” he added.

A total of 1,100 OLED lamps were installed at SNU. (LG Chem/LEDinside)

The OLED light panels used at the SNU Library measure 320mm x 110mm, with a light efficacy of 60lm/W and a lifetime of 40,000 hours. The brightness of the lighting is easily adjusted with a dimming control between 300lx and 850lx. The standard brightness for a reading light ranges from 300lx to 600lx, according to the Korean standard illumination index. 

The thickness of the OLED light panel is 0.88mm, and even with an aluminum housing, it is still just 2.2mm, offering an ultra slim design. 

Park said the SNU Library OLED lighting project marks a significant milestone in the worldwide adoption of OLED lighting.  Sales of the OLED lighting industry are set to grow rapidly to reach an estimated $4.7 billion by 2020, according to UBI Research, a consultancy. 

A close up of the LG OLED table lamps. (LG Chem/LEDinside)