The lighting that affects human biological rhythms which was mentioned briefly in the previous post is generally referred to as “circadian lighting.” The word “circadian” originating from the Latin words “circa” meaning “approximately” and “diem” meaning “a day.” Many people have experienced feeling refreshed by the morning sun, whereas feeling sleepy in a darkened room. The biological function of adjusting circadian rhythms through exposure to sunlight continues to occur in the human body today, even after milli...

Roadshow begins in Madrid this month, moving to Lyon and London in November September 2, 2024: Nichia, the world’s leading global LED manufacturer, is launching an exclusive roadshow across three major European cities in the latter half of 2024. This series of invitation-only events – taking place in Madrid, Lyon, and London – will gather top industry experts, architects, lighting designers, and fixture manufacturers to delve into lighting technology and conscious design to create spaces that enhance the way people live, work, and interact with their en...

LED video walls are advanced display solutions that consist of Direct View LED displays, which work together to act as a single large screen. These walls are gaining prominence across various sectors due to their ability to deliver vibrant, large-scale visuals with seamless integration. Industries ranging from retail to entertainment are harnessing the dynamic capabilities of LED video walls to captivate audiences and enhance visual communication. What Are the Latest Trends in LED Video Walls? The landscape of LED video walls is continually evolving. H...

Ft. Lauderdale, FL — Just Video Walls proudly announces the launch of their new brand, Lunar Walls, targeted to propel direct-view video walls into more and more customer homes and businesses. But to do so, JVW wants to hear from its dealers first. In an unprecedented move, dealers will help the company set margins, price points, and validate the go-to-market strategy for the brand. “We are an integrator-founded company, so it’s important that everything we do helps our dealers in the way we wished we were helped at the beginning,” said Skyler...

At this year’s IAA Show in Hannover, Labcraft, the industry-pioneering designers and manufacturers of LED lighting for commercial vehicles, is presenting its latest Banksman lighting systems alongside a new range of compatible harness kits, designed to save time and money during installation. Available in four models – BM2, BM3, BM4, and BM6 - Labcraft’s innovative Banksman lighting solutions deliver additional bright light around the vehicle, helping drivers to maneuver more easily and with confidence – both in open and confined spaces. T...

The nightscape of Knoxville is set to shine once more with the return of programmable decorative lighting on the Henley Bridge, a dazzling display dormant for the past six years. The bridge, a central artery of local heritage, will relight its architectural features this Thursday, marking a significant upgrade in both technology and visual allure. According to a statement released on the City of Knoxville's official site, Mayor Indya Kincannon, together with the Engineering Department Signal Shop staff and LED Lighting Concepts representatives, will proudly unve...

AUO's Tainan plant. File photo courtesy of a private contributor Taipei, Aug. 28 (CNA) AUO Corp., a leading Taiwanese flat panel maker, has agreed to sell two plants to the Taiwan unit of U.S.-based dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chip supplier Micron Technology Inc. for NT$8.1 billion (US$254 million). In a statement, AUO said Tuesday that under a purchase and sale agreement (PSA), it will sell one 32,500-square meter plant in Taichung for NT$700 million and another 146,033-square meter plant in Tainan for NT$7.4 billion to Micron. ...

It has been 28 years since the white LED launched, which Nichia realized by combining a blue LED with yellow phosphor. Since then, LED technology has replaced incandescent bulbs and fluorescent lamps, becoming the predominant light source. The performance of LEDs continues to evolve daily, and now their luminous efficiency can well exceed 200 lm/W, enabling spaces to be brightly illuminated with even less energy. By developing LEDs that can contribute to energy saving, Nichia aims to support people’s lives under rising energy costs. On the other hand, as the dema...

Projectors are commonly used in meetings and seminars, and their primary light source is still ultra-high-pressure mercury lamps. As the name implies, ultra-high-pressure mercury lamps contain mercury and generate concerns regarding environmental pollution. For that reason, they are expected to be replaced by solid-state light sources which do not contain mercury such as LDs (Laser Diodes) and LEDs. However, due to cost and other reasons, this replacement is taking time, and in the RoHS Directive, ultra-high-pressure mercury lamps for projectors with an output of ≥2,000 lm ...

AUSTIN, Texas & ROTTERDAM, Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fluence, a leading global provider of energy-efficient LED lighting solutions for commercial cannabis production, announced today its multiyear collaboration with Holistic Industries, one of the largest private multistate cannabis operators, has surpassed 120,000 square feet of canopy under Fluence lights. The companies’ long-term collaboration was born out of a successful LED trial in 2018 at Holistic’s Pennsylvania cultivation facility. When compared to Holistic’s...

Knoxville's Henley Street Bridge will once again light up with the colors of the Tennessee Volunteers after crews worked to restore the street-level lights display years after it stopped operating. For the first time since 2018, the lights on the deck will glow orange and white starting at 8:30 p.m. Aug. 29 in honor of the football home opener Aug. 31. And it's not just a one-time thing. The bridge lights will change colors in honor of events such as the Knox Asian Festival or Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The original lights were turned off because of we...

(Image credit: Hisense) Although it might be known as delivering some of the best Mini-LED TVs in the market, Hisense is seemingly taking a new approach with an upcoming OLED TV slated to hit Europe this September. The new display, known as the Hisense A85N, is equipped with HDR10+, Dolby Vision support, and a purported 1,000 nits of peak brightness. It uses LG Display’s WOLED panel, which should give it quite the edge against major competitors Sony and Samsung. OLED tech isn’t exactly new for Hisense, as the display manufactur...

Lumileds’ R&D team realizes Lambertian distribution from microLEDs Lumileds has realized significant External Quantum Efficiency (EQE) performance for MicroLEDs in the past years. EQE, is the ratio between the energy contained in the light emitted from the LED and the energy in electrons injected into the semiconductor material. However, for microLEDs, and display applications in particular, EQE on its own is not a sufficient measure of performance. To properly assess the efficiency of a microLED, one must also be able to measure the direction...

Researchers based in China have been exploring the benefits of using freestanding (FS) gallium nitride (GaN) as a substrate for micro light-emitting diodes (LEDs) [Guobin Wang et al, Optics Express, v32, p31463, 2024]. In particular, the team developed an optimized indium gallium nitride (InGaN) multiple quantum well (MQW) structure with improved performance at lower current injection (~10A/cm2) and lower driving voltages as suitable for the advanced micro-displays used in augmented (AR) and virtual reality (VR) setups where the higher cost of FS-GaN can be compe...

Since January 2024, Nichia has introduced three blog posts on “History of Light Sources - Color Rendering Index (CRI)” and this blog will conclude its series with this fourth post. In the world of lighting sources, where there is often a tendency to prioritize luminous flux and efficiency, Nichia has strived to convey that CRI is just as important as luminous flux and luminous efficiency. Nichia, which has been involved with “light” for more than half a century since the fluorescent lamp era, hopes that this part of its philosophy has been understood...

   

More than 4812 streetlights in the City of Port Adelaide Enfield (City of PAE) area have been switched over to LED light bulbs, with stage one of the council’s bulk LED rollout project now complete. In 2023, SA Power Networks partnered with the City of Port Adelaide Enfield to roll out the project, focussing on Stobie pole-mounted lights on residential streets. The $2.46 million project began in December 2023 and finished by its target of the end of the 2023–24 financial year. SA Power Networks said that currently, around half of South Au...

Electronics tech giant Xiaomi has announced its latest X Pro QLED series TVs, aiming to deliver a high-quality viewing experience with stunning colors, enhanced brightness, and crystal clear visuals. Alongside the new X Pro QLED series TVs, Xiaomi also updated the 2024 Edition X Series smart TV, bringing significant improvements over last year’s models. Here’s everything you need to know about Xiaomi’s latest X Pro QLED series smart TVs. Xiaomi offers three screen size options for the X Pro QLED Series – 43, 55, and 65-...

The TCL T5K has been launched in China. (Image source: TCL) TCL has launched the T5K, a 50-inch QLED TV, in China. With Quantum Dot technology, the direct-lit LED TV covers 96% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, and according to TCL, the color will not fade for 100,000 hours. The T5K’s brightness level of 300-400 nits is said to be 25% higher than other models, though these are not named. The TCL TV also has MEMC motion smoothing technology and supports Dolby Vision. On top of this, there are two built-in 20W speakers from Onkyo th...

Apple is gearing up to introduce a new addition to its desktop lineup: the 32-inch iMac Pro. This highly anticipated model is set to replace the older Intel-based iMacs, bringing forth a range of significant upgrades and enhanced specifications. With an expected launch date in late 2025, the 32-inch iMac Pro promises to deliver innovative display technology, improved processing power, and expanded connectivity options, catering to the needs of professional users. Development and Transition The larger iMac Pro is currently in the development phase, signifying a notable shi...

Today most fluorescent lamps are regulated by the RoHS Directive. However, despite containing mercury, there are still exemptions. In the field of general illumination, High Pressure Sodium lamps (hereinafter abbreviated as HPS) remain the highest runner of mercury-containing lamps. HPS is typically used in street lighting luminaires, classified under item 4(c) and for horticulture classified under item 4(f). They are exempt until at least February 24, 2027, due to the lack of alternative technologies. However, Nichia considers that the hurdles for alternative technolo...

The first post discussed general lighting and the second one addressed specialty lighting applications requiring a higher CRI. This post will explore outdoor lighting. While it is widely understood why CRI is important for indoor lighting, is it important for outdoor lighting as well? Many people have had the experience of driving into a tunnel and not being able to see clearly, not being able to distinguish car colors directly in front or not even being able to tell the color of fellow passenger’s clothing! This is due to the extremely low CRI of sodium lamps commonly us...

LED lights at LPS Industries. - LPS Industries LPS Industries, a vertically integrated flexible packaging manufacturer, has replaced 1,100 fluorescent and incandescent light fixtures with LED lights at its facility in Moonachie. The project took two months and required the contractor to work 16-hour days. During that time, day-to-day operations at the manufacturing plant and corporate offices continued as normal. Employees now work with better and more diffuse light. Studies have shown LED lights can improve employee moods, boost work efficiency and enhanc...

Taiwan launches LED light swap event (Courtesy of MOE) TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Ministry of Environment (MOE, 環境部) will launch a lighting replacement promotion from Sept. 1 to Oct. 31, encouraging citizens to recycle old light tubes and bulbs at designated stores and purchase LED alternatives. Participants can register on the event website to enter a prize draw. Wong Wen-ying (翁文穎), a division chief at the MOE's Resource Circulation Administration (資源循環署) fund management committee, noted that traditional light tubes and bulbs...

(Image credit: Samsung) Samsung has announced two new ultra-short throw projectors which are set to challenge your TV for a spot in your living room. The Premiere 7 (LPU7D) and Premiere 9 (LPU9D) are the latest models in Samsung's growing projector portfolio, with the latter serving as a successor to the five-star Premiere LSP9T from 2022. Both models can reportedly "transform any living space into a premium home cinema" according to Samsung due to their premium picture and audio credentials. These 4K projectors support HDR in both the HDR...

As explained in the February 24, 2023 blog post, there remain lamps and light sources which contain mercury but are still exempt from the RoHS Directive. With its decades of experience and innovation, Nichia wants to contribute to the realization of a mercury-free society by promoting alternative light sources, specifically LEDs and Laser Diodes which do not contain mercury. The table below summarizes light sources which are exempt from the RoHS Directive and whose manufacture and sale are permitted even though they contain mercury. In fact, some items are classified mo...

The first post was about general lighting. In this post, Nichia will discuss specialty lighting which requires a higher CRI. Applications requiring high color rendering include lighting for printing, painting, dyeing, photography, color inspection, cosmetic mirror lighting, galleries, museums, clothing, decorations, hospitals, and schools. Depending on the application, various types of high CRI lamps are used. Incandescent bulbs and halogen lamps have an Ra of 100, but their color temperature is as low as 2700K, limiting their use in applications. For applications requir...

As of today, 24 February 2023, most types of fluorescent lamps will be banned from manufacturing and sales in Europe. Despite containing mercury, these lamps have been allowed to be manufactured and sold as exemptions from the RoHS Directive. However, these exemptions end today and will no longer be extended. Lamps not covered this time will be subject to regulation in a phased manner, and general fluorescent lamps, except for some special applications, will disappear from the market in the near future. Under the Minamata Convention, which along with the RoHS Directive, i...

In the lighting industry, the characteristics and advantages of light sources are typically discussed in terms of luminous flux and/or efficacy; however, CRI, chromaticity, and spectral distributions are also important factors of light. Among these, CRI is a very important characteristic that determines how close an illuminated object looks to what it would like under natural light. In this blog, Nichia has chosen to focus on CRI and its history as the main theme and this first blog post will discuss the importance of general lighting, which is indispensable in our daily lives. ...

A lightweight sensor system with infrared imaging capabilities, developed by an international team, can be fitted to drones for remote crop monitoring, potentially leading to more precise agriculture and cheaper groceries. This flat-optics technology, which dynamically switches between edge detection and detailed infrared imaging, could replace traditional lenses in various industries and is ready for mass production. Engineers created a compact sensor with infrared imaging for drones, enhancing crop management by allowing for precise irrigation and pest control, which could lower gro...