It is a huge step for LED lighting

Founded in 2005 out of the world-renowned Gallium Nitride effort under Professors Shuji Nakamura, Jim Speck, and Steve DenBaars at the University of California at Santa Barbara, Inlustra is focusing on the production of next-generation nonpolar Gallium Nitride substrates for a broad range of laser and led high bay light applications. Inlustra's founders have pioneered nonpolar Gallium Nitride research and have successfully ported the fundamental technology to the current production environment.The aim of the DOE program is to develop a standard, sustainable design and manufacturing strategy that addresses product use, recycling and disposal of LED-based lighting. NCMS said it will build research and development collaborations in conjunction with ilumisys and provide technical and management services.

"Many companies are beginning to design and manufacture solid-state lighting, but there is no acknowledged set of best practices for lamp and luminaire design," said ilumisys president Dave Simon in a statement. "This partnership, which addresses not just the complete end-use product but also the recycling and disposal issues, is a huge step for LED lighting."Touted for superior energy-efficient capabilities, LED technology is still limited in market acceptance by the high cost. And unlike fluorescent lighting, LED lights contain no mercury. The presence of the toxin in compact fluorescent light bulbs has raised concerns about the environmental impact of the bulbs as they become more widely used and discarded.The program with NCMS will examine systems-level aspects such as material selection, fastening methods and production methods to help lower the overall environmental impact of LED lighting technology, Simon added.

                   

The modules are designed to flush mount through a standard 44.5mm (1.75-inch) mounting hole with three screws, and the flange and lens are only 4mm (0.16 inches) thick.These off-the-shelf modules will appeal to manufacturers wishing to offer their end users the significant energy savings and reliability of an LED solution. The led high bay light offers an 85-percent savings in total cost of ownership (TCO), including reduced maintenance and replacement bulb cost, as well as energy cost savings over a five-year period of continuous operation. In a commercial application this would equate to an amortization period of 21 months.