Since September, 60 W light bulbs have joined other members of the bulb family, namely 100 W and 75 W bulbs, in no longer being available for sale in stores. What now? The energy-saving bulb does not appear to be the right alternative. The long-term solution will be lighting concepts based on nanotechnology.
Barely on the market but already the talk of the town: After conventional light bulbs were officially banished from households, energy-saving lamps are now also increasingly falling out favor. Their most serious disadvantage being that they contain highly toxic mercury – the heavy metal vaporizes at room temperature when such a bulb breaks. Building biologists also hold that this type of bulb emits strong electromagnetic fields. The energy-saving effects also appear to be significantly lower than originally expected.
Extremely thin layers
The good news in this situation is that an alternative already exists. It is based on nanotechnology and has none of the disadvantages of the energy-saving bulb. Light emitting diodes (commonly known as LEDs) have a chip structure, which consists of two semiconductors with differing properties. Light is emitted when current flows between the two semiconductors. The color of the light varies depending on the doping. The production of LEDs is based on a nanotechnological process (epitaxy), with which extremely thin layers can be applied. A conductive reflector is located on the lower side of the chip, while a gold wire on the upper side serves as a contact. The entire structure is enclosed by a lens made from plastic or glass.
Good news for the environment
Because the maximum temperature of a LEDs lies between 40 and 50 °C, they are not considered a fire hazard (unlike conventional light bulbs, which can have temperatures up to 300 °C). High-performance LEDs have a service life of between 20 and 25 years, while that of light bulbs is only 800 hours on the average. Experts agree that warm-white LEDs will replace both halogen and energy-saving bulbs because of their many advantages. The consulting firm McKinsey estimates that the potential annual savings achieved through the use of LEDs in Europe alone could be up to 15 billion euros, with about 63% being allotted to households, 15% each to offices and industry, and a good 6% to public lighting.
At the same time, the use of LEDs throughout the European Union would benefit the environment, as it would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over 42 million tons. This is why this technology is also known as "green lighting". Against this backdrop, it is easy to understand why Nanosys Inc., a Nanostart-holding headquartered in Palo Alto – the "capital" of Silicon Valley – is also active in the LED sector. Nanosys is one of the leading architects for electronic nanostructures, which are also the basis for ever brighter and more energy-efficient LEDs. "Our Quantum Dot Enhancement Film is also playing a decisive role in improving LEDs, as this film, which is based on quantum dots, enhances LEDs and their color spectrum so that it more closely corresponds with that of the human eye", explains Jason Hartlove, CEO of Nanosys.
Illuminated wallpaper
Thanks to these successes, it is no surprise that growth rates of over 20% are expected in the LED sector. The consultancy firm McKinsey has forecast that sales of LEDs will increase from 100 million euros in 2008 to 1.9 billion euros in 2015. Forecast sales for 2011 are 700 million euros. This will be further boosted, according to the experts, by organic LEDs, which are also known as OLEDs. These can be produced at even lower costs than inorganic LEDs. They consist of several organic layers, which are extremely thin. Completely new lighting concepts, such as "illuminated wallpaper", can thus be achieved. OLEDs convert electrical energy into light very efficiently. 50 lumens per watt have already been achieved in research projects. They can also be touched without problem, as hardly any heat is generated.
You can find more information about the Nanostart-holding Nanosys at www.nanosysinc.com.
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