LEDs are currently ever-present in our lives. They have powered the screens of low to mid-range phones and tablets for over a decade and have recently also been integrated into luminaires and light fixtures throughout homes from all over the world. While they are considerably brighter than regular lights and can last for much longer, producing LEDs has always been an issue for manufacturers worldwide.
This, however, is about to change as the Korean company LG has announced its first commercially available lamp to take the next-gen LEDs developed by Philips and to improve on them. While the lamp is not a large step forward, by itself, it is the first to use the new, highly efficient lighting tech, along with a few proprietary improvements made by LG.
The new LEDs are advertised as completely stable and able to break the 220 lumens per Watt barrier. Smart device manufacturers had been previously limited by this characteristic, being forced to add a larger number of LEDs to light up the screens of phones, tablets, monitors, and luminaires. This is due to the fact that most LEDs are limited by a 150 lumens/Watt ratio.
The new LEDs are considerably more efficient than the ones that have been available to manufacturers, up to this point. This new technology comes with several extremely important prospects, among which we can also count energy savings for devices with screens, lamps, and luminaires. Manufacturers would also be able to add fewer LEDs to their devices to get ultra-bright screens, potentially making the devices thinner and prolonging battery life.
A Prototype Lamp to Get Things Going
LG has currently presented a prototype lamp that uses their new LEDs. This new device showcases the LED’s but also gives other manufacturers a working concept for future projects that involve this technology. It is also worth mentioning that the new lamp has demonstrated the fact that the LEDs generate less heat than earlier models, negating the need for bulky heat sinks.
Considerable Energy Savings through the New Technology
The LEDs themselves can withstand 300-degree soldering temperatures, which makes them ideal for use in mass-production assembly lines. It is yet unknown how this will apply to portable devices such as smartphones and tablets, however, it is expected that the new tech will have a tremendous impact on how much energy a home consumes.
From a purely technical point of view, the use of the new high-efficiency LEDs could reduce the overall household energy consumption by up to 50%. However, the technology is still relatively new and the long-term effects of its use will depend on how the manufacturers will integrate it into their new products. Furthermore, it is unlikely that the new lighting solution will be used in mass-production products before 2021. Until then, the best course of action is to stick to regular, high-quality LEDs.
Technology for the Future
This new LED technology breakthrough is in line with the new trend of sustainable advancements that the world has been seeing in the last two years. As more and more green technologies surface, such as the bionic leaf developed at Harvard University or the CSP solar energy harvesting methods, come become more accessible, humanity may be able to slow down the destruction of the environment.
By using the new LEDs in their devices, whether they are luminaires or smart devices, manufacturers will be able to offer better battery life, lower electrical consumption, and help preserve the environment at the same time.
