(Image Credit: General Electric)
Solid State Lighting (SSL) encompasses several technologies, including light-emitting diode (LED), organic light-emitting diode, and even polymer light-emitting diodes (PLED). With recent legislation taking effect in states like California regarding efficiency standards for light bulbs, the race has been on to improve upon the gift Thomas Edison gave us in the traditional, incandescent light bulb.
Over the last few years the LED has been the go-to technology for more efficient lighting, but recent breakthroughs in both price and the technology is driving manufacturers towards integrating OLEDs into their products.
Overview of the OLED
The OLED reacts to an electrical current just like traditional LEDs, but OLEDs can be designed to operate in a very thin film that can be both flexible and clear. And because an OLED device does not need a backlight, the color contrasts are stunning.
In short, OLED technology is thinner, lighter, has better color resolution, provides a great deal more applications than LED, and in many cases is more efficient than LEDs.
New OLED Applications
So how does this apply to the light bulb? Manufacturers of everything from cars to mobile devices are reaching for OLED technologies, but the makers of light bulbs are also showing interest in using OLEDs for general lighting as well.
Flexible OLED lighting solutions are emerging quickly for commercial use and are expected to hit the market in full force by 2015 or earlier. The only thing slowing down the industry is the cost of development. But as manufacturing ramps up, the cost will plummet.
BASF and Philip are developing a clear OLED sunroof that acts as a clear solar panel by day and a gentle light by night when needed. Of course, the technology can be applied to other areas of the vehicle as well, but BASF and Philip are the first to integrate OLEDs into a sunroof that also works as a clear solar panel.
Even smartphone manufacturers are adding recent innovations to their phones. A University of Cambridge team successfully integrated a solar panel behind an OLED display on a phone to recapture wasted light. The captured energy is fed back into the device’s battery, improving the amount of time between charges dramatically without adding significant weight or width to the phone.
Of course, you cannot research OLED technology without seeing the applications in high-definition televisions. New designs are as large as 55 inches weighing in at only 16 lbs and 4mm thick. The contrast ratio is in the neighborhood of 100,000,000 (yes, million):1 – or 50+ times that of LED-based televisions.
While the OLED concept is still in progress with a significant barrier being the price of production, the benefits and applications are incredibly exciting. With regulatory pressure for improved efficiency and more innovations in the industry, 2012 may still prove to be the year of the OLED.
For more on the discussion about LEDs and Fluorescent Lighting, see our article on Green Home Authority.
