Whitepaper ko-KO Jan, 06 2009 22:00:37 GMT tommy.kim@displayplus.net http://www.displayplus.net/bbs/zboard.php?id=whitepaper&no=83 - Frontier Silicon - There are currently several variants of the Eureka-147 digital radio standard being used or being proposed for broadcasting digital audio and in some cases multimedia content. These include: Standard DAB – being used commercially in UK, Denmark, Switzerland and Norway. Also being broadcast in Germany but not seen as a commercial success DAB+ - Chosen by Australia for their roll out in early 2009 and will also be adopted in Switzerland. Potential for Germany to also adopt DMB-Audio – Chosen by France for their roll out in 2009. Also under consideration by parts of the German broadcast industry Currently the existence of these different standards makes it more difficult for manufacturers to commit to Europe-wide Digital Radio projects. This is particularly hard for the vehicle manufacturers who want a product that will work across Europe before they will commit to fitting Digital Radio as a standard fit, but this is also an issue for standard audio manufacturers who want to be able to make a single product for sale across Europe to give them the benefits of scale. DMB-audio - assumptions in this white paper Through various contacts with the industry Frontier is making the following assumptions in this white paper about what is contained in the DMB-Audio specification being put forward in France: Band 3/L-Band RF receiver; Audio HE-AAC; Video MPEG4 AVC (H.264); Graphics MPEG-4 BIFS; Multiplex MPEG-2 TS RS(204,188) and Convolutional Byte interleaver. We believe that to enable the market for low cost receivers alongside the higher functionality products it will be desirable to make some of these features optional. These assumptions are based on our best evaluation with the information available and will be refined as specifications become more solid. For details, click http://www.frontier-silicon.com/audio/mstandardwp.htm#1 Displayplus.net Dec, 27 2008 12:27:08 GMT Mobile http://www.displayplus.net/bbs/zboard.php?id=whitepaper&no=82 - By Navid S. Fatemi, Howard E. Pollard, Hong Q. Hou, and Paul R. Sharps, Emcore Photovoltaics - This paper describes a trade study between state-ofthe-art, commercially-available very high-efficiency III-V multi-junction solar cells and advanced high-efficiency silicon cells at the bare cell and panel levels. The solar cell technologies in this comparison will be high-efficiency rad-hard 3-mil Si, dual-junction InGaP/GaAs (on Ge), and triple-junction InGaP/GaAs/Ge, with the beginning-of-life (BOL) efficiencies of 17%, 23%, and 26%, respectively. Two different typical orbits will be considered: geosyncronous (GEO) and low-earth (LEO) orbits. It will be assumed that the end-of-life (EOL) conditions for GEO and LEO will be equivalent to degradation due to 1-MeV electrons at 5E14 and 1E15 e/cm2, respectively. Parameters critical to conventional rigid solar arrays such as specific power/mass (W/Kg), specific mass/area (Kg/m2), specific power/area (W/m2), and normalized end-of-life (EOL) $/W will be compared for these cell technologies. Historically, the need for power in space has been dominantly provided by silicon solar cells. In the past several years, however, high-volume manufacturing of high-efficiency multi-junction solar cells has enabled the use of this alternative technology for space power generation. Compared to Si, multi-junction cells are more radiation resistant and have greater energy conversion efficiencies, but they are also heavier (higher density and thickness) and cost more. When the need for very high power or smaller solar arrays are paramount in a spacecraft, multi-junction cells are often used instead of, or in hybrid combinations with, Si to reduce the array size. Very large solar arrays, for example, pose a difficult challenge for the attitude control systems onboard a typical satellite. Several trade studies have been published in the past comparing the performance, cost, weight, area, etc. of different solar cell technologies for space applications. Since then however, both multi-junction and silicon cell technologies have improved in three significant ways: conversion efficiency, radiation resistance, and cost. High-efficiency rad-hard 3-mil Si solar cells, for example, exhibit beginning-of-life (BOL) efficiencies averaging about 17%, under one-sun, airmass zero (AM0) illumination conditions. Commercially-available dual- and triple-junction InGaP/GaAs/Ge solar cells, on the other hand, have demonstrated minimum average BOL AM0 efficiencies, as high as, 23% and 26%, respectively. These cell technologies are also more radiation hard than Si space cells, and their cost has decreased significantly in the past two years. In fact, the EOL cost per unit power ($/W) for the multi-junction cell technologies are only now becoming competitive with high-efficiency Si technologies. The following is a trade comparison at the cell and panel levels between high-efficiency Si and multi-junction space solar cells. For details, click http://www.emcore.com/assets/photovoltaics/Paper_Navid_9-22-00.pdf Displayplus.net Dec, 26 2008 16:43:41 GMT Solar/PV http://www.displayplus.net/bbs/zboard.php?id=whitepaper&no=81 - By Angiolo Laviziano, Chief Executive Officer, REC Solar ( http://www.recsolar.com )- The economy in 2008 has been anything but stable, and in fact if there were a competition for naming the next Six-Flags Rollercoaster, I think \"The 2008 Economy\" would be the winning entry. This coaster would have big climbs, steep falls, and a few twists along the ride. In 2008 we have seen the stock market rise and fall over 700 points in a single day, the housing market take a tumble, and a $700BB bailout package come to fruition. Looking for a conservative and stable investment has become more challenging than years past because many of the investments that we knew as staples are no longer generating the stable positive returns that we could previously count on. One of the few sectors that Wall Street and Main Street have both agreed on as the future for investors is in the clean energy sector. So if you have already purchased a solar system for your home or business or are in the process of doing so, congratulations, you are on the cutting edge. You can be thankful this holiday season for investing in solar energy, an appreciating investment that you do not have to worry about decreasing in value with the ups and downs of the economy. A challenging economy has further solidified the strength of investing in solar energy. A residential solar system in California on average generates a post-tax return on investment of 9%, approximately 12% pre-tax. In Colorado the return is only slightly lower due to the lower cost of electricity. For commercial customers, solar energy can generate a return as high as 20% depending on the utility rebate, utility rates, and the customer\'s tax appetite. The three major considerations/risk parameters that one must consider when evaluating the return of a solar electricity system are; (1) Will you continue to use power at your home or business? (2) Do you think energy prices will continue to increase? (3) Do you think the sun will rise each morning? Of course this decision matrix is simplified, but with consumer power consumption increasing and electricity rates increasing as much as 60% for the higher tiers of power consumption, solar energy is an extremely solid investment. The technology that is being deployed carries power output guarantees on the solar panels between 20 and 25 years and with over 2,800 installations REC Solar has installed more solar systems than any other company in the United States. So if you find yourself frustrated looking at your 401k plan, your home value or IRA, remind yourself that you have made one of the most solid investments that you can in solar energy. Where else can you get a rate of return of 9-20% with the only major risk in the investment is power prices decreasing? (Hint, power prices have been increasing for the past 30 years nearly annually.) Of course the investment rationale which we speak to above does not capture the additional benefits of solar electricity; fossil fuel free power production, energy independence, increasing your property value, and further doing your part to ensure that we have the same beautiful planet for future generations. Your pocketbook and future generations will thank you for investing in solar. Displayplus.net Dec, 26 2008 02:14:44 GMT Solar/PV http://www.displayplus.net/bbs/zboard.php?id=whitepaper&no=80 This IDC ( http://www.idc.com ) study shares a global view of Green IT in ten leading industrial countries (Japan, China, India, Mexico, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, France, and the United States), and provides some of the major highlights from each region. IDC polled more than 1,500 C-level business and technology executives across 10 industrial countries to understand what Green IT activities were important to them and why. Energy costs continue to be the most pressing factor driving Green IT adoption, even as oil prices drop. Globally, 71% of the respondents identified this as their highest priority. Among U.S. respondents, 77% identified energy as the most important factor behind green adoption in their companies, while 74% of European respondents saw energy concerns as the number 1 driver of green initiatives. Additionally, hardcopy output and printing is becoming a key green initiative among organizations expanding their green horizons. Nearly two thirds of the companies surveyed indicated that a shift from print to online is underway at their companies (either currently implemented, in pilot, or in proof of concept). In Asia/Pacific, 69% of the respondents identified these changes in company behavior. Other key findings from IDC\'s Green IT survey include: Green IT initiatives in the U.S. will continue to focus on lowering energy costs, but pending asset management regulations will introduce a new set of issues. Europe is lagging other regions in senior management interest in and customer pressure to show sustainability, but regulatory pressures are likely to drive change in this area. In many ways, Japan is a leader in Green IT, having adopted many environmentally friendly policies years earlier. Yet investment in green IT is lower in Japan than in other regions. Being green has become increasingly important in Latin American where Mexico\'s government is actively promoting Green IT initiatives and regulations. But overall, Green IT initiatives in the region are still at an early stage of development. Displayplus.net Dec, 19 2008 20:44:22 GMT Display http://www.displayplus.net/bbs/zboard.php?id=whitepaper&no=79 - Gary Betz, California Micro Devices - Bridging the Serial Display Standards Gap for Reduced Manufacturing Costs Display technology utilized by mobile handsets has undergone a dramatic change in the last several years. The evolution from simple liquid crystal displays (LCDs) to full color VGA resolution displays has enabled the high-end mobile handset to become a hybrid between a personal digital assistant, digital camera, personal media player, and internet appliance. These feature-packed, all-in-one handsets often employ thin film transistor (TFT) LCDs with resolutions up to wide format VGA displays with 24 bit per pixel color depths. Traditional Parallel Display Interfaces These new requirements have created challenges for handset designers, especially from an electromechanical perspective. Many of today\'s handsets are of the clamshell, sliding mount or cycloidal variety, establishing the need for a reliable mechanical and electrical interface between two physically attached modules. The display is typically in one section of the handset while the host processor is in the other. The electrical connection is made through a parallel interface via a flex cable passing through the mechanical interface. While this approach has worked fine for low resolution display interfaces, today\'s higher resolution displays require a minimum of a 24-bit data bus and 4 control signals. As a result, power management, electromagnetic interference (EMI) and flex cable reliability have rapidly become challenging design issues for designers seeking to remain with these wide, parallel interfaces. Handset designers are looking for innovative solutions for high resolution handset display interfaces that can address these design issues. For details, click http://www.cmd.com/news_events/news_pdf/cm5160_wp_12-10-08.pdf Displayplus.net Dec, 16 2008 19:40:48 GMT Mobile http://www.displayplus.net/bbs/zboard.php?id=whitepaper&no=78 For details, click http://www.nanomarkets.net/products/prod_detail.cfm?prod=9&id=281 Materials Markets for CIGS Photovoltaics http://www.nanomarkets.net/products/prod_detail.cfm?prod=9&id=279 Thin Film Photovoltaics Markets: 2008 and Beyond http://www.nanomarkets.net/products/prod_detail.cfm?prod=9&id=264 Materials Markets for Thin-Film and Organic Photovoltaics http://www.nanomarkets.net/products/prod_detail.cfm?prod=9&id=249    The Future of Thin-Film and Organic Photovoltaics Manufacturing   http://www.nanomarkets.net/products/prod_detail.cfm?prod=2&id=265 Displayplus.net Dec, 14 2008 15:24:30 GMT Solar/PV http://www.displayplus.net/bbs/zboard.php?id=whitepaper&no=77 - By Roy Burton, CEO of Dialight - The UK Government has committed to the ambitious goal of reducing CO2 emissions in 2010 to 20% below 1990 levels, with a longer-term goal of 60% reduction by around 2050. So how can you reduce CO2 levels without having a negative impact on your bottom line? LED lighting provides opportunities today for cutting CO2 while saving energy and saving money. Lighting is responsible for over 20% of world electricity consumption, most of which is consumed in non-domestic applications. Investors and futurists love to chat about solar, wind and bio-fuels for energy generation. Energy efficiency gets a lot less attention, but the potential for savings is significant. Wholesale adoption of LED lighting could cut world electricity consumption by 10% — that¡¯s a lot of CO2. London has over 5000 traffic intersections, each one comprising an average of 10 traffic signals, making ~50,000 signals. If London were to convert those to LED lights the resulting saving in electricity alone, assuming a cost of 6 pence per unit, turns out to be almost £1 million, with a consequent reduction in carbon emissions of more than 9.5 million kg. In addition to the obvious environmental benefit, these lights are guaranteed for 5 years and could be expected to last for up to 10 years. Presently, light bulbs in conventional traffic lights are changed every year, so these new lights would avoid up to 8 maintenance visits over their lifetime and would therefore result in further significant savings for the city. It¡¯s time to throw away light bulbs and to think about replacing them with a controllable, directional light source. We can make much bigger energy savings by thinking differently about lighting. Why are lights at industrial installations on 24/7 through the day? Because light bulbs don¡¯t like being switched on and off frequently. With LED lighting utilizing proximity switches and intelligent control you can imagine the benefits in terms of reductions in cost, CO2 emission and lightspill. Why should we light tunnels, or empty car parks, or walkways when there are no vehicles or people present? Street lights, for example, could be dimmed when they¡¯re not needed. LEDs switch on instantly, when a person comes into range, and they also provide superior color rendition — important where CCTV is in use or for finding your car in the car park at night. LEDs are highly suited for a wide range of commercial uses and environments, and it\'s not just their energy saving potential that makes them attractive. Maintenance is expensive, can be dangerous and causes downtime. All other energy efficient light sources don¡¯t last long — they¡¯re too fragile to withstand shock and vibration, and they don¡¯t like being switched on and off either. LEDs are inherently safe due to their low voltage operation, so they¡¯re highly suited to hazardous environments. Long lifetime means you save on replacement light fixtures. It also means we don¡¯t have to manufacture the same volume of fixtures, so we¡¯re saving more energy and CO2 emissions. What is happening in the UK? By talking about CFL bulbs we are missing the point. The right technology is already here, but we¡¯re not moving to it. Take traffic lights — currently only a small percentage of them in the UK use LEDs, despite the proven efficiencies they deliver, while LED traffic lights are mandatory in many US states. Why not change the existing lights now? An added bonus is that, under Kyoto, a company switching to LEDs can actually generate revenues from the CO2 emissions it displaces; this pays for the investment in new light sources. And in Scotland, SMEs can get interest-free loans to improve energy efficiency. Dialight has begun discussions with CABE, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment in the UK, to explore the opportunities of trialling LED lighting in specific urban situations for demonstration purposes. We will also seek to work with urban partners and utilities for these joint demonstration projects currently in the planning stage. In terms of Capex savings, the US tends to look for a 1.5 year payback, while in the UK it¡¯s more like 3.5–4 years with a longer payback period being hard to justify. Potentially, banks could offer leasing packages for LED lighting as the lights can last as long as 10 years if they¡¯re not in use 24/7. LED device costs have come down a lot over the last 2 years (and will continue to do so), while the fixture cost is dominant. LED fittings for hazardous locations carry a 30–40% premium, but there¡¯s zero maintenance, so payback is achieved easily. Local authorities will accept payback periods that fall within their political term. Aside from cost, there are other barriers to energy-efficiency investment. There are clearly vested interests in any channel to market, and conventional lighting manufacturers with existing market share have little incentive to reduce CO2. We have to break though these attitudes. Where there¡¯s a strong value proposition people find a way to get the investment; Dialight has seen this in the US and it¡¯s now starting in mainland Europe. Adoption of standards can help as it allows you to sell around the existing channel. While we can\'t dictate to people which technologies to use, we can put technology on approved lists showing its whole life costs. We should be lobbying government. The UK\'s Climate Change bill is pushing for 80% CO2 reduction by 2050. The public sector will get carbon budgets, and that will be a real driver for change. Displayplus.net Dec, 13 2008 06:15:27 GMT LED http://www.displayplus.net/bbs/zboard.php?id=whitepaper&no=76 - California Micro Devices - Introduction Two important trends are leading to fundamental changes in ESD protection strategies at the system design level: Increased susceptibility of system ICs to ESD as they migrate to more advance process technology nodes and increasingly stringent signal integrity requirements as data rates continue to climb. The traditional approach to dealing with higher data rates has been to reduce the capacitance of the ESD protection device but doing this tends to reduce the ESD protection capabilities of the device. As a result, system designers are forced to make tradeoffs between system reliability and signal integrity. Recognizing that a radically new approach is required to meet today¡¯s ESD requirements, California Micro Devices (CMD) Corporation is introducing the PicoGuard XP¢â architecture, the first member of its XtremeESD¢â family of ESD protection devices. Devices using the PicoGuard XP¢â architecture offer significantly better ESD performance than traditional ESD protection devices. Coming soon will be the PicoGuard XS¢â architecture designed to provide outstand signal integrity for high speed data interfaces while simultaneously providing enhanced ESD protection. With these new options, designers can ensure their systems meet both their reliability and signal integrity goals without compromise. Protection of the Increasing Levels of Susceptibility of Today¡¯s Semiconductor Devices Ensuring reliability through ESD protection is perhaps the most critical issue facing the electronics industry. As manufacturing geometries for today\'s most advanced ASICs decrease to 90 nm and less, the voltage and current levels that can cause ESD related failures for these devices also decrease. Clamping voltages and residual current levels that were acceptable for previous generations of ASICs can destroy modern semiconductor devices. Traditional ESD architectures fail to provide suitable protection because they were not designed to protect these new increasing levels of susceptibility. With traditional ESD architectures, an inverse relationship exists between robust ESD protection and signal integrity. More robust ESD protection has typically meant higher levels of capacitance. In turn, this negatively impacts signal integrity, forcing designers to compromise between ESD protection and signal integrity. This delicate balance has become increasingly difficult to maintain with the increasing adoption of high speed data interfaces such as USB 2.0, HDMI¢â and DisplayPort¢â. For details, click http://www.cmd.com/applications/app_docs/Extreme_ESD_Protection_Architectures_010508.pdf Displayplus.net Dec, 12 2008 23:56:45 GMT Display http://www.displayplus.net/bbs/zboard.php?id=whitepaper&no=75 - California Micro Devices - ESD Protection Architecture Design Considerations for Next Generation Devices Esecutive Summary This paper is intended to eliminate the confusion around ESD protection architectures so that you can confidently take the next step toward designing more reliable systems. Main topics include ESD protection device fundamentals, important considerations for choosing an ESD protection device, and shortcomings of traditional ESD protection architectures. Lastly, this paper introduces an innovative, breakthrough ESD protection architecture created by California Micro Devices. Introduction Two important trends are leading to fundamental changes in ESD protection strategies at the system design level: Increased susceptibility of system ICs to ESD as they migrate to more advance process technology nodes and increasingly stringent signal integrity requirements as data rates continue to climb. The traditional approach to dealing with higher data rates has been to reduce the capacitance of the ESD protection device but doing this tends to reduce the ESD protection capabilities of the device. As a result, system designers are forced to make tradeoffs between system reliability and signal integrity. Traditional ESD architectures fail to provide suitable protection because they were not designed to protect these increasing levels of susceptibility of these new system ICs. Clamping voltages and residual current levels that were acceptable for previous generations of ASICs can destroy modern semiconductor devices. Additionally, the increasing adoption of high speed data interfaces such as USB 2.0, HDMI¢â and Display Port¢â, adds to the complexity of maintaining a high level of signal integrity while ensuring robust ESD protection. The changing application environment also contributes to increased ESD vulnerability. A proliferation of laptop computers and handheld devices such as cell phones, MP3 players, digital cameras, and other mobile devices are being used in uncontrolled environments (i.e., no wrist-grounding straps or conductive and grounded table surfaces). In these environments, people touch I/O connector pins during the connecting and disconnecting of cables. In addition, a portable device can buildup a charge during normal usage, such as being carried in purse, and discharge that energy when connected to another device, such as a computer or a TV. With traditional ESD architectures, an inverse relationship exists between robust ESD protection and low capacitance levels. More robust ESD protection has typically meant higher levels of capacitance. In turn, this negatively impacts signal integrity forcing designers to carefully balance ESD protection with signal integrity. With the advent of high speed serial data interfaces, this delicate balance has become increasingly difficult to maintain. Confusing Specifications, Standards, and Testing Criteria Determining which ESD protection device provides the greatest protection is increasingly difficult. Many designers don¡¯t know which factors are most important when choosing an ESD device to ensure reliability. Often, the answers either are not provided or obvious in many ESD protection device datasheet specifications. In addition to the confusion of critical ESD electrical specifications, there is confusion around interpretation of industry standards, and what constitutes adequate protection and the acceptable testing criteria. Today¡¯s designer must also pay considerable attention to voltage level (clamping voltage) and how much current (residual current) will be seen by the ASIC. While low capacitance for signal integrity is certainly important, other crucial considerations the signal integrity must be made in regards to layout, capacitance matching, and impedance matching issues. For details, click http://www.cmd.com/applications/app_docs/The_Changing_ESD_Landscape_XP_010508.pdf Displayplus.net Dec, 12 2008 23:46:18 GMT Display http://www.displayplus.net/bbs/zboard.php?id=whitepaper&no=74 - QuickLogic - The market for Personal Media Players (PMPs) is divided into Flash based players and Hard Disk Drive (HDD) based players. The last few years have seen an explosive growth of PMPs driven by the growth in flash based players due to the dramatic reduction in flash memory prices. The PMP market has evolved from very basic MP3 playback functionality to adopting the latest features of the consumer electronics market, including multimedia and wireless functionality. PMP designers need to create new and differentiated products by adding the features that consumers demand while simultaneously addressing the market needs of rapid development time, and lowest Bill of Materials (BOM) cost. The PMP markets adoption of multimedia-rich content - particularly, video and Mobile TV - as well as different wireless technologies has led to unique challenges in storage, feature integration and technology convergence. At an architectural level, this trend results in more and more peripherals to be connected to the application processors that run the operating system (OS) and application software. Unfortunately, application processors have a predefined set of interfaces and typically cannot be modified as fast as the market requirements change. To solve this dilemma, QuickLogic has developed a broad variety of host controllers around the most common storage, networking, video and other high speed peripheral interface technologies used in PMPs. These include USB 2.0 OTG with PHY, SD/SDIO/MMC, IDE, CE-ATA, NAND/Managed NAND, High Speed UARTs, MPEG-TS and PCI. For details, click http://www.quicklogic.com/home.asp?PageID=723&sMenuID=88&p1=88&p2=407&p3=410 Displayplus.net Dec, 05 2008 04:41:35 GMT Mobile http://www.displayplus.net/bbs/zboard.php?id=whitepaper&no=73 - Yole Development - The need for high power, high frequency transistors is increasing steadily, commensurate with the huge demand for wireless telecommunications. More power, more frequency bands, better linearity and improved efficiency are driving the current development of RF semiconductor devices capable of handling all these specifications at a reasonable price. Up to 2005, Si LDMOS covered about 90% of the high power RF amplification applications in the 2GHz and higher frequency range; the 10% remaining market share was addressed by GaAs pHEMT technology. This equilibrium is soon to be upset considerably by the introduction of Gallium Nitride (GaN) HEMT technology. These GaN devices are now challenging the dominant position of silicon in an industrial playground in which a Power Amplifier (PA) market size of ~$900M is forecast for 2008. Military applications were the first to use WBG devices, especially with the SiC MESFET being developed through broadly financed DARPA and DoD programs in the US. Then in 2006, Eudyna jointly announced with NTT that a first 3G network using GaN HEMT had been deployed in Tokyo for test purposes. New commercial offerings from CREE, RFMD and Nitronex followed, targeting both base-station (3G, WiMAX...) and general purpose applications. In parallel, R&D for space applications remains very strong and the first products are expected to be implemented in the next few years. Recent announcements show that key players are more and more focusing on WiMAX/LTE markets, defocussing on the current 3G/3G+ market for which they claim the time-to-market for WBG devices is now over. With strong penetration of WiMAX/LTE applications, we forecast that the market size for GaN RF transistors could reach a level of about $100m by 2010. The duality between WiMAX and LTE technologies should not widely impact this growth. The battle will take place not only at a performance and reliability level but also at the cost level. Thus, innovative GaN-based substrate makers have a great role to play to help decrease device prices. This report provides a complete analysis of the applications targeted by GaN RF transistors with its key market metrics. It describes the main devices in production or under development as well as the possible alternative substrates that will help to decrease the device price. For details, click http://www.yole.fr/pagesAn/products/ganrf.asp Displayplus.net Nov, 28 2008 17:58:11 GMT LED http://www.displayplus.net/bbs/zboard.php?id=whitepaper&no=72 - U.S. Department of Energy by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory - In August 2008 the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) conducted a light-emitting diode (LED) residential lighting demonstration project for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Building Technologies, as part of DOE¡¯s Solid-State Lighting (SSL) Technology Demonstration GATEWAY Program. Two lighting technologies, an LED replacement for lamps (bulbs) in downlights and an LED undercabinet lighting fixture, were evaluated in the demonstration which was conducted in two homes built for the 2008 Tour of Homes in Eugene, Oregon. The homes were built by the Lane County Home Builders Association (HBA) and Future B Homes. The Energy Trust of Oregon (ETO) also participated in the demonstration project. The LED downlight product is called the LR6; it was developed by LED Lighting Fixtures Corporation (LLF) and is sold by Cree LED Lighting Solutions as a replacement for incandescent, compact fluorescent, and halogen lamps in recessed can downlights. It is a unique, integrated module with its own optics, trim, heat sink, and screw (or GU-24) base designed to allow the entire product to be installed in existing recessed downlight fixtures. The second product evaluated was Philips¡¯ eW¢ç Profile Powercore undercabinet fixture, which was designed to mount under kitchen cabinets to illuminate the countertop and backsplash surfaces. Quantitative and qualitative measurements of light performance and electrical power usage were taken at each site before and after initially installed halogen and incandescent lamps were replaced with the LED products. Energy savings and simple paybacks were calculated and builders who toured the homes were surveyed for their responses to the LED products. The LED downlight product drew 12 Watts of power, reducing energy use by 82% compared to a 65W incandescent reflector lamp and by 84% compared to a 75W halogen reflector lamp. The LED undercabinet fixture drew 10 watts, cutting energy use by 83% to 90% compared to a halogen product, which was tested at two power settings – a low power setting that drew 60 watts and a high power setting that drew 105 watts. The LED downlights consistently provided more light than the halogen and incandescent lamps in horizontal illuminance measurements at counter height and floor level. They also outperformed in vertical illuminance measurements taken on the walls, indicating better lateral dispersion of the light. The undercabinet fixture¡¯s light output was midway between the low and high power halogen undercabinet fixture light outputs (35.8 foot candle versus 13.4 fc and 53.4 fc) but it produced a more uniform light (max/min ratio of 7.0 versus 10.8). The measured color correlated temperature (CCT) of the LED downlights correlated well with the CCT of the halogen and incandescent lights (2675 K vs. 2700 K). The color rendering of the LED downlight also correlated well at 92 CRI compared to 100 CRI for the halogen and incandescent lamps. The LED undercabinet fixture had measures of 2880 K CCT and 71 CRI compared to the 2700 K and 100 CRI scores for the halogen undercabinet fixture. Builders who toured the homes were asked to complete a written survey regarding their perceptions of the light quality. They gave the LED downlight high marks for brightness and most felt the LEDs were the same as or an improvement over the halogen and incandescent lamps in terms of shadows and glare. The majority gave the LED products high marks for overall visibility and improvement in home appearance and surprisingly a high number said they felt the LED products improved the homes¡¯ value (83% said this about the downlight and 75% said this about the undercabinet fixture). The dimming performance of the LED downlight product was also evaluated because LEDs are anticipated to have better dimming capability than other high-efficiency downlight alternatives, namely CFL R-lamps. It was difficult to find the brands of dimmers that were identified by the LED downlight manufacturer as compatible with its product, however. The lamp was tested with a non-compatible dimmer and was found to be difficult to set below 50%. The lamps either didn¡¯t dim enough or turned off and they did not operate in unison. According to the builder, a compatible dimmer was found after PNNL¡¯s testing, and it is functioning satisfactorily. LED dimmer compatibility is an area for further manufacturer support and industry action. Paybacks on the LED downlights ranged from 7.6 years (assuming electricity cost of 11 c/kWh) to 13.5 years (at 5c/kWh)a based on product costs of $95 per LED downlight and 3 hrs per day of usage. Paybacks on the LED undercabinet fixture in a new home ranged from 4.4 years (11c/kWh electricity) to 7.6 years (5c/kWh) based on product costs of $140 per LED undercabinet fixture at 2 hrs per day of usage. These payback calculations do not take into account labor costs to replace burned out bulbs or fixtures, which are expected to occur much more frequently with halogen and incandescent lamps than with LED products. Paybacks will be shorter if lamps are operated more hours per day, if electricity prices go up, and/or if the initial purchase price goes down for the LED products. These products have been commercially available for less than a year; prices are expected to drop as the technology improves, as component costs decrease, and as sales and competition increase. http://www.netl.doe.gov/ssl/PDFs/gateway_eugene.pdf Displayplus.net Nov, 28 2008 14:48:58 GMT LED